#female warriors

[hometoursandotherstuff]

[redsamuraiii]

Female Warriors and Lords from Japanese Historical Dramas.

[forgotten-bharat]

Maharani Durgavati

Durgavati was the daughter of King of Bundelkhand, married to Raja dalpad of Gondwana, in Madhaya Pradesh.

Soon, tragically Raja died and Queen Durgavati with her 5 year old toddler stepped up to the throne. She managed the whole kingdom exceptionally well, as recorded by Akbar’s historian. The kingdom did not suffer any major setback even after their king died.

Gondwana was a rich kingdom, with a beautiful queen which became the target of the Mughals. They didn't wanted to simply take the kingdom under their control, the commander Asaf Khan also “wanted to touch the beauty of Gondwana”.

In 1564, Asaf Khan marched with 10,000 cavalries towards Gondwana, Rani Durgavati marched with 5,000 men to the battlefield.

She led the army well and killed about 500 enemies, she came out victorious by the end of the day, later she purposed to “surprise attack” the enemies or “Gorilla Attack” but none of the council members agreed to that.

By the next morning, Asaf Khan’s army was in a much better place and the fighting continued for 3 exhausting days. By that time only 200 of her men were left but the thought of giving up never once crossed her mind. Her bravery and courage never wavered.

During the battle, one arrow pierced her temple and another pierced her neck, causing her to lose consciousness. When she opened her eyes, the inevitable defeat was clear.

Instead of falling in the hands of men that had nothing but lust for her and would eventually throw her in Harem with other women, that previously were queens of conquered kingdoms that Mughals kept as sex slaves, she took our her dagger and killed herself to save her honor and prevent invaders from doing heinous things to her body, her martyrdom day (24 June 1564) is commemorated as “Balidan Diwas”.

The Mughal army then marched to the fort to loot it's treasure. They found staggering amount of gold pots full of gold, jewels, expensive stones etc.

When they opened a room, it was full of burnt bodies of women that commited Jauhar upon hearing the news of Rani’s defeat. These women committed Jauhar to save their honor and to prevent the Mughals from taking them as sex slaves, unfortunately 2 women were still alive, stuck behind a large wooden block that saved their lives. These two women were then taken to Akbar's court and predictably put into Harem.

[snargl-com]

Fantasy female characters. Conceptual character design.

Dive into the world of fantasy female characters! In this post, you’ll find unique conceptual designs where each character tells its own story. Enjoy the inspiration from creative ideas and vivid images!

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Legendary Warrior Women of the Ancient World

Once upon a time, there were women who challenged the might of empires and the laws of men.

They beckoned a world where the whisper of a woman's voice could quake the thrones of tyrants.

Let's delve into these legends from antiquity. 🧵⤵️

Hatshepsut

The fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Hatshepsut reigned longer than any other woman of an indigenous Egyptian dynasty.

She was one of the most prolific builders in Ancient Egypt.

To legitimize her reign, Hatshepsut claimed she was divinely conceived by the god Amun, who appeared to her mother in the guise of the pharaoh Thutmose I, her father.

Sappho

An ancient Greek poet from the island of Lesbos, Sappho is celebrated for her lyric poetry, which explores love and passion.

Legend says that Sappho leaped from the Leucadian cliffs due to her unrequited love for Phaon, a ferryman, demonstrating the depth of her emotional expressions that permeated her work.

Artemisia I of Caria

A queen of the ancient Greek city-state of Caria and an ally of Xerxes I during the Second Persian invasion of Greece.

In the Battle of Salamis, Artemisia was so cunning in combat that she intentionally rammed her ally's ship to escape the Greeks, convincing them she was an ally and thus avoiding capture.

Hypatia

A mathematician, astronomer and philosopher in Alexandria, Egypt, Hypatia was a renowned teacher and thinker.

Hypatia was known to drive through Alexandria in her chariot to deliver public lectures on philosophy, defying the gender expectations of her time.

Boudicca

The warrior queen of the Iceni tribe who led a major uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire in Britain.

After the Romans flogged Boudicca and raped her daughters, she rallied her tribe and neighboring tribes for revenge, resulting in the destruction of Roman settlements and the decimation of the Roman Ninth Legion.

The Trung Sisters: Trung Trac and Trung Nhi

Vietnamese military leaders who rebelled against Chinese Han dynasty rule, becoming enduring symbols of resistance.

The sisters, after witnessing the suffering of their people under Chinese rule, famously declared their independence by proclaiming:

"All the male heroes bowed their heads in submission; only the two sisters proudly stood up to avenge the country."

Khawlah bint al-Azwar

A legendary female Muslim warrior, she fought alongside the early Muslims in the battles against the Byzantine Empire.

Khawlah famously donned male warrior’s armor to rescue her brother from a Byzantine prison camp, charging into battle with such ferocity that opponents assumed she was a supernatural entity.

Joan of Arc

A French heroine and saint of the Catholic Church, Joan led French forces to victory over the English at Orléans.

Joan persuaded a skeptical Charles VII of France of her divine mission to save France by correctly predicting a military reversal at the Siege of Orleans, before any messenger could have reached them with the news.

Zenobia

The third-century queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Syria who challenged the authority of the Roman Empire.

Zenobia was so bold that she claimed descent from Cleopatra, positioning herself as the Egyptian queen's successor in defiance of Rome and marched her armies as far as Egypt and Anatolia.

Cleopatra VII

The last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Cleopatra is known for her intelligence, political acumen, and dramatic love affairs.

In a famous encounter to secure her alliance with Julius Caesar, Cleopatra had herself wrapped in a carpet (or linen sack, according to some accounts) and delivered to him, emerging to charm Caesar with her wit and beauty.

[rihaaish]

Mihrdukht Aims her Arrow at the Ring

The Hamzanama, or the Dastan-e-Hamza, is an extraordinary epic story, originating in various forms in Central and South Asia, in the late 900s-1000 BC. It tells the story of Hamza, a warrior, and his various exploits, involving adventure, romance, betrayal, and combat. In this painting, created in India by the artist Basawan, in the 1500s, the warrior Mihrdukht performs a feat of archery, shooting her arrow through a ring set in the mouth of a golden bird, which is on top of a tall pole. Hamza's son, Hamid, matches the feat, and wins her hand in marriage. This painting is the collections of the Met Museum, but is not on display.

[exactlyfuturisticbeliever]

Tomoe Gozen by Shitomi Kangetsu

[animacores]

Hawanda rainbow warrior

[authorariadneholmes]

"The Dora Milaje share similarities with the Dahomey Amazons (Agoji), the all-female military regiment of the Kingdom of Dahomey,[3][4][5] which was located in West Africa in what is now the Republic of Benin."

[thebiballerina]

This is so fascinating! The part about body types in particular got me thinking: Are there other types of female fighters which are disproportionately depicted due to media's attachment to a single body type ideal for women?

Here are a few I could think of that might fit the bill:

The woman as a mystical/magical/powered fighter while the mundane warriors in the same setting tend to be men.

The woman as an agility/flexibility-focused fighter. This can be a few different martial arts, and tends especially towards dance- and gymnastics-influenced fighting styles.

The woman as a thief, spy, assassin, grifter, or otherwise covert operative who relies on stealth rather than the direct approach. This character may have some head-on fighting skills to get out of sticky situations, but often relies on the element of surprise and concealed weapons that will quickly incapacitate an opponent, like a disguised taser or poison injectors.

I'd like to point out that all three of these archetypes also provide opportunities for characters to be depicted in stereotypically feminine and/or sexualized outfits.

For the magical fighter, impractical outfits seem less ridiculous, because the character isn't primarily relying on a range of motion or close-quarters combat.

For the agility/flexibility-focused fighter, female characters tend to be depicted in tight clothing, particularly in visual media which enables their gratuitous views of their bodies in action. I would like to point out that this isn't entirely true to life; while loose or heavy clothing can be an impediment for a fighting style like this, the type of tight clothing which emphasizes one's assets is not quite the same type of tight clothing with a good range of motion. In particular, if you're wearing any bra other than a sports bra, this is one of the worst fighting styles to engage in. Also, you don't necessarily want a lack of armor/protection so much as lightweight armor/protection in this scenario, since you are still fighting in close quarters, and performing high-impact movements as well.

The covert operative also has appeal for people wanting certain types of outfits: someone on a stealth infiltration-focused job might be depicted in similar tight outfits as described for the agility/flexibility-focused fighter, while an undercover-style job can often call for stereotypically feminine clothing. The latter depiction actually does make quite a bit of sense, since the character's success depends on their appearance and how others perceive them, so drawing attention with more practical clothing could be more trouble than it is worth. (However, I would like to point out that there are many ways to optimize or alter a stereotypically feminine outfit so it doesn't draw undue attention, but still enables easier movement. That's a separate post, though, and I can't give away all my secrets or people are going to be afraid to allow me into formal events again.)

"Why are there so many female archers in fiction?"

Please forgive the clickbait-y title! This is a super complex and interesting topic that I barely scratch the surface of here, but I hopefully will be able to do more justice to things like this in the future!

Also, it's not the point of the video, but I had fun with the outfits in this- do you have any faves?

As always, please consider supporting me on Patreon if you can, or watching on youtube if not!

[redsamuraiii]

My Favourite Dynasty Female Warriors

What I love about them is that they were not born special, gifted with powers, blessed with unnatural abilities or chosen by destiny but normal people who accomplished great things through discipline, training, hardship, challenges and years of experience becoming wiser, stronger and kinder. 

Something which I feel lacks in modern films today, not all but most that I have watched, where the characters became powerful overnight and let their hardship turned them into a bitter person, looking for someone or something to blame instead of putting in effort to improve themselves.

These warriors that I love started out normal like you and I, vulnerable and powerless, but they trained hard to overcome their “weaker” self to be better. They do not became strong to prove a point but to survive, lead and protect, which eventually earn the respect of everyone around them.

Yang Duan He, Kingdom (2019), Qin Dynasty (Masami Nagasawa)

The Mountain King who lead the formidable mountain warriors is later revealed to be a woman behind a mask. Her people were betrayed, persecuted and discriminated, driving them away from the city into the mountains where no other Dynasty dared reach out to, until the Qin Emperor sought her help.

Kyou Kai, Kingdom 2 (2022), Qin Dynasty (Seino Nana)

A former member of the legendary assassin Clan Shiyuu who left the Clan to avenge her sister who died due to treachery. She participated in the battle against the Wei invasion of Qin where she proved to be a ruthless warrior fighting alongside others and protecting the weak from the strong.

Lin Mae, The Great Wall (2016), Song Dynasty (Jing Tian)

A member of the Nameless Order tasked with defending the kingdom from mythical creatures known as Taotie beyond the great wall. She rose through the ranks and assumed command of the army garrison through field promotion, and leading the final assault on the monsters infected capital. 

Hua Mulan, Mulan Rise of a Warrior (2009), Northern Wei (Zhao Wei)

A warrior’s daughter who learns to fight in her spare time in secrecy who eventually joined the military to save his ageing father from being drafted. She rose through the ranks through field promotions from being a foot soldier to a commander, leading her army and protecting the men under her charge.

[dragonkingancalagon]

Women Warriors Are A Bad Idea

While it is popular to think that there are no real biological reasons for why women generally didn’t fight in history, that is not the case. In reality, differences between men and women are quite significant, and are a result of basic biological factors such as genes / chromosomes and sex hormones. Even the same genes may express themselves differently due to impact of sex hormones. Both men…

[warfantasy]

Women Warriors Are A Bad Idea

While it is popular to think that there are no real biological reasons for why women generally didn’t fight in history, that is not the case. In reality, differences between men and women are quite significant, and are a result of basic biological factors such as genes / chromosomes and sex hormones. Even the same genes may express themselves differently due to impact of sex hormones. Both men…

[larisastitch]

Amazon Warriors Cross Stitch Pattern | Amazons

★ Pattern specification for different types of fabric. ✔ Fabric: Aida. ✔ Colors: 35. Palette: DMC. ✔ Size: 200 × 200 stitches.

★ Finished size will vary depending on the count fabric/canvas you choose. ✔ 14 count ⇒ Size: 14.29 × 14.29 inches | 36.30 × 36.30 cm ✔ 16 count ⇒ Size: 12.50 × 12.50 inches | 31.75 × 31.75 cm ✔ 18 count ⇒ Size: 11.11 × 11.11 inches | 28.22 × 28.22 cm

Prepare to immerse yourself in the mythical realm of the Amazons with my extraordinary cross stitch pattern, “Amazon Warriors Cross Stitch Pattern | Amazons.” This stunning design features two fierce and fearless warrior women, capturing the essence of their strength and bravery. The first Amazon, a masterful archer, stands poised with her bowstring pulled taut, ready to release an arrow that strikes with deadly precision. Adorned with a quiver of arrows on her back and a small knife secured to her belt, she exudes a sense of formidable prowess. Her attire, a white fabric top and a loincloth, reflects both practicality and grace. Beside her, the second Amazon brandishes a gleaming sword and a shield adorned with empowering phrases, symbolizing her unyielding spirit. Her necklace, fashioned from predator teeth, serves as a reminder of her primal connection to the natural world. Donning a leopard-skin bra and a loincloth crafted from the skin of another creature, she embodies the raw power and untamed beauty of the wild. With unwavering determination in her eyes, she gazes confidently into the unknown.

★ Source: Amazon Warriors Cross Stitch Pattern | Amazons

[adgp35]

The Feminist Forest Collective, Part 3

The balance of the battle swayed slowly to the advantage of the women. For the outnumbered men, the urge to stop fighting and to give in, almost subconsciously, spread among them.

Spectacularly, Helena seized David and walked him back into a clearing where some of the toughest men were fighting and refusing to yield. The scantily clad young warrior flung her captive unceremoniously down onto the muddy ground of the forest floor directly in front of them. David grovelled helplessly in the dirt as his horrified comrades stared. His submission became infectious: one by one the shocked, but now demoralised, men dropped their tools in order to surrender to the single, slight and smiling young female activist. Elsewhere on the battlefield, Jose, the chief engineer flung his arms wide as two of the girls warily approached him. “No more!” he called out to the women. “Let’s talk!”

Soon, Enrico himself was seized. The leader of the surveyors refused to surrender to Olivia, but seeing his men’s resistance was crumbling, he sped away from her and headed off down the main jungle trail, desperate to reach his vehicle and radio for police or army assistance against these crazed maenads. However, before he had got a hundred yards, a vine lasso suddenly enveloped his arms. He found the makeshift rope tightly bound them to his sides, incapacitating him. Whooping with delight, two FFC members, clad like something out of a Mad Max movie, Enrico thought, emerged from the trees to grab him and force the infuriated man to his knees.

With the capture of Enrico, final male resistance collapsed. The last of the surveyors reluctantly placed their hands on their heads and surrendered to the grinning young eco-warriors facing them, and were quickly surrounded by the delightedly chattering females. Eyeing their prizes almost guiltily, the activists looked at each other quizzically. The women had won; the men were their prisoners - but what now?

AI images created by Microsoft Bing.