Throughout the ages, women have led rebellions and revolutions...
December 10, 2013 11:32 AM Subscribe
Checked in to see if they had Boudica. Was initially disappointed to see that they didn't.
Then realized how cool it was that there are enough kick-ass women that Boudica actually was extraneous and was happy again.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:49 AM on December 10, 2013 [11 favorites]
Then realized how cool it was that there are enough kick-ass women that Boudica actually was extraneous and was happy again.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:49 AM on December 10, 2013 [11 favorites]
Perhaps this is a good place to mention Maria Nikiforova and her armored trains full of anarchists. Nikiforova was a great power in Ukraine in the years around the Russian revolution - apparently eclipsing Mahkno - but has largely been written out of history for her anarchism and her gender.
I was astonished by her biography - and I had absolutely never heard of her. (She's clearly one of the inspirations for the trains in China Mieville's Iron Council, if that rings any bells.)
posted by Frowner at 11:55 AM on December 10, 2013 [6 favorites]
I was astonished by her biography - and I had absolutely never heard of her. (She's clearly one of the inspirations for the trains in China Mieville's Iron Council, if that rings any bells.)
posted by Frowner at 11:55 AM on December 10, 2013 [6 favorites]
Sadly, Zenobia isn't on the list either. I personally think that you should make this list if you're a woman that heads a revolt against the world's superpower (Rome) in order to successfully control (for a time) what is modern day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, and parts of Turkey and Iraq.
posted by SeanOfTheHillPeople at 12:02 PM on December 10, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by SeanOfTheHillPeople at 12:02 PM on December 10, 2013 [3 favorites]
I'm surprised that Lakshmibai (the Rani of Jhansi) isn't mentioned, either. But hey, there's another awesome Indian woman I didn't know of. Cool.
posted by sukeban at 12:05 PM on December 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by sukeban at 12:05 PM on December 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
Also came here to express sadness that Boudica wasn't on here. (Particularly since I'm currently re-reading one of my favorite historical fiction series, which is about her)
But that said, this is a pretty awesome list.
posted by olinerd at 12:10 PM on December 10, 2013
But that said, this is a pretty awesome list.
posted by olinerd at 12:10 PM on December 10, 2013
The comments suggest the list aggregators were right that if you knew of any kick-ass military commander women at all you probably knew about Boudica already. And of course Joan of Arc.
posted by localroger at 12:17 PM on December 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by localroger at 12:17 PM on December 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
The comments also mention the Trưng sisters and Begum Hazrat Mahal. Yep.
posted by sukeban at 12:26 PM on December 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by sukeban at 12:26 PM on December 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
> Perhaps this is a good place to mention Maria Nikiforova and her armored trains full of anarchists. Nikiforova was a great power in Ukraine in the years around the Russian revolution - apparently eclipsing Mahkno - but has largely been written out of history for her anarchism and her gender.
Thanks for that; I hadn't heard of her either, and as an anarchist and a fan of Russian history I'm pleased to know about her. But let's not go overboard: she certainly did not "eclipse" Mahkno, who was one of the most important insurgent leaders of the Civil War, she just associated with him for a while. And that Wikipedia article is padded and ludicrously overwritten ("With their black flags and cannons, Marusya's echelons resembled pirate ships sailing across the Ukrainian steppe"); it reads like fanboy pop history and needs to be severely edited (not that I'm going to take the time). It's not like she's unknown, either; Mikhail Veller's biography of Makhno has a brief section on her and seems to give her about the right amount of credit. But I don't mean to cavil too much—I really appreciate your bringing her to my attention.
Also, the linked piece is great—I'd hardly heard of any of these amazing women and have already started sending the link around.
posted by languagehat at 12:53 PM on December 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
Thanks for that; I hadn't heard of her either, and as an anarchist and a fan of Russian history I'm pleased to know about her. But let's not go overboard: she certainly did not "eclipse" Mahkno, who was one of the most important insurgent leaders of the Civil War, she just associated with him for a while. And that Wikipedia article is padded and ludicrously overwritten ("With their black flags and cannons, Marusya's echelons resembled pirate ships sailing across the Ukrainian steppe"); it reads like fanboy pop history and needs to be severely edited (not that I'm going to take the time). It's not like she's unknown, either; Mikhail Veller's biography of Makhno has a brief section on her and seems to give her about the right amount of credit. But I don't mean to cavil too much—I really appreciate your bringing her to my attention.
Also, the linked piece is great—I'd hardly heard of any of these amazing women and have already started sending the link around.
posted by languagehat at 12:53 PM on December 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
Is "throughout the ages" a meme based off the term paper cliche (like "in conclusion, America is a land of contrasts")? Anyone know the origin?
posted by meadowlark lime at 3:45 PM on December 10, 2013
posted by meadowlark lime at 3:45 PM on December 10, 2013
The #1, Margarita Neri, particularly interested me because it says she was from Quintana Roo, which makes the name of Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne's daughter potentially really interesting, rather than just an odd intellectual-celebrity name choice.
I've even been pretty near there but hadn't heard of the place, so this is news to me. I thought it was just a typical hippie-dippy name of the time.
posted by padraigin at 6:52 PM on December 10, 2013
I've even been pretty near there but hadn't heard of the place, so this is news to me. I thought it was just a typical hippie-dippy name of the time.
posted by padraigin at 6:52 PM on December 10, 2013
I'm making an exception to my grump about listicles for this one, especially since it's all on one page. And I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't all the usual suspects (e.g., Zenobia & Boudicca), too.
posted by immlass at 10:50 AM on December 11, 2013
posted by immlass at 10:50 AM on December 11, 2013
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posted by Alexandra Kitty at 11:47 AM on December 10, 2013