In many places in the world we are stuck with modern society’s version of feminine. Be it a pinup model, role, or the newer idea that breast implants, lipstick and a dress makes someone a woman. In other places we are stuck in some medieval plot and in others the medieval plot looks like a picnic.
It has been a long time since society has held equal placement for men and women. I might have to go back to the ancient Celtic races to come up with a time when women were truly equal to men in all aspects of life in Ireland.
These were wild and free women and they were forces to be reckoned with…these Celtic Women and the Irish Goddesses.
In marriage, celtic women weren’t considered property or ruled by their husbands or fathers. Women couldn’t be forced to marry and they married at will and divorced at will also. They could be educated in religion and weaponry, own and inherit property, ruled kingdoms and Celtic women could choose to be trained as warriors, be a force in the military and in politics, seek judgment for crimes against them, and be punished equally to men for equal crimes.
In Ireland legends the Irish Goddesses were beautiful and fierce, were strong and a force to be reckoned with with legions of men following under their leadership both in strategy and in battle.
Examples are Eiru, considered the first Goddess of Ireland with her sisters Banba, and Fódla , Brigid the triple goddesses: the poet, the healer, and the smith.
And there were numerous Irish Queens – Queen Maeve, Queen Tiatephi and the one who was considered Warrior Queen – Scáthach who reportedly lived on the Island of Skye. A number of heroes of Celtic mythology owed their prowess to the training of Scathach including Cú Chulainn himself.
“The women of the Celtic tribes are bigger and stronger than our Roman women. This is most likely due to their natures as well as their peculiar fondness for all things martial and robust. The flaxen haired maidens of the north are trained in sports and war while our gentle ladies are content to do their womanly duties and thus are less powerful than most young girls from Gaul and the hinterlands.” — Marcus Borealis
Then there were the Fairy Queens or the Fey Queens, a blood-line of the Tuatha De Danann. These beings are not tiny tinkerbell characters – that is an insult (attractive and all as Tinkerbell was) – these beings are larger than life and beyond human size in stature.
Irish Fae queens included Clíodhna of Munster, Aoibhinn and Ainé. The last Fairy High Queen was Oonagh, or Oona, wife of the High King Finvarra, or Fionnbharr.
The Arthurian legendary Queen Morgana who I believe was The Dark Queen in a destabilizing aspect not in a negative aspect. She came to me in a dream one night “I am The Dark Queen a voice boomed from out of the blue it seemed in a stereo sound my head, I woke in the dream in such a shock that it work me up fully, we have not met since 🙂to the best of my knowledge
…to be continued