Female warriors are not really a thing in war, with very few exceptions. The women who fight are not supposed to, more often than not. Female infantry are typically used as police and border guards rather than as combat troops. Female partisans are a thing when children and the elderly are also.
The idea of female warriors is traditionally symbolic rather than actual. The “woman” is a goddess or “the motherland” or the like.
The Amazons of Classical Mythology were female warriors. They were an entire nation of such. They were also antagonists readily slaughtered by heroes.
A heroine is the ultimate female warrior, and always has been. Joan of Arc as the legend is the perfect example. She is the nurturer as the protector. The archetype at its best is maternal in its appeal, womanly not girlish.
Joan la Pucelle is Joan of Arc as the villain in Shakespeare. She can outfight most men, but as a witch. She is the seductress but as a warrior and a virgin. She is the feminine mystique as a thing to be feared… and overcome.
The Amazons with names were typically formidable and could only be defeated by heroes. The nameless Amazons were slaughtered in droves. Those not killed were taken as spoils of war: sexually enslaved.
Since the Amazons, women are seldom imagined as the cannon-fodder. They are used as such, but only when too many men have been lost. Expendable women do not inspire like Joan of Arc or her dark side version, Joan la Pucelle. They are too… normal. Like all creatures mortal and only human, they are disposable nonentities to those in power. We can relate to them, but that is the problem.
We love the superhuman heroine. We are fascinated by her villainous version. A story is especially interesting if both are in it, especially if they are rivals. The Japanese already know this. The idea is used by them quite often.
An action-adventure story is more than the heroes and villainous bosses. It is also droves of common folk. Many of these are the foot soldiers of villainy. Are these lowliest of the baddies more interesting for being men or monsters? What if they are sexy women instead?
The female warrior is many things, all of them sexy. I am
mindful of this as a writer of fiction.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/451925
It does feel wrong, but that makes it sexy somehow. Taboo stuff is a thing. If it was normal, why would we care?
ReplyDeleteIndeed. The "wrongness" is the friction that gives us the feeling.
DeleteI love that the Japanese have not gone prudish in their fiction, particularly anime. Nothing is ever better for being not sexy, why not have beautiful villains and heroines, but also hench-girls? Fiction should be free to explore any and all possibilities, and not be limited to the small minds of the masses. Female warriors stand the test of time for sure.
ReplyDeleteFunny, but people fretting the imaginary abuse of women is what kept female characters out of the action in action-adventure. It left only the Damsel in Distress.
DeleteFemale warriors are best when they are portrayed as feminine. Often, they are treated the same as guys. This is not sexy... it is sad.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Cutting the googlies off a hero is not the best way to create a heroine. It just makes a mess.
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