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November 2016
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to conquer the island. According to her husband's
will, Boudicca was supposed to inherit his kingdom
upon his death. The Roman governor instead
ignored the will. The queen was flogged, her
daughters raped, and their property confiscated.
Filled with a desire for revenge, Boudicca led her
Celtic troops in a series of terrifying raids against the
Romans. The loss of lives surpassed 70,000. Unfortunately for the Celts, the Romans succeeded in
defeating Boudicca's army, and took control of
Britain. Nobody is sure of what happened to the
fearless queen.
France claims one of the most famous female
warriors. Joan of Arc (1412 - 1431) was the young
peasant girl who led the French army against the
English during the bloody Hundred Years' War.
Inspired by her holy visions, Joan was able to lead
Charles VII to Reims for his coronation.
Unfortunately Joan was then captured by allies of
the English, tried, and declared a heretic. On May
30, 1431, she was burned at the stake. Twenty-two
years later after the English were finally forced out of
France, King Charles VII declared her innocent of
heresy charges. On May 20, 1920, Joan was canonized as a saint, and also proclaimed the patron saint of
France.
Perhaps a less known but
equally dynamic female warrior is
Khutulun (1260 - 1306), daughter of the Mongol prince Kaido
and also niece of the famous
Kublai Khan.
Khutulun was
renowned for her exceptional
skills as a fearless soldier. She
fought many battles alongside
her father.
Although Khutulun was not
opposed to marriage, she set very
high standards for her future husband. She would marry only the
man who could defeat her in
wrestling. If the future suitor lost,
he would have to repay her with
horses. History tells us that she
won over 10,000 horses before
she finally married.
Thanks to a mixture of
courage and self-esteem, these
three warrior women took on the
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