Most Awesome Women : Asian Women of Ancient History

FIVE MOST AWESOME ASIAN WOMEN OF ANCIENT History

by: A. Illumi

For this Auntie, the Asian female experience holds both curious and personal interest.  At first, I was terrified to start looking into Asian women’s history – I did not want to read page after page of quiet foot-bound women.  I did not want to read another geisha story.  These women did what they could with the world they lived in and excelled at many things but it just wasn’t enough for me – not to represent an entire body of women – that come from some of the oldest civilizations in the world. Thanks be to the truth – because after some reassuring from Auntie Wicked I decided to dig deeper and low and behold even in the most ancient times in China, Japan, Taiwan,Mongolia, and Korea amazing women were doing amazing things.In order to be amazing and not just mentionable a woman must have accomplished things normally considered impossible for women to do – she must not have become tragic of her own choice and ideally escaped tragedy forced from the outside world.  She must not have only excelled in one skill but also been an interesting and varied person.  Also before I begin, I think it is essential to take a moment in honor of the many nameless women who have given their time, service, and love for occupations and professions that kept no records and usually provided no pay.  In any country – in any time – all over the world; The Unknown Woman is supporting, raising, relieving, educating,cleaning, cooking, and organizing.  Someday, this Auntie, will see to it that a monument is erected to all of them – something beautiful and alabaster like atlas holding up the world only it is the Unknown Woman.  That said – of the Asian women who made into the written records of ancient times – these are my top 5.

First, we travel to China 409 B.c.

and meet a 16 year old who was, if not the first female deep cover spy, she was certainly the most awesome.  King Goujian of Yu chose her and another girl to be gifts to King Fuchai who had usurped Gouijan and humiliated him.  Xi Shi’s mission was to beguile the King with her beauty, talent, and charm so that he would forget his kingdom duties.  This she did as well as use her influence to have him rid himself of his most trusted adviser.  Ultimately, he would even take his own life and King Goujian would reclaim his former position. It is said that Xi Shi ,in her free time from covert operations ,was also having an intense love affair with the very minister who brought her to Fuchai.  When all was over, some stupid people say she was drowned by the angry loyalists of Gouijan but this Auntie refuses to give any credence to such tales.  There are many other stories about Xi Shi’s exit from the scene.  It is said in some stories that Xi Shi and Fan Li(the retired minister) ran off to live their lives on a fishing boat “roaming like fairies in the misty wilderness.”  There are other stories more mundane about how they settled and did very well for themselves but this Auntie prefers to support the ascent of this great women to the mythological status of  a neverending story.  Lady Xi is remembered in many ways – one being the temple dedicated to her that is erected by the river she is said to have washed silks at as a young girl.  She is also remembered in the traditional dance she is said to have invented, “Xiangi”.  This is a clog dance with bells that is the predecessor to all modern tap dance!!  She is celebrated in an opera by her name, a slang term for “beautiful women”, and has the honor of having a spa named after her as well!Xi Shi resources:  wiki – Xi Shi, blog on xi shi, more, Xi Shi name sake spa, Xi Shi opera/dance, xi shi-slang, Xi Shi temple{Note on pronouncing Xi Shi: looking at various sites it seems like the closest thing is zeeshuh – here’s a link to someone saying it:zeeshuh?zeeshuh?}

Next we go to Japan,  

to a woman who was almost a b.c.!(248 a.d.)

Her name is Queen Himiko or was it? 

No one really knows what she looked like, but this artist makes a beautiful guess

There are many theories abound about just who this woman was:  from another empress by other name who lived around the same time, to being the inspiration behind stories of Amasterasu – the sun goddess herself.  Like Madonna, this woman obviously knew how to play her cards close and fascinate people through her mystery. Himiko’s very name means something like Princess Priestess – Lady Shaman – and Sun Child.  I don’t know about you but I am certainly interested in the position of “Princess Priestess.” But just a princess she was not – she was Queen of Wa(Japan) and at the very minimum a powerful figure-head and spiritual leader for her people. At maximum, she may have been our first best female foreign relations expert – as she had the sense to send gifts and people to see the important people of all the important countries around her.  I say “at best” because her brother was also around running things – or was it her son?  It is said Ms. Himiko never married – thus if she had a son she was in addition to a shaman and a leader also a working single mother!  As to her rule, it seems she came to be ruler by choice of the people and brought relative peace and calm after years of crappy war. The kingdom was large – like 70,000 households large and had organized laws and systems of taxation as well as healthy trade relations(heritage of japan).  Apparently, she also had 1,000 female attendants and one male – who fed her – hopefully grapes;P  She served long and died shortly after a battle with a neighboring kingdom began – but not terribly young and not defeated!  Her people built her a big funeral mound and sacrificed 1,000 slaves in her honor(both male and female – I wonder if it was 999 female and one male?).    The exact location of her kingdom, who she was, what she died of, and even where she was buried all remain a mystery which makes this Auntie love her all the more! {More info on Himiko: Heritage of Japan, sun goddess, her tomb?, wiki-Himikowiki-Himiko}

In the number three spot comes an entire group of women :

from the Korean Island of Jeju- The Haenyo. These amazing women have been diving deep sea for about 1,000 years!  These women dove to collect abalone, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, octopus, seaweed, and many other wonderful things!  Through this trade they became the bread winners of the family while the men assumed the role of home caretaker.  The divers went amazing depths without any modern gear – like 20 feet and stayed down for up to three minutes.  They weathered the cold of like 46 degree water even back then- with no sexy black diving suit!  And they do not give it up for anything – the Haenyo continue to dive into their 50s and as of 2006 at least one 80 something woman was still doing the damn thing!! It is a rare occasion when we can honor women for something they have done that they still get to do – these women were no momentary exception – no single notable but an entire economy – and way of life.  Today they still dive though their trade is in danger – so girls – if your looking for something to be – think about going and asking a grandma age Haenyo diver how to live – how to dive – and just how possible a matriarchal society can be – before it’s too late!!  Oh and one more thing – they are also fantastic because they and other ancient female divers may have been the very real inspiration for mermaids!! OMG I wannabe a real mermaid!!

Just look at that statue and all it’s fantastic mermaid-ness!

Haenyo Ladies Rock!

{from: blog about a trip there ,more on haenyomore on haenyomore on haenyo }

Number Four : 

Queen Chamadevi of Harphunchai

(now Lamphun) in Thailand: 

Very first ruler of Hariphunchai ever! She was into the arts, Lana culture (her home town), and expanding her kingdom. She raised two sons who both were capable leaders: one to follow her and the other to reign over newly acquired extension to the kingdom. Like most amazing women in history the paragraphs get really short when it comes to who this woman really was and what she accomplished.  We know she was the daughter of a king in what was then a very powerful and culturally advanced part of Thailand known as Lampang.  It is strange – I have to look up women in history to get much about her – or exactly the history of Harphunchai…the story of the girl who grew up in Lampang is totally missing.  There is apparently a movie that ventured to imagine what such an amazing women was like – here is what their trailer teases us with:

The Legends of Queen Chamadevi

“One thousand years ago during the Dwaravadi Era, a baby girl was born with magical powers and grew up a fine lady of great wit and charm. Her profound beauty drew suitors from distant lands to Lavo, a kingdom most desired for the greatness and allure of its ruler’s daughter, Jamadevi herself. Brave at heart and firm in spirit, Jamadevi led vast armies into the battle. With intelligence and cunning no man could ever rival, she triumphed over many invaders. Appointed to reign over Hariphunchai, she roamed far and wide across the kingdom, leading forces of warriors, monks, pundits and craftsmen in brave attempts to expand her territory. However, before Queen Jamadevi could achieve her greatest desire, the storm of a great war erupted. With her beloved land and freedom at stake, the revered Queen Jamadevi and her loyal warriors were about to encounter the most mighty and terrifying army ever, knowing that if they lost, all would be lost.”{Link}

 Number Five:  

Sorghaghtani Beki:

We go to Mongolia where Sorghaghtani Beki(1198-1252 a.d.)  began a Princess who grew up in what was to become a very controversial religious movement “Nestorian.”  It seems she grew up with great respect for trade and culture.  This would serve her well as she was to become the wife of Ghengis Kahn’s youngest son.  She was seventeen when married – her husband Tului – about 22 (if my math in calculating years is even close to correct.)  While he was away fighting wars she was at home raising four highly educated sons who would each assume positions of powerful leadership.  Her husband drank himself to death in his early forties.  

The Fantastic Sorghaghtani  with Tului

Jamadevi did not do the expected. She refused to remarry!She raised her sons and ruled all by herself! As Queen, she was known to support trading relations of both goods and intellectual ideas.  She was thought to be a strict but loving mother, a “consumate politician”, and general wise woman.  During her reign,  she  financed an educational institution and gave charity to people of opposing faiths. She also turned one town into a religious non-profit association – or the ancient equivalent thereof anyhow! After her sons became great leaders she kept a hand in politics, battles, and intrigues.  She did so until the age of 54 when she died from illness.  She is spoken of very highly by those who recorded history.  One scholar said,“If I were to see among the race of women another woman like this, I should say that the race of women was far superior to that of men.” —Syriac scholar Bar Hebraeus (1226-1286)[2][4]In fact, more modern scholars still muse about her greatness:  Sorghanti Beki “…was determined to see her sons and her family assume the reigns of imperial power, and her ruthless determination would countenance no hinderance or opposition “Lastly, It seems most fantastic women of times past – as they are now -were surrounded with a little magic and mystery – for Beki this would have been the association with Prestor John through the Nestorian beliefs she held (daughters of prestor john). Does that mean like the nuns of prestor john or literally insinuating that Beki was a long ancestral daughter of the magical kingdom? hmmmAnd there they are: Xi Shi, Queen Himiko, The Heanyo, Queen Jamdevi, and Sorghaghtani.  Amazing – strong – independent women from places we often mistakenly assume don’t have them.  This Auntie cannot wait to look into Amazing Asian Women of Modern Times! BUT FIRST! The Electric Lipstick Kool-Aid Test will be coming to you!!The Electric Lipstick Kool-Aid Test will be coming to you!!

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