Over the last few years we have seen an upswing of archery featured in film and fiction. We have the zombie-killing archer Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead--and of course, who can forget Oliver Queen from the hit show Arrow--but men haven't been the only ones hitting bull's-eyes with bows and arrows.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 is scheduled to premiere in Canada on Friday, November 21st, which means we will be getting a good dose of on-screen archery from the female lead Katniss Everdeen. Katniss' character is not the only femme fatale who has chosen a bow and arrows as her weapon of choice. From myths and legends of our past, to modern fantasy novels and movies, we have seen a lot of female archers.
In honour of this occasion, we're going to take a look at some of these badass woman warriors this week, from mythology to the silver screen.
PRINCESS MERIDA (Brave)
You cannot help but love Princess Merida’s character in Disney’s Brave. She never needs a prince to save her, but instead goes out and saves herself over the course of the story. She also has no problem being her own person and challenging anyone--including her own mother and father--who tries to confine her by placing her in a box that she does not want to fit into. In one of Brave's most memorable scenes, a group of potential suitors must compete in an archery competition to win her hand in marriage--a prospect she is less than thrilled with before the contest has even begun. Unimpressed by her suitors' lacklustre performance, this fiery redhead decides to turn the tide of the competition by barging into the archery contest herself. She blows her potential husbands-to-be out of the water and proves that she needs no man to complete her.
SKADI (Norse Mythology)
In Norse mythology, Skaði (also known as Skadi, Skathi, or Skade) is one of the jotnar, who, after her ill-fated marriage to the god Njörðr, later ended up marrying the god Odin. Skadi is a goddess associated with archery, bowhunting, skiing, winter and mountains. I, for one, can't help but conjure up images inside my head of Skadi riding skis down a mountainside with her bow and arrow in hand as she is on the hunt. Her love of archery was apparently a trait she inherited from her father Þjazi.
Fun Fact: Some etymologists believe that the region known as Scandinavia is named after the goddess Skadi.
SUSAN PEVENSIE (The Chronicles of Narnia)
In The Chronicles of Narnia series, Susan Pevensie ends up learning the skill of archery and becomes quite proficient with a bow and arrows. In the first film adaptation of C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, as in the book, Susan is gifted her bow and arrows by Father Christmas. While Susan is only 12 years old, she shows an immediate talent for the skill of archery. By the second film, Prince Caspian, she has honed her archery skills and puts them to good use in the battle against the Telmarines. Critics have noted that while Susan is dissuaded from fighting in the novels published during the 'fifties, she is given a bigger piece of the action in the films produced in the new millenium, but I don't see a problem with that!
DIANA (Roman Mythology)
Diana was the Hellenic goddess of the hunt, the wilderness and of wild animals. Later her role as a deity also became associated with women and she took on the mantle of goddess of childbirth, protector of young girls and healer of women. Many ancient statues and art depict her as an athletic huntress carrying her bows and arrows. She is often equated with her Greek counterpart, Artemis, who had been gifted a set of particularly deadly golden bows. Artemis also managed to attract the attention of another famous archer, Orion--and who could blame the guy for wanting to woo someone with similar interests?
ABIGAIL WHISTLER (Blade: Trinity)
In the movie Blade: Trinity Abigail Whistler is one of the ring leaders of the Nightstalkers, a team that acts as Blade’s personal support group of bad asses. Abigail hunted vampires with a compound bow, often saving the day and coming to the aid of her male counterparts. This compound-bow-carrying-heroine was no damsel in distress.
KATNISS EVERDEEN (The Hunger Games)
With Mockingjay about the hit theatres there was no way that Katniss Everdeen was not going to make this list. In the dystopian nation of Panem, Katniss grew up in the poor coal-mining state, District 11. She first picked up a bow and arrows out of necessity, learning to hunt in order to help feed her family. When her young sister’s name was selected to represent her District in the grizzly Hunger Games (a televised fight-to-the death where children from each district battle it out until only one is the victor), she volunteered to take her place. Using a combination of her archery and survival skills, Katniss is able not only to win the Hunger Games but also manages to change the rules.
Fun Fact: Katniss’ name is taken from a plant called sagittaria (or arrow head) which takes its name from the Zodiac sign Sagittarius- the archer!
Did we miss any of your favourite female archers from the world of fantasy? If so let us know who you think should also be on this list. Until then, we'll catch you in the theaters with a bag of popcorn this week when Hunger Games: Mocking Jay hits the screen!
Devon Boorman is the Co-Founder and Director of Academie Duello Centre for Swordplay, which has been active in Vancouver, Canada since 2004. Devon’s expertise centres on the Italian swordplay tradition including the arts of the Renaissance Italian rapier, sidesword, and longsword, as well as knife and unarmed techniques. Read more from Devon Boorman.