Mother's Day may have happened but last week, but this week's blog post is going to be looking at some of history's most hardcore Mum's from around the world. As though birthing children into the world wasn't an exceptional feat of strength, fortitude, and endurance these women not only raised their kids, but often raised a little Hell while doing so.
GRACE O'MALLEY (Gráinne Ní Mháille)
Grace O'Malley was born in 1530 in County Mayo on the West Coast of Ireland. From a young age the sea called to her and she knew she wanted to be a sailor like her father and half-brother. As a woman she was constantly discouraged, but it only gave fuel to her inner fire and drive. At sixteen she was married to Donal O'Flaherty, yet marriage failed to quell her tastes for adventure and the sea. She bore O'Flaherty three children - one of which she gave birth to while out on the open ocean. The next day after her son's birth out at sea, her ship was attacked by Turkish pirates. Grace picked up a pistol and rallied her crew, managing to force the Turkish attackers to retreat. All despite any exhaustion or pain she had experienced from the previous day's labour!
She was viewed as an Irish chieftain in her own right. Upon the death of her first husband many of his clansmen and followers flocked to her side. She married her second husband Richard Burke to strengthen the stronghold she had created around Clew Bay. Their marriage lasted only a year, yet she kept Burke's castle- and many of his followers- after she dismissed him. She bore him a son after the separation and continued to rule the the seas off the West of Ireland and became known by her nickname the Sea Queen of Connaught. When her son Tibbot and her half-brother were captured by English forces, Grace sailed to England to personally speak with Queen Elizabeth I. The Virgin Queen must have felt a sort of kinship with this other female powerhouse who ruled in her own right and decided to send order to release Grace's brother and son. Talk about a mother's dedication and love!
WU ZETIAN
Wu Zetian was born in 624 and by the time she was a young teenager had found herself as a concubine to the Chinese Emperor Taizong. When Taizong died Wu wooed the emperor's son Gaozong and became his concubine. In a bold move she pushed herself up from concubine to Empress herself by accusing Emperor Gaozong's wife of killing their daughter (though some historian's debate that Wu Zetian murdered the girl herself) and since she had born the emperor two sons she felt that she was rightfully owed the title.
When Emperor Gaozong died Wu became empress dowager and regent after he passed. In 690 she (once again) made another bold move and claimed the throne as her own becoming China's first and only woman to rule as an independent sovereign. During her rise to power Wu had no qualms about eliminating her rivals along the way- including (but not limited to) killing some of her own extended family and family members. Retaliation and punishment from her was swift and bloody, having massacred 12 whole collateral branches of the imperial family after a failed attempt to remove her from power. This is definitely not the sort of Mother I would have wanted to have catch me sneaking out of the house late at night- something tells me punishment would have been more harsh than being grounded for a week with no television!
MARIA THERESA
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (*whew!* try saying that ten times fast!) was born in 1717 and by the time of her death in 1780 was the only female ruler of the Hapsburg Dominions and the last member of the House Hapspurg. She had managed to become the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, the Austrian Netherlands, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Parma, Lodmeria and Galicia (try saying all those ten times fast as well). By marriage she was also the Grand Duchess of Tuscanny, Duchess of Lorraine and Holy Roman Empress. Oh, and did I mention that she also had 16 children during her life? Many of those children ended up holding prestigious titles of their own, including the infamous Queen of France Marie Antoinette, and sons Joseph II and Leopold II who were also Holy Roman Emperors. Her father Charles VI had spent the last decades of his life securing Maria Theresa's inheritance, though he kept hoping for a male heir and thus never properly prepared her for the role she would step into.
After her father died (assumed to have been poisoned by mushrooms) she ascended to her position inheriting a kingdom that was falling apart. In her own words Maria Theresa had said: "I found myself without money, without credit, without army, without experience and knowledge of my own and finally, also without any counsel because each one of them at first wanted to wait and see how things would develop." No sooner did she step into her inheritance did war break out as other European sovereigns vied for pieces of the Austrian Empire. Despite being pregnant at the time and lacking experience she none-the-less fought back and managed to hold onto her empire after the Austrian War of Succession. During her reign she also instituted reforms in education, medicine, civil rights, and criminal justice. Somehow she managed all of this while raising sixteen children!
YAA ASANTEWAA
Yaa Asantewaa was born in 1840 and was appointed the Queen Mother of the Edweso tribe of the Asante in what is modern Ghana. She is best known for leading and raising an army of thousands in 1900 against the British colonial forces in Ghana in what is known as the War of the Golden Stool or Yaa Asantewaa’s War as it is known in Africa. The British colonizers had to bring in several thousand troops and artillery to break the siege. In January 1902, the British Empire made the Asante empire a protectorate of the British crown despite her efforts. Yaa Asantewaa's rebellion is still remembered to this day and was one of the last of the last major wars on the continent of Africa to be led by a woman.
When her brother died in 1894, Yaa Asantewaa nominated her own grandson as Ejisuhene- ruler of Ejisu. When he was exiled by the British along with other members of the Asante government, Yaa Asantewaa became regent of the Ejisu-Juaben District. When the council met to discuss what to do about their exiled leaders, Yaa Asantewaa spoke these now famous words: "Now I see that some of you fear to go forward to fight for our king. If it was in the brave days of [Osei Tutu], [Okomfo Anokye], and Opoku Ware I, chiefs would not sit down to see their king to be taken away without firing a shot. No European could have dared speak to chiefs of Asante in the way the governor spoke to you this morning. Is it true that the bravery of Asante is no more? I cannot believe it. It cannot be! I must say this: if you, the men of Asante, will not go forward, then we will. We, the women, will. I shall call upon my fellow women. We will fight! We will fight till the last of us falls in the battlefields." Now that's what you call one badass feminist, warrior, mother and grandmother!
OLYMPIAS
Olympias, born in 375 BCE, was the mother of one of the ancient world's greatest military leader and ruler of the largest empire of the ancient world: Alexander the Great. She was a princess of Epirus and the fourth wife of the Philip II King of Macedonia. When Philip decided to marry a noble woman by the name of Cleopatra, the hot-tempered and jealous Olympias went into voluntary exile in Epirus staying at the Molossian court which was held by her brother. Years later when Philip II was assassinated- which many believe Olympias played a part in- she returned to Macedonia. Olympias later ordered Phillip's wife (one of many!) Eurydice and her child to be murdered in order to secure her own son Alexander's position as the king of Macedonia. What a mother won't do for her children!
Despite Alexander's best efforts to keep his mother out of politics, Olympias just couldn't keep herself from stirring up trouble with with Macedonia's regent Antipater and his son, Cassander. There was little Alexander could do as he was away conquering the known world- that is until he met his death in Babylon 323 BCE. Whilst trying to secure the throne to her grandson (born posthumously by Alexander's wife Roxana) Olympias' luck ran out. Cassander's troupes captured her and executed Olympias while her grandson Alexander IV and his mother Roxana were disposed of in secret.
Do you have a badass mother? Why not share this post with her and let her know even though Mother's Day might have been five days ago, that you think everyday is Mother's Day and that she is one this generation's tough and strong mum's that comes from rich history of other badass woman who ruled and raised their children. Have another mother from history that you think we missed? Let us know who else you would include in history's list of badass mommas!
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.