Womanica

Sarraounia Mangou (c. 1890s) was a fierce warrior queen who protected her people from colonial domination in West Africa. This month, we're talking about Folk Heroes. People whose lives and stories took on mythic proportions. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredib...

Pope Joan (c. 800 AD) disguised herself as a man and ascended the church's ranks to the role of pope without suspicion. That is, until her ruse reached an abrupt and upsetting end. This month, we're talking about Folk Heroes. People whose lives and stories took on mythic proportions. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering...

Hua Mulan (c. 400-600 AD) was the hero of an iconic Chinese tale that remains a symbol of courage, familial duty, and national pride. This month, we're talking about Folk Heroes. People whose lives and stories took on mythic proportions. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so m...

Queen Himiko (c. 200) was the first known queen of Japan. She was a mysterious shamaness who was descended from the Shinto sun goddess, and who used her magic to rule over her kingdom. This month, we're talking about Folk Heroes. People whose lives and stories took on mythic proportions. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wonde...

Leonarda Emilia (c. 1860s) was one of Mexico’s most daring bandits. Riding bareback and cloaked in men’s clothes, she used a pistol and machete to steal from passing travelers, and then redistribute the wealth to the poor. This month, we're talking about Folk Heroes. People whose lives and stories took on mythic proportions. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we...

Eliza Donnithorne (1821-1886) was an infamous recluse. Legend has it she was abandoned on her wedding day, and she never recovered. Her story may have inspired one of literature’s most famous scorned brides: Miss Havisham of Dickens' Great Expectations. This month, we're talking about Folk Heroes. People whose lives and stories took on mythic proportions. History classes can get a bad rap, and som...

Maria Bonita (c. 1900 - 1938) was a legendary Brazilian outlaw. This month, we're talking about Folk Heroes. People whose lives and stories took on mythic proportions. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Wom...

Annie Christmas (c. 1900s) was a fantastical figure based on a real person, but stories about her were passed down through oral tradition, old timey radio shows, collections of folklore and children’s tales. This brawny and brave keelboat captain has been hailed as the queen of the lower Mississippi River, the daughter of the Delta. This month, we're talking about Folk Heroes. People whose lives a...

Kittur Rani Chennamma (1778-1829) was an Indian queen who battled the British Empire for independence and inspired generations of freedom fighters.  This month, we're talking about Folk Heroes. People whose lives and stories took on mythic proportions. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at...

Margaret Brown (1867-1932), now known as "the Unsinkable Molly Brown," was a socialite who survived the sinking of the Titanic and desperately tried to convince her fellow lifeboat passengers to return to the debris and search for survivors. This month, we're talking about Folk Heroes. People whose lives and stories took on mythic proportions. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for g...

Arawelo (c. 15 AD) was a queen who defied patriarchy at every step of her life. During her ruthless reign, she reversed traditional gender roles and brought prosperity to present-day Somalia. This month, we're talking about Folk Heroes. People whose lives and stories took on mythic proportions. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t hel...

Khawla bint al-Azwar (c. 630s AD) was a legendary Muslim soldier who fought in battles against the Byzantine Empire. This month, we're talking about Folk Heroes. People whose lives and stories took on mythic proportions. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible st...

Toto Koopman (1908-1991) graced the cover of Vogue, spied for the Allied Forces in World World II, and narrowly escaped death in a concentration camp. This month, we’re talking about adventurers – women who refused to be confined. They pushed the boundaries of where a woman could go, and how she could get there. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were student...

Sanmao, or Chen Ping (1943-1991) was a travel writer whose tales of bohemian adventures inspired generations of young women. This month, we’re talking about adventurers – women who refused to be confined. They pushed the boundaries of where a woman could go, and how she could get there. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wonder...

Rose de Freycinet (1794-1832) was the first woman to document a circumnavigation of the world. She did so unofficially, as a stowaway aboard a ship on a scientific mission. This month, we’re talking about adventurers – women who refused to be confined. They pushed the boundaries of where a woman could go, and how she could get there. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason...

Mary Seacole (1805-1881) was a 19th century healer who was ahead of her time. This self taught nurse used her own money to sail across the world and set up shelter for wounded Crimean War soldiers. This month, we’re talking about adventurers – women who refused to be confined. They pushed the boundaries of where a woman could go, and how she could get there. History classes can get a bad rap, and...

Marie Tharp (1920-2006) illuminated one of the most mysterious parts of our planet: the bottom of the ocean. On land, she pored over data, while her male colleagues went out on expeditions… until she finally got a chance to join them, and experience the watery world she’d been mapping from afar.  This month, we’re talking about adventurers – women who refused to be confined. They pushed the bounda...

Kalpana Chawla (1962-2003) was an astronaut who made a name for herself among the stars — and even has an asteroid named after her. Though her life was cut short, her legacy as the first Indian-born woman to reach outer space lives on. This month, we’re talking about adventurers – women who refused to be confined. They pushed the boundaries of where a woman could go, and how she could get there. H...

Juliane Koepcke (1954-present) is the sole survivor of the deadliest lightning-strike disaster in aviation history. This month, we’re talking about adventurers – women who refused to be confined. They pushed the boundaries of where a woman could go, and how she could get there. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... wh...

Ida Pfeiffer (1797-1858) was the first solo female travel writer. At a time when women were not encouraged to strike out on their own, she traveled through Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. She even circumnavigated the world... twice. This month, we’re talking about adventurers – women who refused to be confined. They pushed the boundaries of where a woman could go, and how she coul...

Hallie Morse Daggett (1878-1964) was the first woman employed by the U.S. Forest Service as a fire lookout. She spent years peering out from a peak, high above, searching for signs of destructive fires. This month, we’re talking about adventurers – women who refused to be confined. They pushed the boundaries of where a woman could go, and how she could get there. History classes can get a bad rap,...

Fanny Bullock Workman (1859-1925) was one of the first women professional mountaineers. This month, we’re talking about adventurers – women who refused to be confined. They pushed the boundaries of where a woman could go, and how she could get there. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at?...

Emma Gatewood (1887-1973) was a domestic violence survivor who went on to become the first woman– and first grandmother– to hike the entire Appalachian Trail solo. This month, we’re talking about adventurers – women who refused to be confined. They pushed the boundaries of where a woman could go, and how she could get there. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we...

Clärenore Stinnes (1901-1990) was the first European woman to circumnavigate the world by car – during a time when most women didn’t even have a driver’s license. This month, we’re talking about adventurers – women who refused to be confined. They pushed the boundaries of where a woman could go, and how she could get there. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we...

Cindy Lee Van Dover (1954-present) has   traveled farther than light can reach: all the way to the bottom of the ocean. And she's done it more than 100 times! As a deep-sea biologist studying hydrothermal vents, Cindy's goal was to unlock possible secrets about the earliest life on Earth. This month, we’re talking about adventurers – women who refused to be confined. They pushed the boundaries of...