To the right is a silver denarius coin, Roman, roughly 50 BCE... during Medb's time. You will note her hair is modern, however it was likely limed with the addition of some braids in real life. She is much better looking than most female Celts depicted on Roman coinage. Behind her head is the carynx, a music horn used by the Celts before battle. (We are currently trying to locate one for the encampment).

According to Roman writers when a group of Brigantians (Southern England - maybe southwest) were taken before Claudius in Rome, as prisoners, so accustomed were they to female rulers that they made their obeisance to Agrippina, his wife, and not the emperor.

This article is to serve the purpose, hopefully, of addressing some of the issues that relate to the prowess of Celtic female warriors. A worthwhile note here is that not only Celtic women great warriors, but Goths, Syrians, Saracens even Romans. As we all are aware, Gladiatrix fought in the Roman arenas. When I say 'WE', I should state there are exceptions, such as FrontPage as well as Webster, do not seem to recognize the word Gladiatrix, despite archaeological findings to the contrary.

The Celts as a general rule are an enigma to the world for their independent thinking and natural mysticism. Also, we must consider how advanced they were socially, not just in their laws but also in their acceptance of the value of women. Unfortunately much of history has been tainted by conquerors and Christian monks, as well as Celtic behavior observed through the lens of other nations who had their own pre-determined idea of what was acceptable and what was not. Because of these factors, one must need address Celtic female fighters and their contribution to the whole.

As this is the first of many articles to come, I deemed it necessary to outline how we, as Celtic females, got to where we are all the better to understand the enormity of the task that confronts us... but we can do it, I know we can.

As Meadhbh, Queen of Connaught, herself a great warrior, is the icon of our organization, I have elected to call our fighters Gamhanrhide - an honorable name which was what the elite warriors of Meadhbh were named.

Scatach of Skye, the greatest of all then living warriors, trained CuChullain, the boy warrior who was so lauded by the monks in the 5th century, that one must reach a conclusion that he was born that way. Not so, for many history books have related the skill and determination of Scatach and her warrior sister, Aoife, that there seems little doubt that his training had to have come from these the greatest warriors of their time.

Aoife, a fine warrior in her own right, (also Queen Meadhbh's champion around our fireside) was to bear a child of CuChullain seed, who would, in the end kill his father.

Boudicca (or Bodiecia, Bouddica, Voadica, Voada) was the widow of King Prasutagus (who by the way had sold half of the Iceni tribe to the Romans). She was regent for her two daughters who inherited the half of the tribe left to them.

Many tales are related as to what ignited Boudicca rage, but suffice it to say that evidences of the fires she burned across England, remain below the streets in charred lumber. This was in 61 DA and by the time Suetonis got back to London from his attempts to cross to the Isle of Man, he noted in his journals that within the Iceni ranks that there were 'more women than men'. Siculus wrote that 'among the Gauls, women are nearly as tall as the men, whom they rivaled in courage'. Imagine, if you will what he might have written about Gaulish women had he been on their side! (see also Description by Tacitus of the Rebellion of Boudicca (AD 60-61)

Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes was a Client Queen of Rome, that is an ally of the Romans occupying Britain, possibly from 43AD. When her consort Venutius rebelled against her the Romans sent troops to help her keep her throne. Although Roman law was generally very much against the idea of women as rulers the Romans in Britain obviously took a more pragmatic approach and accepted established British Matriarchies.

The Roman historian Plutarch described a battle in 102 B.C. between Romans and Celts: "the fight had been no less fierce with the women than with the men themselves... the women charged with swords and axes and fell upon their opponents uttering a hideous outcry." (source Queen Boudicca And The Events Leading To The Iceni Rebellion of 60 AD)

A Roman author, Ammianus Marcellinus, describes Gaullish women as being even stronger than their men and fighting with their fists and kicks at the same time "like missiles from a catapult".

A Triumph (display of captured enemies and plunder) held by the Emperor Aurelian in the 3rd Century included a group of Gothic women who had been found fighting while dressed in men's clothing.

Queen Septima Zenobia of Palmyra governed Syria from about 250 to 275 AD. She led her armies against the Roman armies of Emperors Claudius and Aurelian. (info given by Linda falconfyre@earthlink.net) Of The Roman Empire" by Edward Gibbon)

Macha is in no way to be discounted as a goddess-warrior (she is in Ulster portrayed as Epona - the "horse goddess"). She had the great misfortunate to marry one Crunnchua mac Angnoman a rich and boastful widower. The two prosper together until one day, himself decides to go to the annual assembly at Ulster and when there bagging, that thought the horses in the race were of the finest, his pregnant wife Macha could outrun them. What comes to pass leads to the greatest of all Ireland's intercine battles involving Meadhbh of Connacht. Great Story!

Ere long, Christian monks feeling threatened by women began to satirize the goddesses because their own patriarchal system of belief stood counter to the respect which up to that time the Celts had displayed toward women... goddesses became violent, frequently were raped, murdered and died in childbirth. An so the legend continues... in many places in today's modern world.

Would you like to be a part of the rebirth of the powerful Celt woman and join the Gamhanrhide? Scatach has been waiting a long time to feel Mother Earth under her feet in battle.

email Jocelyn Williams, jocelynwilliams@bailedevelopment.com

1. Condren, Mary. The Serpent and the Goddess. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1989.

2. Ellis Berresford, Peter. Celtic Women. London: Constable, 1995.

3. Keane, Patrick. Yeats, Joyce, Ireland, and the Myth of the Devouring Female. Columbia: University of Missouri, 1988.

4. Larrington, Carolyn. The Feminist Companion to Mythology. London: Pandora, 1992.

5. Webster Wilde, Lyn. Celtic Women in Legend, Myth and History.