Tomoe Gozen: Female Warrior of Medieval Japan
Tomoe Gozen was a badass female warrior in 12th century Japan.
She was well known for her leadership and valor on the battlefield during a time of brutal civil war between the Minamoto and Taira clans.
This post is just a snippit of information. I had planned to write something longer, but so much has already been written about Tomoe Gozen that I decided not to reinvent the wheel. Instead, I’ve included a list of resources for further reading.
Image source: By Toyohara Chikanobu - Walters Art Museum: Home page Info about artwork, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18820892
“…Tomoe was especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a swordswoman she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot. She handled unbroken horses with superb skill; she rode unscathed down perilous descents. Whenever a battle was imminent, Yoshinaka sent her out as his first captain, equipped with strong armor, an oversized sword, and a mighty bow; and she performed more deeds of valor than any of his other warriors.”
McCullough, Helen C., trans. The Tale of the Heike. Stanford: Stanford UP, 1988
Tomoe Gozen defeats a male opponent in a duel
These resources are listed in order of importance - but of course that judgment is subjective. If you’re interested in Tomoe Gozen, then I highly suggest that you look at the first one or two of these.
Tomoe Gozen
Kansai Gadai: Asian Studies Program
http://tomoegozenkg.weebly.com/ (the entire site is devoted to Tomoe Gozen)
TOMOE GOZEN: BADASS WOMEN IN JAPANESE HISTORY
A WARRIOR WORTH A THOUSAND MEN
June 12, 2014
By CHELSEA BERNARD
Tofugu.com
https://www.tofugu.com/japan/tomoe-gozen/
Tomoe Gozen - A fearsome Japanese Female Warrior of the 12th Century
April 29, 2015
By Ḏḥwty
Ancient Origins
http://www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/tomoe-gozen-fearsome-japanese-female-warrior-12th-century-002974?nopaging=1
Women warriors of Japan
The menfolk of these islands have had their martial ideals since time immemorial, but there have been many women with that fighting spirit, too
October 9, 2011
By MICHAEL HOFFMAN
The Japan Times
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2011/10/09/general/women-warriors-of-japan/#.WKjSfDsrLIU
Samurai War Tales: The Tale of the Heike
Asian Art Museum | Education
http://education.asianart.org/explore-resources/background-information/samurai-war-tales-tales-heike
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