On Brünhilde and Motherhood (again) especially regarding her rule
I have been thinking more about this post, especially after watching WoT Season 3 (Spoilers ahead).
I loved the scene with Queen Morgause that showed her pregnant, and caring for her kids but also ruthlessly murdering her enemies - and the future enemies of her children, thus saving her line and her dynasty from another war of succession (at this point in time).
But it got me thinking about women in matriarchal monarchies and how these women, though seemingly living in a less misogynistic society, have no choice but to take on the rule of a mother. They do not get to choose, in a modern way, between being mothers or rulers, for if they choose against being mothers their line of succession is ultimately broken, making their kingdom and their people easy targets for violence and conflict. So in a monarchy per se, no matter if patriarchal or matriarchal, a heightened sense of duty calls all individuals in line for the throne into the role of a parent, whether they want to or not.
Matriarchy as a word itself already consists of "mother", playing into the nurturing and life-giving side of the female part of society, roles Brünhilde seems to reject. A queen is the mother of a nation, a sentiment that can be more than helpful in ruling, for it already creates a sense of loyalty and affiliation in the subjects of said queen. (surely an interesting concept in relation to modern para-social relationships and the term mother used in the context of fandom and stars like tswift. do we create this out of a need for connection in a society where human connection seems more and more impossible?)
Brünhilde herself, in the way she is portrayed in the movie, falls into misogynist stereotypes. She is seen like a strong woman because she has the traits of a man (strength), foiled with Kriemhild's more calm and internal strength. She is a plot device, an object of desire for both Gunter and Siegfried, which is shown in that scene when she is randomly just naked? (yeah, Isenstein plays into that wilderness & freedom aspect but it still felt weird, lbr), while never truly acknowledging whether or not she called on them or if that was just their desires speaking. And she falls into the role of the sinner, a temptation for Siegfried (once again freedom but also once again a foil for loving, honest, true Kriemhild).
So how can we make her more? How can she be the mother of a nation when she herself has never had a mother? And never wants to be one either? (In my headcanon she was found in the mountain, playing with different parts of the myths where she was of some godly descent - I need to write Herja headcanons about this).
We need to reject the notion that a matriarchal society is immediately something feminist if it takes away a woman's right to make the important choice of motherhood. But is the problem the matriarchy itself or does it come into play once we have a monarchy based on a succession through bloodlines? And is Isenstein eihter or?
I have always loved to play with the concept of being a ruler with the real-life example of the King of Belgium in mind. Nowadays - and historically speaking - most monarchs in Europe are King or Queen of a country, e.g. the Queen of England, the King of Spain. But there is no King of Belgium. There is only the king of the Belgian people. He does not rule the land, the borders, he rules the people living within these borders. A concept I completely adore.
A concept I will throw overboard for Brünhilde.
Brünhilde is born of the mountain, Brünhilde is of the land. She is not queen of the Valkyrie, that titel belongs to Freyja. She is not queen over the people of Isenstein - they are free. They choose companionship and community to face the adversities of the island they live on. An island made out of fire and ice where the volcanoes shiver and shake with the rage of their queen. Brünhilde is like the land and she rules the land. She is no mother, she is no daughter. She is no beginning and no end. She is the Queen of Isenstein and she will endure.
This (for me) new concept completely differs from Kriemhild and Herja, both looking towards what is best for the people of Burgundy instead of ruling over stone and tree.
