La Malinche is reviled throughout Mexico as a traitor, a whore, the ‘Mexican Eve’ who sold her people out and was directly responsible for their downfall. Now, to pin the blame for an event as significant as the collapse of the Aztec Empire on a single person is pretty ridiculous anyway, but why would it land in particular on a translator who had been sold into slavery and was likely doing what she had to to survive?
sixteenth century women
Pirates: Six Biographies
Six short biographies of ruthless female pirates across history.
S is for… Six!
We all know the rhyme and, thanks to Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, many more are starting to learn who the women behind ‘Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived’ were. But how much of Six is actually historically accurate? Short answer: A fair amount. Long answer? Read on.
Q is for… Qin Liangyu (秦良玉)
In ancient China, the position of women was very low, and they were forced into specific roles which were decided at their birth. Girls didn’t receive a comprehensive education and were expected to be wives and mothers when they grew up. Qin Liangyu was different.
F is for… Female archetypes of Latin America
La Malinche, La Virgen, and La Llorona are three archetypal women from Chicano folklore who have historically been used as tools of a patriarchal society to repress women's bodily agency and sexuality. However, recently there has been a pushback by Chicana feminists to reclaim these figures - but how are they doing this, and why?
Catherine de’ Medici – Queen Mother of France
When King Henry II of France died in 1559, Catherine de’ Medici was propelled onto the political stage. She remained the true power behind the French throne for the rest of her life, influencing the reigns of her three sons as they each inherited the crown.