Medieval warfare is often portrayed as a man’s world, but the historical record tells a different story. From queens and countesses to generals and legendary warriors, these fifteen women led armies, defended kingdoms, and fought for their people across the medieval world.
Women rarely served as ordinary soldiers during the Middle Ages, but there were notable exceptions. Medieval chronicles, letters, and other sources reveal women commanding armies, leading sieges, defending fortresses, and rallying troops in times of war. Some became famous in their own lifetimes, while others have been remembered through legend and folklore. Here are fifteen medieval warrior women whose stories continue to fascinate historians today.
1. Joan of Arc: French military leader during the Hundred Years’ War
Joan of Arc leading a French attack on Paris in 1429 – – BnF, MS Français 5054, fol. 66v
While her military career only lasted slightly longer than a year, Joan of Arc is one of the most well-known figures from the Middle Ages. A teenage peasant from northeastern France, Joan began receiving visions from saints telling her to drive the English forces out of her country. In 1429, she was able to convince the French ruler Charles VII to give her an army to relieve the besieged city of Orléans.
This was the beginning of a series of victories that Joan led in person, where the English were driven out of Orléans and then Jargeau a month later. She was wounded twice during the fighting – first by an arrow that struck her shoulder, and then by a stone that hit her head and split her helmet in two.
Over the next few months Joan was able to lead French forces to several victories against the English, allowing Charles to be crowned at Reims. Her military career suffered a setback when she was unable to retake the city of Paris, and in May 1430 she was captured during a small skirmish. A year later she was tried and executed for heresy. Since then, Joan of Arc has become a national symbol of France and was canonized as a saint.
2. Matilda of Canossa: Countess of Tuscany and commander in the Investiture Controversy
Known as “The Great Countess”, Matilda of Canossa has perhaps the strongest military record of any woman in medieval Europe. As ruler of a vast territory stretching across much of northern and central Italy, she became one of the most powerful figures of the eleventh century.
Matilda was a staunch supporter of the Papacy during the Investiture Controversy, a decades-long struggle between popes and emperors over who had the authority to appoint bishops. Her chief opponent was Emperor Henry IV, and she spent much of her life defending her lands and supporting the papal cause through military campaigns, fortifications, and diplomacy.
One of the writers from the time said of Matilda:
Brave and ever watchful, she often tormented the perverse Mightily she undertook terribly violent battles with the king For she endured steadfastly through thirty years Fighting day and night to quell the tempests of the kingdom.
Matilda not only financed military operations but also personally directed campaigns and oversaw the defence of her territories. Her castles formed a vital network protecting papal interests in Italy, and her forces repeatedly frustrated imperial attempts to bring the region under direct control. When she died in 1115, she had spent more than forty years as one of the leading military and political figures of medieval Italy.
3. Isabella of Castile: Queen of Castile and military leader of the Reconquista
Queen Isabella I of Castile – portrait from the 15th or 16th century.
Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile made an effective team when it came to military matters. While Ferdinand did most of the commanding on the field, Isabella oversaw the military administration. If necessary, she would make an appearance among her troops – such as during the latter stages of a siege when she would arrive in full armour and rally her troops. At times Isabella even took personal command of armies in the field and led successful sieges.
Her greatest military involvement came during the Granada War (1482–1492), the campaign that conquered the last remaining Muslim state in Iberia. Isabella played a key role in raising money, organizing supplies, maintaining discipline, and ensuring that armies remained in the field. Historian Peggy Liss argues that Isabella helped create a new kind of military force, one in which “what counted most were numbers, efficiency, discipline, and economy.”
4. Æthelflæd: Lady of the Mercians and defender of Anglo-Saxon England
Æthelflæd (from The Cartulary and Customs of Abingdon Abbey, c. 1220)
After the death of her husband Æthelred in 911, Æthelflæd became ruler of Mercia, one of the major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in England. Known as the “Lady of the Mercians,” she continued the struggle against Viking armies that had occupied much of England and quickly established herself as one of the most capable military leaders of her age. Working closely with her brother, King Edward the Elder of Wessex, Æthelflæd strengthened Mercia’s defences by constructing and reinforcing a network of fortified towns known as burhs. The contemporary Mercian Register records her building strongholds at places including Bridgnorth, Tamworth, Stafford, Warwick, and Runcorn.
These fortifications helped protect Mercia from Viking attacks while also serving as bases for offensive operations. Under her leadership, Mercian forces captured Derby in 917, one of the Five Boroughs of the Danelaw, and the following year Leicester submitted to her rule without a fight. According to later sources, the Viking rulers of York were prepared to submit to her authority shortly before her death in 918. Æthelflæd’s military successes helped lay the foundations for the eventual unification of England, making her one of the most remarkable rulers of the early Middle Ages.
5. Matilda of Boulogne: Queen of England and defender of King Stephen’s throne
This 19th-century depiction of the two Matildas – Cassell’s illustrated history of England, 1865
When civil war broke out in England in 1139 between King Stephen and his cousin, the Empress Matilda, Queen Matilda of Boulogne emerged as one of her husband’s most important supporters. After Stephen was captured at the Battle of Lincoln in 1141, many believed his cause was lost. Instead, Matilda rallied his remaining supporters, secured London for the royalist faction, and organized an army to continue the fight.
Contemporary chroniclers were impressed by Matilda’s role in the war. The author of the Gesta Stephani praised her for displaying qualities that medieval writers typically associated with male warriors, writing that she “forgot the weakness of her sex and a woman’s softness” and “bore herself with the valour of a man.” Her greatest success came later that year when royalist forces captured the Empress Matilda’s half-brother, Robert of Gloucester, allowing an exchange of prisoners that secured King Stephen’s release.
6. Joanna of Flanders: The “Fiery Joanna” of Brittany
Joanna of Flanders defending Hennebont – BNF MS Francais 2663 fol. 87v
Joanna was known for her defence of the town of Hennebont in Brittany against Charles, Count of Blois. After Charles had captured and imprisoned Joanna’s husband, he marched against the town in 1342. Joanna led the defence of Hennebont. The chronicler Jean le Bel writes that:
the brave countess was armed and armored and rode on a large horse from street to street, rallying everyone and summoning them to join the defense. She had asked the women of the town, the nobles as well as the others, to bring stones to the walls and to throw these on the attackers, as well as pots filled with lime.
The key moment of the siege came when Joanna led 300 men out of Hennebont and burned down the enemy camp. She gained the nickname “Fiery Joanna” for this feat. Joanna was able to hold off the besiegers until English troops arrived and forced the Count of Blois to retreat. Her actions helped preserve her husband’s claim during the Breton War of Succession and made her one of the most celebrated warrior women of the fourteenth century.
7. Sichelgaita of Salerno: Norman princess and battlefield leader
The wife of the Norman leader Robert Guiscard, Sichelgaita is best known for her role in rallying the fleeing Norman soldiers at the Battle of Dyrrachium in 1081. According to the Byzantine chronicler Anna Comnena, she confronted her fellow soldiers and urged them to stop fleeing:
As they continued to run, she grasped a long spear and charged at full gallop against them. It brought them to their senses and they went back to fight.
Another chronicler adds that she was wounded by an arrow during the battle, but the Normans were able to defeat the Byzantines. A further look at her career finds that she took part in and commanded sieges and was more involved in her husband’s military activities than was previously known. Sichelgaita’s actions at Dyrrachium made such an impression that Anna Comnena compared her to the legendary goddess Athena.
8. Al-Kahina / Dihya: Berber queen and defender of North Africa
Statue of al-Kahina in Algeria – phpto by Numide05 / Wikimedia Commons
The Berber queen of the Aurès, al-Kahina (also known as Dihya) began leading her people in the 680s against the Arab invasion of North Africa. While there are many legends surrounding her life, medieval sources agree that she emerged as the leading figure in the resistance to the Umayyad advance.
We do know that al-Kahina defeated an Arab army at the Battle of Meskiana in 698, forcing its commander to retreat from the region. She continued fighting for several more years as Arab forces regrouped and renewed their invasion. Although she was eventually defeated and killed in battle around 701, al-Kahina became one of the most famous figures in North African history and remains remembered as a symbol of resistance.
9. Apranik: Persian commander who resisted the Arab conquest
Apranik was one of the last military commanders of the Sasanian Empire during the Arab conquest of Persia in the seventh century. According to later Persian traditions, she took command of a force after the death of her father and continued the struggle against the invading armies.
Although the Sasanians suffered a series of defeats that ultimately led to the collapse of their empire, Apranik is said to have led her troops in several engagements before being forced into retreat. She became a symbol of Persian resistance during one of the most transformative conflicts of the early Middle Ages and remains remembered as one of the few named female military leaders from pre-Islamic Iran.
10. Caterina Sforza: The “Tiger of Forlì”
La dama dei gelsomini, by Lorenzo di Credi (Pinacoteca Civica di Forlì), presumed portrait of Caterina Sforza
The Countess of Forlì once said, “if I must lose because I am a woman, I want to lose like a man.” A bold Italian noblewoman, Caterina Sforza was heavily involved in the turbulent politics and warfare of late fifteenth-century Italy. She frequently took the lead in military affairs and even personally trained her own soldiers.
Her fierce defence against a Venetian attack earned her the nickname “The Tiger of Forlì.” In 1499, however, Pope Alexander VI sent his son Cesare Borgia to conquer her lands. Although Caterina led a determined defence of Forlì and its fortress, she was eventually captured and taken to Rome as a trophy. Her courage in the face of overwhelming odds made her one of the most famous warrior women of Renaissance Italy.
11. Liang Hongyu: Song dynasty military heroine
19th-century depiction of Liang Hongyu – Wikimedia Commons
Originally a courtesan, Liang Hongyu had befriended and later married the general Han Shizhong. Living in the early twelfth century, she played an active role in China’s wars against the Jurchen Jin dynasty. Historical sources credit her with participating in military campaigns and helping to direct troops during the struggle to defend the Southern Song state. She became particularly famous for her role during the Battle of Huangtiandang in 1130, where she is said to have used war drums and signal flags to coordinate Song forces as they trapped a much larger Jin army.
Over the centuries, Liang Hongyu became one of China’s most celebrated warrior women. Stories, plays, novels, and operas expanded upon her exploits, portraying her as a fearless commander who rode into battle alongside her husband. While some of these later accounts undoubtedly embellished her deeds, they transformed Liang Hongyu into a legendary figure whose courage and military skill have been admired for nearly a thousand years.
12. Tomoe Gozen: Samurai warrior of medieval Japan
19th-century depiction of Tomoe Gozen by Yoshitoshi (1839–1892)
Tomoe Gozen is one of the most famous women in Japanese history. She appears in the Heike Monogatari (The Tale of the Heike), an account of the Genpei War (1180–1185), where she served the warlord Minamoto no Yoshinaka. The chronicle describes her as an exceptionally skilled warrior, noting that she was a talented horsewoman, archer, and swordswoman. During the conflict, she is said to have fought alongside male samurai and distinguished herself in battle.
The story of Tomoe Gozen has inspired generations of writers, artists, and dramatists. According to the Heike Monogatari, she was “especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features,” but was also “a remarkably strong archer, and as a swordswoman she was a warrior worth a thousand.” Historians continue to debate how much of her story is historical and how much has been embellished over time, but Tomoe remains one of the most celebrated warrior women in Japanese tradition.
13. Isabel of Conches: Norman noblewoman and warrior
The Anglo-Norman historian Orderic Vitalis noted a feud between Isabel of Conches, wife of Ralph of Tosny, and Helwise, Countess of Évreux, in the 1090s. According to Orderic, the rivalry between the two women helped fuel a conflict between their families. He writes:
Both the ladies who stirred up such bitter wars were persuasive, high-spirited, and beautiful; they dominated their husbands and oppressed their vassals, whom they terrorized in various ways. But they were very different in character. Helwise on the one hand was clever and persuasive, but cruel and grasping; whereas Isabel was generous, daring, and gay, and therefore lovable and estimable to those around her. In war she rode armed as a knight among the knights, and she showed no less courage among the knights in hauberks and sergeants-at-arms than did the maid Camilla, the pride of Italy, among the troops of Turnus. She deserved comparison with Lampeto and Marpesia, Hippolyta and Penthesilea and the other warlike Amazon queens…
Whether or not Orderic exaggerated some aspects of her story, his account shows that Isabel had gained a reputation as a woman who took an active role in warfare. His comparison of her to the legendary Amazons makes her one of the most vividly described warrior women in medieval chronicles.
14. Jeanne Hachette: Heroine of the Siege of Beauvais
Jeanne Hachette statue in Beauvais – photo by Marc ROUSSEL / Wikimedia Commons
In 1472, Charles the Bold led his Burgundian soldiers against the French town of Beauvais. When they attacked the town’s walls, the citizens of Beauvais, including the women, fought them off in hand-to-hand combat. One woman, Jeanne Laisné, grabbed a small axe and fought off a Burgundian standard-bearer who had reached the battlements. Her actions helped rally the defenders during one of the most critical moments of the siege.
Following the victory, she became known as Jeanne Hachette, meaning “Joan of the Hatchet.” Her bravery became a source of local pride, and she was honoured by the citizens of Beauvais for her role in defending the town.
15. Lagertha: The legendary Viking Shieldmaiden
Lagertha depicted in The Northmen in Britain, by Eleanor Means Hull, published in 1913.
The Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus included an account of how Ragnar Lodbrok went to war with the King of Sweden. During the battle, a woman named Lagertha distinguished herself. Saxo relates that she was:
a skilled Amazon, who, though a maiden, had the courage of a man, and fought in front among the bravest with her hair loose over her shoulders. All marveled at her matchless deeds, for her locks flying down her back betrayed that she was a woman.
Ragnar was so impressed with her prowess that he married her, and in later tales she also fought in his battles. While historians debate whether Lagertha herself was a historical figure, her story remains one of the most famous medieval accounts of a shieldmaiden. Moreover, there are several medieval references to women warriors in Scandinavia, suggesting that the idea of female fighters was deeply rooted in Norse tradition.
There are many more women who could be included on this list, including rulers who directed military campaigns, women who defended castles and towns, and others who took up arms during times of war. Some accounts, such as Eleanor of Aquitaine leading a troop of women during the Second Crusade, have been shown to be untrue or gross exaggerations made by medieval writers. Other tales, such as the story of Onorata Rodiani, who is said to have disguised herself as a man and joined a mercenary company in the fifteenth century, are also difficult to verify.
Medieval sources also contain numerous references to unnamed women who fought in battles or took part in sieges. One famous example is the woman of Toulouse who operated a siege machine that killed Simon de Montfort during the Albigensian Crusade. Then there is the story of Big Margot, who carried the banner of a Flemish army at the Battle of Roosebeke in 1382 and died in battle. Whether remembered through chronicles, legends, or local traditions, these women remind us that warfare in the Middle Ages was not always an exclusively male sphere.
Further Reading:
Ailes, Mary Elizabeth, “Camp Followers, Sutlers, and Soldiers’ Wives: Women in Early Modern Armies (c. 1450–c. 1650)”, A Companion to Women’s Military History (Brill, 2012)
Medieval warfare is often portrayed as a man’s world, but the historical record tells a different story. From queens and countesses to generals and legendary warriors, these fifteen women led armies, defended kingdoms, and fought for their people across the medieval world.
Women rarely served as ordinary soldiers during the Middle Ages, but there were notable exceptions. Medieval chronicles, letters, and other sources reveal women commanding armies, leading sieges, defending fortresses, and rallying troops in times of war. Some became famous in their own lifetimes, while others have been remembered through legend and folklore. Here are fifteen medieval warrior women whose stories continue to fascinate historians today.
1. Joan of Arc: French military leader during the Hundred Years’ War
While her military career only lasted slightly longer than a year, Joan of Arc is one of the most well-known figures from the Middle Ages. A teenage peasant from northeastern France, Joan began receiving visions from saints telling her to drive the English forces out of her country. In 1429, she was able to convince the French ruler Charles VII to give her an army to relieve the besieged city of Orléans.
This was the beginning of a series of victories that Joan led in person, where the English were driven out of Orléans and then Jargeau a month later. She was wounded twice during the fighting – first by an arrow that struck her shoulder, and then by a stone that hit her head and split her helmet in two.
Over the next few months Joan was able to lead French forces to several victories against the English, allowing Charles to be crowned at Reims. Her military career suffered a setback when she was unable to retake the city of Paris, and in May 1430 she was captured during a small skirmish. A year later she was tried and executed for heresy. Since then, Joan of Arc has become a national symbol of France and was canonized as a saint.
2. Matilda of Canossa: Countess of Tuscany and commander in the Investiture Controversy
Known as “The Great Countess”, Matilda of Canossa has perhaps the strongest military record of any woman in medieval Europe. As ruler of a vast territory stretching across much of northern and central Italy, she became one of the most powerful figures of the eleventh century.
Matilda was a staunch supporter of the Papacy during the Investiture Controversy, a decades-long struggle between popes and emperors over who had the authority to appoint bishops. Her chief opponent was Emperor Henry IV, and she spent much of her life defending her lands and supporting the papal cause through military campaigns, fortifications, and diplomacy.
One of the writers from the time said of Matilda:
Brave and ever watchful, she often tormented the perverse
Mightily she undertook terribly violent battles with the king
For she endured steadfastly through thirty years
Fighting day and night to quell the tempests of the kingdom.
Matilda not only financed military operations but also personally directed campaigns and oversaw the defence of her territories. Her castles formed a vital network protecting papal interests in Italy, and her forces repeatedly frustrated imperial attempts to bring the region under direct control. When she died in 1115, she had spent more than forty years as one of the leading military and political figures of medieval Italy.
3. Isabella of Castile: Queen of Castile and military leader of the Reconquista
Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile made an effective team when it came to military matters. While Ferdinand did most of the commanding on the field, Isabella oversaw the military administration. If necessary, she would make an appearance among her troops – such as during the latter stages of a siege when she would arrive in full armour and rally her troops. At times Isabella even took personal command of armies in the field and led successful sieges.
Her greatest military involvement came during the Granada War (1482–1492), the campaign that conquered the last remaining Muslim state in Iberia. Isabella played a key role in raising money, organizing supplies, maintaining discipline, and ensuring that armies remained in the field. Historian Peggy Liss argues that Isabella helped create a new kind of military force, one in which “what counted most were numbers, efficiency, discipline, and economy.”
4. Æthelflæd: Lady of the Mercians and defender of Anglo-Saxon England
After the death of her husband Æthelred in 911, Æthelflæd became ruler of Mercia, one of the major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in England. Known as the “Lady of the Mercians,” she continued the struggle against Viking armies that had occupied much of England and quickly established herself as one of the most capable military leaders of her age. Working closely with her brother, King Edward the Elder of Wessex, Æthelflæd strengthened Mercia’s defences by constructing and reinforcing a network of fortified towns known as burhs. The contemporary Mercian Register records her building strongholds at places including Bridgnorth, Tamworth, Stafford, Warwick, and Runcorn.
These fortifications helped protect Mercia from Viking attacks while also serving as bases for offensive operations. Under her leadership, Mercian forces captured Derby in 917, one of the Five Boroughs of the Danelaw, and the following year Leicester submitted to her rule without a fight. According to later sources, the Viking rulers of York were prepared to submit to her authority shortly before her death in 918. Æthelflæd’s military successes helped lay the foundations for the eventual unification of England, making her one of the most remarkable rulers of the early Middle Ages.
5. Matilda of Boulogne: Queen of England and defender of King Stephen’s throne
When civil war broke out in England in 1139 between King Stephen and his cousin, the Empress Matilda, Queen Matilda of Boulogne emerged as one of her husband’s most important supporters. After Stephen was captured at the Battle of Lincoln in 1141, many believed his cause was lost. Instead, Matilda rallied his remaining supporters, secured London for the royalist faction, and organized an army to continue the fight.
Contemporary chroniclers were impressed by Matilda’s role in the war. The author of the Gesta Stephani praised her for displaying qualities that medieval writers typically associated with male warriors, writing that she “forgot the weakness of her sex and a woman’s softness” and “bore herself with the valour of a man.” Her greatest success came later that year when royalist forces captured the Empress Matilda’s half-brother, Robert of Gloucester, allowing an exchange of prisoners that secured King Stephen’s release.
6. Joanna of Flanders: The “Fiery Joanna” of Brittany
Joanna was known for her defence of the town of Hennebont in Brittany against Charles, Count of Blois. After Charles had captured and imprisoned Joanna’s husband, he marched against the town in 1342. Joanna led the defence of Hennebont. The chronicler Jean le Bel writes that:
the brave countess was armed and armored and rode on a large horse from street to street, rallying everyone and summoning them to join the defense. She had asked the women of the town, the nobles as well as the others, to bring stones to the walls and to throw these on the attackers, as well as pots filled with lime.
The key moment of the siege came when Joanna led 300 men out of Hennebont and burned down the enemy camp. She gained the nickname “Fiery Joanna” for this feat. Joanna was able to hold off the besiegers until English troops arrived and forced the Count of Blois to retreat. Her actions helped preserve her husband’s claim during the Breton War of Succession and made her one of the most celebrated warrior women of the fourteenth century.
7. Sichelgaita of Salerno: Norman princess and battlefield leader
The wife of the Norman leader Robert Guiscard, Sichelgaita is best known for her role in rallying the fleeing Norman soldiers at the Battle of Dyrrachium in 1081. According to the Byzantine chronicler Anna Comnena, she confronted her fellow soldiers and urged them to stop fleeing:
As they continued to run, she grasped a long spear and charged at full gallop against them. It brought them to their senses and they went back to fight.
Another chronicler adds that she was wounded by an arrow during the battle, but the Normans were able to defeat the Byzantines. A further look at her career finds that she took part in and commanded sieges and was more involved in her husband’s military activities than was previously known. Sichelgaita’s actions at Dyrrachium made such an impression that Anna Comnena compared her to the legendary goddess Athena.
8. Al-Kahina / Dihya: Berber queen and defender of North Africa
The Berber queen of the Aurès, al-Kahina (also known as Dihya) began leading her people in the 680s against the Arab invasion of North Africa. While there are many legends surrounding her life, medieval sources agree that she emerged as the leading figure in the resistance to the Umayyad advance.
We do know that al-Kahina defeated an Arab army at the Battle of Meskiana in 698, forcing its commander to retreat from the region. She continued fighting for several more years as Arab forces regrouped and renewed their invasion. Although she was eventually defeated and killed in battle around 701, al-Kahina became one of the most famous figures in North African history and remains remembered as a symbol of resistance.
9. Apranik: Persian commander who resisted the Arab conquest
Apranik was one of the last military commanders of the Sasanian Empire during the Arab conquest of Persia in the seventh century. According to later Persian traditions, she took command of a force after the death of her father and continued the struggle against the invading armies.
Although the Sasanians suffered a series of defeats that ultimately led to the collapse of their empire, Apranik is said to have led her troops in several engagements before being forced into retreat. She became a symbol of Persian resistance during one of the most transformative conflicts of the early Middle Ages and remains remembered as one of the few named female military leaders from pre-Islamic Iran.
10. Caterina Sforza: The “Tiger of Forlì”
The Countess of Forlì once said, “if I must lose because I am a woman, I want to lose like a man.” A bold Italian noblewoman, Caterina Sforza was heavily involved in the turbulent politics and warfare of late fifteenth-century Italy. She frequently took the lead in military affairs and even personally trained her own soldiers.
Her fierce defence against a Venetian attack earned her the nickname “The Tiger of Forlì.” In 1499, however, Pope Alexander VI sent his son Cesare Borgia to conquer her lands. Although Caterina led a determined defence of Forlì and its fortress, she was eventually captured and taken to Rome as a trophy. Her courage in the face of overwhelming odds made her one of the most famous warrior women of Renaissance Italy.
11. Liang Hongyu: Song dynasty military heroine
Originally a courtesan, Liang Hongyu had befriended and later married the general Han Shizhong. Living in the early twelfth century, she played an active role in China’s wars against the Jurchen Jin dynasty. Historical sources credit her with participating in military campaigns and helping to direct troops during the struggle to defend the Southern Song state. She became particularly famous for her role during the Battle of Huangtiandang in 1130, where she is said to have used war drums and signal flags to coordinate Song forces as they trapped a much larger Jin army.
Over the centuries, Liang Hongyu became one of China’s most celebrated warrior women. Stories, plays, novels, and operas expanded upon her exploits, portraying her as a fearless commander who rode into battle alongside her husband. While some of these later accounts undoubtedly embellished her deeds, they transformed Liang Hongyu into a legendary figure whose courage and military skill have been admired for nearly a thousand years.
12. Tomoe Gozen: Samurai warrior of medieval Japan
Tomoe Gozen is one of the most famous women in Japanese history. She appears in the Heike Monogatari (The Tale of the Heike), an account of the Genpei War (1180–1185), where she served the warlord Minamoto no Yoshinaka. The chronicle describes her as an exceptionally skilled warrior, noting that she was a talented horsewoman, archer, and swordswoman. During the conflict, she is said to have fought alongside male samurai and distinguished herself in battle.
The story of Tomoe Gozen has inspired generations of writers, artists, and dramatists. According to the Heike Monogatari, she was “especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features,” but was also “a remarkably strong archer, and as a swordswoman she was a warrior worth a thousand.” Historians continue to debate how much of her story is historical and how much has been embellished over time, but Tomoe remains one of the most celebrated warrior women in Japanese tradition.
13. Isabel of Conches: Norman noblewoman and warrior
The Anglo-Norman historian Orderic Vitalis noted a feud between Isabel of Conches, wife of Ralph of Tosny, and Helwise, Countess of Évreux, in the 1090s. According to Orderic, the rivalry between the two women helped fuel a conflict between their families. He writes:
Both the ladies who stirred up such bitter wars were persuasive, high-spirited, and beautiful; they dominated their husbands and oppressed their vassals, whom they terrorized in various ways. But they were very different in character. Helwise on the one hand was clever and persuasive, but cruel and grasping; whereas Isabel was generous, daring, and gay, and therefore lovable and estimable to those around her. In war she rode armed as a knight among the knights, and she showed no less courage among the knights in hauberks and sergeants-at-arms than did the maid Camilla, the pride of Italy, among the troops of Turnus. She deserved comparison with Lampeto and Marpesia, Hippolyta and Penthesilea and the other warlike Amazon queens…
Whether or not Orderic exaggerated some aspects of her story, his account shows that Isabel had gained a reputation as a woman who took an active role in warfare. His comparison of her to the legendary Amazons makes her one of the most vividly described warrior women in medieval chronicles.
14. Jeanne Hachette: Heroine of the Siege of Beauvais
In 1472, Charles the Bold led his Burgundian soldiers against the French town of Beauvais. When they attacked the town’s walls, the citizens of Beauvais, including the women, fought them off in hand-to-hand combat. One woman, Jeanne Laisné, grabbed a small axe and fought off a Burgundian standard-bearer who had reached the battlements. Her actions helped rally the defenders during one of the most critical moments of the siege.
Following the victory, she became known as Jeanne Hachette, meaning “Joan of the Hatchet.” Her bravery became a source of local pride, and she was honoured by the citizens of Beauvais for her role in defending the town.
15. Lagertha: The legendary Viking Shieldmaiden
The Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus included an account of how Ragnar Lodbrok went to war with the King of Sweden. During the battle, a woman named Lagertha distinguished herself. Saxo relates that she was:
a skilled Amazon, who, though a maiden, had the courage of a man, and fought in front among the bravest with her hair loose over her shoulders. All marveled at her matchless deeds, for her locks flying down her back betrayed that she was a woman.
Ragnar was so impressed with her prowess that he married her, and in later tales she also fought in his battles. While historians debate whether Lagertha herself was a historical figure, her story remains one of the most famous medieval accounts of a shieldmaiden. Moreover, there are several medieval references to women warriors in Scandinavia, suggesting that the idea of female fighters was deeply rooted in Norse tradition.
There are many more women who could be included on this list, including rulers who directed military campaigns, women who defended castles and towns, and others who took up arms during times of war. Some accounts, such as Eleanor of Aquitaine leading a troop of women during the Second Crusade, have been shown to be untrue or gross exaggerations made by medieval writers. Other tales, such as the story of Onorata Rodiani, who is said to have disguised herself as a man and joined a mercenary company in the fifteenth century, are also difficult to verify.
Medieval sources also contain numerous references to unnamed women who fought in battles or took part in sieges. One famous example is the woman of Toulouse who operated a siege machine that killed Simon de Montfort during the Albigensian Crusade. Then there is the story of Big Margot, who carried the banner of a Flemish army at the Battle of Roosebeke in 1382 and died in battle. Whether remembered through chronicles, legends, or local traditions, these women remind us that warfare in the Middle Ages was not always an exclusively male sphere.
Further Reading:
Blythe, James, “Women in the Military: Scholastic Arguments and Medieval Images of Female Warriors,” History of Political Thought, Vol. 22:2 (2001)
DeVries, Kelly, “The Use of Gunpowder Weaponry by and Against Joan of Arc During the Hundred Years War“, War and Society, Vol.14 (1996)
DeVries, Kelly, Joan of Arc: A Military Leader (Sutton, 1999)
Gardela, Leszek, Women and Weapons in the Viking World: Amazons of the North (Casemate, 2021)
Hanley, Catherine, Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior (Yale Universtiy Press, 2019)
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Top Image: KBR Ms.9961-62 fol. 91v
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