Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-03-26
Wraps of Cat Fur.
WOMEN AS SOLDIERS.
Were Once Reckoned Among Fighting
Strength Of Nations.

From the nature of things women
soldiers can only be found as class
among barbarians-up to this time at
any rate. The Dahomey AmaZons
made q poor show against the French.
but Burton had been much impressed
with them 40 years earlier-and he was
Judge The discipline was terribly
severe in his time: he did not doubt
they were very formidable troops. Re-
Taxation of discipline ruined them.
The mythical Amazons claim word.
since Prof. Sayce adduced such striking
evidence to suggest that they were the
warrior priestesses of Hittite invaders.
OF the American AmaZons it may be
recalled that Humboldt thought the
legend not impossible. and he had stud
/ led the original records. Very few who
have written on the subject are thus
qualified probably, but Mr.. Alfred WAL
lace has shown us lately that Spruce.
the great botanist, looked into the Evil
dence carefully and formed a strong
opinion that it was trustworthy.
Much more interesting are the shield
maidens of the Vikings. Would that
we knew more about them personally.
The historical Sagas allude to Them
but always. so far as I remember in
matter of-fact way. as to male per-
sonages One of the very grandest
poetic sagas is that Of the Shield Maid
en- Hervor but even this takes for
granted nearly everything we partic-
ularly want to know. She dressed as
man and joined the Vikings. Pres
emily she gained the command of her
party-and the story opens. true in the
main probably.
The circumstantial account of the
battle Of Bravoll between Sigurd of
Denmark and Harold Hilditoun of Nor
way mentions several shield maidens
who commanded troops. One even bore
Harald's standard. All fought like
heroes, or demons, and I think all died
on the field, but it seems that they
We're only women who rose to COM
mand by daring and military genius.
Is there any authority for the legends
Of Viking bands wholly feminine?
| The old Irish "Book Of Lecan" says
casually 'for men and women went
alike to battle in those days." and the
record of tribal obligations called "Hos-
ting" reckoned women among the fight
ing strength. Moreover, the. life of Alb
hey Albanian of Iona tells. how he,
hearing of this dreadful practice, went
to ireland, called an assembly of chiefs
and bishops and persuaded them to
pass law, still extant. entitled LEX
| innocentium," which forbade the sum-
moning of women to war. 1t seems
likely, however, that they still turned
out Of their own free will-indeed the
practice is not yet extinct, by all ac-
counts.
| At the present day, in Europe, the
Montenegrins and their hereditary foes
of Albania include the women among
their fighting force-or did, at any rate,
a very few years ago-before Prince
Nicholas had organized his army. All
departments of supply were left to the
wives and daughters: also the recovery
and transport of the wounded. But
when the fighting line was seriously
pressed the women reinforced it. AS
suredly they would have followed the
old custom. in spite of the princes re-
| forms, had Austria advanced into the
Black Mountain the other day-Pall
Mall Gazette.