Yes, this really was, a real knightly order, consisting exclusively of women. Where and when? But read on and find out everything.
In the public consciousness, the image of a woman is established as, first of all, a wife, mother, educator of children and keeper of the hearth. However, among the fair sex there have always been bright personalities who considered military service their vocation. On the battlefield, with a rifle, saber or sword in hand, they proved that they were in no way inferior to men. And if war came to the doorstep of the house, then for the sake of protecting the house and children, women became warriors, even yesterday and did not even think about war.
In the 8th century, the Arabs crossed Gibraltar and conquered most of the Iberian Peninsula. Christians did not accept the loss and began to reclaim the lost lands. For almost 800 years, Christians and Muslims fought for the territory of the future Spain, cities have repeatedly experienced long sieges, during which both men and women fought on equal terms.
In 1148, Count Raimund IV of Barcelona recaptured Tortosa from the Saracens, an important stronghold near the coast. A year later, the Saracens decided to reclaim the fortress. The time was chosen very well: the count led the garrison and practically the entire male population to storm the city of Lleidu lying to the north-east of Tortosa. The Saracens surrounded the seemingly defenseless Torotosu and demanded surrender at the mercy of the victors. However, the city refused.
The women of Tortosa climbed the fortress walls. Not limited to throwing stones at the Saracens from the fortress walls, they dressed in men's clothing and fought off storm after storm. Not knowing how to wield either a sword or a spear, the women took their more familiar axes in their hands and waved them like real woodcutters.
When the Count of Barcelona rushed under the walls of Tortosa, his help was no longer required - the Saracens lifted the siege and left, unable to break the resistance of the Tortosa women.
Raymund IV bowed his head in front of the women and, in recognition of their valor, made them a simply amazing gift: he established the knightly Order of the Ax (Orden de la Hacha) for women. The red ax became the emblem of the Order, members of the order were exempted from taxes, received the right to participate in the same meetings as men, the title of knight was passed exclusively through the female line.
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The Order of the Ax left no noticeable mark in history. It can be assumed that the vast majority of women, having received the knighthood, again became caring mothers and faithful spouses. It was more an order of honor than a militant organization. If any number of the members of the order decided to take advantage of the privilege received and embarked on the military path, the number of these warriors was too small to make up a combat unit and gain a foothold in the annals of history.
The Order of the Ax last appeared in the chronicles of Tortosa in 1557, after which it disappeared forever. He was never disbanded, most likely ended his existence when the last female knight died.
Not only the Order of the Ax
The Order of the Ax is the only purely female knightly order known to history. However, representatives of the fair sex often consisted of male military monastic orders. This happened so often that in medieval French and Italian there was a separate word for a female knight.
Women were in the Italian Order of St. Mary, women were accepted into the military Order of the Swordsmen of St. Jacob. Separate women's divisions had the Order of the Hospitallers and even the Teutonic Order. Women knights did not always wear armor and fought on the battlefield. Most often, their field of activity was hospitals, in which they nursed wounded brothers. However, in accordance with the charter, each member of the order could carry weapons to protect the Catholic faith, and many women, whom the Lord did not lack courage, used this.
Pope Gregory VIII with a special bull forbade women to participate in the Third Crusade. However, Saladin's personal chronicler enthusiastically writes about women crusaders: "They are courageous and enduring, and until they take off their clothes, they cannot be recognized as women." Apparently, the Christian warriors did not really listen to the admonitions of the pope.
And subsequently, women appeared on the battlefield more than once. And if today a woman in camouflage does not surprise anyone, then why should we think that this has never happened before?
Klim Podkova