Warner Books, 2002
Reviewed by Kym Lambert (copyright © 2004 Kym Lambert, all rights reserved do not republish anywhere)
This book is a must-have for anyone interested in the historical Amazons or warrior women in general. Davis-Kimball is a pioneer in documenting the existence of warrior women in early Indo-European cultures, as well as examining and re-examining women's roles and power in such cultures. She introduces us to the remains of warrior women and warrior priestesses found in Kazakhstan and describes the life evident in these findings. She explores a power structure which has long been described as totally patriarchal, but where both priestesses and hearth-women obviously held a great deal of power. She brings to question much of what we think we know about the Indo-Europeans by such revelations. She also describes her encounter with the mummies found in the Taklamakan desert of China and takes a peak at evidence of women warriors and other women of power in other cultures, as well as exploring Mongolian power/gender relations into historical times.
Yes, it is true that Davis-Kimball, whose specialty is NOT Irish mythology, did make a couple of obvious mistakes in her chapter "Irish Warrior Queens and Damsels of Death" primarily the designation of Daghda as a Sun God (pg. 195) and the confusion of Scathach with Scandlach (the only named woman among those who bared themselves to Cú Chulainn to calm his fugue state). However, these are minor compared to, say rewriting an entire epic myth, and not likely a reflection on the rest of her research which is actually in her field.
Interspersed with the wealth of information, there are also stories of political red tape, intimidation by public officials in China and Russia, as well as the question of how much space one should give a yak bull. While she wants to point out how unlike the Indiana Jones movies a real archaeologist's life is, she still manages to show how it is far from boring...at least all the time. She also gives some wonderful observations about modern Kazak and Mongolian life and how this may reflect the ways of the people who lived in these areas centuries before. And how it doesn't always.
This is a wonderful book to read, as well as being informative. Behan's hand probably helped in putting it together, along with Davis-Kimball's obvious love for her work and enthusiasm for what this tells us. It gives us a great background for our past, with hints of our future. It reminds us that the belief that women are not fit to be warriors is a myth that was never universally shared. It gives us hope for reclamation.
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Copyright © 2004 Kym Lambert, all rights reserved. Do not post anywhere and that means YOU!