History of Feminism

Warpy

(114,617 posts)

18. Eleanor of Aquitaine

Sat Jun 30, 2012, 01:56 PM

Jun 2012

Ellie for short. She was quite a gal, first married to the King of France, divorced after she produced only daughters, then married to Henry II of England. The Aquitaine was the richest province in France and she controlled it, making her a real prize in marriage.

She went on Crusades. She started a war against Henry II, almost deposed him, and was put into prison for it. The fact that he didn't off her meant there must've been a real love/hate relationship there, his admiration of her strength and pure gall outweighing his desire for revenge.

Women have been systematically eliminated from history for millennia, but her name still sings down to us from 800 years ago.

She's my favorite tough broad, anyway.

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Highlight:

who is the toughest woman in history? [View all] mopinko Jun 2012 OP

Joan Of Arc. Texasgal Jun 2012 #1

Joan of Arc? Rhiannon12866 Jun 2012 #2

gonna look for more. this was fun seabeyond Jun 2012 #3

anne bonny mopinko Jun 2012 #7

see... i knew that would be it. still looking though. nt seabeyond Jun 2012 #14

great list of fascinating women, thank you! Voice for Peace Jun 2012 #9

you are welcome. this is fun. nt seabeyond Jun 2012 #15

Queen Elizabeth I of England was no slouch. shraby Jun 2012 #4

She gets my vote Siwsan Jun 2012 #27

Or, maybe from mythology? longship Jun 2012 #5

Aung San Suu Kyi Onlooker Jun 2012 #6

Looks like an Eleanor to me. n/t BlueToTheBone Jun 2012 #8

Not sure about *the* toughest, but I'd include Boudica among them. redqueen Jun 2012 #10

i like this one, too. mopinko Jun 2012 #11

This message was self-deleted by its author redqueen Jun 2012 #16

Queen Nanny RevStPatrick Jun 2012 #12

like mopinko Jun 2012 #22

a few more seabeyond Jun 2012 #13

Carrie Nation OregonBlue Jun 2012 #17

much as i love me some angry, axe wielding woman, i just can't mopinko Jun 2012 #20

LOL. The poster was looking for the "toughest" woman. I don't agree with her sentiments but you OregonBlue Jul 2012 #66

Eleanor of Aquitaine Warpy Jun 2012 #18

Mine, too! PassingFair Jun 2012 #19

That is my favorite portrait of Elizabeth Siwsan Jun 2012 #29

no i need to watch "lion in winter" again. mopinko Jun 2012 #21

last of it seabeyond Jun 2012 #23

calamity jane hits a little close to home. mopinko Jun 2012 #24

Nancy Pelosi aaaaaa5a Jun 2012 #25

dammit, there was a woman during henry IIIV. forgot name pansypoo53219 Jun 2012 #26

athletes seabeyond Jun 2012 #28

Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias may be the most underrated great athlete aaaaaa5a Jul 2012 #64

this is really amazing. she came in 12 or 13 in all around best athletes with the author admitting seabeyond Jul 2012 #68

Betty White n/t madamesilverspurs Jun 2012 #30

I'll add the name of Boudicca - the British Queen of the Iceni Siwsan Jun 2012 #31

Absolutely, she was one, tough lady. SharonAnn Jun 2012 #48

I'd include Queen Boudica on any short list I made... HereSince1628 Jun 2012 #32

Hey! Great minds think alike Siwsan Jun 2012 #33

And apparently simultaneously! It must have been shifting in "THE FORCE" HereSince1628 Jun 2012 #46

Since Tortoiseshell Cats were sacred to the ancient Celts, it just seemed to fit Siwsan Jun 2012 #49

toughest characters seabeyond Jun 2012 #34

Catherine the Great charlyvi Jun 2012 #35

Do you want a human, or will animals work as well? MADem Jun 2012 #36

I'll second Harriet Tubman Kennah Jun 2012 #53

Tough as nails and she needed to be! There are a ton of great choices in the little video! MADem Jun 2012 #56

a good one. mopinko Jul 2012 #63

Rosa Parks... boston bean Jun 2012 #37

Hillary Clinton is the most tough ass women I've ever seen. Smart & tough! Little Star Jun 2012 #38

Hatshepsut, King of Egypt boston bean Jun 2012 #39

there you go! I was about to rail that no Egyptophiles here. Hatshepsut, the 1st female pharaoh hlthe2b Jun 2012 #50

Mom madamesilverspurs Jun 2012 #40

Johanna Ferrour (Peasants Revolt of 1381) rog Jun 2012 #41

Isabella Baumfree. Manifestor_of_Light Jun 2012 #42

Mary Harris Jones, aka "Mother Jones" Democracyinkind Jun 2012 #43

Africa probably has many, many women who's toughness can't be grasped by the likes of me. nt ZombieHorde Jun 2012 #44

true.... seabeyond Jun 2012 #45

Currently, for me tabatha Jun 2012 #54

Queen Lydia Liliuokalani, the last monarch of Hawaii LiberalEsto Jun 2012 #47

Cleopatra angel823 Jun 2012 #51

Mother Jones or Harriet Tubman rurallib Jun 2012 #52

So many great ones...Oriana Fallaci, my weakness BeyondGeography Jun 2012 #55

Ripley corkhead Jun 2012 #57

Mary Fields Jumping John Jun 2012 #58

eleanor roosevelt, shirley chisholm, bella abzug, ann richards, molly ivins, barbara jordan eom ellenfl Jun 2012 #59

ann richards, molly ivins... love those gals. seabeyond Jun 2012 #61

What a wonderful thread! Why am I the marybourg Jun 2012 #60

you talked me into it. nt seabeyond Jun 2012 #62

What year Control-Z Jul 2012 #65

1986 mopinko Jul 2012 #67

what a fantastic thread. thank you all so much. mopinko Jul 2012 #69

Sea mentioned Molly Ivans Texasgal Jul 2012 #70

i do like molly, also. mopinko Jul 2012 #71

This thread made me smile! MerryBlooms Jul 2012 #72

I'm partial to Hatshepsut, of course! boston bean Jul 2012 #73