Archives: Works

Thinking about strong women in the Baltic region, I realised – somewhat to my own surprise – that although our recent history has produced many powerful female figures, almost every one of them had to sacrifice something to maintain that strength. Ivande Kaija (1878–1942) was a Latvian writer who unapologetically addressed women’s sexuality at the…

Aspasia arrived in Athens as a foreigner – and a very, very intelligent one. Her house was said to be filled with Athenian politicians seeking her political advice and assistance in composing speeches. For this reason, comic writers later accused her of being a prostitute. Whether slander or strategy, such portrayals reveal how easily female…

“La Peregrina” in Spanish means “the female wanderer” or “the pilgrim woman.” Historically, La Peregrina is the name of one of the most famous pearls in the world. It was discovered in the sixteenth century in the Gulf of Panama by an enslaved man, who was granted his freedom in exchange for it. This 50.56-carat…

For centuries, the Amazons were dismissed as products of ancient Greek male erotic imagination. Today, archaeological and scientific evidence suggests otherwise. Nomadic horse-riding tribes of women who lived on the Eurasian steppes – and were capable of shooting 15–20 arrows per minute while riding – did in fact exist. Classicist and archaeologist Adrienne Mayor has…

The body becomes political the moment it refuses to comply. “Revolting” holds a double meaning – both uprising and disgust. Historically, the female body has carried both: feared when autonomous, shamed when visible.