Tomoe Gozen
c. 1157-1247
Not much is known about the life of the 12th-century Japanese warrior Tomoe Gozen. An account written in the 14th century says she was ‘especially beautiful’, but these histories of fearsome female warriors always seem to say exactly that. Maybe there’s something about a woman who can twist a man’s head off in the heat of battle that inspires everyone to remark loudly and frequently about her beauty and grace.
Although we don’t know much about this legendary figure’s personal life, she boasted an impressive and well-documented CV of her military career. According to the same chronicler who said she was a babe, Tomoe ‘was prepared to confront both demons and gods,’ and was ‘a warrior equal to a thousand men,’ as all women are. She was exceptionally strong, a skilled rider, and an unparalleled archer who rode into battle with a big sword and a big bow. Her hobbies included riding untamed horses at breakneck speed, and leading large armies into battle.
Tomoe fought in the Genpei Wars, a battle between two Japanese clans that lasted from 1180 till 1185. At her first battle, Tomoe personally defeated seven mounted warriors, no biggie. At another battle in 1183, she commanded 100,000 cavalry, adding more leadership experience to her résumé.
At her last fight in 1184 before retiring to, I dunno, take up knitting and gardening, Tomoe charged straight up to the feared, giant, muscled warrior Onda no Hachiro, who was flanked by 30 mounted fighters, and casually grabbed him, pulled him off his horse, pinned him against her saddle, the better to get the leverage she needed to twist his head right off his body, and toss it casually aside like a cherry pit. It was a move that came to be known as Your New Recurring Nightmare!
I wonder if the last words Onda no Hachiro spoke were, “Wow she’s really stunningly beautiful but she would be even prettier if she smi— Riiiip.
Source ~ ‘ 100 Nasty Women of History’ by Hannah Jewell
