Thursday, June 18, 2020

Nobody rides for free

Saraceni brings a 1988 Tuva 600 BC burial, of a horse-nomad adolescent. At the time, the body was presumed male. However, the ancient Greeks reported that "Scythians" - their catch-all for all the nomads north of the Cimmerians - put their premarried girls on horses as well.

Since then we've had European evidence (Devitsa, Pokrovka) for female warrior burials in Scythian contexts. (The Germans enlisted women in infantry, but the Greeks didn't meet these.) John Man and Adrienne Mayor wrote the most-popular summaries lately although I think Man's book was more focused on the Scythian culture overall.

The Tuva girl, it happens, had a wart on her face at the moment she died. If Herodotus is to be believed, and he often is, a Scythian woman had to kill three enemies before she could marry. Knowing men I am certain this rule was waived for the pretty ones - those girls would go out in a team with men in it, and the men would cover up for her failed shots. I'm sure the liars were adequately compensated.

This one, not so pretty, actually had to get out there and fight. May Kök Teŋri be merciful.

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