7 Forgotten Medieval Female Warriors: The Untold Stories

When we picture medieval battles, we usually think knights in shiny armor charging like it’s a Game of Thrones episode.

But here’s what gets left out: badass women who didn’t just sit on the sidelines—they led troops, defended castles, and rewrote the rules.

Thanks to new digs (hello, Hungary’s Katniss-style warrior grave) and fresh research, we now know these weren’t just legends—they were real, sword-swinging, strategy-making forces in medieval history.

This deep dive highlights the real stories of these overlooked warriors—from castle sieges in Italy to battlefield brilliance in Wales.

Spoiler: medieval girl power was very real.

Matilda of Tuscany: The Great Countess

If medieval Italy had a Game of Thrones lineup, Matilda of Tuscany would be top-tier.

Known as The Great Countess, she wasn’t just rich or well-connected—she was a battle-hardened, multilingual strategist who ran central and northern Italy like a boss for over 40 years.

Matilda (1046–1115) wasn’t about playing nice with the Holy Roman Empire.

She backed the Pope—specifically Gregory VII—during one of the messiest power struggles of the era, the Investiture Controversy.

And she didn’t just send letters—she sent armies.

Her resume? Wild.

She built and upgraded fortresses like a medieval Tony Stark.
She led troops herself—on horseback, in armor, not just from the sidelines.
She played political chess, brokering alliances with Italian city-states and keeping Rome close.
And she turned Canossa into the ultimate flex, forcing Emperor Henry IV to literally walk barefoot in the snow to beg forgiveness.

Matilda’s military campaigns helped reshape Italy’s future.

Her rebellion against the feudal system helped pave the road to the Renaissance. She wasn’t a side character—she was the plot twist.

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Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd: The Warrior Princess of Wales

If medieval Wales had a real-life Brienne of Tarth, it was Gwenllian.

Born around 1097 into Welsh royalty, she wasn’t just a princess—she was a battlefield leader who stood up to the Normans when they came knocking.

In 1136, while her husband Gruffydd ap Rhys was off trying to build alliances, Gwenllian didn’t wait around.

With Norman forces threatening their land, she rallied the local troops herself and marched straight to Kidwelly Castle. No backup. No hesitation.

The Battle of kidwelly

She was outnumbered. The Normans were experienced.

But Gwenllian chose action over playing it safe. She led from the front—sword in hand, fully committed.

The battle ended in defeat, and she was killed. But her courage shook Wales.

Her death wasn’t the end of her story—it was the spark.

She became a symbol of Welsh resistance.

Her name turned into a battle cry, inspiring fighters long after her last stand.

Al-Kahina: The Berber Warrior Queen

Al-Kahina wasn’t just a queen—she was North Africa’s answer to a freedom fighter, battle strategist, and spiritual icon all in one.

In the 7th century CE, she led the charge against the Arab invasions, defending her people and land with unmatched grit.

She didn’t come from a big empire.

She was Berber—a tribal leader who pulled together a resistance force made up of rival groups.

How? She was smart, fierce, and everyone believed she had the vision—literally.

People saw her as a seer, which made her kind of the medieval Beyoncé-meets-Morpheus of North Africa.

Guerrilla tactics and mind games

Al-Kahina knew the terrain like the back of her sword.

She ran circles around invading armies with fast, mobile attacks—textbook guerrilla warfare before it had a name.

And her rep as a prophetess? Total power move.

It freaked out her enemies and fired up her troops.

The scorched earth move

When things started turning south and she knew defeat was coming, she didn’t go down quietly.

She pulled the ultimate hard call: scorched earth.

Crops, cities, roads—she burned it all so the enemy would have nothing to use.

It didn’t stop the conquest, but it showed just how far she’d go to protect her people’s future.

Tomoe Gozen: The Legendary Japanese Warrior

Tomoe Gozen is that rare figure who sits between history book and anime-level legend.

Some say she was real, others say she’s more folklore than fact—but either way, her story hits hard.

She supposedly lived during Japan’s Genpei War (1180–1185), a brutal civil war that helped shape the rise of the samurai class.

And while most women in that era stayed far from the battlefield, Tomoe didn’t just show up—she dominated.

Skills? She had them all

Tomoe was basically the full package: she could ride a horse like a pro, shoot arrows mid-gallop, and slice enemies down with a katana like she was in Ghost of Tsushima.

She fought for the Minamoto clan and lived by bushido—the samurai code of loyalty, honor, and going down swinging if it came to that.

The final battle

Her most famous moment came at the Battle of Awazu in 1184. When it was clear her side was losing, Tomoe didn’t retreat.

She reportedly stayed behind to fight off enemies solo—straight-up final boss mode.

Her last stand turned into legend, the kind that stuck around for centuries.

Lesser-Known Medieval Female Warriors

Not every warrior queen made it into textbooks—but these women still threw down when it mattered.

From rebellious nobles to castle-defending duchesses and literal archer squads, they proved medieval battlefields weren’t just a boys’ club.

Emma de Gauder: The norman rebel

Emma de Gauder (c. 1059–1096) didn’t just sip wine in a castle—she went full rebel mode.

As Countess of Norfolk, she joined the Revolt of the Earls against William the freakin’ Conqueror.

That’s like publicly picking a fight with the boss of bosses in Norman England.

Her move? A bold power play that showed Norman women weren’t afraid to stand up—even when it meant going toe-to-toe with royal authority.

Emma wasn’t background noise—she was front and center in a full-blown rebellion.

Richardis of Schwerin: Castle defender

In 1358, Richardis of Schwerin proved you don’t need to swing a sword to win a battle—you just need guts and good walls.

When Valdemar IV of Denmark tried to take Sönderborg Castle, she said “Not today.”

She organized the defense herself and held the fortress down like a medieval home-alone scene—traps, tactics, and all.

She didn’t just survive the siege—she protected a strategic stronghold and reminded everyone that duchesses could defend turf just fine, thank you very much.

The archer warriors of Timur

Between 1364–1405, Central Asian warlord Timur (yep, the guy who made Genghis Khan look chill) deployed female archers to defend his army’s baggage trains.

These women weren’t symbolic—Timur knew they were skilled, disciplined, and could fire arrows like Legolas under pressure.

This wasn’t some novelty act. It was pure battlefield strategy.

Women were part of the actual war machine—doing real damage, protecting crucial supplies, and showing medieval commanders recognized skill over stereotypes.