Doing research into notable (semi-)historical women

[Valka D'Ur]

I'm still confused why you're posting this here - you could easily get thousands and thousands of results with a quick Google search. This sounds like a personal research project.

There are plenty of historians here, both professional and amateur, and Google isn't that precise at times. That's why I've been so godawful frustrated with the research for my own story. Try to narrow down "clothing of the 11th century in the British Isles" and you get all sorts of hits for the 1200s onward, the centuries before the 11th, or the wrong region of Europe. I even emailed Dr. Kat - who hosts a history channel on YouTube, who suggested a site chock full of articles on the medieval period... but I guess she didn't realize that it's only accessible to university students and professors.

Speaking of Dr. Kat... she would be a fantastic person to ask about women in the time period you're talking about. Her YouTube channel is called Reading the Past and check your PMs for the email address.

 

[Catharsis]

I'm actually almost finished listening to a series of audio lectures on this topic - 36 Great Women Before 1400 (35 of 36 lectures complete!) A few highlights:

The Trưng sisters of Vietnam who rebelled against China
Perpetua, early Christian martyr, fell to beasts in the arena
Aisha, one of Muhammad's wives, important source of hadiths
Héloïse, notable scholar and nun, also known for famous torrid love affair
Sorkaktani, wife of Genghis Khan, administrator of Mongol empire
Licoricia of Winchester, English Jew and moneylender, known for her wealth, advisor to the king

 

[Hrothbern]

I guess Hildegard von Bingen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_of_Bingen would qualify, since she's also known as a "mystic", besides her medical work.

Out of the time range would be Ada Lovelace https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace , one of the first "computer scientists" (if you consider the analytical machine a real computer)... I don't know if you'd consider something steam-punky, that would certainly fit.

I am also a fan of Hildegard.

Here an old post of mine on her
https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/cannabis-crackdown.626407/page-2#post-14975048

And on a weird sidenote (reading atm the book "The Concept of Woman" by sister Prudence Allen, unbelievable good book)

About that Christian....
I wonder how many Saints would not have been declared Saints by Rome, if it were not for the widespread use of hallicunating drugs among monks and others, especially in medieval times, causing their visions !!!
After all... visions (from drugs) were the true connection with God, and therefore justified. This concept dominating more than a thousand years christianity.
Saint Hildegard (1098-1179), considered to be the foundier of scientific natural history in Germany, in 2012 recognised by Rome as Doctor of the Church, was of the opinion that all herbs were free to use by humans (and her opinion carried much weight for the church)

But what would a primitive macho Duterte know or care about her opinions..... she being a woman as well..
also being one of the most influential christian feminists of medieval time ...

That book "The Concept of Women" , is part of a trilogy, and a great source of notable women over time including original writings etc.