The History of Women at Sea
The History of Women at Sea
When discussing maritime history, we see the practices and reflections of social administrations as a reflection of terrestrial life.
The history of female sailors has been written with meaning and content that shows that it underwent a similar process to social life in terms of time and place. Existing historical sources on the subject provide limited information about ancient times and female sailors in different societies around the world.
Today, with the increase in archaeological knowledge and inter-societal relationships, various superstitions specific to sailors have emerged, transforming from different social beliefs that have lost their influence and power.
According to one of these beliefs in some societies, women bring bad luck on ships, and their mere presence leads to misfortune. This belief is thought to be connected to another superstition, the “ship naming ritual.” In ancient times, during the ship naming ceremony, a virgin girl was sacrificed to the gods, and it was believed that the virgin girl’s soul took form in the ship. Thus, the belief that if a woman boards the ship, the ship, which has a female soul, becomes jealous of the other female and begins to behave badly has become widespread among male-dominated sailors.
Today, due to the influence of beliefs and legal practices that continue to varying degrees in different societies, women face many social barriers in pursuing a career in maritime affairs, just as they do in many other professions. In history books, the names of female philosophers and mathematicians have disappeared from the pages of history towards the end of the polytheistic period.
For example, with the exception of Circe in Greek mythology, the goddesses in Mesopotamian mythology can be said to have transformed into a mythology of divine rule and inter-divine wars. Anatolian mythology, on the other hand, corresponds to a mythology in which gods and goddesses rule in balance, as if it were a combination of the two mythologies. Some contemporary writers assume that Circe, who grew up in a kind of harem of Greek gods, was a feminist. However, Circe opposed the injustices committed by the gods and goddesses under their rule, both among themselves and towards humans. Mythologies also reflect the social relations of the period in question. This superstition does not affect husbands and wives who fish together on the Anatolian coast. There are still many such couples today. Women whose husbands have died continue to fish alone or with their children.
Throughout the known history of seafaring, brave women from different societies have always ventured out to sea for various reasons. Whether it be for livelihood, to protect their countries, for love, or for revenge, they will continue to exist.
When discussing notable female sailors in the history of seafaring, the first to come to mind is the Viking Lagertha, a female sailor who is part legend, part reality.
We will provide examples of women from different countries who became sailors for various reasons, arranged in chronological order and who have achieved a certain level of social recognition.
•Lagertha (9th century AD)
Lagertha, whose Viking shield symbolizes protection, strength, and courage, was a naval warrior and leader in 9th-century Norway. Information about her can be found in the ninth book of Gesta Danorum, a work written by Saxo Grammaticus, a Danish historian, writer, and advisor to the king in the 12th century. The book states that she was the first wife of Viking King Ragnar Lothbrok. Some historians describe Lagertha, like King Ragnar, as a legendary female naval warrior. Although King Ragnar later married Thora, he sought Lagertha’s help when faced with difficulties. According to the story, she supported the man who “abandoned her” with 120 ships under her command and played a decisive role in the battle. The ships under Lagertha’s command surrounded the enemy from behind, causing confusion and panic, and enabled Ragnar to achieve victory.
• Jeanne de Clisson (1300-1359)
She was a French aristocrat known as the “Lioness of Brittany.” After her husband was executed by the French king on charges of treason, she became a pirate to avenge him. She sold her property and purchased three warships (painted black with red sails) from pirates she had made an agreement with. She used these ships to attack French merchant ships in the English Channel in retaliation. She left a living witness on the ships she attacked and plundered to send a message to the king. She later married Walter Bentley, the military representative of King Edward III of England. In 1357, when both nations were exhausted by war and the conflict reached a stalemate, Jeanne and Walter were granted the barony of La Roche-Moisan as compensation.
• Sayyida al Hurra (1485-1561)
Sayyida al Hurra, meaning “free and independent noble lady,” was the queen of Tetuan in northern Morocco, known for her pirate activities against Spain and Portugal. She came from a prominent Muslim family of Andalusian nobility. After the conquest of Granada by Ferdinand and Isabella of Castile, she was forced to flee to Morocco. Al-Hurra viewed this as an unforgivable humiliation and formed an alliance with Oruç Reis, the Algerian governor and pirate known in the West as Barbarossa. While Barbarossa controlled the eastern Mediterranean, Al-Hurra ruled the western Mediterranean.
4. Lady Mary Killigrew (1525-1587)
Mary Wolverston, or Lady Killigrew, was the daughter of the pirate Lord Wolverston and later married Sir Killigrew, a pirate who was appointed Vice Admiral. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Mary supported her husband’s pirate activities, creating a palace of loot at Arwenack Castle, making special agreements with smugglers, and becoming a ruthless and unscrupulous merchant who raided ships. After raiding San Sebastian Maria, she was sentenced to death at the age of 60. However, she was pardoned by the Queen.>5. Grace O’Malley (1530-1603)
Grace O’Malley was an Irish female naval leader who successfully defended her lands against both the English government and enemy Irish clans. The daughter of the Umalla clan leader, O’Malley received her naval training from her father and, following his death, took power in place of her brother and commanded the ships. O’Malley, who gave birth to her first child on a ship, strengthened coastal defenses and supported Irish rebels when the English began to invade Ireland. In September 1594, she signed a truce with Queen Elizabeth I at Greenwich Castle in Latin. She refused to surrender to the English queen in exchange for an aristocratic title, preferring to be recognized as Queen of Ireland.
6. and 7. Mary Read (1685-1721) and Anne Bonny
Mary Read and Anne Bonny are known as “legendary” English female pirates. Mary’s mother dressed her up as a boy in order to receive money from her deceased husband’s family. Mary, who became accustomed to this situation, joined the British Army dressed as a boy and married a Flemish soldier who knew she was a girl. After her husband’s death, Mary boarded a ship bound for the West Indies. Mary proved her skills to the pirates who attacked the ship and joined them. Mary later joined the ship of the pirate Calico Jack Rackham. According to rumor, Mary was the lover of both Rackham and Bonny. When the three pirates were captured in 1720, the executions of both women were postponed because they were pregnant. Mary fell ill in prison and died in 1721. Anne was released on bail thanks to her wealthy father.
8. Jacquotte Delahaye
Although there is no information about Jacquotte Delahaye’s birth, she was born in Haiti, a Caribbean country, in the 1630s. Most of the information about Delahaye is based on the accounts of writer Léon Treich in the 1940s. According to these accounts, Delahaye’s father was killed by the British Navy, and her mother died during childbirth. At some point in her life, Delahaye joined a group of pirates and later began commanding a pirate fleet. Known for her red hair, Delahaye earned the nickname “Back From The Dead Red” due to her ability to escape many dangerous situations.
9. Jeanne Baret (1740-1807)
French botanist, traveler, and the first woman to circumnavigate the globe by sea. She was a member of the crew on French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville’s botanical expedition aboard the La Boudeuse and Étoile ships from 1766 to 1769. She first joined the crew disguised as a man to assist her lover, botanist Philibert Commerson. She took the male name Jean Baret.
10. Zheng Yi Sao (1775-1844)
Also known as Ching Shih, she was a Chinese female pirate who commanded the largest pirate fleet in history. She married the pirate Zheng Yi in her twenties. She was named Zheng Yi Sao (“Zheng Yi’s wife”) by the people of Guangdong. After her husband’s death in 1807, she took control of the pirate confederation with the support of Zheng Yi’s adopted son Zhang Bao and married him. As the unofficial commander of the Guangdong Pirate Confederation, her fleet consisted of 400 ships and 40,000 to 60,000 pirates. She fought naval battles with the East India Company, the Portuguese Empire, and the Great Qing forces. She was notorious for her harsh punishments for disobedience, enforced strict rules to prevent women in raided villages from being harmed, and punished rape with death.
Zheng Yi Sao negotiated with Qing authorities in 1810 to surrender, and together with Zhang Bao, she managed to retain control of a significant fleet and avoid prosecution. At the time of her surrender, she commanded 24 ships and over 1,400 pirates. After being pardoned by the Chinese emperor, Ching Shih remarried and ran a gambling house.
11. Anne Jane Thornton (1817-1877)
Anne, from Donegal, Ireland, fell in love with Captain Alexander Burke when she was 15 years old. After the captain set sail for New York, she disguised herself as a man and crossed the ocean on the ship. When the ship arrived at the port, she learned that her beloved captain had died. She returned to London disguised as a man, working as a cook on ships. She used the name Jim Thornton on the ships. When her identity was revealed in London, her story caused a sensation, and she was offered money to perform on stage, which she refused. With the help of the Mayor of London, she returned to Donegal and wrote about her adventures.
If we were to give examples of female sailors from the Republican era, whose numbers have increased significantly in our country today, we could mention:
1. Captain Halime (during the War of Independence)
Captain Halime, whom Rıfat Ilgaz befriended and later turned into a character in his novel, was the daughter-in-law of Temel Reis from Cide. During the War of Independence, villages were plagued by hunger and poverty, with the elderly, women, and children suffering the most. While her husband was away at war, Temel Reis died, and Halime Captain began using the cargo and fishing boat to transport firewood home with her son, who was under 17 years old, and his friends. She quickly became a skilled captain. They fall into the hands of Turkish pirates and engage in smuggling salt, fuel, and provisions from the northwestern Black Sea coast with them. After escaping from the pirates, he continues to bring weapons and ammunition to the army from Istanbul and provisions to his village. During the War of Independence, his son, who had become a deserter, was assigned as captain along with the rest of the crew. He became the heroic female captain of the War of Independence.
2. Sedef Esra Ulutürk
Sedef Esra Ulutürk Dinç was born in 1972. She enrolled in the Underwater Technology Department of Istanbul University’s Technical Sciences Faculty, the first woman to do so, and graduated in 1993. With the dream of becoming a ship captain, she persistently submitted applications every month to the Turkish Maritime Enterprises, where women were legally prohibited from applying, for a deck officer position. She began her professional career as an assistant port manager at Fenerbahçe-Kalamış Marina. Later, she worked as a third officer (fourth captain) on the CaptainZaman passenger ship operated by Zaman Denizcilik between Odessa and Istanbul. After the provision prohibiting women from working on ships was removed from the Turkish Maritime Enterprises Inc. Maritime Operations, she became the first female deck officer (fourth officer). Her first assignment was on the Yeşilada Ferry, which operates between Gökçeada and Çanakkale.
Today, the number of female captains and seafarers is rapidly increasing. Female students are now enrolled in all newly established maritime high schools, faculties, and colleges. In the growing maritime sector, the number of female employees is increasing in various positions and professional fields, including shipbuilding.
Quotes and compilation
With contributions from Nalan Yüksel…
