‘The Battle-Axe’
The battle-axe is understood to be a domineering,
outspoken & powerful woman who embodies traits previously seen as “masculine” - she's a forthright, practical and blunt person.
She is the epitome of courage.
The courageous warrior-woman Britannica, with her huge bosom
and ‘go-get ‘em’ attitude, could well have been the original poster-girl for
the battle-axe look!
Yes, the battle-axe has a ‘look’!
The battle-axe is a woman of great stature who could in no
way be muddled with ‘the hero’s prize’ and nor would she wish to be!
The Original Poster Girl for the Battle-Axe?
“She’s a right battle-axe!”
This phrase is often used in British culture as a put-down
for strong, no-nonsense working-class women over the age of forty, who possess any of the battle-axe traits.
Frankly, the time has long past that we reclaim the ’insult’
- battle-axe!
Fighting Battle-Axe Women
“Let’s hear it for
the battle-axes!”
If a woman outstrips expectations when it comes to what’s
believed possible for her sex – she’s labelled as a battle-axe. Perhaps this is an attempt to ‘shame’
her. It was almost certainly always intended to demean her.
Well,
no longer!
In the spirit of ‘Spartacus’ I declare:
"I am battle-axe! Hear me roar!"
Let's re-word Helen Reddy's magnificent song!
The Battle of the Sexes
An important point to note here is that the battle-axe is
not a misandrist – she actually enjoys
the company of men - viewing herself as their equal.
This is a waste of time to the Battle-Axe.
She's already equal.
THE BATTLE AXE
ARCHETYPE
When a woman shows battle-axe traits she’s understood to be
overbearing and annoying. When a man shows
these same traits he’s seen as King Arthur!
Yet the battle-axe is a woman who has risen above gender
stereotypes & embodies pluckiness at its best.
She is
wise, spirited, resilient & incorrigible!
Things that the
battle-axe is called:
- Dragon-lady
- Harpy
- Harridan
- Shrew
- Hatchet-face
Things that a man who
displays battle-axe traits is called:
- King
- Boss
- Warrior
- Hero
- Rugged
Oh give me an axe, and I'll teach you the facts!
Origins of the
Archetype
According to WIKIPEDIA:
“The prime example was the militant temperance activist Carry Nation,
who wielded a hatchet and made it her symbol, living in Hatchet Hall and
publishing a magazine called The Hatchet. She became involved in the suffragette
campaign for votes for women and this campaign further established the
archetype”
Fascinating isn’t it?
A tough, fearless woman, unafraid to fight for her rights and she
gets written in history as a person to be suspicious of, at
best. Yet, if a man possesses these same
traits - he's labelled a HERO!
Draw your own conclusions!
On a recent BBC Radio 4 programme by director Jude Kelly; ‘The
Battleaxe’ they looked at the history of the label – the following is an
explanation from their publicity:
“A battle is an armed fight. And
an axe is a tool for cutting trees. The
two words were joined in the early nineteen hundreds. During those days, people began to call a
fierce-acting woman a battle-axe. Soon
the saying became popular.
But some people say calling a woman a battle-axe may not be an insult. Almost two thousand years ago, the Goths used
battle-axes. The axes were very strong
and sharp. They could cut through heavy
metal armour worn by Romans to protect themselves. The battle-axe permitted the Goths to win
battles against the Romans”
BATTLE- AXE – The Roll Call of Honour!
There's few who wouldn’t be proud to fit in amongst this lot.
The Battle-Axe as Matron
Hattie Jacques
Carry on Matron
The Battle-Axe as
Busybody
Irene Handl
A life-time of battle-axes!
Prunella Scales
Playing Sybil Fawlty
Violet Carson
Playing Ena Sharples
Mollie Sugden
Playing Mrs Slocombe
Kathy Staff
Playing Nora Batty
The Battle-Axe Who
“Wears the Trousers”
Yootha Joyce
Playing Mildred Roper
Patricia Routledge
Playing Hyacynth Bucket
Flo Capp
Long-suffering wife of Andy Capp
Peggy Mount
Another career in the service of the Battle-Axe!
The Battle-Axe as
Mother-in-Law
Stephanie Cole
Playing Sylvie Cropper (Coronation Street)
Maggie Jones
Playing Blanche Hunt (Coronation Street)
The Battle-Axe as
Fishwife
Cushy Butterfield
“She’s a big lass she’s a bonny lass and she
like her beer and the calls her Cushy Butterfield and I wish she was here!”
The Battle-Axe as
Campaigner
The vicious Anti-Suffrage post-card campaign
The Suffragettes were often derided in postcards and newspapers as
being angry, rough, ready & bitter women – akin to the male-vision of the battle-axe.
The Battle-Axe as
Warrior Woman
Queen Boudicca
The Battle-Axe as Virago
Most of the Nuns from Sister Act
The Battle-Axe as Tyrant
The Psycho-Biddy
The Harpy
The Battle-Axe as Witch
Molly Weir
Playing Hazel McWitch (Rent-a-Ghost)
Agnes Moorehead
Playing Endora (Bewitched)
When it comes to enthralling, absorbing women who aren’t afraid
to fight for what they believe in, the battle-axe has to be up there with the best of them
as a character archetype to be celebrated and reclaimed as a SHEROE!
There is precious little written about this subject; shameful
when you think about how important the archetype is within our culture - as
well as the contributions made by amazing battle-axes through the centuries!
Long live the Battle-axe!
You were once wild here, don’t
let them tame you – Isadora Duncan
