A Character Study of Florence Nightingale

In 1859, Florence Nightingale was the first to set out guidelines for ethical nursing practice. She wrote: “It may seem a strange principle to enunciate as the very first requirement in a Hospital is to do the sick no harm …”

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

(NOTE: It's not a strange principle. It's a sad principle. Some strange people need a guideline expressed in very plain language in the hopes that it pricks their conscience (if they have one) so that they don't take advantage of the sick and do them harm. I do wonder if Ms. Nightingale actually witnessed an incident that compelled her to write down these words.)

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May 12th is International Nurses Day. This special day has been celebrated since 1965. The date was chosen because it is the B-Day (birthday of Florence Nightingale, a pioneer in healthcare and health reform, and the mother of modern nursing. Because of her efforts in the field of nursing, many others did not have to experience their own personal D-Day (day of death).

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I have always been taught to admire and respect this woman, but never really learned very much about her. Decided to collect a few more facts about this remarkable lady and learned two things about her that were news to me.

- Did not know she was a mathematical genius? Although that really comes as no surprise. She was, in fact, a very gifted child and excelled in mathematics and science.

- Did not know she believed that she was called by God? That, too, really comes as no surprise. Most people who defy the norms of their day, particularly women, and determine to set out on a specific path or chart a course despite the objections or opposition or great peril to one's life, to achieve anything, are usually driven by a voice that nobody else can hear except them. They firmly believe that they have been called to their mission or task that they can not be dissuaded because it would violate their conscience, and they would genuinely feel that the failure to respond to the calling would be like a betrayal to mankind.

So here is little Miss Nightingale, born into a family with sufficient financial means to educate her and develop her knowledge, skills, and abilities, and prepare her for her life's work. She grows to womanhood, and there is a sea of humanity outside her door where she can put this real wealth to good use.

Those voices could not be ignored. Not by her anyway.

Honoring the Memory Of:

Florence Nightingale (May 12, 1820 – August 13, 1910)

● Learn more about Florence Nightingale.

Florence Nightingale - Timeline

Florence Nightingale - English Nurse

Florence Nightingale - Biographical Sketch

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Did Sister Maria Talk in Code or Speak for the Devil?

In 1676 A.D., a nun, Sister Maria,  who claims she was “possessed” wrote a message she claimed came from The Devil. However, nobody could read it because it was written in cryptic symbols that nobody knew how to translate. 340 years later, in 2017, a team of computer scientists based at the LUDUM Science Center in Catania, Italy, managed to unravel the mystery. They used a decryption program which they found on the dark web.

*** “The scientists thought Sister Maria had perhaps created the code using a blend of existing alphabets. And thanks to her years of exposure to religious scripture, the nun had been a skilled linguist with knowledge of both ancient and modern languages. So it was that the experts’ theory proved to be right.”

A lot of it was just incoherent babbling. But some of the sentences formed specific thoughts. Evidently, IF she had written or spoken those words in plain language, she would have been accused of heresy and quite possibly burned at the stake. Now that they know what the letter said, using an understanding of modern psychiatric medicine, mental health professionals have written Sister Maria off as a schizophrenic. It wasn't The Devil's handwriting, it was her own.

REFERENCE: “In 1676 A Possessed Nun Wrote A Message From The Devil. Now The Spooky Letter Has Been Translated | Scientific Mirror” By Richard Arghiris, Nov 16 2021 ~ https://web.archive.org/web/20220219182310/https://scientificmirror.com/s/1676-possessed-nun-message-devil-letter-translated?as=799&bdk=0

This article is fascinating reading. For some reason, after finishing the detailed account of Sister Maria, the article writer decided that, for contrast and comparison, the story of Saint Bernadette, a teenage girl who claims to have had visions of the “Immaculate Conception”, Mary, the mother of Jesus, should be told as the conclusion of the matter. He seemed to think that Bernadette's story was much more intriguing than that of Sister Maria.

(Original source)

History: People and Places: Mighty Female Warriors From Around the World

There are stories of women who are written into world history as mighty female warriors. But were they really?

The stories of these women are written into world history books and other publications as mighty female warriors. According to the historical accounts they were … a lot of “F” words. Fierce! Fearsome! Fighters! And??? Dare I say it? I dare. They were … Feminine.

Oh yes! Just because they could handle a weapon just as well or perhaps better than their male counterparts and boldly engage the enemy in a battle to the death, none of those from the opposite sex would ever say that they were not 100% woman. Indeed. Men would probably exclaim to each other: “What a woman!”

If you research the topic of women warriors you will find 7 listed in the Encyclopedia Brittanica.

1. Boudicca
2. Joan of Arc
3. Cleopatra
4. Penthesilea ( an Amazon queen in Greek mythology)
5. Susan B. Anthony
6. Rosa Parks
7. Harriet Tubman

Interesting list. Although I’m not sure the Amazon queen is a real person so I don’t know why she would be on the list. (O.o) But who am I to argue with a trusted encyclopedic resource that people rely on for research. The last 3 women on the list never even wielded a weapon of war. But they were fierce fearsome fighters nevertheless.

Live Science published a list of 12 women warriors and described them as “mighty”. They start their list with a woman in China. There are only 11 names below because Boudicca’s name is already on the Brittanica list.

1. Fu Hao (military general in the Shang Dynasty)
2. Gudit (Ethiopian queen)
3. Tomoe Gozen (female samurai)
4. Ana Nzinga (queen of Ndongo, an African-state)
5. Khutulun (descendant of Genghis Khan, “wrestler princess”)
6. Mai Bhago (Sikh warrior)
7. Rani Velu Nachiyar (Tamil woman, fought against the British colonials)
8. Micaela Bastidas Puyucahua (warrior woman of Peru, rebelled against the Spanish)
9. “Dahomey Amazons” (Not mythical; real West African female soldiers)
10. Buffalo Calf Road Woman (Native American; Northern Cheyenne warrior)
11. Yaa Asantewaa (led the Asante people (Ghana, West Africa) in an uprising against the British)

History Hit’s list named 10 great female warriors. Since Boudicca and Fu Hao are on the other lists, they are not mentioned again. Thus there are only 8 names listed.

1. Tomyris (Queen of the Massaegetae who waged war against Cyrus, King of Persia)
2. Artemisia I of Caria (Greek Queen of Halicarnassus and ally of Xerxes I. King of Persia)
3. Cynane (half-sister of Alexander the Great; but not half the warrior nor half the ambition)
4. Olympias (mother of Alexander the Great)
5. Adea Eurydice (daughter of Cynane, the half-sister of Alexander the Great)
6. Queen Teuta (Queen of the Ardiaei tribe in Illyria, fought with Rome and lost)
7. Triệu Thị Trinh (Vietnamese woman who freed her country from the rule of China, for a while)
8. Zenobia (Queen of Syria’s Palmyrene Empire; defeated by Roman Emperor Aurelian)

Boudicca, the Queen of the British Celtic Iceni tribe, left such a mark in history that she was not only on the 3 lists explored, but her name ends up on practically every list of woman warriors compiled by any publication. I don’t know what makes her so great. In the end, she was defeated and committed suicide. If you’re going to be a warrior, die fighting! Her true story is that she was just a woman driven mad with anger and grief who used war to ease her pain and lessen her sorrow. It is likely she died still in tremendous pain and extremely sorrowful. (Feel free to disagree. I am not a professional historian.)

Fu Hao, the Chinese general was on two lists. Were it not for the discovery of her tomb in 1096, it is not certain the world would have ever known that she even existed. There is not really a lot of information about her military exploits. She wasn’t just a general but she was also a high priestess, and she was one of the wives of the emperor Stories about her life seem to more the stuff of legend than of facts.

MY OPINION: I don’t know if I agree with labeling all of these women warriors. The word “warrior” (at least in my mind connotes a brave person who is fighting for a noble cause like … let’s say … freedom from oppressive rule. Some of those women, like Olympias and Adea Eurydice were just engaged in a power struggle. What’s so noble about that?

This is a very fascinating topic and you probably want to know more. But I am not writing a book, just publishing a brief introduction. So below is the combination of the three (3) lists, in alpha order, with links for further research: Have fun exploring!

1. Adea Eurydice
2. Ana Nzinga
3. Artemisia I of Caria
4. Boudicca***
5. Buffalo Calf Road Woman
6. Cleopatra
7. Cynane
8. Dahomey Amazons
9. Fu Hao**
10. Gudit
11. Harriet Tubman
12. Joan of Arc
13. Khutulun
14. Mai Bhago
15. Micaela Bastidas Puyucahua
16. Olympias
17. Penthesilea
18. Queen Teuta
19. Rani Velu Nachiyar
20. Rosa Parks
21. Susan B Anthony
22. Tomoe Gozen
23. Tomyris
24. Triệu Thị Trinh
25. Yaa Asantewaa
26. Zenobia

Boudicca: Warrior Queen of Ancient Britain (FULL MOVIE)

Original source

Reading List : Sultana: Two Sisters by Lisa J. Yarde (Reblog)

I simply must introduce you to the exquisite blog that recommends books that focus on women in history; not just in Western culture but around the world. This blog not only has value because of the truly excellent book reviews shared by the publisher but because it is, without a doubt, one of the most stunning and visually appealing blogs ever published about women.

Sultana: Two Sisters by Lisa J. Yarde

This book is the story of two women, set in the 14th Century Nasrid Dynasty (Spain), vying for the heart of one man, a Moorish Sultan. One woman is a Jewess.  The other wants to hide her heritage.  A lover's triangle may be an old plot, but this tale of romance written by Lisa J. Yarde is sure to captivate the reader.

"How brave and elegant the Nasrids were is debatable – seven of the first nine of the sultans were assassinated – but the romantic reputation endures."  Quote Source:   Versions of Andalusia | theglobeandmail.com

NOTE:  The Sultana Series is a collection of 6 books.  To view the titles in this series and more books by Lisa J. Yarde, visit the Author's Amazon Page.

March is Women's History Month and National Reading Month.

Women Who Define the Word "Noble"

In the English language, the word “noble” has two different meanings. It can be used if you are describing someone belonging to a family or a class of people with a high social or political standing. Then there’s another meaning. It is when you describe someone who possesses admirable personal qualities and characteristics and strives to live their lives in accordance with certain principles or ideals aimed at making the lives of everyone better. I’m using the second definition.

This list was inspired by the official Twitter account for Noble Women. Oops! That was an intentional misspelling. The name of the account is Nobel Women. But the account owners will likely agree that the misspelled word is a more accurate description. You think?

#1 Who’s Got the Power?

#MondayMotivation from literary maven and original #feminist Mary Shelley! pic.twitter.com/sBlg4upPPq

— Nobel Women (@NobelWomen) October 16, 2017

Amen! Totally agree with Ms. Shelly. It's not about being the Lady Lord, cracking a whip, and putting men in their place. Because we're all in the same place. That place being? In control of our own lives.

* Mary Shelley (1797 – 1851): most people know her name because she's the woman who wrote “Frankenstein”.


#2 Who is Samantha Power?

#SundayFoodForThought from @AmbassadorPower #Equality #Justice #StandTogether #Women #Quotes #Feminism pic.twitter.com/J6VHY0gGRx

— Nobel Women (@NobelWomen) February 21, 2016

Samantha Power served as the US Ambassador to the United Nations from 2013 – 2017. She began her professional career in 1993 as a war correspondent and from that point forward she has worn many hats. She has been active in politics, authored several books, and her most noteworthy work deals with her crusades against genocides. Forbes once included her on their official list of “The World's 100 Most Powerful Women List”. She probably would have preferred being referred to as “passionate” as opposed to “powerful”. You think?


#3 A Noble Child Who Became a Noble Woman

Congrats to #Malala, winner of the Intl Children's Peace Prize! Laureate Tawakkol Karman to deliver award on Sep 6: http://t.co/PCWuKcwKQx

— Nobel Women (@NobelWomen) August 27, 2013

Nobody can write about honoring women in history, praising their strength, endurance, and determination, without mentioning this young lady, Malala Yousafzai. All she wanted was an education and spoke out publicly about that. Some people thought she should be silenced for that. The cowardly and failed attempt to assassinate her pushed her onto the world stage and into a shining spotlight that shows no signs of dimming. A noble child who lived and grew up to become a noble woman.

“Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls' Rights” by Malala Yousafzai


#4 But What Can an Educated Woman Do?

#FeministFriday from activist, journalist & teacher - Jovita Idár! She had a huge impact on early movements for the civil rights of Mexican-Americans in the United States and took action to ensure that Mexican-American students had access to educational opportunities. pic.twitter.com/uYsB5XNaMx

— Nobel Women (@NobelWomen) October 26, 2018

That's an incredible thought. Because my mother was not educated. But she strove hard to try to get all of her children educated. My oldest brother once remarked that if our mother had been educated she would have been unstoppable!

I understood what my brother meant. However, my observation of my mother is very different from my brother's. My mother may have not been formally educated, but she was very wise. Her advice and guidance for life to all of us was profound and enlightening. She wasn't educated but she sure wasn't ignorant!

I think to make sure this quote is properly applied we need to clearly define what it truly means to be educated. What do you think?


#5 Noble Women Who Left or Are Leaving Their Marks

Women who changed the world.

Here's all of the amazing women who have received the #NobelPrize and their remarkable achievements at the time of the award.

Learn more about their work: https://t.co/i7fVpFnufM pic.twitter.com/uQIg4ZjsW6

— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) August 25, 2018

No additional words needed for this tweet.

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