I think, of all animals on Earth,
women bear the closest kinship with horses (I can hear the snickers and the
whispered sexual jokes all the way in Oklahoma). The infinite variety of women
– from kind to spiteful, approachable to traumatized, independent to
codependent – finds its mirror in those equine beasts who have roamed the world
and carried humanity on their backs for millennia.
Since their domestication, horses
have done the heavy lifting for humanity in a variety of industries: farming,
transportation, entertainment and competition, and war. They have patiently
born abuse, neglect, and eventual dismissal from human economics. And yet,
their mystery, strength, and attraction have never diminished. Women have long
fought to have an equal voice in the world while shouldering the burden for…
just about everything outside of own well-being. We raise children, keep
houses, work full-time jobs, cook, manage household finances, provide sex and
comfort for our spouses. And while we take care of all that, we ignore our own
basic needs, which leads to many of us growing sick and exhausted. Further, for
much of recorded history women have remained silent and accepted their
secondary place in society, certain it was what nature – and whatever god they
happened to worship – demanded. Yet, their mystery, strength, and attraction
have never diminished either. In fact, I would venture to say that these very
qualities, so reminiscent of horses running free on the hills and plains of the
world, is a contributing factor to their subjugation in history. After all,
what is the primary desire when one sees something beautiful and untamed? To
catch it, hold it, possess it, and bend it to our will. Not always maliciously.
Often we simply want to express our own wildness in what we have been led to
believe is a safe and responsible manner.
Another clear point of comparison
is a herd mentality. And I do not mean that either horses or women sacrifice
their own minds or wills to belong to a group. Instead, I think both species
find comfort and safety in being in a tightly knit unit. Think of some of the
most successful television shows featuring multiple female leads: Golden Girls, Sex in the City, Sailor Moon,
Designing Women, Jem and the Holograms, Josie and Pussycats, My Little Pony,
Charlie’s Angels, The L Word, Facts of Life, Charmed, Living Single, and
others. Sure these women fight and sometimes even want to kill each other, but
there is something inherently attractive and alluring about women in a dynamic
and multi-layered group. How else can we explain the popularity of a show like Orange is the New Black that focuses on
women in prison? When we see
representations of women in groups like this, a part of us wants to be there,
in that group. And I believe it is because we live best when we are part of our
own protective herd.
Men often complain that women are
difficult to understand. We rarely deal with problems in a head-on fashion,
which has led to us being labeled underhanded, sneaky, manipulative and many
other equally uncomplimentary descriptors. Horses too are often accused of
underhanded behavior, striking when their handlers’ backs are turned. With
horses, I think they are simply reminding their people not to underestimate them,
to never believe they are entirely broken. Sometimes it takes a swift kick to
the arse or a sharp snap of the teeth to wake a stubborn person up to certain
truths. You could say the same for women. Though, if that is the case I believe
it is operates on a more subconscious level. A more definitive reason for our
round-about tactics is an innate wish to avoid harm, our own as well as others.
We want to solve problems and rectify bad situations, but we also – at least
most of us – do not enjoy causing friction or hurt feelings. And so we attack
problems from the side. Too, I think women have learned over the course of
centuries to handle other people, especially men, with great care because of a
fear for our own personal safety. Women are adaptors, a study in evolution;
chameleons, who have perfected the art of survival so well, it is now a part of
our collective unconscious (perhaps even our DNA).
I’ve long had a fascination with
horses, and with women. They both are such complex beings capable of the unexpected.
Dangerous, lovely symbols of the feral world and of the elegance of our natural
world. I don’t mean to idealize either women or horses. They can both be
ornery, bad-tempered, even vicious under the right circumstances. But I think
it says a lot that horses and women have survived being the servants of
humanity with both their dignity and beauty intact.
The
war between Dosalyn and Roanaan has ended, but a new battle begins for
prisoner-of-war, Ottilde Dominax. Dreams of her witchbreed twin sister are
visions of death and betrayal. Driven by their grim warning, she escapes her
captors and races across
nations to save her sister.
Bio:
R.
L. Martinez writes fantasy and science fiction with dark edges and corners. She
began writing in the seventh grade when a teacher assigned R. L. her first ever
creative writing project. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband, two young
sons, a mouse-killing cat, and two naughty pooches.
In the Blood Book Blurb:
The
Warrior
The
war between Dosalyn and Roanaan has ended, but a new battle begins for
prisoner-of-war, Ottilde Dominax. Dreams of her witchbreed twin sister are
visions of death and betrayal. Driven by their grim warning, she escapes her
captors and races across
nations to save her sister.
But she may arrive
too late…
The
Witch
Oriabel
Dominax has kept her
healing magic secret while she cares for her family's struggling estate. But the
arrival of a new lord with secrets of his own, the discovery of a dark and
addictive magic, and threats from a cruel blackmailer push Oriabel closer to
disaster.
Through
it all, the Witch’s Tree calls…
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FRIDAY FEATURES is a steady presence on Out of the Fog where I explore the concept of "strong women." Who are they? What makes them strong? How do we see them in writing and/or in business? If you're an author, what is their place in the world of thrillers of mysteries? If you're in business, how is the working environment impacted by the presence of a "strong woman" and how are they seen as leaders and team members? If you're an emerging strong woman, tell us about your journey. Have other questions you find compelling? Ask away and I'll post the answers here.
If you have something to say about the topic of
strong women, contact me on Twitter:
@conniehambley.
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