In my world, I've got a culture known as the Aventa that's very conservative in a lot of respects. In the time period I'm thinking about at the moment, technology and society is roughly equivalent to that of the Roman empire for these people. The society places men and women in clearly defined gender roles, and it would be inconcievable for women to find their way into the military structure.
However, these people are often at war with another culture known as the Shiagai that is heavily militaristic, and who consider all healthy adults--regardless of gender--members of the military. They don't put much stock in a civilian versus military distinction. They're also quite notorious for sending raiding parties into Aventan territory to cause trouble, pillage, and possibly even take slaves. Often, when they do so, the Aventan men are already off to war, meaning that outlying villages and towns are essentially undefended, and the Shiagai's unorthodox views on warfare mean that noncombatant women are treated effectively the same as combatant men. It's not so much "preying on the weak" as "you're all valid targets, and if you're dumb enough not to arm yourselves its your own damned fault. Get over it."
With most of the men gone, I'm thinking of a cultural institution developing in rural areas which allows women in this otherwise conservative society to form a militia for self-defense. It'd be a seasonal affair, coming into effect just before the war season to give them a chance to prepare and train before raiders started riding in. I was thinking that the women participating in the militias could be called "Midsummer Roses" in reference both to the war season as well as to the Aventan habit of applying floral descriptions to women (though notably choosing a flower with thorns). I was also thinking that membership would be restricted mainly to childless/unmarried women in the community, though I wonder if that would restrict the size of the militia too much to actually be effective. Something analogous to the sworn virgins in Albania could arise for those who don't wish to leave the organization or who are trying to avoid an arranged marriage.
This would all be very far back in the history of the world I'm creating. Over the centuries that would follow, the organization would have to adapt to the changing face of warfare and new social norms. The eventual move towards roughly 1940's level technology and the practise of total war would probably turn it into something more akin to a national guard, and it would also need to respond to (and probably cause) a fair amount of liberalization in terms of women's rights over the centuries. A later cataclysm that obliterates the world population would also enforce changes on them, perhaps by emphasizing peacekeeping/police duties.
To me this seems like a decent start, but since one of my main characters is going to be an ex-member of the militia it doesn't seem sufficient. So, what do you guys think? Does the name "Midsummer Roses" work, or does it seem too poetic/verbose/contrived? What are some directions I could take this? And, perhaps, are there any historical precedents I might have missed?
I'm eager for your thoughts!
However, these people are often at war with another culture known as the Shiagai that is heavily militaristic, and who consider all healthy adults--regardless of gender--members of the military. They don't put much stock in a civilian versus military distinction. They're also quite notorious for sending raiding parties into Aventan territory to cause trouble, pillage, and possibly even take slaves. Often, when they do so, the Aventan men are already off to war, meaning that outlying villages and towns are essentially undefended, and the Shiagai's unorthodox views on warfare mean that noncombatant women are treated effectively the same as combatant men. It's not so much "preying on the weak" as "you're all valid targets, and if you're dumb enough not to arm yourselves its your own damned fault. Get over it."
With most of the men gone, I'm thinking of a cultural institution developing in rural areas which allows women in this otherwise conservative society to form a militia for self-defense. It'd be a seasonal affair, coming into effect just before the war season to give them a chance to prepare and train before raiders started riding in. I was thinking that the women participating in the militias could be called "Midsummer Roses" in reference both to the war season as well as to the Aventan habit of applying floral descriptions to women (though notably choosing a flower with thorns). I was also thinking that membership would be restricted mainly to childless/unmarried women in the community, though I wonder if that would restrict the size of the militia too much to actually be effective. Something analogous to the sworn virgins in Albania could arise for those who don't wish to leave the organization or who are trying to avoid an arranged marriage.
This would all be very far back in the history of the world I'm creating. Over the centuries that would follow, the organization would have to adapt to the changing face of warfare and new social norms. The eventual move towards roughly 1940's level technology and the practise of total war would probably turn it into something more akin to a national guard, and it would also need to respond to (and probably cause) a fair amount of liberalization in terms of women's rights over the centuries. A later cataclysm that obliterates the world population would also enforce changes on them, perhaps by emphasizing peacekeeping/police duties.
To me this seems like a decent start, but since one of my main characters is going to be an ex-member of the militia it doesn't seem sufficient. So, what do you guys think? Does the name "Midsummer Roses" work, or does it seem too poetic/verbose/contrived? What are some directions I could take this? And, perhaps, are there any historical precedents I might have missed?
I'm eager for your thoughts!
