Lady Triệu: The Goddess on the Elephant

“All I want to do is ride the storms, tame the crashing waves, kill the sharks of the Eastern Sea, cleanse the land, and save the people from drowning.  I refuse to mimic the others, bow my head down, lower myself, and become another concubine!”

– Triệu Thị Trinh, 248A.D.

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When rebellion in the United States is recalled, George Washington and other less than ideal Founding Fathers are brought to the forefront of the conversation. In Vietnam it is  Lady Triệu, a Goddess atop an elephant, leader of rebellion.

According to the history recorded by "Freedom for Vietnam" on Wordpress, which catalogs the heroes and historical background of this time, the scene is set in 248A.D. The Chinese Han invasion had been oppressing Vietnam for around two hundred years. Triệu Thị Trinh is twenty years old, and after growing up with her brother she chooses to follow him into the mountains, where there is talk of rebellion brewing. In fear of her safety, her brother tries to send her home, to which she refused. She'd watched the men of the rebellion in their preparation for war and was prepared to fight with them. She was twenty three when she rode into battle for the first time.

The title of Lady Triệu came from honor rather than birth. For months of following with the warriors, fighting with them in every conflict, they marveled at her skill in battle. Her intellect and bravery were at the heart of the rebellion, and they named her their leader. 

The rebels, though small in numbers, were able to hold their own against the Kingdom of Wu for months under her guidance. After six month of bravery, standing off against oppressors with a force only a fraction of the size, Lady Triệu's forces finally fell. In the time following, after escaping from capture, she followed the tradition of warriors before her and ended her own life to protect her honor.

This legend, it is to be noted, is only one of several in Vietnam history that follow women led rebellion, the other major tale being of the Trung sisters, who were also strong female warriors that cannot be left out of Lady Triệu's narrative, as they function greatly as her predecessor. The sisters who fought and led in rebellions due to their compassion for the people, as well as personal vengeance, will almost always be mentioned alongside Lady Triệu. The Nguyen Thai Hoc Foundation, found here x, goes into their story a great deal, and provides a historical context of women warriors in Vietnam's rebellion.

Lady Triệu offers an incredible international context of woman in war, and though only scratching the surface, is a critical part of a larger narrative. Every Lady Triệu, every woman warrior, added to the conscience of the general public adds something to the universal nature of women fighting with men, not in their shadows.

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Works Cited:
“Lady Triệu: The Goddess Who Fought the Wu.” Freedom For Vietnam, 6 Sept. 2015,                            freedomforvietnam.wordpress.com/2010/07/20/lady-tri%E1%BB%87u-the-goddess-who-fought-        the-wu/.

Nguyen, V Chu, and Tuyet A Tran. “Trung Trac and Trung Nhi.” Nguyen Thai Hoc Foundation, 

      www.nguyenthaihocfoundation.org/lichsuVN/m_trungnuvuong2.php.

“Prelude to the Heroes: 1000 Years of Chinese Occupation.” Freedom For Vietnam, 6 Sept. 2015,            freedomforvietnam.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/prelude-to-the-heroes-1000-years-of-chinese-             occupation/.

Durga, Whose Name Means "Invincible"

This is the satisfaction of a self-actualized goddess.

"I am the Queen, the gatherer-up of treasures, most thoughtful, first of those who merit worship ... through me alone all eat the food that feeds them - each man who sees, breathes, hears the word outspoken; they know it not, but yet they dwell beside me. Hear, one and all, the truth as I declare it..." (Rig Veda)

     The Hindu tradition is rich, ancient, and full of complex characters and ideas, further complicated by all the fractionation typical of a major world religion that has existed in a recognizable form for over three thousand years. But from these admittedly murky waters arise a myriad of beautiful ephemera, crystallized here and there by the weight of belief and the efforts of modern scholarship into particular images of divinity. One such image is Durga, the invincible warrior-mother celebrated in Shaktism as "equated with the concept of ultimate reality called Brahman" ("Durga").

     Durga is a celestial mother goddess, but her aspect is reflective of the mother's role of protection rather than genesis; she is traditionally shown riding a lion or a tiger, heavily armed with the weapons of the male deities who call her forth in her most significant appearance, battle with the asura or demon Mahisa ("Durga"). It is the nature of this calling and this battle that make Durga especially interesting as a mythological warrior woman, however. According to the Devi Mahatmya, a religious text that immortalizes Durga's arrival and deeds, a powerful demon - Mahisa - performed a great act of religious reverence that we might think of as an oblation or a pilgrimage. In Hinduism, even demons are capable of receiving the benefit of miracles and divine blessings should they undergo and conquer such spiritual trials, and for his efforts Mahisa is awarded a near-total invulnerability. So blessed, he proceeds forth to ravage the cosmos, conquering everywhere and defeating all the gods who come to oppose him and protect their domains. At last the many gods gather and perform a ritual to summon the triatic head deities of the Hindu pantheon, the forces of preservation, destruction, and creation - Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma, respectively, who are responsible for creating and ordering the universe.

     Brahma is actually the deity who granted the demon his power, and yet even these three are unable to oppose Mahisa, so mighty has he become. In desperation, they perform a ritual of their own, a mysterious call to an entity identified first in the Devi Mahatmya as a goddess called Ambika. It is important to note that traditions differ on the nature of this ritual: it is sometimes an act of creation and sometimes a summoning, its intended interpretation as vague as the exact origin of the pre-Vedic goddess ("Durga"). The male deities surrender their weapons to her, entrusting her to fight the demon on their behalf, and what follows is one of the great epic battles of the Hindu tradition.

    As chronicled across the "Middle Episode" of the Devi Mahatmya, Ambika fights the demon through multiple forms and manifestations, slaying its army, summoning her own avatars to join her in battle, and when the demon seeks to defeat her by enchanting its own blood to create a new demon with every drop spilled, she thwarts it by drinking its blood so quickly that not a drop touches the ground as they battle. When she calls out eight of her Matrikas - avatar-goddesses born of her essence - to challenge the demon and burns through the last of his reinforcements, he accuses her of dishonorable tactics...so she inhales her Matrikas and proceeds to face Mahisa alone.

In the end, the demon is broken, and her most celebrated artistic memorial is this moment of victory - the demon lays impaled beneath her and torn at by her great familiar feline, soon thereafter beheaded by the scythe she wields and slain forever. Ambika becomes Durga, whose name means "invincible." Essential to this incredible conflict is the complexity of the battle, which occupies much of the center of the Devi Mahatmya, as the demon brought many different tactics and resources to bear, each of which is countered by Durga with perfect tranquility. Her conquest, from start to finish, is portrayed as inevitable.

    The demon that had brought the whole of the universe to its knees cannot even force her to break a sweat.

    She does what no other deity could achieve, and for this feat she is often associated with a "supreme force behind all existence" (Amazzone 79) and with Hymn 25 in the 10th Mandala of the Rig Veda, which describes a universal mother goddess who is "first of those who merit worship," who claims to "hold together all existence" (Rig Veda). Indeed, this identification with a principle that underpins all existence - specifically the cosmic energy shakti - is the source of the other deities' trust in her ("Durga") and the reason for her identification as a supreme entity in Shaktism. As a mother goddess, she "bring(s) forth the Father," (Rig Veda) sometimes described as predating all other deities, even those responsible for the shape of the world as we know it ("Durga").

    What's especially compelling about Durga is that she is so uniquely a total feminine existence - though most traditions do not assign her any children and not all name her as a wife (when she is, it is to Shiva, Lord of Destruction) she is always identified as a mother, and this motherhood is most clearly understand as the "all-devouring and all-nurturing mother" (Amazzone 74), a force that cannot be withstood, an aegis that cannot be pierced. Her children are all gods and all mortals, and her festival - a major holiday across Hindu traditions - is one that reinforces not just her prowess but her love and commitment to mankind (Amazzone 82). It is said that by this celebration she is reminded of the world, and will return to defend it against demons wherever they arise.


"I breathe a strong breath like the wind and tempest, the while I hold together all existence. Beyond this wide earth, and beyond the heavens, I have become mighty in my grandeur." (Rig Veda)

Works Cited

     Wikipedia Contributors. "Durga." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia,  

               the Free Encyclopedia. 5 Nov. 2017. Web. Accessed 5 Sept. 2017.

     "The Hymns of the Rig Veda." Trans. by Ralph T. H. Griffith, 1896. Sacred 
               Texts, http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/index.htm. Accessed 5 Sept. 2017.
     "Devi Mahatmya." Trans. by Swami Vijñanananda, 1921.  Sacred Texts, 
               http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/db/index.htm. Accessed 7 Sept. 2017.
     Amazzone, Laura. "Chapter 6: Durga: Invincible Goddess of South Asia." Goddesses in 
               World Culture, Volume I. Ed. Patricia Monaghan. Santa Barbara: Praeger, 2011. 71-
               84. Google Books. Accessed 6 Sept. 2017.

Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was born in 1412 to two tenant farmers in a small village located in Domrey, France. 

According to Biography, she was charged with 70 counts, which included witchcraft, heresy and dressing like a man. On May 29th, 1431, Joan was found guilty of these charges and on May 30th she was taken to the marketplace and burned at the stake. Legends have said of how her heart made it out of the fire completely unharmed.

At the age of 18, Joan led the French army to victory over the English during the Hundred Years' War regardless of constant complications trying to get in the way.

Following her death, the Hundred Years' War continued on for 22 more years. In 1456, King Charles VII ordered an investigation which determined that Joan was innocent on all charges. 

On May 16, 1920, 500 years after her death, Joan was canonized a Roman Catholic Saint. Joan of Arc has inspired many works of literature and art over centuries of time. She is known as an endearing symbol of French unity and nationalism. 

I believe that Joan of Arc is a woman warrior because no matter what her place in society was, she persisted time and time again to achieve what she felt was right. I can recall learning briefly about Joan of Arc when I was in grade school and I remember thinking about how interesting she seemed to me because she was so young when she embarked on this journey and how I wanted to be as brave as she was. At a young age she put her safety aside and fought a battle that was way bigger than her. She did not let the fact that she was a female stand in the way of her mission even though she knew that it was a risk for her life from the beginning. Joan of Arc is a woman warrior because regardless of the life she had in France, she chose to follow her visions and do what she felt was best. 

Grace O'Malley

Grace O'Malley

    Grace O'Malley was a heroine to the Irish and a controlling pirate to the English. She helped overcome gender bias and fought England for the independence of Ireland. ("Grace O'Malley, the 16th Century Pirate" 2014).  She embraced her sea life after her father, a nobleman and a sea trader, passed away. Due to her inheritance, she was able to run 20 ships and their crews along with many government officials who tried to control her.

 



  Although she was looked at as a courageous woman to many, she ruled the seas by demanding money from others who passed through in exchange for protection. If they did not give what she demanded from them, she would become violent which at some points led to murder. Her intent was to control the seas that surrounded her land so that she was able to protect her country from the rulers trying to take over it, England.

O'Malley was a strong warrior woman who not only stood up for her country, but for women around the world. Even though she had killed people and was viewed as a pirate, she fought for her country and what she believed was right. She is one of the many warrior women that not only stood up for the rights of many, but was an actual warrior. With her knowledge of the seas the she gained from her father and experience, she was able to stand up for her country in their time of need. She proved that man or woman, anyone could do anything as long as they put their mind to it. Her passion for her country led her to great victory and high standings within the political world not only in Ireland but in England as well. She never let anything stand in her way of getting things done, which is why I admire her was a warrior woman.













Works Cited
Aprilholloway. “Grace O'Malley, the 16th Century Pirate Queen of Ireland.” Ancient Origins,                   Ancient Origins, www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/grace-o-malley-16th-century-           pirate-queen-ireland-001773.
Trowbridge. "Meeting Grace O'Malley, Ireland's pirate queen." The National                                            Archives,http://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/blog/meeting-grace-omalley-irelands-pirate-queen/.

Princess Olga of Kiev

Princess Olga of Kiev

Princess Olga of Kiev is viewed as the absolute most vicious and ferocious rulers in the history of the Kievan Rus (a loose federation of East Slavic tribes that existed from the late 9th century to the mid-13th century, under the Rurik Dynasty). Olga was born in 890; with no solid evidence of her place of birth, Emily Upton of Today I Found Out: Feed Your Brain, places her birth in either Pskov, or Veshchy. Pskov is the more reliable location of Olga's birth, because in addition to Emily Upton, according to the "Prominent Russians: Princess Olga of Kiev" article, the author places her birth in Pskov, as well. Much of Olga's upbringing is practically unknown; the earliest event that happened to Olga after her birth, that we know of, is her marriage to Prince Igor sometime before 912. Because in 1912, Olga and Igor became rulers of the Kievan Rus after the death of the previous ruler, Oleg Veshchy.

Olga's story continues to stagger throughout, because the next event we have to is the birth of her child, Svyatoslav, in 1942. Following the three years that passed after that, in 1945, Prince Igor took a trip to the Slavic tribe of the Drevlyans to gather tributes. After he demanded a higher payment than we they gave him, the Drevlyans took matters into their own hands and killed the prince. Following the death of Prince Igor, according to the article "Prominent Russians: Princess Olga of Kiev," the question was raised to see who would become the next ruler. Technically, the next in line was her son, Svyatoslav. However, he was only three-years-old. Due to all these unforeseen events Olga took matters into her own hands and became the ruler of the Kievan Rus, this was going to be Olga's regency. According to the article "Prominent Russians: Princess Olga of Kiev," she had the full support of the Rus army - attesting to the amazing respect she held among people.

Olga did take lightly the account of her husband's death. She never once subdued her feelings about the situation, because what follows is an absolute bloodbath of events.
According to the "Russian Primary Chronicle," there are a total of four different acts of vengeance that Olga had followed through with against the Derevlians (a different spelling for Drevlyans, within the Russian Primary Chronicle). The four vengeances occurred as followed:

1.) Once the Derevlians found out about the new female ruler, they sent 20 of their ambassadors (matchmakers) to negotiate a marriage between their prince, Prince Mal and Olga. Once the 20 ambassadors arrived in Kiev, Olga had them return to their ships for the night so she could be able to have her people's presence present. She had even given them the opportunity to be carried back into the city within their boats. Once they had left, Olga had a deep ditch dug out, and when her people were carrying them into the city the following morning, they had dropped the Derevlians in the ditch along with the boat. She then ordered them to be buried alive.

2.) Princess Olga then asked the Derevlians to send their finest ambassadors, to which she would be able to go to their Prince with such honor. The Derevlians did send more ambassadors, once they arrived, they were asked to only appear to Olga after they have bathed. The bathhouse was heated, and once the ambassadors entered they were locked in, and the bathhouse was set on fire.

3.) Princess Olga then decided to go to the Derevlians for the chance to mourn over her husband's grave. She also ordered for large quantities of mead to be made for her arrival. Once she arrived, she went to her husband's grave and mourned. She then ordered for there to be a funeral feast in honor of her husband. Once the Derevlians were drunk, Olga and her followers slaughtered 5,000 of them. Olga returned to Kiev to prepare an army to kill the survivors.

4.) The surviving Derevlians offered Princess Olga honey and furs, as a treaty. However, Princess Olga knew they had neither of the sorts, so she then asked for three pigeons and three sparrows from every home. Once she was given all the pigeons and sparrows, she told the Derevlians she would leave their city the following day. She then gave everyone in her army a pigeon, or a sparrow, and tied a piece of sulfur bound in cloth. She had the birds released at night and once they birds flew back to every home, everything was set on fire. Nothing was safe from the flames; the survivors from the conflagration were either killed by her army, or given as slaves to her followers.

Needless to say, you do not want to anger Princess Olga of Kiev. She is a powerful, revenge-driven woman, who speaks volumes to the culture shock of having a woman as a leader. She thrived in a time where blood and war were a constant routine. According to Emily Upton, one would think it'd be strange to see such a vengeful woman convert the Kievan Rus from a pagan society, to Christianity, be baptized sometime between 945 and 957, and turn into a saint in Roman Catholicism, and Russian Orthodoxy.

She even has a monument dedicated to her in the present day in Mihaylovskaya square in Kiev; her statue is raised higher than the other three men who have statues next to hers: Apostle St. Andrew the First-Called, and the enlighteners Cyril and Methodius.

Through the madness that is her life, Princess Olga passed away in the year of 969. Her efforts were never forgotten, because in 1547 she was declared a saint by the Orthodox Church. According to Emily Upton, she is called, "isapostolos," meaning, "equal to the apostles". She is one out of five women who have had the honor of this status in the history of Christianity, and Princess Olga of Kiev deserves every single recognition possible.

Sources:

"Prominent Russians: Princess Olga of Kiev." Russiapedia, Russiapedia (Get to Know Russia Better), russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/history-and-mythology/princess-olga-of-kiev/.

"Russian Primary Chronicle."

Upton, Emily. "The Saint Who Buried People Alive and Burned Down a City in Revenge." Today I Found Out, Today I Found Out: Feed Your Brain, 27 Jan. 2014, www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/

2014/01/saint-buried-people-alive-burned-city-revenge/.

Anne Bonny: Irish-American Pirate

http://www.thepirateking.com/bios/bonny_anne.htm

Anne Bonny is one of the few female pirates noted in history and she's known for being strong and independent, even as strong as the male pirates as stated on The Way of the Pirates website. She was born around the 1700s, according to several sources such as the Encyclopedia Britannica, her exact birth date is unknown. But, it is estimated she lived during the early 18th century. She is typically associated with another woman pirate, Mary Read, her partner in crime. Anne Bonny and Mary Read are described by Karen Abbott from Smithsonian.com as being "as renowned for their ruthlessness as for their gender" and she says that these women destroyed the myth that "a woman's presence on shipboard invited bad luck."

Bonny was born and raised in Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland according to most historians as the Way of the Pirates website states. The Encyclopedia Britannica explains that Bonny is said to be "the illegitimate daughter of Irish lawyer William Cormac and of a maid working in his household." It also says that upon the discovery of his affair, he and his wife divorced and Bonny was under the custody of her father. Her father and the maid moved to the United States, but at the age of 16, Bonny fell in love with the pirate, James Bonny, and she married him against her father's disapproval l as The Way of the Pirates explains. James Bonny struggled to support the two and he became an informant for the government, but as The Way of the Pirates states, Anne Bonny had become close with many of the pirates and it was her way of life now; she eventually fell for "Calico Jack" Jack Rackham, a captain pirate.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5402e23ce4b0a7034afad3a2
/t/569e0bc30e4c1148e6c211e2/1502976079581/pirates+anne+bonny+and+mary+read

As a pirate, Anne was a dominating force. As mentioned earlier, it was thought that women aboard a pirate ship was bad luck, so Calico Jack was ahead of his time in inviting her to join them. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Bonny didn't hide that she was a woman from the pirates, but when they pillaged, she would dress as a man, similar to the Fau Mulan story. Anne was a powerful pirate as she had to take care of herself early on in life after losing her mother to illness. She was able to hold her own with the male pirates and was a major influence in their success. They terrorized the Caribbean and Anne became a force to be reckon with, one of the crew's most powerful pirates. However, their luck eventually ran out. The Encyclopedia Britannica says that when Calico Jack's pirate crew was finally caught, the men were tried and hung. However, Anne and her pal, Mary Read, were found to be pregnant and saved. 

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/9e/19/4
e/9e194e8d870abb5d52470381f0da4d50.jpg

As detailed on The Irish Story website, until the late 1600s, Ireland was suffering from the aftermath of a famine and many of its citizens were poor. So, Anne Bonny is representative of the culture and values at the time because she was pillaging for money and food with other pirates as many Irish people were struggling to make ends meet at the time. Anne was strong and independent because in tough times, you can really only depend on yourself and need to count on yourself to make it. So, Anne is a representation of Irish values and survival modes for her time period. The fact that she was a female pirate, even when it was so unheard of for women to be aboard pirate voyages, demonstrates her strength and determination to fend for herself, like many Irish people had to do at that time because of economic circumstances. 

Anne Bonny is a character that still can resonate with individuals today. She is a strong and independent woman who was able to fight with the boys; this is certainly valued by women today. Anne Bonny left her husband for the man she truly loved, despite society's outlook on it. This is inspiring because it is often hard to leave a person we are in a relationship for a variety of factors. Although Anne Bonny was convicted of crimes, she is a character that many women can still connect to because she overcame many obstacles in her life to be a fierce leader in Calico Jack's pirate crew.

Sources:

Abbott, Karen. "If There's a Man Among Ye: The Tale of Pirate Queens Anne Bonny and Mary Read." Smithsonian.com Accessed October 29, 2017.

Dorney, John. "War and Famine in Ireland, 1580-1700." The Irish Story. http://www.theirishstory.com/2012/01/03/war-and-famine-in-ireland-1580-1700/. Accessed on October 29, 2017.

"Famous Pirate: Anne Bonny." The Way of the Pirates. http://www.thewayofthepirates.com/famous-pirates/anne-bonny/ Accessed October 30, 2017

Pallardy, Richard. "Anne Bonny: Irish American Pirate." Encyclopedia Britannica, 2015. Accessed October 30, 2017.

Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc- Heroine of France

Joan of Arc was born in 1412 in a small village of Domrey, France. She came from the home of two tenant farmers. According to Biography.com, she spent her early years taking care of animals and sharpening her skills as a seamstress. However, by age 18, she would one of the most well known women of France.

During her lifetime, the crown of France was called into question. Both the British and French felt that they should have a claim at the crown. Encyclopedia Britannica gave one of the best accounts of Joan's military journey. They stated that in 1428, Joan traveled to Vaucouleurs, which was the nearest area that still remained to the French Dauphin. Once she arrived, she asked to speak to the Captain. Although, he sent them away. He did not take a group of young girls seriously. She traveled back in 1429 and insisted that she needed to speak to the Dauphin. This time, her request was granted and she was taken to him. On her journey there, she dawned mens clothing and was accompanied by six guards in order to make it safely across enemy lines. At first, the Dauphin and his counselors were leery of accepting her, but they decided to hear what she had to say. However, she was soon sent away to be examined. The examiners soon reported back to the Dauphin that he needed to make use of her.

Joan of Arc under examination 

On May 4th, Joan moved to attack a British fort. As she continued to attack, she continued to capture British outposts. These battles continued through May 7th. Without Joan these successes the French success would have been impossible. Biography.com reported that the Dauphin was crowned King of France on July 18th, 1949. Joan was by his side during the time of his crowning. Joan's good fortune would soon run out. Although the date is unclear, Joan was captured and turnover to the British in the spring of 1430. The King himself made no motions to have her released, as he still remained unsure whether or not to trust her. She was turned over to the church and was tried for over 70 counts including witchcraft, heresy, and dressing like a man. She was then transferred to a military prison where she was interrogated, beaten, and threatened with rape. Finally, on May 29th, 1431 she was executed in the market square of Rouen, France. Although, it is said that her heart survived the burning. According to Portraits of a Saint, she was canonized as a Saint on May 16th, 1920.



Joan of Arc is one of the most fascinating female warriors I have read about. In a time when women had absolutely no rights, she knew she must fight for her country. While she faced prejudice throughout her whole military journey, but still continued to fight for what she believed was right. Even after her successes she was abandoned by her people, and sentenced to death. I was disappointed to find that not even the King, whom she helped regain his crown, refused to help her. I think that in this age, any woman who did something out of the norm could not be trusted. I am glad to see that Joan's legacy continues on to this day. Without the courage of Joan of Arc, France could have ended up an entirely different country.

In the summer of 2015, I was able to travel to France and visit the town of Rouen. Here, we saw the site where Joan was burned. Near the actual site of her execution a monument was erected in her honor. The St. Joan of Arc church was erected there. Inside the church, beautiful stained glass windows tell Joan of Arcs story of becoming a Saint. Below are a few of the pictures I took during my visit:

Marking the site of Joan of Arc's execution 

Monument erected in honor of Joan of Arc

Stained glass windows depicting the story of Joan of Arc

Works Cited:

"Joan of Arc." Biogrpahy.com, A&E Networks Television, 28 Apr. 2017, www.biogrpahy.com/people/joan-of-arc-9354756

Lanhers, Yvonne, and Malcom G.A. Vale. "Saint Joan of Arc." Encyclopedia Britannica, Encylopedia Britannica, Inc., 1 Feb 2016, www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Joan-of-Arc#toc27051

"Portraits of A Saint." Joan of Arc: Becoming a Saint, saint-joan-of-arc.com/becoming-a-saint.htm.