Catalina de Erauso is a well-known figure from Spain. She was born in the late 1500's and at the age of four years old, she entered her hometown's convent. According to Wikipedia, she was difficult to control and had a boisterous attitude within the convent. Catalina didn't like being controlled and was forced to transfer to a different institution at the age of 15. Wikipedia also goes on to state that she understood that she did not have any religious affiliation and felt trapped within her religious education at the convent. She took a chance and escaped with her hair cut and clothed as a man.
Wikipedia goes further on in saying after escaping from the convent, Catalina was then on the run as a fugitive in Spain. Continuing her disguise as a man, she spent the next years of her life wandering from town to town seeking a place to sleep and a patron to support her. She spent a month in jail, warded off men seeking violence, conversed with various family members, attended mass in her old convent with former colleagues, engaged in a job as a cabin boy on a ship, traveled to America, served as a servant for two years and much more all as a man under different pseudonyms.
Catalina also served with the army of Chili. Wikipedia states that her aggressiveness as a conqueror allowed her army to sweep through the lands and defeat their enemies. She was promoted to second lieutenant and took over for her captain when he died in battle. She obtained a reputation of being a brave warrior and skillful with weapons. Throughout her time in the military her identity as a woman was never revealed.
According to Matthew Goldmark of the Colonial Latin American Review, along with being a soldier who fought in war, Catalina also fought to break down the traditional gender roles and sexual norms of early Spain. He also goes on to say that in early Spanish time, gender was intertwined with religion, blood lines and profession. Goldmark says that behavior, social standing and the clothing people wore also contributed to Spain's early definition of gender. Men were expected to be warriors and use violence to fight. Catalina fought to be free from the convent and fought in a war. Her behavior was manly while she dressed of the opposite sex. She showed all the characteristics of a man and thrived in her society while doing so. Catalina showed you don't have to be a man to be a fighter: women can be just a good of a warrior as men can be. Even though her dressed and acted as a man, her many accomplishments in life were because she was indeed a woman.
An opinion from Angeline Goreau from The New York Times, sheds light on the possibility that Catalina only felt she could be a free person to make her own choices as a male. Goreau goes on to say while Catalina's brothers traveled to South American in search of adventure and fortune, her sisters and herself were forced into the convent. This viewpoint reflects the opinions of her culture and the time period of her life. In colonial times, women didn't have much power of choice, and I think Catalina chose to be a man to exercise her right to a life of adventure and freedom.
As a historical figure, elements of Catalina's story resonate with issues in today's society. In the past, men had most of the power in society, and the way legal decisions are being made today, that same principle applies to my everyday life. She inspires me to take charge of my life, and to not let anyone or any organization try to trap me with values I don't deem important. Catalina shows that gender roles do not define success. The society that I live in needs to adopt this ideal quickly.
Wikipedia states Catalina's identity was finally revealed when she was arrested in Peru. To save herself from execution, she confessed to being a woman and a virgin who had served in a convent. She was pardoned and sent back to Spain. Despite finally revealing her true identity, her long life of accomplishments as a woman are still talked about today in history books, movies and novels. Catalina de Erauso is one of Spain's greatest historical women warriors.
"Catalina de Erauso." Wikipedia, 30 Oct. 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalina_de_Erauso.
Goldmark, Matthew. "Reading Habits: Catalina de Erauso and the Subjects of Early Modern Spanish Gender and Sexuality." Colonial Latin American Review, vol. 24, no. 2, 2015, pp. 215-235.
Goreau, Angeline. "Cross-Dressing For Success." The New York Times, 17 Mar. 1996, http://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/17/books/cross-dressing-for-success.html. Accessed 30 Oct. 2017.
I really enjoyed your post about Catalina. One question that I had while reading this was that if Catalina disguised herself as a man to escape the convent and fight for a better life, what "male" name did Catalina use to cover up her "female" name. I found it interesting how at a young age Catalina was forced into a convent with her siblings and then at age 15 she escaped to prevent feeling trapped there. I found Catalina's story somewhat similar to the Disney movie Mulan. I thought the part where Catalina had made the journey all the way to the other side of the world and was sent back to Spain was upsetting. The fact that she made the journey all the way there disguised as a male and then sent back once discovered was not right, they should have allowed her to continue to live in Peru or move elsewhere.
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