What the will of a woman can do

Hi ya'll

Some years ago, when visiting the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, I saw the book "My Siberian Year" placed neatly in one of the glass cages of the big hall. It's written by the Polish anthropologist Maria Antoinette Czaplicka, who, in 1914-1915, was in charge of an expedition in Siberia to do field studies of spirit worship and shamanism.

Wow, imagine that: Being a woman, leading your own expedition - only 29 years old at the time - and doing so in the early 1900s. Now, that truly is impressive. Since seeing Czaplicka's book and learning about her achievements, I've thought of spotlighting female explorers - which is why I was absolutely thrilled when I learned about the British adventurer Elise Wortley. 

Wortley spends her time "bringing to life the incredible stories of history's forgotten women adventurers", as she writes on her website: ​"Woman With Altitude"​. And this she does in a literal sense: she re-creates the clothes the women wore and their practical travel gear and equipment, and then she sets out into the landscape and walks the route that made these women famous (read all about Wortley's own adventures here). Or, well, famous and famous - it's not as if we know these brave people's names by heart, is it? But, as I said, Wortley is trying to change this, and I wanted to help her out. Here's the first on her list.

Alexandra David-Néel (1868-1969)

Alexandra David-Néel travelled for much of her life but is most famous for her 14-year journey across Asia from 1910 to 1924 when she was 42 to 56. 

During this time, she searched for ancient Buddhist scriptures and was the first Western woman to meet the Dalai Lama. She also graduated as a Lama herself and spent almost two years in a cave, high in the freezing Himalayas, dressed only in a cotton shirt, meditating and studying Buddhist teaching. 

Alexandra battled illness and freezing temperatures and travelled thousands of miles to complete her journey across India, Nepal, Burma, Japan, Korea, Mongolia and China. From here, she successfully set out, disguised as a poor pilgrim, to the forbidden city of Lhasa, becoming the first Western woman to discover its magical secrets. Her two most famous books are written about this particular part of her adventure: Magic and Mystery in Tibet and My Journey to Lhasa.

Alexandra lived to be 101 years old, and all through her life, she was true to her own words: “I vow to show what the will of a woman can do.”

You can watch ​this​ short video if you want to know more about David-Néel remarkable history.

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“A mermaid was discovered this morning in the industrial coastal zone of Chekka, Lebanon, trapped in a tank - This is the kind of news I wish I would hear in my country." Photographer Lara Zankoul, Beirut, Lebanon. September, 2024.

BIO

Lara Zankoul is a Lebanese, Beirut-based photographer who blends creativity, storytelling and conceptual art in her work. 

Her photographs “often feature surreal and dreamlike compositions that challenge the viewer to think beyond the surface and delve into the underlying narratives,” as it says on her website.

Since 2014, Zankoul has exhibited her work at various local and international exhibitions.

​Here's​ a short video on Lara Zankoul and her work.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time - Majken xx

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It's FEMiNOMENAL!_is a blog on WOMEN within the field of History - Writing - Culture. All texts, videos, etc., are about women and/or created by women or by a team strongly represented by women. WHY? Because overall, a female approach only gets a little airtime in this world, and we need to change this. Welcome and thank you for joining.

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