>Do you have an opinion on how their rarity compares to real-world
>historical and literary instances of female knighthood (or equiv.
>status, for the Islamic world)?
As far as I know there are about two or three examples of female warleaders in the 'real-world' medieval west of Europe. No actual female knights. (Defined as an armoured warrior fighting from horseback.)
Joan of Arc was a war-leader but not herself a warrior: she directed and lead other people while not fighting herself.
As for female Islamic warriors my not very copious research doesn't bring up any to mind.
My Julianists were broken of their assumptions about female inferiority by having a female Prophet lead them and found their society but most women (an Orlanthi 'all') choose the 'traditional' route of home and family. As I said in an earlier post those women who remain part of the Menana caste don't loose the chance to become rulers.
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