Is the Shieldmadien a SF/F sterotype?

[Konig15]

What I mean is, a shieldmadien was a warrior who fought along side her father or husband on the battlefield in ancient times, mostly among Norsemen and Germans. I don't mean a Xena, who is essentially an outsider and in defiance of gender stereotypes. I was thinking maybe Ellen Ripley and Aeryn Sun would fit this mold because women in those societies are EXPECTED to fight, so they're not so foriegn and exotic. Likme I was thinking they'd be homegrown, girl-next-door asskickers, ones you could easily talk to, date or even marry. There not on a pedestal, they are accessable, and maybe even your friend when they're not fighting whatever.

[BookStop]

There is almost always a stereotype in SFF about women fighting. Either they are helpless, or they fight but the men around don't really think they fight as well as a man. So I guess I'm thinking, no, it's not really a stereotpe if the women are expected to fight alongside the men.

[Konig15]

Originally Posted by BookStop

There is almost always a stereotype in SFF about women fighting. Either they are helpless, or they fight but the men around don't really think they fight as well as a man. So I guess I'm thinking, no, it's not really a stereotpe if the women are expected to fight alongside the men.

About the 'not fighting as good as the men' thing. I imagine in a strongly patriarchal society with women fighters, women would be seen mothers first and fighters second, while men are seen as fighters first and fathers second. So while a woman who clearly fights AS WELL as the men is very respected, a woman who fights BETTER than the men is seen as an oddity, perhaps as to manly to want men. I sorta suspect that's why in Xena they played up the Lesbian angle for almost the entire series, because making her a bawdy heterosexual woman would make viewers uncomfortable.

I sorta am writing a story about a great warrior woman who makes no secret of the fact that she LOVES men. She's as lecherous as Miroku from InuYasha. I don't know if it'll work so I'm trying to see where the stereotypes lie.

[BookStop]

Sounds like it's outside the boundries of a stereotype to me. that's difficult to do nowadays. Good luck; you'll have to post bits in the critique section once you get going.

[The Ace]

Two words Angelina DiGriz.