Essays

Long-form essays and reflections from the Domina Tempora archive.

The Sea Is Hers: The Power and Peril of Java’s Spirit Queen

October 2026

Kanjeng Ratu Kidul is a well-known figure in Javanese mythology who is still venerated by the Javanese today as the spirit queen of the Indian Ocean. Living in her palace on the bottom of the ocean off the south coast of Central Java, she rules the ocean, the spirits, nymphs, and other beings from the underworld. Her rare excursions ashore are believed to be accompanied by the occurrence of unusual natural phenomena, such as spring tides. As queen of the Southern Ocean, Kanjeng Ratu Kidul (or Nyai Loro Kidul) is held responsible for disappearances and deaths near or in the ocean. Therefore, like burial grounds, the ocean is also regarded as a dwelling place for the spirits of the dead, especially of people who die unnatural deaths by drowning.

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Bellona: When Rome Gave War a Woman’s Face

In his History, Livy reported that during a critical part of the battle against the Samnites in 296 BCE, the general Appius Claudius was seen in the front lines raising his hands as he uttered a prayer, “Bellona, if you grant us victory today, I promise to build you a temple.” This prayer was proven to be effective as the Romans proceeded to capture and plundered the Samnite camp, giving a massive amount of booty to their own sodiers. More than a thousand years later, Shakespeare introduced Macbeth as a violent and brave warrior when the Thane of Ross calls him "Bellona's bridegroom", placing her as the equivalent of Mars himself.

Queen of Blood: The Violent World of Fredegund

Fredegund (545 - 597 CE), the queen consort of Chilperic I - the Merovingian Frankish king of Soissons, has a reputation of being one of the most bloodthirsty and sadistic women in history. Accounts by Gregory, the Bishop of Tours (539 - 594 CE), depict her as a murderous lady who achieved power through her husband and used it to keep his kingdom in a state of war for more than forty years. She was also known as an early exponent of dirty warfare who relied heavily on poison and other covert operations

Inside the Korean Royal Court: The Women Who Kept a Kingdom Running

The lives of the Women life took a different turn during Joseon Dynasty (1392 - 1910) as the country adapted neo-Confucianism. However, although the cultural focus have shifted to the men at this time, it was clear that women still held important roles in society. Many prominent positions traditionally held by women since early Korea survived and, through a provision made in 1392 by king Taejo, installed as a system of central and local government offices.

The Four Great Beauties: When a Pretty Face Could Topple a Kingdom

The Four Great Beauties are four ancient Chinese women renowned for their beauty which they skillfully exercised to influence Chinese history. Although each of the Four Great Beauties frequently appear as the subjects or objects of arts, one seldom learns much of them beyond their names, descriptions of their looks and brief mentions of their skills. This is common in ancient Chinese works related to female performers, or courtesans.

Benzaiten: The Evolution of Japan’s Goddess of Music, Wealth, and War

Benzaiten is one of Japan's most complex and popular syncretic deities who has long ago been conflated and associated with other divinities from the Hindu, Buddhist, and Japanese pantheons.

Female Shamans and Sacred Queens of the East: Power from the Other Side

There were certain people whose understanding enabled them to make a meaningful definition of what lies above and below this world, as well as the insight to illuminate the distant and profound. It was upon these people where the spirits would descend.

The Onna-bugeisha. Or, Why Every Samurai Castle Needed Armed Women

A research into onna bugeisha (“women who practiced the art of war”) in Japan tells us that the culture of female warriors were, in fact, a more common occurrence than we know. The employment of women in warfare is generally caused by a society’s acknowledgement of women’s combat potential and willingness to utilize them in war. For this, that society needs to recognize the presence of a combat role that can be effectively filled by the women.

Lysippos and Alexander: The World’s First Celebrity Photoshoot

Explore the Daochos Monument, its statues and inscriptions, and the influence of Lysippos on Alexander the Great's iconic depictions.

The Dying Gaul and the Strange Beauty of Losing

The 2,000-year-old sculpture of the Dying Gaul is a larger-than-life marble sculpture of a semi-nude man on the ground holding himself with one arm, resting weakly on an outstretched leg. His hand sits atop a broken sword on the ground and his head bent downward, the man is dying from a chest wound. The statue has been rediscovered in the early 17th century during excavations for the Villa Ludovisi, commissioned by art connoisseur Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi, which was built on the site of the ancient Gardens of Sallust on Rome's Pincian Hill.