Audacious Facts About Catalina de Erauso, The Daredevil Nun
Gender-bending nun. Bloodthirsty soldier. Shameless womanizer. Catalina de Erauso is an anti-hero for the ages. Growing up in the blood-soaked fall of the Spanish Empire, Erauso's chilling life replicated the violence of their youth.
They travelled the world and led colonial armies with an iron fist--and yet, Erauso can't be defined as a simple villain. Catalina has also gone down in history for rebelling against gender norms and living on their own wholly unique terms.
So, is Erauso friend or foe? Read on and decide for yourself.
But before we begin, a note: To this day, people aren't sure whether to call Catalina de Erauso a lesbian, a transgender person, or another term. Since we can't know which pronouns Erauso would prefer, we're using the "they"
pronoun to reflect Erauso's gender-nonconformity.
Catalina de Erauso Facts
1. They Were Born into Nobility
Erauso entered a life of conflict, thanks to their father's job as the commander of the King of Spain's forces. Unfortunately, this particular king, Phillip III, wasn't the best boss.
Philip brought the Spanish Empire into so many bloody conflicts that historians now credit him with destroying the empire. Maybe seeing this vicious downfall influenced Catalina's bloodthirsty actions later in life?
2. They Learned to Fight
Thanks to their commander-dad Miguel, Erauso learned to fight as soon as possible. Miguel threw Catalina and their siblings into the trenches of training, no matter their gender.
Even though Catalina began life as a girl, they learned the art of combat alongside their brothers. Already, their life was shaping up to be two things: utterly unique...and completely violent.
The Lieutenant Nun (1944), Clasa Films Mundiales
3. They Were Forced Into a Convent
Even though the Erauso family decided to train their kids in combat, mom and dad didn’t actually want that type of life for their children. When Catalina was only four years old, mom and dad sent their little tyke off to a convent alongside their two sisters. To say that Erauso didn't like life in the strict convent would be a huge understatement.
