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SPEAKER_04: Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan,
SPEAKER_00: and this is Womanica. This month we're talking about folk heroes, women whose lives and stories took on mythic proportions. Today's story was first told more than 1,500 years ago. A young woman had an elderly father who was conscripted into the Chinese army. Instead, she decides to take his place on the battlefield. It's an iconic tale that has symbolized courage, familiarity, and a sense of pride. But was she a real person? Let's talk about Hua Mulan. The Ballad of Mulan first began circulating in written form around the fifth or sixth century. It was a poem, meant to be memorized and retold over and over again. At the time, China was divided into Northern and Southern dynasties. In the South were the Han people. Today, China is divided into the Han people. In the South were the Han people. Today, they're the largest ethnic group in the world. In the North, the Wei dynasty ruled. They were ruled by the Toba, a formerly nomadic Turkic people. Mulan's story begins there, on the Northern plains of China. Mulan was a young girl who spent her time weaving cloth. One day, her size overpowered the sounds of her loom. Conscription notices had been posted around town. Her father's name was on them. But he was old and weak. Mulan had no older brothers. There was no one to fight in their father's name. No one, that is, except Mulan. At the market, she bought a spirited horse, then a saddle and a bridle, and finally a whip. At dawn, she set out for her new life. Mulan rode all day. As the sun set, she camped by the Yellow River, which snaked across the Northern plains. Her mother and her father called out for her, but Mulan couldn't hear them. She was far away by then, and all she could hear was the gurgling of the river. The next morning, Mulan rode farther, towards Black Mountain. Her family wondered where she'd gone, but herds of nomadic ponies thundered past Mulan, and all she could hear was the sound of their hooves. Clad in armor and dressed in masculine clothes, Mulan met up with the Khan's troops, and for the next 12 years, she was a soldier. After more than a decade of success on the battlefield, Mulan essentially retired. She found herself in the royal court, in an audience of the Khan, whom they called the Son of Heaven. The Khan doled out promotions and government positions to other soldiers, but Mulan had a more simple request. All she asked, I wish to ride a swift mount to take me back to my home. When word reached her family that their warrior daughter was on her way, preparations began. Her little brother slaughtered animals for a feast. Her older sister fixed her makeup, rubbing blush on the apples of her cheeks. Her parents walked outside to the wall that surrounded their home, leaning on each other. Amid a flurry of horses' hooves, Mulan appeared still dressed in her armor. Their daughter had come back at last. Back in her old room, Mulan put on a gown. She looked in a mirror, fixing her hair that floated like a cloud around her face. She dabbed on yellow flower powder makeup, and when she walked outside her door, she came face to face with her old war comrades. The men were shocked. They'd never known that Mulan was actually a woman. She turned to them and said, Two hairs running side by side, close to the ground. How can they tell if I am he or she? At least, that's what was in the first known version of the Ballad of Mulan. Some ancient historians have treated the poem as fact, as historical evidence, but today, we don't know if Mulan was a real person. She could have been meant as more of an ideal, an example for other women warriors, or an image of the perfect daughter. Throughout history, writers from Imperial Dynasty after Imperial Dynasty have adapted Mulan's story in their own work. There are more poems, an opera, and even a novel. In modern times, the Ballad of Mulan has been reimagined in two major Disney movies. With each retelling, the story takes on new details, reflecting the values and context of the era, whether it's foot binding or gender equality. Mulan's story continues to evolve and inspire young people today. All month, we're talking about folk heroes. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram at Womanica Podcast. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow.
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