I have stumbled upon the most perfect quote from French anarchist Alexandra David-Néel. When asked why she made a perilous journey to Tibet, she responded “it was there and the bureaucrats said not to”.* #Thread #HistoryFromHome 1/6

Alexandra David-Néel was born in 1868 Paris. She was greatly influenced by the radical ideas of late 19th C France, especially those of noted anarchist, Jaques Elisée Reclus, and would eventually write Pour la vie (For Life) in 1898, her treatise on anarachism and feminism. 2/6

When she was 21, she converted to Buddhism, infusing her anarchist ideals into her spirituality. In 1916, defying British authorities, she became the first European woman to visit Tibet. She would return in 1924, incognito and on foot. (For why see opening quote) 3/6

Her 1924 journey took 44 days, in which she "crossed a dozen peaks with snow up to my knees, slept in icy caves like a prehistoric woman, without food, almost barefoot, the soles of my moccasins being worn out by the rocks in the road." The journey almost took her life.* 4/6

Well known in her own time, she would inspire writers like Kerouac and Ginsberg, as well as several movies, documentaries, and even an opera. She died at almost 101 years old in 1969, having lived a life barely touched on in this thread. 5/6

*If you'd like to know more about Alexandra David-Néel, I'd recommend a fascinating lecture "Anarchist Women and the Politics of Walking", by pol theorist Kathy Ferguson.

[Political Research Quarterly2017, Vol. 70(4) 708 –719] 6/6