In my childhood before my people crossed the frozen Danube that cold morning in January of 406AD. I traveled with my farther to the Hungarian plains. As we came out the hills I saw a silhouette of a rider with the morning sun behind her riding with the skill of a centaur. I thought she must be a valkyrie. As she approached my farther said she was a Hun princess of a noble family. As an uncouth child I stared in wide eyed wonder at this warrior goddess. She was ……. beautiful and terrible. My farther cuffed me exclaiming “Do not gawk boy”. Even as I age I do not forget that morning.

Catharina when I correspond with you that morning plays through my mind with all the memories, the orange blaze of sunrise that promised to warm the day, the cool breeze that carried the scent of wild flowers, but most of all the beautiful valkyrie that rode across the plains that spring morning.

Here are some paintings of women of the steeps.