The Role of Women and Children in Malta’s Great Siege

When most people think of the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, one image comes to mind: the Knights of St. John, clad in armour, holding their ground against the might of the Ottoman Empire. Legendary figures like Toni Bajada, the spy who ferried crucial messages between fortresses, dominate the story. But beneath the layers of knightly heroics lies a lesser-told truth: Malta’s defence was not only the work of warriors. It was also the work of women, children, and ordinary Maltese who refused to sit on the sidelines of history.

Why the history we remember is incomplete

Military history has a pattern. Battles are told through the deeds of generals, soldiers, and charismatic leaders. In Malta’s case, this tradition leaves us with a narrative built almost entirely around the Knights and their European allies. Yet this lens misses something crucial: wars are not only fought on the battlefield. They are lived, endured, and resisted by entire societies.

That omission matters. By excluding women and children from the story of the Great Siege, we risk misunderstanding what really allowed Malta to withstand one of the largest military campaigns of the 16th century. Their roles, though less glamorous than sword fights on ramparts, were decisive in ensuring the island’s survival.

The Siege begins: a society under attack

When the Ottoman fleet appeared on Malta’s shores in May 1565, the entire island knew what was at stake. Malta was not a sprawling territory with vast reserves. It was a small archipelago with limited resources, and everyone would be drawn into the fight.

As the alarm bells tolled, families streamed into the fortified cities of Birgu, Isla, and Mdina. But their purpose was not only to seek shelter. Once inside, Maltese civilians assumed active roles. Women tended to the injured, cooked for soldiers, and kept morale alive. Some went further, helping to man the walls, throwing rocks and boiling liquids on attackers when breaches seemed inevitable.

The ingenuity of Malta’s youth

The Siege also revealed something often overlooked: the creativity of young Maltese boys. Accounts describe how they improvised weapons to supplement the limited arsenal of the defenders. Among the most striking examples were “fire hoops,” iron or wooden rings wrapped in flammable material. Once set ablaze and hurled, these rolling infernos could maim or kill multiple Ottoman soldiers at once.

Mdina’s bluff

One of the most remarkable moments came far from the Knights’ stronghold in Birgu. The inland city of Mdina, lightly defended and vulnerable, seemed like an easy target for the Ottomans. But the locals devised a deception. Women and young boys donned helmets and pieces of armour, parading on the bastions to give the impression of a heavily manned fortress. At the same time, cannons roared to life, echoing across the countryside, shooting towards the advancing ottomans even when they were out of range.

The psychological effect was immediate. Believing they faced a formidable garrison, Ottoman forces chose to bypass Mdina entirely. The fact the canons were shot very early also gave the impression of a well-supplied city. This miscalculation spared the town from devastation and relieved pressure on the rest of Malta.

Rethinking what the Siege really meant

From the perspective of the Maltese, the siege also something more personal: a fight for survival, waged by an entire society. The contributions of women and children did not make it into official chronicles with the same prominence as knightly duels. Yet without them, Malta’s resistance might have faltered. The Siege was not just a military event. It was a collective act of endurance.

Why these stories matter today

Telling these stories is not about downplaying the Knights or dismissing their sacrifices. It is about widening the lens. By recognising the roles of civilians, especially women and children, we gain a fuller understanding of how Malta survived its greatest trial. We also remind ourselves that history is never made by elites alone.

As Malta continues to celebrate its past, the challenge is to tell it inclusively. The Great Siege was not simply the Knights’ war. It was the Maltese people’s war too. Their resilience, ingenuity, and courage deserve to be remembered alongside the knightly legends.