This chapter offers a new interpretation of Kurdish folk and classical literary heroines and suggests that they are not only symbols of patriarchal relations but important agents acting out values shared in the past by Kurdish society. The chapter departs from investigating the heroic heritage expressed through the range of folk narratives and proverbs such as Şêr şêr e, çi jin e çi mêr e (Lion is a lion whether it is female or male) which recently became associated with women guerillas. A new reading of Mem û Zîn (1695) by Ehmedê Xanî proposes to see Zîn, as the powerful personage acting upon God’s love and mercy, contrary to the men’s world dominated by sword. Finally, the chapter discusses modern uses of Mestûre Ardalan’s heritage (1805–1847), a Kurdish poet and chronicler, whose representation obtains new meaning among Kurdish women. The study combines textual analysis, semi-structured interviews, and autobiographical research. It proposes to reconcile the different understandings of cultural heritage which is perceived as an empowering tool to negotiate new ways of being in the world. It becomes an intimate act of communication and meaning-making closely linked to Engin Isin’s acts of citizenship.