Most previous studies relating to women in Tang Daoism have relied heavily on Du Guangting's (850-933) Yongcheng jixian lu, despite the fact that Du's acknowledged hagiographies are idealized versions of the women's lives. The present article seeks instead to gather information about historical priestesses from a wide range of contemporary sources, including most importantly epitaphic inscriptions, as well as other materials such as manuscripts from Dunhuang, various poems, essays, anecdotal accounts, and monastic gazetteers. Even while taking account of the possible urge of the authors sometimes to overpraise or exaggerate the merits of their subjects, we discover a surprisingly broad gamut of abilities displayed and activities engaged in by these women. Records relating to fifty-two named individuals are surveyed here, yielding much information of a quotidian nature about the varying roles and religious experiences of Daoist priestesses.