8 Fascinating Facts About The Amazons of Dahomey
...that you didn't know
8 Fascinating Facts About The Amazons of Dahomey
The Woman King, a movie inspired by real-life events of powerful warrior women recently debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2022. The movie stars great thespians like Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, John Boyega, Jimmy Odukoya, among others. Its official release date in the United States is September 16 and while those of us who did not get to see it at the TIFF wait, I thought I'd do a bit of research on the women whose lives inspired this movie. Personally, I love me a little girl power research so I enjoyed writing this; I hope you enjoy reading it as well.
So, without further ado, here are 8 things you did not know about the Amazons of Dahomey:
1. They Were An All-Female Army
The Dahomey Amazons was an army of all-female soldiers who existed (as it is suggested by some scholars) between the 1600s and late 1800s. They were under the command of the ruthless and fearless King Ghezo, ruler of Dahomey (modern-day Southern Benin). That’s right, not a single man in their regiments.
2. They Had Intense Training
The Dahomey Amazons went through extensive training, the description of which sent fear into the hearts of their European visitors and enemies alike (and a bit of uneasiness to this writer). They wrestled one another, scaled hedges full of thorns and spent days in the forest with very little food. During one annual event, baskets that contained prisoners, bound hand and foot and gagged in the mouth were brought out and placed on a platform as high as 16 feet. New recruits into the army carried these baskets of people, raised them high above their heads and bam! flung them right below to an excited crowd.
The Dahomean corps were also made to behead prisoners and this they did with one swift swing of their sharp cutlasses or swords. A visiting French naval officer once witnessed one of these beheadings. The Amazon who did this, a teenage girl named Nansica, drank the blood of her victim. Gross but then again, it’s warriors we’re talking about here.
3. They Were Feared by Men
Now, in a patriarchal society, we all know how the male folks are placed way higher than women. With the Dahomey Amazons, the case was the reverse. King Ghezo cared well for his female soldiers. They lived with him and had a rich supply of food and slaves. In his account, Sir Richard Burton, a visiting British explorer, noted that when an Amazon walked out, she was accompanied by a slave girl. This slave girl rang a bell that informed males of the Amazon's presence. Any male nearby was to stay well out of the way of the Amazon. Any man who tried to touch an Amazon risked losing his life. *Shudders*
4. They Were a Fearsome Sight in Battle
The Dahomey Amazons were fearless and ready to lose their lives in battle for their King. They were that devoted.
In battle, they walked barefoot and were armed with clubs, rifles and sharp knives. The army was divided into regiments including gunners, huntresses, archers, riflewomen, and reapers. Of all the regiments, the Reapers were the deadliest and most feared. These women wielded a 3-foot-long razor capable of slicing a man in two in one swift movement. *Shudders again*
Also, each regiment had distinct uniforms and was under the command of a woman.
5. They Were Never Married
Although also called Mino or Minon which translates to "our mothers", the Dahomey Amazons were far from the business of birthing babies. They were required to live a life free of husbands and children. Many of the recruits were virgins and those who were married, were married to King Ghezo.
6. They Won Many Battles
The Dahomey Amazons won many battles, including capturing small nearby vilages and cities. However, they also suffered defeat. Between 1851 to 1864, they waged war against the people of Abeokuta (now the capital city of Ogun state in Nigeria). Unfortunately for them, they were defeated. They also lost to the French in the two Franco-Dahomean wars that took place between 1890 to 1894.
Despite these defeats, the French soldiers praised the skill and bravery of the fearless women. I mean, they were warriors.
7. They Were Named After the Greek Amazons
Due to their military might and dexterity, their European observers nicknamed them the Amazons after the Greek mythological female warriors. Hello Princess Diana, hello Queen Hippolyta.
8. Gone but Not Forgotten
After the French won the war and the kingdom of Dahomey became a French protectorate, the Dahomean military was disbanded. According to oral history, many of them were quietly killed off by some French officers. For the surviving few, it was not easy for them to adjust to an everyday life. Reports have it that they were ill-tempered, quick to pick up fights and some suffered PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder) as a result of past battles and wars. Historians also record that some of the survivors trained other women, even though these new learners would never use such skills in a battle.
The last surviving member of the Dahomey Amazons, a woman named Nawi, passed in November 1979, at a good old age of 100.
So, there you have it, folks. I hope you enjoyed reading this captivating information about these great women, you don't hear things like this everyday. However, I also wonder if besides these women, there were any other formidable all-female warriors at any time in history. What do you think?
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