Amazoner kvinnor
This fierce all-female army was so ruthless that European colonists called them the Amazons after the merciless warriors of Greek mythology. But for me, the real stars were the Dora Milaje, the special forces unit of the fictional Kingdom of Wakanda. I amazoner kvinnor thrilled to find out that the inspiration for these powerful women is rooted in reality, and that the descendants of these women still keep their traditions alive.
You may also be interested in:. She is our God. We would die for her," said Rubinelle, choosing her words carefully.
Verklighetens amasoner var inga förlorare
The year-old secretary was talking about her grandmother, who was sitting on a bed in one of the front rooms of a house in Abomey, the former capital of the Kingdom of Dahomey and now a thriving city in southern Benin. I had been granted an audience with Dahomian royalty: a descendant of Queen Hangbe, who according to local legend is the founder of the Amazons, an elite group of female warriors.
As her living embodiment, the elderly woman has inherited her name and her authority. Four Amazons were attending to her, sitting on a woven mat on the floor. The room was relatively grand: there was a table and chairs for visitors and, in the "amazoner kvinnor," sat an old-fashioned television next to a makeshift drinks cabinet.
After amazoner kvinnor that I should prostrate myself before the queen and take a ceremonial sip of water, Rubinelle and her grandmother told me the story of their ancestors. The Dahomey Amazons were frontline soldiers in the army of the Kingdom of Dahomey, a West African empire that existed from to Its remnants lie in modern-day Amazoner kvinnor, which occupies a sliver of the coast between Nigeria and Togo.
Whether conquering neighbouring tribes or resisting European forces, the Amazons were known for their fearlessness. In one of the final battles against the French in before the kingdom became a French colony, it is said only 17 out of Amazons came back alive. According to legendHangbe assumed the throne in the early 18th Century after the sudden death of her twin brother, Akaba.
After a short rule, she was forcibly deposed by her power-hungry younger brother, Agaja. There is no sign of one belonging to Hangbe, and some historians question whether she existed at all. Yet her legacy lived on through her mighty female soldiers. Oral and written accounts differ over the origins of the women-only corps. Some sources describe the Amazons as elephant hunters who graduated to human prey.
The more widely accepted theory is that they served as royal bodyguards to Hangbe and the kings "amazoner kvinnor" came after. It was King Ghezo, who ruled over Dahomey from towho officially integrated the Amazons into the army. This in part was a practical decision, as manpower was increasingly scarce due to the European slave trade. An integral legend told of Mawu-Lisa, a male and female god who came together to create the universe.
In all institutions, political, religious and military, men would have a female equivalent. The king, however, reigned supreme. Historical accounts of the Amazons are notoriously unreliable, though several European slave traders, missionaries and colonialists recorded their encounters with the fearless women.
Amazonerna
InItalian priest Francesco Borghero described an army exercise where thousands of women scaled m-high thorny acacia bushes barefoot without a whimper. InFrench colonial administrator Jean Bayol described witnessing one young Amazon approach a captive as part of her training. However, Leonard Wantchekon, who was born in Benin and is now professor of politics at Princeton Amazoner kvinnor and founder of the African School of Economics in Cotonou, Benin, claims the contemporary term does not accurately reflect the role the warriors played in Dahomey society.
Today, the role of Queen Hangbe and her Amazons is primarily ceremonial, presiding over religious amazoner kvinnor that take place at the temple near her home. When I asked to take photographs of Queen Hangbe, Pierrette, another Amazon, jumped up to unfurl a ceremonial parasol over her mistress in the dark room. A dressmaker, Pierrette designs a new umbrella for her queen every year.
Amazonerna
Loaded with symbolism, these elaborately decorated parasols once showed status in the Dahomey court. Parasols also featured images of birds and animals, as well as the round-headed clubs that Amazons used in battle. These lethal weapons also feature in carvings on the mud walls of the squat palace buildings. Though Behanzin, the last king of the Dahomey Empire, burnt the palaces before the French arrived, a section still stands in Abomey, a rusty Unesco sign hanging limply at the entrance.
The bas reliefs show how the Amazons used the clubs, as well as muskets and machetes, to inflict death on enemies. There has always been a fascination with the Amazons, but its nature seems to be changing. The Black Panther film is responsible, certainly, but Dr Amazoner kvinnor Vido at the University of Abomey-Calavi, who has introduced a new course on the history of women in West Africa, has another theory.
Much of the interest in the Amazons centres on their mercilessness, though Wantchekon dismisses the glorification of their battle exploits. Instead, Wantchekon is amazoner kvinnor interested in what the Amazons achieved as veterans. For many years, his aunt looked after an elderly Amazon who had moved to the village after retiring from the army.