Amazons: Who were they?
January 20th 2007 03:58
Amazons. Who hasn't heard of these fearless nation of women warriors? Hippolyta, Penthesilea and other immortal names? They have forever scarred people's imaginations as brave women, fierce but graceful, dangerous and sexy at the same time. A women-hating, homosexual English poet called Shakespeare even used an Amazon heroine to portray a brutish, marm-like dyke to vent his spleen.
According to ancient Greek legends, they were supposed to be a nation composed of entirely women who were trained for war and fearless in waging it. They were so committed to bravery that they even burned their right breast off so that it will be easier for them to us e abow and arrow. Only women were allowed in their society but to prevent them from dying up, they would kidnap hapless men from neighbouring countries, get pregnant and breed girl children. They even marched right up to Athens, to claim their queen who had been fisked by the upstart Theseus.
The myths are clear and consistent and you have to remember that even Homer was accused of being a fabulist until Schliemann found Troy or remains of a city that could be Troy. If so many other Greek traditions have been found to be true, they why not this, one of the most persistent and colorful of all legends? And its not just Greeks. They appear in mythic traditions across "three continents", as Sacred-texts.com site puts it.
The ruse of women burning their right breast is remarkably used in Silappadikaram, a Tamil Epic, where this act becomes the apotheotic climax. This epic is set in Kaveripattanam, a big port connected to the rest of the world through sea. Even though the herione in the epic is a housewife and not a martial warrior, remember merchants were the surest way of transmission of tales in the ancient world. And the tales of handsome warriors being forced to impregnate a nation of women are a legion, to be found in various chivalric literatures.
People who looked for the original Amazons have generally considered Sarmatians as the most likely candidate for them. This is a little known Scythian tribe whose men were accused of being ruled over by women. This particualr accusation too has been repeated for Scythian protoypes wherever they appear in legends, whether in Indo-Iran or in Greece. So much so that an archealogist, who first stumbled on a few Sarmatian inscriptions in Asia Minor would joyfully exclaim that he had found the Amazons.
But, beautiful and fierce, this nation of warrior women remains elusive as ever.
According to ancient Greek legends, they were supposed to be a nation composed of entirely women who were trained for war and fearless in waging it. They were so committed to bravery that they even burned their right breast off so that it will be easier for them to us e abow and arrow. Only women were allowed in their society but to prevent them from dying up, they would kidnap hapless men from neighbouring countries, get pregnant and breed girl children. They even marched right up to Athens, to claim their queen who had been fisked by the upstart Theseus.
The myths are clear and consistent and you have to remember that even Homer was accused of being a fabulist until Schliemann found Troy or remains of a city that could be Troy. If so many other Greek traditions have been found to be true, they why not this, one of the most persistent and colorful of all legends? And its not just Greeks. They appear in mythic traditions across "three continents", as Sacred-texts.com site puts it.
The ruse of women burning their right breast is remarkably used in Silappadikaram, a Tamil Epic, where this act becomes the apotheotic climax. This epic is set in Kaveripattanam, a big port connected to the rest of the world through sea. Even though the herione in the epic is a housewife and not a martial warrior, remember merchants were the surest way of transmission of tales in the ancient world. And the tales of handsome warriors being forced to impregnate a nation of women are a legion, to be found in various chivalric literatures.
People who looked for the original Amazons have generally considered Sarmatians as the most likely candidate for them. This is a little known Scythian tribe whose men were accused of being ruled over by women. This particualr accusation too has been repeated for Scythian protoypes wherever they appear in legends, whether in Indo-Iran or in Greece. So much so that an archealogist, who first stumbled on a few Sarmatian inscriptions in Asia Minor would joyfully exclaim that he had found the Amazons.
But, beautiful and fierce, this nation of warrior women remains elusive as ever.
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Comment by Jessicca
Learning Something Everyday
Daily History
Malaysia Found
I too have been wondering what nation is there and there must be some reason that the Amazons discarded men and remained as a women's tribe.
There's also a legend story in China where there was a country inhabited by mostly women. And men are either servants, sex pets or reproduction slaves.
Perhaps, they might be referring to the Amazons...
Have a blessed weekend.
Jessicca
Comment by spain01
Juan Carlos
spain again
While your'e about it
Viva l'difference
Fire News Blog
Cities dying of thirst.
Two are: in the mid-nineteenth century, 5,000 African Dahomey women comprised more than 45 percent of the kingdom's army and in the Nicaraguan Sandinistas final push against Anastasio Somoza's army in the 1970s, women comprised 30 percent of the rebel forces. As to the warrior spirit, one riveting case is that of Queen Durgautti of Hindustan. Ruling over wealthy lands in the fourteenth century, the Queen and her son were attacked by a local mogul. After her son fell in battle, a general rout ensued. In response, Durgautti rode her elephant into the opposing Muslim army and the rallied troops followed. During the fight, the Queen was struck in the eye by an arrow. She broke off the shaft and continued her charge with the arrow tip still in her eye. After she was hit a second time, she ordered her elephant handler to kill her to prevent her from being taken captive, which he refused. Grabbing the dagger, the Queen stabbed herself to death.
Of course this leaves out the Iceni who were led by the famous Boadica. Apparently many women warriors were present in those tribes. Women are generally left out of histories of conflict but in fact many were present at famous battles including Waterloo and Trafalgar. In the latter women help fight by priming the cannons and the pistols and discharging many. They fought on both sides. Women as a group do not make good warriors for many interesting reasons. The need to care for an produce children is the greatest obstacle hence the symbol of having their breasts removed which ancient writers dressed up as having something to do with shooting bows and arrows.
Comment by Lilla
Enviro Warrior
An Extra Ordinary Life
Dream Herald
I always thought of Amazonian roots as having preceded Egyptian times. Snippets of Biblical records in Genisis, talk of Giant men taking women and mating with them, may have rebounded, producing an epoch of giant women?
But on a lineal time-line, my feelings place them, between Atlantian and Egyptian civilisations.
I doubt very much, as in all things, they were as fierce as the whispers and echos of history have made them, but the left breast does make sense, especially when civilisations of hunter gatherers were required to hunt as a matter of survival.
Whether they were all dykes or not is laughable, I agree.
Great Post!
Thanks,
Lilla
Comment by nagster
Cenacle
It's cool that there is a Chinese reference too. Wonder what that is.
Have a nice weekend, y'all.
Comment by nagster
Cenacle
Thanks. It's amazing all those references that you turned up. But, ya know my post was about this mythical race. There have been hundreds of instances where women have taken part in battle. Still, I may do another post on that one. Nice idea.
Comment by nagster
Cenacle
I am not aware of any Genesis references to warrior women. It'd be cool to find out. Again, I wouldn't place them as early as that. And I agree, the reality might probably might not be as glamourous. But then, it might be. Who knows?