The Dahomey: An Historical Legend
Of all the many historical legends in Africa, none is as profound as the fearless female warriors of the Dahomey.
Known for their military might and skillful fighters, the Dahomey Amazons were a prolific presence that existed from the 17th century to the 19th century.
They were mostly called Mino (Our Mothers) or Ahosi, and also 'Black Sparta', living in the kingdom of Dahomey, which existed until 1904. They were created by King Houegbadja, the third king of Dahomey who ruled from 1645 to 1685. They were nothing more than a corps of elephant hunters called gbeto, and soon after, they transcended into a female bodyguard unit for the queen, Hangbe.
There are a lot of historical sources as to how they originated, where they came from, and if they went extinct.
It seems almost impossible to really uncover the real story behind these great, iconic African figures.
Taking reference from Richard Burton's "A Mission to Gelele, King of Dahome", London 1864, and several slave narratives written from 1740-1797 , we can fully come to the ingenious conclusion that the shroud of mystery overwhelming the ancient women is slowly fading.
These are the shocking discoveries that I found whilst researching:
The Dahomey Kingdom was known as a slave coast
The Dahomey Kingdom was formally a slave coast due to its involvement in the slave trade.
The Dahomey Amazons were mostly slaves taken from birth to fight in the king's army.. taught to be fearless and brave-unafraid of death..
No one Knows how they Originated
It would surprise you to know that their origins are mostly conflicting and contradictory.
Sources have indicated various narratives for their origin story, none of which was to be accepted.
The Dahomey Amazons fought mostly barefoot and sometimes unharmed.
Suffice it to say, the Dahomey Amazons were a force to be reckoned with and could be compared with the vicious Vikings.
Their aggressive nature showed more in their appearance than in the battles they fought.
Fighting barefoot was a thing of pride and honor, something they valued greatly.
The Nyekplohento (Reapers) are more deadly in the Dahomey Amazons.
The Nyekplohento were a section of the army, few in number but particularly feared because their razor-sharp knives could slice a man into two with a single strike.
Words are not even enough to describe the dazzling courage of the fearless female warriors of the Dahomey.
Little is known about their bravery, and more is to come.
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