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Warmatrix

War Matrix - Dahomey Amazons

Age of Reason 1620 CE - 1750 CE, Armies and troops

Dahomey Amazons in Paris
Dahomey Amazons in Paris
The Dahomey Amazons were one of the few all-female warrior groups. The name is a European label; they called themselves "Ahosi" ('King's wives' in Fon) or "N'Nonmiton" ('Our mothers'). It is said that they were established in the 17th century CE as a group of elephant hunters, transformed into a royal bodyguard in the early 18th century CE.
The group was a mix of volunteers, women expelled by their men and others recruited as children. Their training was rigorous, physical hardening severe and discipline strict. In battle they were fierce, often decapitating vanquished enemies. In peacetime they engaged in mock battles and jungle survival trips to hone their skills. Most of them were celibate; all had high status, enjoying the luxuries of alcohol, tobacco and slaves.
They seem to have numbered around 600 for a long time, armed with hand weapons. By the mid 19th century CE, with Dahomey headed by king Gezo getting into conflict with the Yoruba, this number was raised to 6,000, about a third of the entire Dahomey army. This women army consisted of a number of regiments: huntresses, riflewomen, reapers, archers and gunners. Each regiment had different uniforms, weapons and commanders. By this thime, they were equipped with muskets.
A few decades later, when the military ambitions of Gezo had been tempered, the number of amazons was reduced to about 1,500. Dahomey now engaged in two wars against France. The Africans fought bravely, the amazons earning the respect of the French legionnaires. Nonetheles Dahomey was defeated twice, because of the better French muskets, tough legionnaires and machine guns. Some amazons substituted themselves as ordinary women, allowed French officers to bed them and then cut their throats. In the final battle the amazons suffered gruesome losses and were almost wiped out, leaving only about 50 alive. These survivors were disbanded and had a lot of trouble adjusting to civilian life.