It may seem like a tale straight out of MCU superhero films, but these female warriors are entirely real; they are the Dahomey soldiers – brave female warriors often referred to as the Dahomey Amazons. Their descendants are currently living in a small village in the Republic of Benin, West Africa.
In the past, the Kingdom of Dahomey ruled a vast area in West Africa, a nation built on the strength of wars and the slave trade. They had a massive military force and engaged in international trade with Europeans.
The remnants of this empire can be found in present-day Benin, which occupies a small stretch of coastline between Nigeria and Togo. Whether on missions to conquer neighboring tribes or to resist European colonial forces, these female warriors instilled fear in their enemies. In the final battle against French colonizers in 1892, before the kingdom became a French colony, only 17 out of 434 female warriors returned alive.
Today, there is limited information about how the Dahomey Amazons were trained and what ultimately happened to the last of these warriors in history, as there are no detailed records.
However, oral traditions suggest that the Dahomey Amazons are descendants of Hangbe, the twin sister of King Dahomey – Akaba. It is said that after Akaba fell in battle, Agaja (the king’s brother) rose to lead the kingdom, while Hangbe became queen, and they shared the leadership of their realm.
Queen Hangbe was a warrior herself, directly leading and selecting a female army during her reign (which could last from three months to three years), thus establishing the Dahomey female warriors.
The Dahomey Amazons were soldiers of the Kingdom of Dahomey, a West African empire that existed from about 1625 to 1894. The remnants of this empire are now found in Benin, a country along the coastline between Nigeria and Togo.
Moreover, there is another story regarding the origins of these female warriors, and it may be the most common and reasonable explanation: the Dahomey Amazons were formed to protect their own kingdom.
It all began when a war broke out between Dahomey and the Yoruba. Due to a shortage of soldiers (at that time, the increase in the slave trade to Europe led to a lack of men), the king of Dahomey was forced to recruit women into his army to defend the kingdom.
The Dahomey Amazons were formed to protect their kingdom.
By the mid-19th century, these female warriors constituted up to 40% of the Dahomey warriors, and the selection process for these warriors was extremely stringent. They underwent rigorous physical and mental tests – to fight or die. The discipline and intensity of their training transformed these women into formidable war machines.
Throughout history, we have seen women hold significant and powerful positions, such as Queen Nzinga of Angola (1583-1663) and Queen Elizabeth I of England (1533-1603)…
However, in reality, an army composed entirely of female warriors is exceedingly rare. Historical records about the Amazon warriors known worldwide are largely inaccurate and greatly exaggerated. Nonetheless, European slave traders, missionaries, and colonial administrators documented encounters with this fearsome tribe of female warriors.
It is also hard not to notice the similarities and inspirations of the Dahomey Amazons in the Dora Milaje army featured in comics and films related to Wakanda in the MCU.
The Dahomey people worship a duality creator deity – Mawu, who is female, and Lisa, who is male. They believe their universe can only function effectively when both genders work together equally. This religious foundation was maintained in both the politics and military of the Kingdom of Dahomey. These traits are also present and prominent in the Dora Milaje army of Wakanda.
So what happened to the Kingdom of Dahomey?
By the late 19th century, the Kingdom of Dahomey was fighting against the French, who were racing with other European nations to claim pieces of Africa during the colonial era.
Although French soldiers suffered significant casualties due to underestimating the valor of the Dahomey Amazons, the Kingdom of Dahomey ultimately succumbed to the French military, which possessed modern and more lethal weapons.
In a fierce battle against the French, over 400 Dahomey female warriors fought to the death to protect their kingdom, but only 17 survived.
Despite their defeat, the astonishing courage of the Amazon warriors left a lasting impression on the French soldiers. This army was disbanded when the Kingdom of Dahomey became a French colony. Some historians believe that a few surviving female warriors secretly stayed in Abomey and quietly continued to carry out assassination missions against certain French officers. The French were so terrified that they ordered that Dahomey women should never serve in the military or carry weapons.
Many sources state that the last Dahomey warrior, named Nawi, was discovered living in a remote village and died at the age of 100 in 1979. But one thing is certain: the Dahomey Amazons truly existed. They were brave warriors, unafraid, yet ruthless, and were revered protectors of their kingdom.
