The Dahomey Amazons: and the Invasion of Abeokuta
A brief history of the warrior women of Ancient Dahomey
BRIEF ORIGIN:
The Kingdom of Dahomey was an African kingdom that existed from 1600 until 1894 and occupied the area presently known as the Benin Republic. They were a vassal state to the Oyo empire until 1830 when Oyo fell. They were a regional power that had an organized economy built on military conquest and slave trade.
They had a reasonably large army consisting of male and female units. The female army unit was known to be brutal and destructive, housing some of the fiercest and ferocious female warriors ever seen on the continent. They were widely known for their bravery and unmatched savagery as they consistently took delight in the collection and scraping of the skulls of any enemy killed in battle.
These female warriors are now known as the Dahomey Amazons in popular culture.
