Did the Amazons Really Exist, or Were the Greeks (and DC Comics) Simply Dreaming?
Did the Amazons – a race of unbeatable warrior women favored by the gods – truly exist, or were they a product of epic Greek dramatizing?
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Well, if you asked that question before 1990, most archeologists or historical scholars would lift their nose and snoot out, with exaggerated pomposity, an emphatic and nasally “no.” But things changed in the ‘90s – archeologists found female skeletons buried in the same region Amazons apparently lived, giving credence to epic Greek storytelling.
(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
“Epic Greek storytelling?” Yep. The Amazons were first mentioned in The Iliad, written by Homer, the renowned Greek poet, sometime between the 8th and 7th centuries B.C. And in this timeless story, the Amazons were fierce combatants who mated with defeated male foes, and kept the female babies. So, they were…..intense.
And where did these warrior women dwell? Again, according to The Iliad, they resided near the Black Sea, and in a vast stretch of land known as Scythia. Where did real-life archeologists discover the aforementioned female skeletons? That’s right – the region known as Scythia. And those skeletons revealed the markings of a warrior’s life, including bone-embedded arrow heads, a liberal coating of tattoos (in permafrost-preserved samples), and particularly telling weapons these skeletons were buried with – weapons matching those held by Amazons in ancient Greek artwork. So, it looks like Greek myths told in grandiose works like The Iliad held some measure of historical truth.
Who were the real-life counterparts of mythical Amazon warriors?
Masters of horseback riding and archery, these nomadic warriors were part of an ancient group of tribes known as the Scythians. Now, the Scythian tribes weren’t women-only fight clubs – they simply included the women in tasks usually allocated to men, like hunting…and warring. And including women was a product of necessity, considering these small tribes moved across harsh steppe lands, and under persistent threat of enemy attackers.
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Beyond the inclusion of both sexes to ensure survival, the Scythian tribes were also age-inclusive – Scythian burial sites revealed female warriors between the ages of 10 and 45; they were buried with their weapons, and perhaps their favorite horse.
(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Were the Scythians the only tribes boasting formidable warrior women?
There are stories regarding Amazon-like warriors throughout the world, including Egypt, ancient Rome, North Africa, Central Asia, China, India, and many more. Vikings also filled their pillaging, mead-chugging hordes with women warriors, as did the Asgardians (Lady Sif) and the Atlanteans (Mera). And feel free to ignore those last two – just seeing if you’re still with me.
Were the above-mentioned stories regarding global Amazonians also steeped in fact? Some were, yes, but also mixed with the surreal. For example, the Amazon River was named as such due to a very strange encounter with Amazon-like women. Francisco de Orellana, a Spanish soldier (and the first European to truly explore the Amazon in 1541), was attacked regularly by tribes of fierce warrior women – women he immediately compared to the Amazons from Greek mythology.
So, were the Amazons real?
Not of the magical variety, but there were warrior tribes who nearly lived up to the Greek’s romanticized, death-dealing demigoddesses. I believe the answer is “kind of,” considering the mythology was based on verifiable fact. Historically speaking, there were very capable women wielding swords, hurling spears, and hunting man and beast alike. Were they born of the gods or isolated from the world of men? Nope, but in the quest for survival, there were enough accomplished women astride gallant horses to truly inspire an expressive Greek poet.
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