Dahomey women warriors

Dahomey women warriors, women soldiers of the western African kingdom of Dahomey known for their fierceness and prowess in combat and for being protectors of the king. In the Dahomeans’ Fon language, they were called mino (“our mothers”), or ahosi (wives of the king). When Europeans first encountered the kingdom’s women soldiers, they called them Amazons, after the women warriors of Greek mythology.

Dahomey, located in what is now the country of Benin, flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries. The exact origin of the all-woman force is unknown. Scholars have posited various theories as to why women were tapped for security and combat roles, such as the loss of Dahomean men in battles with rival kingdoms or the slave trade, or the practice of not letting men in the king’s palace at night in an attempt to stave off any coup attempts. There is also uncertainty regarding which Dahomean ruler first assembled the force of women warriors.

Some scholars suggest that a small unit of women protected the king and his palaces beginning as early as the 17th or early 18th centuries. The number of women serving in this or similar capacities is thought to have started to increase under King Ghezo (also spelled Gezu; reigned 1818–58), who also expanded their responsibilities, and, by the mid-19th century, there reportedly were several thousand of the warrior women, constituting about one-third of the kingdom’s military troops. The women who made up the military corps came from a variety of backgrounds. Many were Dahomean women who joined voluntarily, while others were conscripted after having committed a crime or having been kidnapped during raids on neighbouring kingdoms. Although training was harsh and there was the obvious threat of dying in combat, many were attracted to the status of being one of the kingdom’s women soldiers and the benefits that came with it: they were housed in one of the king’s palaces and provided with food, alcohol, tobacco, the service of enslaved people, and other rewards. Their status was such that when they ventured out in public, they were accompanied by a servant who would walk ahead of them, ringing a bell. This served as notice that a woman warrior was coming, people should move out of the way, and men should avert their eyes.

At its peak, the women warrior troops were organized into different regiments, dedicated to performing specific tasks. The Gbeto (Huntresses) women were skilled at hunting and killing elephants and other game. This regiment is thought by some to have been the original all-women warrior unit in Dahomey. The Gulohento (Riflewomen) was the largest regiment. In addition to rifles, the women in this group might have also carried short swords or spears. A much smaller regiment was the Nyekplohento (Reapers). The women in this group carried sharp knives and had a reputation for being fierce and ruthless, and they were possibly the regiment that was most feared by Dahomey’s enemies. The Gohento (Archers) was also a smaller regiment and comprised excellent markswomen, who used bows and poisoned arrows. By one account, their role diminished with the proliferation of firearms, and they transitioned into serving as noncombat support to the other regiments. The women in the Agbalya (Gunners) regiment used large—and loud—artillery weapons, useful for intimidating their enemies in battle. Each regiment had it own uniform, symbols, and rituals.

The warrior women fought with distinction in many of Dahomey’s battles with neighbouring kingdoms and, later, against French colonial forces. The first battle they are thought to have participated in was that at Savi in 1727. They fought in several conflicts in the 19th century, including the kingdom’s two wars against the French, in 1890 and 1892. It was after the last battle in November 1892 that the Dahomey kingdom fell, and the women warrior corps disbanded.

The Dahomey women warriors have served as inspiration for storytelling in books and motion pictures. They are reportedly the inspiration for the elite female bodyguards and warriors known as the Dora Milaje in Marvel’s Black Panther comics and movies. The fictionalized account of a Dahomey warrior general, played by Viola Davis was the focus of the 2022 film The Woman King.