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Wonder Woman And The Myth Of The Mighty Amazons

Wonder Woman And The Myth Of The Mighty Amazons

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The names Thessalia, Hippolyta, Antiope, and even Princess Diana of Themyscira, better known as Wonder Woman are not unknown, even though up until recently only the romantics believed in their existence. They are Amazons, women warriors who were given mythological immortality by the Greeks. Every Greek warrior, from Hercules on down, had to prove his mettle by going up against an Amazon and emerging victorious from the battle. It was a rite of passage. But no one really believed they ever really existed. Until now.

Battle of the Amazons by Peter Paul Rubens (1617) Web Gallery of Art (Public Domain)

Adrienne Mayor, in her book, The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World, has drawn attention to recent archaeological discoveries that seem to prove, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that something like Amazons existed and may have been every bit as fierce as their reputations suggested. “ As Princess Diana of Themyscira, Wonder Woman is of Amazonian blue-blood. Formed from clay by her mother, Queen Hippolyta, and given life by the breath of Aphrodite, she is a demi-god. The gifts she receives from the gods of the Greek pantheon explain her superhero powers, which become evident when she transforms into Wonder Woman…Overwhelming evidence now shows that the Amazon traditions of the Greeks and other ancient societies derived in part from historical facts.”

Amazons and Scythians, by Otto van Veen, (pre 1629) Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (Public Domain)

Scythian Burial Mounds

While excavating Scythian burial mounds, archaeologists routinely uncovered evidence of Kurgans—nomadic, horse-centered warriors—including human bones found from the Black Sea to the steppes of Mongolia. To be able to fight from horseback, a unique weapon technology is required. Bows have to be shorter and more powerful in order to shoot arrows on the run over the head of one’s mount. Such bows and arrows are regularly found in burial mounds. It was just assumed that their owners were male warriors. But now the science of DNA testing has become a regular tool in the archaeologist's arsenal, and, as it turns out, at least one third of the bodies found were those of women warriors.

Riding Amazon in Scythian costume, Attic red-figure vase, c. 420 BC, Staatliche Antikensammlungen, Munich (Public Domain)

On horseback, a trained female warrior can be just as deadly as a male warrior, and maybe even prove to be a little faster and more maneuverable, due to the lighter weight the horse has to carry.

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Jim Willis is author of several books on religion and spirituality, he has been an ordained minister for over forty years while working part-time as a carpenter, the host of his own drive-time radio show, an arts council director and adjunct college professor in the fields of World Religions and Instrumental Music. He is the author of Hidden Histories: Ancient Aliens and the Secret Origins of Civilization

Top Image:   Amazons by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein (1820) (Public Domain)

By Jim Willis

 

Comments

Hi All,

Funny thing I hadn't heard of the Amazon's until the syndicated fantasy adventure television series; Xena: Warrior Princess came on. I missed the story of the Amazon's when watching the classic movie Jason and The Argonauts briefly touch on them but, I was five or six year's old (Ray Hauser creations).

I barely paid much attention to the TV series based on The DC comics Wonder Woman starring Linda Carter.

I do know that Unsolved Mysteries did a segment on an archeological discovery in Russia. The grave sites found in Russia the bones uncovered were determined to be Women and young girl's.

The indication from these burial sites is that they were Warrior Women and the subject was broached; it was an strong possibility that the women themselves who were found at the archeological/anthropological were the legendary Amazon's made known within the Greek Stories.

The Unsolved Mysteries episode did let it be known that it is up for debate about those remains of the Women were the Amazon's; even though broken damaged arrowheads were found at the sites in Russia.

I can understand the confusion Unsolved Mysteries Academics and historians grappled with on whether are not these are in fact the Amazon's that's because in Jason's testimony The Amazon's always lived on some Secret island in or around Greece/Italy.

What I picked up after carefully listening to the Segment on Unsolved Mysteries about These Amazon's it's possible Those Amazon's were made up of Clans, Family Clans or the more descriptive on The Amazon's Tribe's.

They were made up of Tribe's and each Tribe or Family Clan maintained an specific Territory whether Island's or vast land's that stretched from one end too End.

I thought that The Amazon's ascension in The World; ruled by Men, was gradual but, that their rise might have been After, the Great Deluge and The Tower of Babel, but, I'm starting to feel that my Timing of the Rise of The Amazon's is off.

Based on other Biblical Accounts I'm in the process of Studying; I feel as though these Amazon Women might have lived Before the Great Deluge.

I've used this reasoning before with other discussions pertaining to other articles posted on Ancient Origins but, I do find this explanation valid regarding the Subject of these Amazon's.

From my perspective The Eight People in the Ark; were the only witnesses to The World that existed Before The Deluge.

Noah's Children began teaching the New Generation of People The History of The Previous World that once thrived.

Part of that lesson would include Oral History on Those Amazon Women who I still feel were made up of Family Clans; probably led by Matriarch's or an Queen like state over each Amazon Tribe (hey the Men had King's State's).

Then something happens to alter these Histories being taught to Noah's grand children that is the Tower of Babel. The Tower of Babel changed everything.

According to The Bible; it says that God changed The Language's. Our Ancestors were killing themselves trying to build that Tower.

So the result of the change made by God the people that lived before the Deluge; well their name's and key moment's in Past World's History got changed as well.

This would include the History of Those Amazon Women. Considered to be The fiercest Warrior's of The Ancient World.
I sometimes wondered if the Valkries were The Amazon's by another name till, I learned of the type of animal that those women in fact rode upon.

Then again with The Book's of Enoch, I have since learned that old lesson anything is possible.

Despite all that I have shared about this Topic of The Amazon's we still have a modest amount of information on these fierce Warrior Women.

They held their own on Blood soaked Battlefield's many paying with their lives judging from the fatal arrow and sword wounds discovered on the bones of these Women found at that Burial Site in Russia.

I'm running out of thing's to share so I'll bring my thoughts to a close until, next time, for I enjoyed this Topic greatly, Everyone, Goodbye!

jim willis's picture

Jim

Jim Willis, Ancient Origins contributor and friend sadly passed away in June 8, 2024. His wisdom, knowledge, storytelling and positivity will be greatly missed. Rest in Peace Jim.

 

After graduating from the Eastman School of Music, Jim Willis became... Read More

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