Myths about the Amazons arouse interest among many women and awe among men.
It’s impossible to say with complete certainty that the Amazons really did exist, but there’s also no evidence they didn't. Archaeological finds of female warriors' remains speak in favor of the existence of the Amazons, there were many of the remains, but we can’t state that these warriors fought for the female power and against the patriarchy. However, basing on the history of matriarchy, it’s logical to assume that the Amazons or their prototypes really existed. The patriarchy didn’t come at once, women were on the defensive for a long time, primarily militarized. One striking example we know of is The Maidens' War. It’s very likely that the Amazons is the collective name for the female warriors who opposed patriarchal men at different times in different geographical locations.

It’s believed that the Amazons' society could have several variants of structure: a society exclusively for women (the Amazons used men to create new people, born boys were either sent to the men or killed, and girls were kept and trained in warfare); a society in which women and men lived on equal terms; a society in which men occupied the place they should occupy - a subordinate one (however, unlike most matriarchal societies, the Amazons' society was closely connected with physical strength).

According to legend, the main occupation of the Amazons was war with the enemy - patriarchal men, and their free time was devoted to training. It’s also believed that the Amazons lived in the west of Asia Minor, Scythia, Pontus alongside the Euxine Sea, Egypt, Syria, Libya, etc.

Myths about the Amazons are rooted in the Minoan civilization. A.V. Kotina in her dissertation "The myth of the Amazons and its development in ancient tradition" states that the Amazons worshipped the Great Mother, who wasn’t just the Creatress of everything and the Lady of all that exists, but was distinguished by her militancy and severe temper. That is, the culture of the Amazons is closely linked to the cult of the Mother Goddess, which reigned throughout the planet during the matriarchy.

Myths about the Amazons are very common in culture and art. The Amazons are often present in ancient images, their conquest campaigns are also reflected in the fine arts. It’s also written about the Amazons in The Russian Primary Chronicle: "The Amazons have no husbands, but like brute beasts they are filled with desire once each year in the springtime, and come together with the neighboring men. This season seems to them, as it were, a time of celebration and great festival. When they give birth to children and a male is born, they kill it, but if the child is of the female sex, then they nurse it and bring it up carefully." (2). Myths about the Amazons are a significant part of the cultural heritage (even though interpreted from the point of view of men), and it couldn’t have appeared out of nowhere.

A.V. Kotina concludes that the Amazons were women, significantly different from the others. In the opinion of the authoress, this is supported by the interpretation of the word "Amazon" as "breastless", which was connected with its figurative sense: a special woman, a female warrior.
In Greek mythology, the Amazons often appear as the enemy of some Greek hero. In the myths, of course, the heroes always come out victorious, although battles with the Amazons are described as quite dangerous for a man's life. To defeat an Amazon is a great feat. According to some myths, if you defeat one, she will become an ordinary, "weak" and "beautiful" woman. Most likely, such myths reflect the victories of militarized men over matriarchal communities. Mythological tradition emphasizes that the Amazons differed from other women in their militancy and their orientation against men. And this seems to be true: most likely, the Amazons were those women who realized the need to fight the enemy by its own method: with sword and blood. Nowadays (as before) this is the only way for women.

The Amazons could be the collective image of the female struggle against the patriarchal enemy. The Amazons were special women only because they chose the only possible and correct option to fight, but otherwise, they are just like the rest of us women. And we have a great task to face: to stop humanizing those who hurt us, to militarize, and to fight back. The Great War wasn’t started by women, but the Amazons of the future will finish it.

Author: Shveia K
Translator: Lia Kas


References:
1. Kotina A.V. The myth of the Amazons and its development in ancient tradition. Autoabstract of a dissertation on achieving the scientific degree of Candidate of Historical Sciences. Belgorod - 2012. URL: https://bsuedu.ru/upload/iblock/2c0/ntmbfvmsswz+aawxuf+2012.pdf
2. The Russian Primary Chronicle. URL: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Nestor_Letopisets/povest-vremennyh-let/