Ethnic diversity on Earth is striking in its abundance. People living in different parts of the world are at the same time similar to each other, but at the same time they differ greatly in their way of life, customs, language. In this article, we will talk about some unusual tribes that you will be interested to know about.
Piraha Indians - a wild tribe inhabiting the Amazon jungle
The Pirahã Indian tribe lives in the Amazonian rainforest, mostly on the banks of the Maici River, in the state of Amazonas, Brazil.
This people of South America is known for their language, pirahão. In fact, Pirahão is one of the rarest languages among the 6000 spoken languages worldwide. The number of native speakers ranges from 250 to 380 people. The language is amazing because:
- does not have numbers, for them there are only two concepts "several" (from 1 to 4 pieces) and "many" (more than 5 pieces),
- verbs do not change either in numbers or in persons,
- it does not have names for colors,
- consists of 8 consonants and 3 vowels! Isn't it amazing?
According to linguists, Piraha men understand basic Portuguese and even speak very limited topics. True, not all males can express their thoughts. Women, on the other hand, have little understanding of the Portuguese language and do not use it at all for communication. However, the Pirahão language has several loanwords from other languages, predominantly from Portuguese, such as "cup" and "business".
Speaking of business, the Piraha Indians sell brazil nuts and provide services. sexual in nature, to buy Consumables and tools, such as machetes, milk powder, sugar, whiskey. Chastity is not a cultural value for them.
There are several more interesting moments associated with this nation:
- Piraha have no coercion. They don't tell other people what to do. It seems that there is no social hierarchy at all, no formal leader.
- this one Indian tribe there is no idea of deities and god. However, they believe in spirits that sometimes take the form of jaguars, trees, people.
- it seems that the Piraha tribe are people who do not sleep. They can take a nap for 15 minutes or at most two hours throughout the day and night. They rarely sleep through the night.
The Wadoma tribe is an African tribe of people with two toes.
The Wadoma tribe lives in the Zambezi Valley in northern Zimbabwe. They are known for being ectrodactyly by some members of the tribe, missing the three middle toes and turning the outermost two inwards. As a result, members of the tribe are called "two-toed" and "ostrich-footed." Their huge two-toed feet are the result of a single mutation on chromosome number seven. However, in the tribe, such people are not considered inferior. The reason for the frequent occurrence of ectrodactyly in the Wadoma tribe is isolation and a ban on marriage outside the tribe.
Life and life of the Korowai tribe in Indonesia
The Korowai tribe, also called the Kolufo, lives in the southeast of the autonomous Indonesian province of Papua and consists of about 3,000 people. Perhaps until 1970 they were unaware of the existence of other people besides themselves.
Most clans of the Korowai tribe live in their isolated territory in tree houses, which are located at a height of 35-40 meters. In this way, they protect themselves from floods, predators, and arson by rival clans who enslave people, especially women and children. In 1980, some of the Korowai moved to settlements in open areas.
Korowai have excellent hunting and fishing skills, gardening and gathering. They practice slash-and-burn agriculture, when the forest is first burned, and then cultivated plants are planted in this place.
As far as religion is concerned, the Korowai universe is filled with spirits. The most honorable place is given to the spirits of ancestors. IN hard times they sacrifice domestic pigs to them.
The many-sided Africa, on the vast territory of which in 61 countries with a population of more than a billion people, surrounded by cities of civilized countries, in the secluded corners of this continent, more than 5 million people of almost completely wild African tribes still live.
The members of these tribes do not recognize the achievements of the civilized world and are content with those modest benefits that they inherited from their ancestors. Squalid huts, modest food and a minimum of clothes suit them, and they are not going to change this way.
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There are about 3 thousand different tribes and nationalities in Africa, but it is difficult to name their exact number, since most often they are either densely mixed with each other, or vice versa, radically separated. The population of some tribes is only a few thousand or even hundreds of people, and often only 1-2 villages are inhabited. Because of this, there are dialects and dialects on the territory of the African continent, which are sometimes only understood by representatives of a particular tribe. A variety of rituals cultural systems, dances, customs and sacrifices is huge and amazing. Besides appearance people of some tribes are simply amazing to look at.
However, since they all live on the same continent, all African tribes still have something in common. Some elements of culture are characteristic of all nationalities living in this territory. One of the main defining features of African tribes is the orientation to the past, that is, the cult of the culture and life of their ancestors.
Majority African peoples denies everything new and modern, withdraws into itself. They are most attached to constancy and immutability, including in everything that concerns Everyday life, traditions and customs, leading their existence from great-grandfathers.
It is hard to imagine, but among them there are practically no those who would not be engaged in subsistence farming or cattle breeding. Hunting, fishing or gathering are completely normal activities for them. Just like many centuries ago, African tribes are at war with each other, marriages are most often concluded within one tribe, intertribal marriages among them are very rare. Of course, more than one generation leads such a life, each new child from birth will have to live the same fate.
Tribes differ from each other in their own unique system of life, customs and rituals, beliefs and prohibitions. Most of the tribes invent their own fashions, often stunningly flamboyant, often astonishing in their originality.
Of the most famous and numerous today, tribes can be considered: Masai, Bantu, Zulu, Samburu and Bushmen.
Masai
One of the most famous African tribes. They live in Kenya and Tanzania. The number of representatives reaches 100 thousand people. Most often they can be found on the side of the mountain, which figures prominently in the mythology of the Maasai. Perhaps the size of this mountain influenced the worldview of the members of the tribe - they consider themselves the favorites of the gods, the highest people and sincerely believe that there are no more beautiful people in Africa than they are.
This self-image gave rise to a contemptuous, often even derogatory attitude towards other tribes, which caused frequent wars between the tribes. In addition, it is customary for the Maasai to steal animals from other tribes, which also does not improve their reputation.
The dwelling of the Maasai is built from branches smeared with manure. This is done mainly by women, who also, if necessary, take on the duties of pack animals. The main share of nutrition is milk or blood of animals, less often - meat. hallmark elongated earlobes are considered beauty in this tribe. At present, the tribe is almost completely exterminated or dispersed, only in the remote corners of the country, in Tanzania, there are still separate Masai nomad camps.
Bantu
The Bantu tribe lives in Central, South and East Africa. In truth, the Bantu is not even a tribe, but a whole nation, which includes many peoples, for example, Rwanda, Shono, Konga and others. They all have similar languages and customs, which is why they were united into one big tribe. Most Bantu speakers speak two or more languages, the most commonly spoken of which is Swahili. The number of members of the Bantu people reaches 200 million. According to research scientists, it was the Bantu, along with the Bushmen and Hottentots, who became the progenitors of the South African colored race.
Bantu have a peculiar appearance. They have very dark skin and an amazing hair structure - each hair is curled in a spiral. Wide and wings of the nose, low bridge of the nose and high growth- often over 180 cm - are also hallmarks of Bantu people. Unlike the Maasai, the Bantu do not shy away from civilization and willingly invite tourists to study tours of their villages.
Like any African tribe, a major part of Bantu life is occupied by religion, namely, traditional African animistic beliefs, as well as Islam and Christianity. The Bantu dwelling resembles a Maasai house - the same round shape, with a frame made of branches coated with clay. True, in some areas Bantu houses are rectangular, painted, with gable, shed or flat roofs. The members of the tribe are mainly engaged in agriculture. hallmark Bantu can be called an enlarged lower lip into which small discs are inserted.
Zulu
The Zulu people, once the largest ethnic group now has only 10 million people. Zulus enjoy own language- Zulu, originating from the Bantu family and being the most common in South Africa. In addition, English, Portuguese, Sesotho and other African languages are in circulation among the members of the people.
The Zulu tribe endured difficult period during the apartheid era in South Africa, when, being the most numerous people, was defined as the population of the second class.
As for the beliefs of the tribe, most of The Zulus remained faithful to national beliefs, but there are also Christians among them. The Zulu religion is based on belief in a creator god, superior and separate from the daily routine. Representatives of the tribe believe that you can contact the spirits through the soothsayers. All negative manifestations in the world, including illness or death, are considered as the machinations of evil spirits or the result of evil witchcraft. In the Zulu religion, the main place is occupied by cleanliness, frequent ablutions in the custom of representatives of the people.
Samburu
The Samburu tribe lives in the northern regions of Kenya, on the border of the foothills and the northern desert. About five hundred years ago, the Samburu people settled in this territory and quickly populated the plain. This tribe is distinguished by independence and is much more confident in its elitism than the Masai. The life of the tribe depends on livestock, but, unlike the Maasai, the Samburu raise livestock themselves and roam with them from place to place. Customs and ceremonies occupy a significant place in the life of the tribe and are distinguished by the splendor of colors and forms.
Samburu huts are made of clay and skins, outside the dwelling is surrounded by a thorny fence to protect it from wild animals. Representatives of the tribe carry their houses with them, assembling anew at each parking lot.
It is customary for samburu to divide labor between men and women, this also applies to children. Women's duties include gathering, milking cows and fetching water, as well as arranging firewood, cooking and looking after children. Of course, in charge female half the tribe is the general order and stability. Samburu men are responsible for herding livestock, which is their main livelihood.
most important detail the life of the people is childbearing, sterile women are subjected to severe persecution and bullying. Normally, the tribe worships the spirits of ancestors, as well as witchcraft. The Samburu believe in charms, spells, and rituals for fertility and protection.
Bushmen
The most famous, from ancient times, among Europeans African tribe are the Bushmen. The name of the tribe consists of the English "bush" - "bush" and "man" - "man", but it is dangerous to call representatives of the tribe this way - it is considered offensive. It is more correct to call them "san", which in the language of the Hottentots means "foreign". Outwardly, the Bushmen are somewhat different from other African tribes, they have more bright skin and thinner lips. In addition, they are the only ones who eat ant larvae. Their dishes are considered a feature national cuisine this people. The Bushmen's way of life also differs from that generally accepted among savage tribes. Instead of chieftains and sorcerers, the elders choose elders from among the most experienced and respected members of the tribe. Elders lead the life of the people, without using any advantages at the expense of others. It should be noted that the Bushmen also believe in afterlife, like the rest of the African tribes, but they do not have the ancestor cult adopted by other tribes.
Among other things, the San have a rare talent for storytelling, song, and dance. Musical instrument they can do almost anything. For example, there are bows stretched with animal hair or bracelets made from dried insect cocoons with pebbles inside, which are used to beat the rhythm during the dance. Almost everyone who has the opportunity to observe the musical experiments of the Bushmen tries to record them in order to pass them on to future generations. This is all the more relevant since current century dictates its own rules and many Bushmen have to deviate from centuries-old traditions and go as workers on farms in order to provide for their families and tribes.
This is a very small number of tribes living in Africa. There are so many of them that it would take several volumes to describe them all, but each of them boasts unique system values and way of life, not to mention rituals, customs and costumes.
Video: Wild tribes of Africa: ...
In our age, it's getting harder to find a corner the globe untouched by civilization. Of course, in some places the so-called national color is still the main attraction for tourists. But all this is for the most part exotic feigned, artificial. Take, for example, the formidable Masai - business card Kenya. Hearing the sound of an approaching bus, the representatives of this tribe hide away TVs, phones and jeans and urgently give themselves a primitive look. Quite a different thing himba- small tribe in northern Namibia. They have preserved the traditions of the Stone Age in their life, not for the sake of tourists, but because they do not want to live differently.
The climate of the province of Kunene, where the himba roam, cannot be called mild. During the day, the thermometer inexorably tends to + 60 °, sometimes frost falls at night. The breath of the oldest desert on the planet - Namiba affects.
The Himba migrated to northern Namibia about a few hundred years ago from East Africa. Once it was a large tribe, but in mid-nineteenth centuries it has been divided. Most of it migrated south, to an area richer in water. The people who broke away from the Himba became known as the Herero. They made contact with the Europeans, which ultimately killed them.
A few decades ago in Namibia they realized: there were few indigenous people who had preserved the way of life and beliefs of their ancestors. In general, the Himba decided to leave alone and let them live the way they want. Any laws of Namibia in their territory come into force only after the approval of the tribal leader, who is called the king.
Like hundreds of years ago, the tribe leads a semi-nomadic life. The main occupation is the breeding of cows, goats and sheep. The number of cows determines social status, cows also serve as a means of payment. Himba is practically not interested in money, because they do not use any manufactured goods in everyday life. The exception is plastic canisters for storing and carrying water and various little things that accidentally fall into your hands.
Himba live in kraals with a circular layout. In the middle is a barnyard surrounded by a wicker fence. Around - round or square huts. They are built from poles dug into the ground and fastened with leather straps. The frame is coated with clay, and the roof is covered with straw or reed. The floor in the huts is earthen, there is no furniture. Himba sleep on mattresses stuffed with straw. At the entrance to the hut there is a hearth, which is heated in black.
As the pastures are depleted, they dismantle the huts and migrate. Himba water used to be mined by digging deep holes in the sand, and suitable places for this were found in one way they knew. They never put the kraal close to the source, so that outsiders could not peep where the water comes from. Not so long ago, by order of the government, artesian wells were dug on nomadic routes. But the aborigines do not drink this water, except that they feed herds with it.
In the old-fashioned way, life-giving moisture can be obtained only for one's own use, and even then just barely enough. Washing is out of the question. Helps magic ointment, which Himba owes a red skin tone. This is a mixture of butter whipped from cow's milk, various vegetable elixirs and bright red volcanic pumice ground into the finest powder. It is mined in one single place - on a mountain on the border of the plateau, which is occupied by himba. The mountain, of course, is considered sacred, and they do not disclose the recipe for the ointment to anyone.
With this composition, Himba women smear the whole body and hair several times a day. The ointment protects against sunburn and insect bites. In addition, when the ointment is scraped off in the evening, the dirt comes off with it, which is strange, but effective tool personal hygiene. Surprisingly, the skin of Himba women is perfect. With the help of the same ointment, a traditional hairstyle is made: other people's hair - usually men's, most often from the father of the family - is woven into their own, creating "dreadlocks" on the head.
As a rule, one family occupies one kraal, but there are larger settlements. Almost all Himba can read, count, write their name and know a few phrases in English. This is the merit of mobile schools, which are attended by almost all the children of the tribe. But only a few complete more than two or three classes - in order to continue education, you need to go to the city.
Only women work in the kraals. They carry water, look after cattle, churn butter, sew and mend simple clothes. In addition, the weaker sex is engaged in gathering, so that the diet of the tribe does not consist only of dairy products. Of course, women also take care of the upbringing of children. By the way, kids are not divided into friends and foes.
Cattle are grazed by old people and teenagers. Himba men do not overwork. Assemble and disassemble the kraal - here, by by and large and all their affairs. Hunting is not among the permanent occupations of the tribe, it is rather a hobby of Himba men. The constant duty of the representatives of the stronger sex is the extraction of the very reddish breed that is used to prepare body paint. However, the composition is also made by women.
The weaker sex is also a kind of engine of progress. If tourists want to buy some souvenir from the tribe, then they have to bargain only with women. IN last years among the people of the tribe, bright plastic bags began to enjoy unprecedented popularity. Himba are ready to give the last for them. Indeed, in these bags it is so convenient to store your poor belongings, jewelry and, of course, scallops. With the help of the latter, it is very convenient to construct fantastic hairstyles that Himba women are famous for. They, among other things, are considered the standard of beauty on the African continent.
By the age of 12-14, each Himba is missing four lower teeth. This is a consequence of the rite of initiation. Teeth are knocked out with a stone. If you want to be an adult - be patient. By the age of 14, Himba are allowed to marry, but weddings do not happen often, since a large ransom must be paid for the bride.
The wedding ceremony is very original. The newlyweds spend the night in the hut of the bride's family. In the morning they, accompanied by the friends of their future wife, leave parental home getting out into the street without fail on all fours. Then everyone rises to their feet and, taking each other by the loincloths, head towards the “sacred fire”, where the leader is already waiting for the ceremony for the young. If someone from the procession stumbles, the rite will have to be repeated, but not earlier than in a few weeks.
The participants in the ceremony sit around the fire, and three vessels of milk are brought to the leader - one each from the huts of the groom, the bride and the leader himself. He takes a sample, after which the remaining members of the tribe are applied to the vessels in turn. After that, all those present go to the leader's hut, where the newlyweds will spend three days. In order for the first wedding night to be successful, in front of the hut the bride and groom again fall on all fours and thus go around the house counterclockwise.
Even if a Himba man and woman are married, they are not required to be faithful. Each Himba can have as many wives as he can support. Wives can be changed, and if a man goes to long journey, then he puts his wife to live with someone he knows.
Such freedom of morals worries the local authorities. More than 20% of the Namibian population has AIDS, so the Himba is a kind of risk group. However, in the tribe, medical problems are treated philosophically. The gods give life, they can take it away, say the Himba. In general, they are long-livers: almost all live up to 70 years, and some even up to a hundred.
The Himba justice system is also interesting. If, for example, a husband kills his wife or one of her relatives, he must pay compensation of 45 cows. If a wife or one of her relatives kills her husband, then no ransom is provided. The authorities of Namibia do not punish himba in any way, considering all this to be their internal affair.
Himba believe that their tribe descended from the progenitor Mukuru, who, along with his wife, came from sacred tree Omumborombongo. Mukuru created everything and endowed the souls of dead Himba ancestors supernatural powers. But then the enemies drove the tribe from its ancestral lands and captured the tree. Someday the Himba will return there. By the way, having no idea of geography, any head of the clan will show with his hand the direction where to look for Omumborombongo.
In the middle of the 19th century, the himba almost disappeared from the face of the earth. They were attacked by the largest and most powerful tribe in Namibia - the Nama. As a result of cruel raids, the Himba lost all their herds and fled to the mountains. There they had to hunt, but such a life was not to their liking, and they went north to Angola.
For some time it was believed that the Himba died out or mixed with other tribes, when they suddenly reappeared in the old place. It happened in 1903, when the Nama rebelled against the German colonialists. European troops quickly defeated the Nama and their allied Herero, after which they staged a real genocide. As a result, both tribes practically ceased to exist. The Germans and Himba did not bypass "attention". Almost all Himba were killed or captured and sent to black camps. Fortunately, after the First World War, the colonies were taken away from Germany. And if the Herero and the Nama did not recover from the blow, then the Himba "rose" like a phoenix bird from the ashes.
The third time they were considered extinct was in the mid-1980s. A terrible multi-year drought destroyed 90% of the livestock, and in 1988 the last hearth in the last Himba kraal went out. The remaining people of the tribe were resettled in the city of Opuwo as refugees. But in the early 1990s, the Himba returned. Now they number just under 50,000, and the population is growing. At the same time, they live exactly the same as their ancestors hundreds of years ago.
On the banks of the Mayhe River lives wild tribe Pirahu, numbering about three hundred people. The natives survive by hunting and gathering. The peculiarity of this tribe is their unique language: it does not contain words denoting shades of colors, no indirect speech, and also interesting fact, there are no numerals in it (the Indians count - one, two and many). They have no legends about the creation of the world, no calendar, but for all this, the Pirahu people did not have the qualities of reduced intelligence.
Video: Amazon Code. In the dense jungle of the Amazon River lives a wild tribe of firah. Christian missionary Daniel Everett came to them to carry the word of God, but as a result of acquaintance with their culture he became an atheist. But much more interesting than this discovery is related to the language of the Pirah tribe.
Another wild tribe of Brazil is also known - Sinta Larga, numbering about one and a half thousand people. Previously, this tribe lived in the rubber jungle, however, due to their cutting down, the Sinta Larga became a nomadic tribe. The Indians are engaged in fishing, hunting and farming. There is a patriarchy in the tribe, i.e. A man can have multiple wives. Also, throughout his life, a Sinta larga man receives several names, depending on individual characteristics or certain events in his life, but there is one special name that is kept secret and known only to those closest to him.
And in the western part of the Amazon River Valley lives a very aggressive Korubo tribe. The main occupation of the Indians of this tribe is hunting and raids on neighboring settlements. Moreover, both men and women, armed with poisoned darts and clubs, participate in the raids. There is evidence that cases of cannibalism occur in the Korubo tribe.
Video: Leonid Kruglov: GEO: Unknown World: Earth. Secrets of the new world. "Great Amazon River". "The Korubo Incident".
All these tribes are a unique find for anthropologists and evolutionists. By studying their way of life and culture, language, beliefs, one can better understand all the stages of human development. And it is very important to preserve this heritage of history in your original form. In Brazil, a special government organization (National Indian Fund) has been created to deal with the affairs of such tribes. The main task of this organization is to protect these tribes from any interference. modern civilization.
Adventure Magic - Yanomami.
Film: Amazonia / IMAX - Amazon HD.
Myths and legends about wild amazons- women who formed a separate tribe, lived according to the rules of matriarchy and fought with men, have existed since ancient times. Archaeological excavations confirm this fact, however, disputes about the reliability of the existence of a militant society, consisting exclusively of representatives of the weaker sex, do not subside.
Myths and legends
According to ancient Greek mythology, the kingdom of the Amazons, women warriors, existed for some time on the territory of Libya, on the banks mediterranean sea. For what reason they lived separately from men, it was not clear, but they for a long time managed on their own. Some sources tell about a nomadic tribe of women, others about the existence of a kingdom headed by an Amazon queen.
Their main occupations were: hunting for the purpose of obtaining food, wars with neighboring tribes for enrichment. According to ancient legends, the origin of the Amazon was from the union of the god Ares (or Mars) and his daughter Harmony, and the warriors themselves worshiped the goddess Artemis, a virgin huntress.
One of the exploits of Hercules was the task, during which he had to take away the magic belt from the warlike girls, which was intended for ransom for the return of the daughter of Queen Antiope.
Tribes of Amazon Women: Life and Reproduction
According to the opinion expressed in the 5th c. BC. the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, such a state of matriarchy existed on the shores of Lake. Meotides ( modern territory Crimea). They built several cities, among them Smyrna, Sinop, Ephesus and Paphos.
The main occupation of the Amazons was participation in wars and raids on neighbors, and they wielded a bow, a double battle ax (labrys), and a short sword with great skill. The warriors made their own helmet and armor.
But in order to have children, for the purpose of reproduction, the tribe of Amazon women annually in the spring declared a truce and arranged meetings with men from the border lands, who were then paid off after 9 months with born baby boys.
But according to another version, a sadder fate awaited male newborns: they were either drowned in the river or maimed to be used as slaves in the future. Newborn girls were left in the tribe and raised as future warriors who had to wield all available weapons. They were also trained in hunting and farming skills.
So that in the future, when drawing a bow in battle, their right breast would not interfere with them, they burned it out in childhood. According to one version, the name of the tribe came from a mazos, i.e. "breastless", according to another - from ha-mazan, which is translated from Iranian as "warriors", according to the third - from masso, meaning "inviolable".
War with Dionysus
The combat victories of the Amazon tribe glorified them so much that even the god Dionysus decided to make an alliance with them so that they would help him fight the titans. After the victory, he treacherously started a war with them and defeated them.
The few surviving women were able to hide in the temple of Artemis, then to go to Asia Minor. There they settled on the Fermodont River, creating a huge empire. Participating in several wars, Amazon women captured Syria and reached the island of Crimea. Many of them took part in the siege of the famous Troy, during which ancient greek hero Achilles killed their queen.
During the battles with the Greeks, the enemy was able to capture several girls and, having loaded them onto a ship, wanted to take them to their homeland for demonstration. However, on the way, the female warriors attacked the ship and killed everyone. But due to the lack of navigation skills, the Amazons could only sail with the wind, and eventually they washed up on the shores of Ancient Scythia.
The formation of the Sarmatian tribe
Having settled in a new place, the warriors began to rob the settlements and take away the cattle, killing the locals. The Scythian warriors were very proud, because they considered waging war with female warriors unworthy of employment. They acted differently: they gathered their best warriors and sent them to seize wild women, so that later they would give them good offspring. Luck awaited them, after which he was born new people Savmats or Sarmatians with a heroic physique.
The life of the tribe of Amazon women was active in military campaigns and hunting, and they dressed in men's clothing. And the local men were assigned to household duties: cooking, cleaning, etc. The Sarmatians had interesting tradition: girls could only get married after killing any representative of the strong half, but they usually found victims in neighboring tribes.
Homer and Herodotus on the Amazons
According to historians, the great ancient thinker Homer, who created famous works"Iliad" and "Odyssey", also wrote about the country of Amazonia. However, this poem has not survived. Confirmation Greek myths are ancient amphoras and bas-reliefs, decorated with drawings of Amazon women (photo below). Only in all the images, beautiful warriors have both breasts and sufficiently developed muscles. Also, the Amazons are mentioned in the legend of the Argonauts, but there Homer shows them as disgusting furies.
According to Herodotus, after participating in Trojan War The Amazons came to the Scythians and formed the Sarmatian tribe, in which women and men had equal rights. Legends attribute to them not only excellent possession of weapons, but also the ability to stay in the saddle and incredible composure. Scythians and Sarmatians, according to Herodotus, fought together in the 5th century. BC e. against King Darius.
The Roman historian Deodorus was of the opinion that the Amazon women were descendants of the ancient Atlanteans and lived in the territory of Western Libya.
Data from archaeologists
Many finds of historians in different parts of the world confirm the ancient legends about the existence of Amazon women not only in Greece, but also in other countries and continents.
So, in 1928, on the shores of the Black Sea in the settlement of Zemo Akhvala, a burial was discovered ancient ruler in armor and weapons. After research, he turned out to be a woman, after which many made an assumption about the discovery of the queen of the Amazons.
In 1971, a burial place of a woman with a girl, who were luxuriously dressed and richly decorated, was found on the territory of Ukraine. The grave contained gold, weapons, as well as the skeletons of 2 men who obviously did not die from an illness. According to scientists, the remains belonged to another queen with her daughter and slaves who were sacrificed.
In the 1990s during excavations in Kazakhstan, similar ancient burials of female warriors were discovered, the period of which totaled more than 2.5 thousand years.
Another sensation in the world of science was the latest discovery in Britain, when the remains of female warriors were found in Bruem (Cumbria). They obviously came here from Europe. According to English scientists, women fought in the ranks of the Roman army. According to them, the tribes of Amazon women lived in the territory of Eastern Europe in the period 220-300 AD. e. After death, they were solemnly burned at the stake along with equipment and war horses. Their origin comes from the territory of the current states of Austria, Hungary and the former Yugoslavia.
America: the life of the tribes of Amazon women
Stories of wild female warriors also tell of their discovery by Christopher Columbus after the discovery of the American continent. Hearing the stories of the local Indians about a female militant tribe, great navigator tried to capture them on one of the islands, but could not do it. In memory of this incident, the name was given to the Virgin Islands (translated as "Islands of the Virgins").
Spanish conquistador Fr. de Orellana in 1542 landed on the banks of a huge river in South America, where he met a tribe wild amazon women. In the battle with them, the Europeans were defeated. Some scholars suggest that the error was due to long hair from the local Indians. However, it was in memory of this incident that the proud name of the most majestic river of the American continent, the Amazon, was given.
African Amazons
This unique phenomenon in world history - the tribe of Dahomey female terminators - lived on the African continent south of the Sahara in the territory of the modern state of Benin. They called themselves N'Nonmiton or "our mothers".
African Amazons, female warriors belonged to elite troops who defended their ruler in the kingdom of Dahomey, for which the European colonialists called them Dahomey. Such a tribe was formed in the 17th century. for hunting elephants.
The King of Dahomey, admiring their skill and success, appointed them as his bodyguards. The N'Nonmiton army existed for 2 centuries, in the 19th century. the female military corps consisted of 6 thousand soldiers.
The selection into the ranks of female warriors took place among 8-year-old girls who were taught to be strong and ruthless, and also able to withstand any pain. They were armed with machetes and Dutch muskets. After many years of training, the African Amazons became "war machines" capable of successfully fighting, and chopping off the heads of the defeated.
During their service in the army, they could not marry and bear children and remained chaste, considered to be married to the king. When a man encroached on a woman warrior, he was killed.
British mission in the territory West Africa was founded in 1863, then the scientist R. Barton arrived in Dahomey, who was going to make peace with the local authorities. For the first time, he was able to describe the life of the Dahomey tribe of Amazon women (photo below). According to him, for some warriors, this provided an opportunity to gain influence and wealth. The English explorer S. Alpern wrote a long treatise on the life of the Amazons.
At the end of the 19th century the territory was occupied by the French colonizers, a soldier from which was often found dead in the morning with his head cut off. The second Franco-Dahomean War ended with the capitulation of the king's army and most of the Amazons were killed. Her last representative, a woman named Navi, who by that time was over 100 years old, died in 1979.
Modern wild female tribes
Until now, in the impenetrable jungle of the Amazon River, there are territories where life is very different from modern civilization. From time immemorial, people have lived in the eastern part of Brazil, cut off from the outside world, retaining their customs and skills.
Scientists regularly find here not only new species of animals and plants, but also settlements of wild tribes, which now, according to FUNAI researchers, number more than 70. They hunt, fish, pick fruits and berries, while they absolutely do not want to contact with civilized world for fear of getting infected unknown diseases. After all, even the common flu is fatal for them.
Women of the wild tribes of the Amazon usually perform all women's work, are engaged in everyday life and raising children. Sometimes they gather berries or fruits in the forest. However, there are also aggressive tribes in which women, along with men, hunt or participate in raids on neighbors, armed with clubs and spears, poisoned by the poison of local plants or snakes.
There is also a wild Kuna tribe on the island of San Blas, not far from Brazil, who migrated from the mainland and lives according to the rules of matriarchy. Traditions have been preserved and are maintained by the inhabitants of the settlement severely and unshakably. At the age of 14, girls are already considered sexually mature and must choose their own groom. The man usually moves to the bride's house. The main income of the tribe on the island comes from the collection and export of coconuts (about 25 million pieces annually), they also grow sugar cane, bananas, cocoa and oranges. But for fresh water they go to the mainland.
Amazons in art and cinema
In art Ancient Greece and Roman warriors occupy important place, their images can be found on ceramics, in sculpture and architecture. So, the battle of the Athenians and the Amazons is captured in the marble bas-relief of the Parthenon, as well as in the sculptures from the mausoleum from Halicarnassus.
Favorite occupations of female warriors are hunting and war, and weapons are bow, spear, axe. To protect themselves from the enemy, they put on a helmet, and took in their hands a shield shaped like a crescent. As can be seen in the above photos, ancient masters depicted Amazon women on horseback or on foot, in battle with a centaur or warriors.
During the Renaissance, they resurrected again in the works of the era of classicism and baroque in poetry, in paintings and sculptures. The plots of battles with ancient warriors are presented in the works of J. Palma, J. Tintoretto, G. Rennie and other artists. Rubens' painting "The Battle of the Greeks with the Amazons" shows them in a bloody equestrian battle with men. And copies from the originals of the sculpture " Wounded Amazon» are famous all over the world and are kept in the Vatican and USA museums.
The life and exploits of the Amazons became an inspiration for writers and poets: Tirso de Molina, Lope de Vega, R. Granier and G. Kleist. In the 20th and 21st centuries, they moved into popular culture: movies, cartoons and fantasy comics.
Modern cinema is a confirmation of the popularity of the theme of Amazon women. Beautiful and courageous female warriors are presented in the films: "The Amazons of Rome" (1961), "Pana - Queen of the Amazons" (1964), "Goddesses of War" (1973), "Legendary Amazons" (2011), "Women Warriors" ( 2017), etc.
The latest film, released in 2017, is called Wonder Woman and tells about a heroine named Diana, the queen of the Amazons, who is endowed with fantastic strength, speed and endurance. She freely communicates with animals, and wears special bracelets for protection, but she considers men changeable and deceitful.
Among modern women you can also meet "Amazons" who are smart, educated and dream of conquering the world. They can manage a large corporation and raise children at the same time, and they treat men condescendingly, allowing themselves to be loved.
