alpern_on_the_origins_of_the_dahomey.pdf
“Following Le Herisse/Agbidinoukoun's lead, many twentieth- century specialists on the kingdom of Dahomey have accepted Ahangbe's reality.20 The presence of a group of persons claiming descent from her and maintaining traditions about her would seem to support them” (12-13)
“A few slender clues link amazon origins to Akaba and Ahangbe. Oral traditions of the Oueminou speak of facing women soldiers in Akaba's time. The women are said to have worn raffia cloth, a plausible detail for the period before Dahomey reached the coast and began importing European yard goods in quantity. An Amazon song tells of defeating Yahaze, king of the Ouemenou, with swords under Akaba's leadership. Another seems to have the female warriors setting down roots in the shallows of the Oueme River, just like native mangrove trees. Maire's previously-cited reference to the male “Company of Queen Angbe” may be a clue not to amazons but to Ahangbe's possible combat role.” (14)
The case for Agaja founding the amazons is much stronger. It is composed of several strands: a hypothetical evolution from police woman to soldieress, a somewhat less hypothetical evolution from palace guard to royal bodyguard, and the documented padding of Agaja's army with women dressed as soldiers to intimidate the enemy despite manpower losses. ( 14)
