The Dahomey Amazons (Fon/Dahomey)
The Dahomey Amazons (Mino, meaning 'our mothers') were an all-female military regiment of the Kingdom of Dahomey. According to legend, Queen Hangbe, who ruled briefly in the early 1700s, established the first female bodyguards. But the legend says that the Amazons were blessed by the vodun spirits, who gave them supernatural strength and courage in battle. These warrior women lived in the royal palace, wore men's clothing, and were forbidden from marrying or having children. They carried Danish muskets and machetes and were considered the elite shock troops of the Dahomean army. Their battle c