Amazon Warrior Women Analysis

Register to read the introduction… The Scythians were a group of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists, from ancient Iranian background, who lived over the vast area of modern day Russia, Ukraine and Central Asia, which was until medieval times known as Scythia. It is common belief that the Scythian woman were not allowed to marry until they had killed three enemies. Wilde portrays the woman within the Scythian community as strong, and equal to men when it comes to war. Evidence for this comes from her description of a woman found in 1884 by Bobrinsky, on the left bank of the River Tiasmin. This body has been reinvestigated by Professor Renate Rolle, an expert archaeologist in Scythian communities. The grave contained two bodies, the main burial was that of a woman and perpendicular to her feet laid a young male. Around her body lay accoutrements, many of them those which are classically associated with women – such as weaving and spinning tools, as well a mirror and glass beads – but she also possessed a bow, knives and spears. This warrior woman is obviously from some social standing, has been deemed important enough to have a male servant to accompany her on her death journey[3]. It is known though that the graves which have been found are found intermingled with those of men, which proves that the women of Scythia did not live in an all female society. Wilde also suggests that men of the Scythian community would do women’s work, and live like women[4]. Herodotus is the first writer who describes the Scythian women. He says that they were originally Amazon women, who decided they would live with the Scythian men as long as the women could keep their warrior ways[5]. Pseudo-Hippocrates, who wrote in the late fifth century BC says that the Scythian woman were a lot like the Amazons described in Greek literature, he believed that the mothers seared off …show more content…
These traits can be seen in the Scythian woman, the Hittite civilisation and in the Goddess’ Ishtar/Inanna. Though what must be noted when reading her interpretations of the Amazonian women is that Wilde is not a historian, and before this had no experience investigating historical issues. Wilde also has a lot of conflicting evidence, especially that concerning the Scythian woman, and the goddesses’ Ishtar/Inanna. To an extent Lyn Webster Wilde’s construction of the Amazonian woman in On the trail of women warriors: the Amazons in Myth and History is true. Though what must be remembered is Wilde always presents the more positive aspects of Amazons, throughout her book she talks about the athletic, humble, adaptable, and nurturing Amazons, but never once does she present any evidence about the more ruthless aspect of these women. Even though Wilde believes she has satisfied all elements of the Amazon women myth, she has not acknowledged the callous bloodthirsty trait associated by so many historians with the Amazon women and she therefore fails to satisfy all factors of the Amazon Warrior Women