“It was a Scythian bow, short and tight. The Amazon entered the water almost to her knees, threw the silver braid from her shoulders back, put an arrow on the bowstring … She was like the Goddess of the Moon: deadly and innocent, graceful and terrible, like a lioness. " (M. Reno. "Theseus")
The history of the preliterate material culture of both European and many Asian peoples testifies to the fact that the life world of ancient man was often closed around a universal female deity, whose name in numerous languages had the same semantic equivalent - the Great Mother Goddess. It was she, under the name of "Lady", who ruled the "happy Cretans" and many cities of continental Greece of the second millennium BC - the first centers of European civilization. One of the characteristic features of this administration was the annual sacrifice at the end of the agricultural cycle of the king, the consort of the ruling priestess, in order to ensure the eternal renewal of youth and the fertilizing power of the companion of the nurse Earth, embodied in the queen. But one could not have expected such a global occasion. Men were very common,less often, child sacrifices when laying the foundation of a new home, not to mention palaces, etc. These customs brought to us the ancient Greek myths associated with the Moon goddess Artemis, a man-hater and patroness of animals, hunting surrounded by nymphs - his companions and also a hunter. Let us also recall that not only legends and myths, but also the historical descriptions of the ancients are full of references to strange heterogeneous tribes, warlike Amazons. They worshiped Tavricheskaya Artemis - a goddess who requires human sacrifice, and lived in various regions of the Mediterranean (Herodotus and Strabo were still hot on the trail of the outgoing History!) …a man-hater and patroness of animals, hunting surrounded by nymphs - his companions and also a hunter. Let us also recall that not only legends and myths, but also the historical descriptions of the ancients are full of references to strange heterogeneous tribes, warlike Amazons. They worshiped Tavricheskaya Artemis - a goddess who requires human sacrifice, and lived in various regions of the Mediterranean (Herodotus and Strabo were still hot on the trail of the outgoing History!) …a man-hater and patroness of animals, hunting surrounded by nymphs - his companions and also a hunter. Let us also recall that not only legends and myths, but also the historical descriptions of the ancients are full of references to strange heterogeneous tribes, warlike Amazons. They worshiped Tavricheskaya Artemis - a goddess who requires human sacrifice, and lived in various regions of the Mediterranean (Herodotus and Strabo were still hot on the trail of the outgoing History!) …and lived in the most diverse areas of the Mediterranean (Herodotus and Strabo were still hot on the trail of the outgoing History!) …and lived in the most diverse areas of the Mediterranean (Herodotus and Strabo were still hot on the trail of the outgoing History!) …
The Amazons, as was commonly believed, lived in Asia Minor on the Theodont River, in the foothills of the Caucasus and in Meotid (near the Sea of Azov). The Libyan Amazons were also mentioned. According to legends, in order to procreate, at a certain time of the year - in the spring - they married men from neighboring tribes and foreigners. The girls who were born were left, the boys were sent to their fathers or killed. The Amazons fought on horseback, their weapons were a bow, a dart, an ax with two blades - a labrys, a crescent-shaped shield. The armor was made of animal skins and was distinguished by extraordinary brightness. The name itself - "Amazons" (Greek amazones) means a distorted "chestless" and mean the custom of burning girls' left breasts for more convenient archery. However, apparently, this is a later, classical definition given by the patriarchal Greeks. They themselves called themselves, probably, the Moon Maidens of Artemis, since they were directly connected with the cult of the name of this goddess, as well as mother earth. And regarding breast burning is more than controversial. Nevertheless, this designation stuck.
Led by their queens, the Amazons conquered many lands in Asia Minor. The Iliad tells that in the Trojan War they fought against the Greeks, and only Achilles was able to defeat their queen Penfesileia, after which he grieved, amazed at her beauty. They also went on a campaign to Athens, where their burial mounds were preserved.
The Middle Ages also brought to us traces of ancient legends and real events. So, the Iranian historian geographer of the XIV century Qazvini, describing the “kingdom of women”, mentions that “they keep slaves with them. Each slave goes to his mistress in the evening, stays with her all night, rises at dawn and leaves in secret. " And the poet Ferdowsi, famous for his careful attitude to the preservation of ancient traditions, writes in his poem "Shahnameh":
For many centuries, attempts were made to identify the Amazons with any real people of antiquity. There are two warlike Amazons, the most popular versions. According to one of them, the Hittites were hiding under the name of the Amazons, who in the second millennium created a powerful kingdom in Asia Minor (on the site of modern Turkey). This theory is based on the fact that the queen mothers played a large political role in the Hittite state, besides, all the cities founded by the Amazons, according to Greek legends, were of Hittite origin, and even the legendary Amazons themselves fought on the side of the Trojans - Hittite subjects - against Achaean Greeks. But in none of the Hittite sources there is even a hint that women in this state served in the army. They never mentioned cavalry (Hittites,the Trojans and their Greek opponents fought in chariots of war). The Amazons in myths always appear as the first equestrian warriors in world history.
According to another version, the historical core of the legends is the acquaintance of the Greeks with the Sarmatian tribes living east of the Don, and the Amazons of Pontus are traditionally ranked among the people of the White Scythians because of their silver hair. But here, too, a contradiction arises: the Greeks encountered the Scythian-Sarmatians only in the 5-6 centuries BC, and legends attribute the time of the Amazons to the period of the life of Hercules, Theseus and the heroes of the Trojan War, that is, to the 13-12 centuries. BC. In addition, both versions cover different geographic areas and different ethnic groups.
Most likely, the Amazons are not a people, but servants, priestesses of Artemis and goddesses similar to her. They could not exist as a separate, independent people. They would simply be wiped off the face of the earth by neighboring tribes or conquerors, if they were not protected by the sacred name of the deity, that is, if they did not have cult, religious inviolability. Their habitat, be it Meotida, Libya, the Caucasus, is nothing more than the location of the main major centers of the cult, the sanctuary of Artemis in Ephesus, later burnt by Herostratus:
Although, perhaps, the Amazons did not have to move to Asia Minor, for there already existed from time immemorial the cult of other goddesses, opposite at first glance, but at the same time almost identical to Artemis as the goddess of fertility, and therefore there were local Amazons.
Information about the fact that the Amazons are not a whip, but priestesses, “the sacred virgins of Artemis” are contained in the myths about Agamemnon and his daughter Iphigenia, whom he was going to sacrifice to provide a fair wind for his ships. Artemis took her to Taurida - modern Crimea, where she became a fierce priestess of this "goddess who requires human sacrifice."
It is especially interesting that the echoes of the existence of such a community of Amazons in this particular Black Sea region have survived in the "South Russian" cycle of Russian fairy tales. It is immediately striking that here the enemies of the Russian heroes are not Serpents, but Serpents, or Baba Yaga, riding a horse at the head of her army. Thus, in the group of fairy tales about the "Three Kingdoms" Baba Yaga has a "rat - an immense power", her daughters Yagishna act together with her. In her underworld, she has herds of cattle, fields and, apparently, sanctuaries. The goddess whom they serve is associated with the underworld - the haven of the dead. In some of these tales, the connection between the Yaga and horses is clearly traced - where the hero needs to find himself a magic horse (remember that the Amazons are primarily horse riders). Yagi's palace is fenced with a tynom,on which human heads stick out, which again is very similar to the sanctuary of Artemis of Tauride with her bloody sacrifices. Sometimes the hero of a Russian fairy tale steals a horse from her and escapes. Yaga pursues him only to the border river, which he cannot cross. Most likely, this is the border of the “sacred land”, the territory of the temple, and Yaga is the priestess-“Amazon”. She is completely different from the traditional Russian witch who lives in the forest in a hut on chicken legs. This one lives in the steppe, among the grasses, near the krinichny water ("near the sea"), which again leads to the Crimea and Meotida.the territory of the temple, and Yaga is the priestess-"Amazon". She is completely different from the traditional Russian witch who lives in the forest in a hut on chicken legs. This one lives in the steppe, among the grasses, near the krinichny water ("near the sea"), which again leads to the Crimea and Meotida.the territory of the temple, and Yaga is the priestess-"Amazon". She is completely different from the traditional Russian witch who lives in the forest in a hut on chicken legs. This one lives in the steppe, among the grasses, near the krinichny water ("near the sea"), which again leads to the Crimea and Meotida.
But the most vivid confirmation of all these guesses is obtained in Russian fairy tales about the "Maiden Kingdom" and about the Tsar Maiden. It is located far "beyond the distant lands", beyond the "sea of fire", it is called the Sunflower. It is clear that we are talking about the cult of the godinos of the southern coastal areas. In fairy tales, the Tsar Maiden sometimes has a whole army of maidens - "daring raspberries", with which she "amuses herself in the green meadows." In general, the trip of the main character (usually Ivan Tsarevich) for rejuvenating apples or living water, which the Tsar Maiden owns, is peaceful, not military, and looks like a pilgrimage to the temple of the goddess, capable of rejuvenating and giving strength. By the way, Hercules also went to perform his 9th feat in the country of the Amazons in order to get Hippolyta's belt, which gives strength and invulnerability in battle. Men and very few guards at the gates of the "kingdom" are often mentioned. But in this way, they protect the city or temple rather than the country, and the "Amazons" here are not a people, but a community, a sacred "people among the people." The Tsar Maiden is the high priestess. It is constantly talked about its ponderousness, apparently, this is a folklore meaningful connection with Mother Earth. Usually in such tales, Ivan kisses the sleeping Maiden. Probably, the visit by the hero, the man, of the woodpile maidens and the fact that he kisses their queen is sacrilege. He crossed the threshold of the sanctuary and touched the high priestess, thereby insulting the goddess, the same Artemis of Tauride. It can be assumed that in accordance with the most ancient functions of this goddess of fertility, the Amazons should be tools in ensuring health, making a kind of "selection" of husbands. Those men who have passed some kind of test (for example,defeating the Amazon in the competition) became ritual husbands and fathers of "sacred" children. Born boys became warriors and guards of the Goddess' temple, and girls became priestesses. Apparently, the myths about Hercules and Theseus, who went to the Amazons, are an allegorical story about the campaigns of the heroes of antiquity in the sanctuary of the Mother of the Gods in order to test themselves, "taste" the love of the priestesses (there is no doubt about the presence of such). In Russian fairy tales, the main condition for mastering the Tsar Maiden is the battle with her and the victory of the bridegroom: she finally gives up her “hand and heart” without being defeated in battle. It turns out that the stakes of the fence of her kingdom-temple are seated with the heads of unlucky suitors.going to the Amazons - an allegorical story about the campaigns of the heroes of antiquity in the sanctuary of the Mother of the Gods in order to test themselves, "taste" the love of the priestesses (there is no doubt about the presence of this). In Russian fairy tales, the main condition for mastering the Tsar Maiden is the battle with her and the victory of the bridegroom: she finally gives up her “hand and heart” without being defeated in battle. It turns out that the stakes of the fence of her kingdom-temple are seated with the heads of unlucky suitors.going to the Amazons - an allegorical story about the campaigns of the heroes of antiquity in the sanctuary of the Mother of the Gods in order to test themselves, "taste" the love of the priestesses (there is no doubt about the presence of this). In Russian fairy tales, the main condition for mastering the Tsar Maiden is the battle with her and the victory of the bridegroom: she finally gives up her “hand and heart” without being defeated in battle. It turns out that the stakes of the fence of her kingdom-temple are seated with the heads of unlucky suitors.