The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-06-04
AMAZONS OF DAHOMEY.
The Famous Feminine War;
riors OF Africa.
Six Thousand Armed Women Who ACT
as the Kings Body Guard.


'ix Thousand Armed Women Who Aol
as the Kings Body Guard.
DIR. Zoller, correspondent of the
aoenische Zeitung writes as follows
IT the famous women warriors
" Africa: The amazons of
Abome. of whom there are at
he most some 5000, are nominally
,he wives of the king, and as such
form a body-guard which is said to be
superior to the male soldiers in cour-
'ge, discipline, and loyalty. But al
'hough these amazons accompany the
King on all his wars, think they are
more for show than for service.
Among all the savages and semi-sav-
age tribes, s,singing and dancing are con-
ndered as essential as drilling and
RUNNING among ourselves. 1t is
natural that the amazons, having
from their earliest childhood been edu-
lated as warriors, dancers and singers,
should be as superior to male soldiers
these accomplishments as our guards
are to the reserves. The amazons of
The "chacha," all of whom have served
the army of Abome, are women be-
tween the ages of Is and 25, and as
'he ''chacha" does not 60 to war they
are naturally only kept for show.
They have no separate barracks, but
i've like the thirty male soldiers, in
tifferent quarters of the town, whence
hey are called together whenever they
ire wanted. At their first entrance.
when marching up in a long process
ZION they saluted their lord and mas
Ter, l. was astonished at the military
'xactltude of their movements. I'M
igine sixty young women, strong and
ilender, who, without losing anything
II their womanliness, present a decid-
idly warlike appearance. Among
Europeans this combination of the
woman and the warrior could not be
imagined; here it is explained by the
peculiar formation of the negro skele-
,ton. The skeletons of negro women
in striking contrast to those of the
nulattoes) are strikingly like the
skeletons of male negroes. Their
picturesque uniform might furnish
'ur masters of the ballet with fresh
deas. The fresh young faces look
'oguishly from under the white brim-
ess yokey-cap, ornamented with black
pictures of animals, such as lizards,
birds and others. The feet are bare:
,hort knickerbockers of green, red or
yellow material come down nearly to
'he knees, and a bright-colored tunic
# striped silk or velvet, which leaves
>nly the neck and the arms free, covers
'he upper part of the body, which is
by corsets of native manu-.
facture. A broad belt Of many colors
1eightens the slim appearance of the
female warrior. At the left sido of
ihe belt short sword is fastened, and
small cartridge pocket in front. A
'carf OF white or light green silk is
worn like Scotch plaid. The arma-
nent consisfs Of swords, battle-axes,
md guns. which latter are put aside
Turing the dance. Quite apart from
he effect of combined dancing and
singing, the performances, which went
IN for several hours uninterruptedly
before Our eyes, were quite in the
lyle of our corps de ballet, with the
'nly difference that perhaps no other
orps de ballet would dance with equal
xactitude. First came a tall and
omewhat elderly woman. She was
he captain. and as she entered, the
on of the "chacha" whispered to me:
Just look how well my mother
lances." Then followed, with battle
xes uplifted, the younger officers, and I
n their rear the still younger troops, t
low dashing toward us in their sham !
ght, now wheeling round, dispensing, {
nd again uniting. And all this with
hythmical movements half warlike ?
alf coquettish but never clumsy, the 7
legant play of the bare, round arms ,
ecalling to the mind the limbs of an {
lent classical statues. All dances +
Thiclr have seen performed among $
avage and demi-savage people have i
cen grotesque. Here for the first I
lme performance was given which c
you'd have held it's own before Sc a
ious critic and aesthetic. I