Amazons Through the Ages: Myths that Transcend Time

 

Marble Statue of a Wounded Amazon,
The MET 5th avenue - Gallery 153

            Myths have been used throughout history to explain not just the world, its creation and natural phenomena, but as a way to capture the nature of humanity and their cultural values; they transcend time and place to tie humanity together, and in doing so they help us to comprehend the past while influencing the present. Ancient myths continue to resonate with us today and often influence our modern lives. For example, we can examine the Greek myths pertaining to the Amazons, which GreekMythology.com explains in their article “Amazons” is a race of all female warriors that were believed to reside in “modern-day Ukraine” (n.d.-a), and the evolution of this myth into the modern world. As GreekMythology.com further explains, men were forbidden from residing with the Amazons, and that they have appeared within several Greek myths, that can also be found through GreekMythology.com, such as the “Labours of Hercules,” where in Hercules is tasked with retrieving the Amazon Queen Hippolyta’s magical girdle as his 9^th task. When Hercules came to the Amazons to retrieve this girdle, Queen Hippolyta was glad to give it to him, yet trickery by the Goddess Hera – where she disguised herself as an Amazon and spread a rumor that Hercules planned to abduct the queen among her people - resulted in a confrontation. During this confrontation, Hercules ends up killing Hippolyta before stealing her girdle and escaping (n.d.-b).

             This mythological race of powerful and independent women sent shockwaves throughout history, challenging patriarchal norms and becoming a modern symbol of feminine power. The Amazons became the inspiration of girls and women around the world as they were further immortalized in the media, serving as inspiration for the female superhero “Wonder Woman,” that made her original debut on October 21^st 1941, in All Star Comics #8, according to DC Comics, and for the popular show “Xena: Warrior Princess” that aired from 1995 – 2001, frequently on the WB Channel, though you can now watch the show in its entirety through Amazon Prime (IMBD; 2025). For clarification, it is worth noting that the company name “Amazon” was not influenced by the Greek myth of the Amazons, but rather the river Amazon, as the article by Business Insider explains (2019).

            In truth, in my youth I was obsessed with “Xena: Warrior Princess,” and I never missed the chance to watch it. I found Xena to be inspiring, and I can remember, vividly, pretending to be one of those mighty female warriors, running through the woods and jumping from trees as if I could embody the women themselves. This show wonderfully captures direct aspects of the Amazon myth, focusing on a tribe of women warriors in an all-female society, that live on an island, and who reject the traditional female role. It features the themes of female independence, strength, and self-reliance, portraying the women of this fictional tribe as warriors that fight for what they believe in and challenge social norms.

            But the Greek myths of the Amazons have also influenced many other forms of modern media, even in Anime, as Eiichiro Oda was heavily influenced by them in the creation of the Kuja Pirates within the popular anime One Piece, though the leaders of the Kuja pirates are also heavily influenced by the myths of the Gorgons, most particularly Medusa in their Queen Boa Hancock – who has the power to turn people into stone and through the snake symbolisms. However, the Kuja Pirates call the island of Amazon Lily home, they are a tribe of all female warriors, and men are forbidden from stepping foot onto their island. Making their original debut in episode 408 “Landing! The All-Female Island, Amazon Lily” that can be found on Crunchyroll, in which the male protagonist of the anime, Luffy, is sent literally crashing onto the island, which leads to a series of conflicts before they become allies. The Kuja Pirates embody the same feminine power as their Greek counter parts, bucking traditional gender roles with every woman a powerful warrior in their own right (n.d.).

            Arising out of Greek myth, the Amazons stood as an early contradiction to perceived gender roles, and as time has passed, they have inspired many other examples of feminine power, beautifully evidencing the ways myth transform over time, but also the ways in which cultural aspects are challenged and the ways in which myths, regardless of the time in which they were created, can speak as eloquently in the modern world as they did in the past. The Amazons stand as a symbol of feminine power and self-reliance, echoing the challenges experienced by women throughout history.

 

Works Cited:

 Amazons. Greek Mythology. (n.d.-a). https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Figures/Amazons/amazons.html

DC Comics. (n.d.). Wonder woman: Official DC character. DC. https://www.dc.com/characters/wonder-woman

IMDb.com. (1995, September 4). Xena: Warrior princess. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112230/

Labours of heracles. Greek Mythology. (n.d.-b). https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/The_Myths/Labours_of_Heracles/labours_of_heracles.html

Lebowitz, S. (2019, July 5). Amazon is celebrating its 25th birthday. here’s how the e-commerce giant got its name. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-jeff-bezos-chose-company-name-2018-5#:~:text=Amazon%20was%20incorporated%20on%20July,Tuttle%2C%20started%20exploring%20other%20possibilities.

Watch popular anime, Play Games & Shop Online. Crunchyroll. (n.d.). https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GRMG8ZQZR/one-piece?srsltid=AfmBOopo1AY6kIak4fdwok35n3f1B6QNNdXJ2zKE2FB9Koak2_XSiUuh

Artwork:

Roman. Marble Statue of a Wounded Amazon. 1^st – 2^nd century CE. The MET 5^th Avenue, Gallery 153. Public Domain. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/253373.