Ancient Dahomey Swords Reveal Hidden Craftsmanship Secrets That Could Rewrite History
The results of their research have now been published in the journal Heritage.
The Story Of The West African Kingdom Of Dahomey And Its Famous Mino Warriors
Public DomainDahomey female warriors, known as the Mino, in the 1890s.
For roughly 300 years starting in the early 1600s, the Kingdom of Dahomey stood in what is now southern Benin. Dahomey rose to prominence throughout the 18th and 19th centuries especially, during which time it became a significant regional power and a successful trade partner on the world stage.
Dahomey’s economy was heavily reliant on the Atlantic slave trade, with the kingdom capturing and selling enslaved individuals to European traders in exchange for firearms and other goods. Thus Dahomey society became heavily militarized, and was particularly known for its elite female warriors known as the Mino.
The Mino (the Fon language word for “our mothers”), also known as the Dahomey Amazons, were an all-female military regiment that initially started as a corps of elephant hunters. Over time, however, and especially under the reign of King Ghezo (1818-1858), they became a fearsome military force. The Mino were known for their rigorous training, strong survival skills, and elite weapons handling. By the mid-19th century, they made up about a third of Dahomey’s army.
Public DomainDahomey Amazons in Paris, 1891.
The Mino wielded unique swords known as “hwi,” which featured intricate designs. Hwi were also used in various rituals and ceremonies that showcased their exemplary craftsmanship. And due to the kingdom’s extensive trade with European nations, many experts had mistakenly credited the swords to European metalworkers. The new research, however, upends this idea and reveals just how skilled Dahomey craftspeople were.
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