In ancient times, in the
distant dreamlike past, The Amazons were a legendary race of women warriors
living in a matriarchal society. They were believed by one account, to
be daughters of the peace-loving nymph Harmonia and Ares, the God of War,
and as such combined both beauty and might in the form of the Warrior
Woman. And this nation of warrior women dominated
the ancient world, so their mystical beliefs dominated them, as this deck
will illustrate…
In
ancient times, from as early as 1,000BC, even before such biblical greats
as Solomon and Queen Bilquis of Sheba, the Amazons existed and were said
to have conquered and inhabited lands in the Middle and Near East, Northern
Africa as well as in Greece and its more immediate neighbours. Later in
their history, they were said to have held sway over the part of Asia
Minor along the shores of the Black Sea, and the many Amazon tribes settled
in such places as Scythia, Thermodon, Themiskyra, Anatolia, Thrace and
Samothrace, though it is believed that the Libyan Amazons were the oldest
Amazonian society of all.
The
Ancient Greeks believed in the Amazon Nation, and that it existed on their
very borders, though never really in Greece itself (now there’s a surprise!),
and so made the Amazons out to be 'barbarians' (which is Greek for 'stranger')
or 'savages' in their 'civilised' eyes.
This
was because the Amazons were a race of women warriors living in a matriarchal
society and so stood outside convention; where men were very much the
subordinates or even the slaves of women, being kept, more or less, for
breeding purposes and the various domestic duties that necessitated their
presence.
As
it has been said, the original Amazons were believed to be daughters of
Aries, the God of War, and the peace-loving nymph Harmonia. However, some
say that the Amazon, Otrera, was the original great Mother of the Amazon
Nation and perhaps was indeed indistinguishable from the Great Mother
Goddess herself.
This
contrasting personification of beauty and might is reflected in that two
queens ruled each Amazon tribe. With one queen for defense
and the other for internal affairs, they shared between them sovereignty
over their world. Under their military queen, the Amazons were a formidable
army of mounted warriors bearing shields and double-bladed battle-axes
with other weaponry and they were experts particularly in the art
of single combat. It has been said that the Amazons were perhaps even
the first to ever army use a 'cavalry'. Thus, charging ever forward they
carved a savage path through ancient realms and ancient chronicle and
on into the misty lands of legend. By contrast, on the domestic front,
the Amazons lived peacefully, seeing to all their own domestic needs.
This
duality of being is also seen a mirror to that of the Goddess Artemis,
their patron, who in her many incarnations was by very nature Herself
an embodiment combining both good and evil, war and nurture.
Popular
legend has it that the Amazons removed one breast in order to shoot and
throw spears with greater effect. This alleged practice gave rise to the
name Amazon, which apparently comes from the Greek word for breast-less
(a mazos). Other accounts however, translate this word to mean
'Moon Women' (due to their crescent shaped shields?), which would be highly
appropriate given their Patron Goddess was Artemis, Deity of the Moon…
In
art, on the other hand, in which the Amazons and their battles are so
frequently portrayed, they were shown either as beautiful women with one
breast exposed, or as warlike but stunning women with no apparent disfigurement.
It
is in this spirit therefore, that we have chosen to illustrate our Tarot
Deck, which is devoted to all women -
In The Spirit Of The Amazons…
And
the Amazon Nation?
Although
the Amazons, as the Ancient world knew and feared them, have long departed,
the Amazon Spirit has endured... and has been present throughout the ages
and throughout the world- both ancient and modern- living on in the hearts
of women. It is to these women that this deck is also dedicated.
So
the Amazon Nation has, in fact, survived... enduring from the ancient
times throughout history, to the modern day.
It
is called 'WOMAN'. |
