The BERBERS

Ancient African people with woman-focused culture

Archer
Very ancient rock engraving of a female(?) archer from Wadi In Habeter in southwestern Libya.

There are several cross connections with the ancient tradition of the Libyan Amazons!

First of all, the Libyan Amazons were located in that part of Africa where the Berber peoples lived and still live. The Berbers are supposed to be aborigines.
The Berbers call themselves »AMAZIGH« in their language. There is definitely a strong similarity between the words »AMAZON« and »AMAZIGH«.
A further astonishing fact is the preeminent position of women in Berber society, though it depends to which extent the Berbers were absorbed by the Arabs. For about 1300 years the Berber peoples were threatened and in fact for the most part conquered and at last absorbed by Arab invaders.
There was a significant historical event at the first Arab invasion about 700 A.D. It was a female Berber leader named Kahina, who very successfully put up a fierce resistance to the Arab conquerors and even succeeded in driving them back, though in the end she was defeated and lost her life! Kahina led her life in the tradition of famous Amazon queens like Penthesilea. Isn't it very plausible that she was a descendant of the famous Libyan Amazons?
But the conquest of the Berber peoples was rather complete, so only the most secluded tribes have preserved their unique Berber culture.

Even today there are amazing parallels between the Berbers and the tradition of the Amazons. So there are fascinating Berber fortresses which have a strong resemblance to the picture of the Themiskyra fortress on a Greek vase. The conformity of tower battlements on both representations is very remarkable!

Berber fortress from Morocco

But even in social life of the Berbers there persisted elements of their unique culture. For the most part only the Berber women are literate and exclusively they know to write a special alphabet, the Tifinagh, which is founded upon the ancient Libyan writing.
So it is not very amazing that literature and poetry are handed down by the Berber women!

Tuareg archer The Tuaregs
The strongest impression of genuine Berber culture conveys the people of Tuareg. This people lives in the Sahara desert and because of its seclusion could preserve its uniqueness. Only in the beginning of our century the French succeeded in subduing this proud people!

Tin Hinan - African Amazon Queen
The ancestress of the Tuaregs was a woman, who possessed many characteristics of an Amazon queen. Her name was Tin Hinan.

Comments - Suggestions

*B o o k s*
Gerhard Pöllauer: Die verlorene Geschichte der Amazonen Neueste Forschungserkenntnisse über das sagenumwobene Frauenvolk (The lost history of the Amazons. Latest research results about the famous warrior women) ISBN: 978-3-902096-88-3; Paperback, 148 pages, 87 black-and-white pictures, 3 illustrations Price: EUR 13.00 This book focuses on the numerous traces of the historical Amazons. It reports on latest investigations in the legendary homeland of the Amazons at the river Thermodon and on the Amazon island Lemnos. Fresh evidence indicates that the Amazons really existed! According to these new discoveries the lost history of the Amazons can be reconstructed. => Table of contents => Specimen => Review At present, this book is only available in German.
Gerhard Pöllauer, Geheimnisvolles Lemnos. Die von Frauen beherrschte Insel (Mysterious Lemnos. Island dominated by women) ISBN: 978-3-902096-77-7; Paperback, 128 pages, 97 black-and-white pictures, 3 color photos, 1 map Price: EUR 13.00 The rather unknown North Aegean island Lemnos amazes with its great prehistoric past. About 5000 years ago there existed a highly-developed civilization which created imposing cities, mighty rock buildings and impressive sanctuaries on this Greek island. The discovery of Poliochni was sensational. Because of its largeness and refinement this Bronze Age settlement is regarded as the most ancient city of Europe. Also the discoveries at Myrina in the west and Hephaistia in the north witness the island's prehistoric importance. Presumably there was a further city in the Northeast - Chryse, which was sunken under the sea. Moreover, the findings make evident that in this ancient civilization there was gender equality, it even seems that the women had the predominating gender role. Not without reason in antiquity Lemnos was described with the words »island dominated by women«. => Table of contents At present, this book is only available in German.
The Berbers This comprehensive overview shows these disparate peoples in their immediate social environments and how they retained a separate identity among more dominant cultures.

Updated: January 22, 2010
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	The Tuaregs The strongest impression of genuine Berber culture conveys the people of Tuareg. This people lives in the Sahara desert and because of its seclusion could preserve its uniqueness. Only in the beginning of our century the French succeeded in subduing this proud people!
	Tin Hinan - African Amazon Queen The ancestress of the Tuaregs was a woman, who possessed many characteristics of an Amazon queen. Her name was Tin Hinan.