The warlike daughters of the East
The heroism and warlike character of women of the East are known from ancient epics and legends. Since childhood, many steppe beauties have learnt horseback riding, and as for agility, they possessed same level as a warrior or a dzhigit had. An unknown Persian author of the 13th century wrote about the Oguzes in the book “Wonders of the World”: “Their women have beautiful face, wear hats and weapons, and participate in battles.”
Women of ancient tribes who lived in the territory of modern Turkmenistan were indeed brave warriors. Antique history keeps legends about the mysterious Amazons of the Central Asian region. They had a bow, a battle ax, and a light shield, and their weapons included a spear as they were excellent in throwing.
During the excavations of the Scythian-Sarmatian burial mounds, there were found burial places of women in armor with their weapons nearby, including the iron sword, spear, and case for arrows. It proves that the myths about the Amazons had the ground to be appeared. The discovered skulls of female archery with pronounced long-headedness and artificial deformation of the bones of the skull refer to ethnic-territorial group of Turkmens in which the skull modification was traditional.
There is also a great common features of the silver jewelry of Turkmen girls with the military robes of warlike Amazons. Tahya, a girl’s headwear, in the form of silver dome and a tip on top resembles a war helmet. On both sides of this “helmet”, above the temples, pendants in the form of plates – chekelik – as they were intended to protect the head from two sides. The back of the head was covered by a thick plate with ornaments and pendants – yenselik.
The girl’s shoulders from behind were covered with round boxes – bezbent – that looked like military shield, while sun-like disk – gulyaka – used to protect the neck and chest. Another chest ornament is chapraz changa, several rows of round plaques sewn onto clothes and covering the chest to the waist. Bracelets – belezik – covered hands from wrists to elbow, as they look like military armor.
And if in Turkmenistan ancient jewelry is still a part of the modern women look, then, for example, in Moscow, the State Museum of the East hosts permanent exhibition devoted to the art of Turkmenistan. It includes a variety of women’s jewelry, which has become the subject of study.
During the Great Patriotic War, Turkmen women donated more than seven thousand kilograms of national silver and gold jewelry to the defense fund. About this, it is said in the video by Tatyana Kapurkina, the head of the department of excursion and lecture work of the museum.
The name of Rhodogune, Queen of the Parthians, the daughter of the Parthian king Mithridates I, is included into the book 100 great women warrior. Rhodogune was a warlike woman, and often braided her hair in a tight knot; she was a horse rider, and commanded of the army.
Once Rhodogune, having been informed of a revolt while preparing for a bath, vowed not to bathe or brush her hair until the revolt was neutralised. She immediately went to battle, riding out to the head of her army. She successfully directed the battle.
…Here Rhodogune gives the order to servants
To give her combat armor:
And sword, and spear and hereditary shield
And her golden armor.
Armor is weared
And the girl in battle
By her heroic courage.
She is immediately followed by
Parthians brave army.
The feat of Rhodogune was praised a lot by the Parthians, and was depicted thereafter on seals of the Arsacid Empire. Among the rare finds of the majestic Nisa is the marble statue of Rhodogune, which is still kept in the National Museum of Turkmenistan.
However, the glory of women of the East is not only in history. Wise hearth keepers, Turkmen women always remain as adornment of the nation and stronghold of the family.
https://cdn.orient.tm/storage/app/media/ru/2020/06/VIDEO.mp4
