The confidence that you are a “confirmed bachelor” may not come immediately. You can persistently get married several times, signing in the registry office - as confirmation that you are striving to create a strong social unit. Sometimes, with the arrival of a child in life, everything finally falls into place: love and family are children, and sex and other physical pleasures are men.
The likelihood that a unique character will appear, almost a demigod, who will get along well with a child, negotiate with the plumber and builders at the dacha, pay for the Internet, buy delicious food and dry wine, prepare dinner on his own, and also please sexually, without creating communal problems with his presence, of course it remains.
Meet a prince or live with a man?
But the possibility of such a sublime relationship with an ideal often seems like the possibility of direct contact with an alien civilization. This is how you can unnoticed become convinced that you are just a “hardened bachelor.”By the way, have you noticed that there is no such thing as a “confirmed bachelorette”? “Single woman”, “old maid”, “divorcee”, “unmarried” - whatever you want, just not “bachelor”. And do you know why? Because it is generally accepted that every woman a priori dreams of getting married. But the powers that be are in no hurry to get married.
By conducting a mini-survey among unmarried friends aged 30–40, you can find out that many of them are not at all interested in registering a relationship with a man. Surely everyone dreams of a prince on a white horse, but when the “debriefing” begins, the thought is heard that it is better to have a lover than to bind oneself to obligations. In addition, there is a feeling that living with a man for many years is hard labor. Cleaning, cooking and dreams of being alone and living for yourself at least a little. But how can this be done so that the child does not suffer? And how to divide living space and other goods?
Real advantages or dubious decency?
These are the modern Amazons. Nowadays, it’s time to say goodbye to stereotypes that men renounce marriage, and women should only get married! Who is the “confirmed bachelor” now? Woman or man? It seems the roles have changed.Searching the blogosphere for opinions on whether a free woman has a good life, you can find many arguments for and not a single one against. There are also such confessions: “A bachelor woman always looks great and all because she gets enough sleep - she doesn’t need to listen to the terrible thunderous snoring at night...”
It seems that the only negative opinion is a quote from the film: “A single woman is indecent!” And then she is already a pure anachronism.
If a man is needed only for sex, doubts arise about whether marriage is needed. There will always be some reason or claim against the applicant. If you are not ready to show patience and tact, you have everything and you are happy with everything, finding a husband is a tribute to tradition.
Psychologists say that between a free man and a free woman there is a huge difference in the motivation of their life guidelines. The "old bachelor" has some carefully hidden problems. This could be a previous unsuccessful relationship with his wife, or health problems, or difficulties in business... Marriage for him is the last way out of the impending impasse.
And the “old bachelorette” is a woman without problems. She is well-groomed, self-sufficient, financially independent, provided with housing, often with adults who have settled children in life. Such a woman dreams of love... until she meets a real suitor. As soon as she takes a close look at the groom, her independent mind begins to calculate the balance between difficulties and benefits from a new relationship... And, of course, there are many more points against a new connection.
In ancient times, Amazons were the name given to a tribe of warlike, self-sufficient women who conquered lands, fought with men, took some captives (to procreate), but managed without them in everyday life. Sounds like a beautiful fairy tale, doesn't it? But still, if there are myths and legends about such women that have passed through centuries, if famous ancient scientists mention them (and even modern ones do not dispute the possibility of the existence of Amazons), then, probably, there is some truth in this.What does "Amazon" mean?
According to some sources, “Amazon” means “a mazos” - breastless. Teenage girls from the tribe had their right breasts burned out with hot coals so that they would not interfere in battle. But this source can be questioned, because not a single image of the Amazons that has reached us shows breastless women. Other sources claim that this name comes from the Iranian word “ha-mazan” - warriors. Another option is from the word “a masso” - inviolable (for men).
Amazon Kingdom
Where did they come from and where did they live? And here scientists differ in their opinions. Some say that the Amazons were nomads, others that they had their own kingdom on the Mediterranean coast (or in the Crimea). Still other sources claim that a tribe of warlike women came from Asia Minor (somewhere at the foot of the Caucasus) or from the coast of the Sea of Azov.
There is also such a myth: the Amazons were so good in battle that the god Dionysus asked them for help to overthrow the Titans. After defeating them, Dionysus... defeated the Amazons. Few managed to hide from the insidious and vengeful god in the temple of Artemis. Then they went to conquer Asia, fought in the Crimea, conquered Syria, built the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, and others. On the Fermodon River, the Amazons were captured by the Greeks and wanted to transport them by sea to their homeland. But the warriors did not want to submit - they killed the ship’s crew, and soon, by the will of the winds, the ship with the Amazons washed up on the Scythian lands. The Scythians wanted to get offspring from such wonder women, and sent a detachment of beautiful young men to conquer them. This is how a new nation appeared - the Savramats.
Amazons in mythology
In Greek mythology, these warrior maidens traced their origins to the god of war Ares and the naiad Harmony. Lysippa is considered the first Amazon. The Amazons called the goddess Artemis their patroness, and revered her in every possible way. During the Trojan War, the Amazons fought on the side of the Trojans, and the famous Greek hero Achilles was forced to kill their queen. Bellerfont and Theseus also fought with the Amazons. And the ninth labor of Hercules was the task of taking away the magic belt from the leader of the warlike maidens. It was supposed to be a ransom for the kidnapping of Hippolyta, daughter of Queen Antiope.
According to legend, the Amazons had excellent command of a bow, a small double-sided battle ax (labrys), a short sword and a light shield. The Amazons made their own armor and helmets.
Images of Amazons in fine art
Myths about the Amazons gave rise to many works of art in painting and sculpture depicting warrior maidens. This is a popular subject in ancient fine art of the 7th century BC. and in painting already in our time (the era of Baroque and Classicism). Scenes of battles with Amazons are present in the paintings of J. Palma the Elder, J. Tintoretto, G. Reni, etc.
Amazons as characters in literature and cinema
The Amazons and their exploits inspired such European poets and playwrights as R. Granier (“Hippolyta”), Tirso de Molina (“Amazons in India”), Lope de Vega (“Amazons”), G. Kleist (“Penthesilea”), etc. In the 20-21st century, Amazons act as fantasy characters.
Many, I think, know the series “Xena – Warrior Princess,” popular in the 90s of the last century, about a female warrior and her companion Gabrielle.
"Amazon" company
This phenomenon took place in April 1787. The arrival of Empress Catherine II was awaited in Crimea. By order of Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin, a company consisting of women (100 people) was created for this event. The Empress once heard from the prince about an unprecedented miracle - Greek warriors. Potemkin decided to surprise Catherine, and he succeeded. The Empress was sincerely delighted and showered Potemkin with honors.
The creation of the “Amazonian” company in Crimea was undertaken by the Prime Major of the Balaklava Greek Regiment, named Chaponi (Greek by origin). He handed over command of the company to his young wife, 19 years old, Elena Ivanovna Sarandova. The company consisted of the wives and daughters of noble Balaklava Greeks. Women were taught to march and greet Catherine the Second. We have received information about that visit of the Empress, described in “Notes on the Amazonian Company” by G. Dusi. From these memoirs we learn that seeing the company “in parade” - in green velvet jackets and crimson skirts, in white turbans with ostrich feathers (the “seniors in rank” even had guns with three cartridges), Empress Catherine was very happy and said Elena Sarandova: “Congratulations, Amazonian Captain, your company is in good working order, I am very pleased with it.” Soon after the empress's departure, the company was disbanded. This fun cost over 100,000 rubles.
Warlike maidens of modern times
I think all women sometimes have a feeling when they want to conquer and enslave the whole world. Each one feels remarkable strength, she can handle anything. Modern Amazons walk the streets, travel, head large corporations and raise children. They are strong, self-sufficient, smart and educated. They conquer hearts and condescend to smile at those who like them. They know their worth and know that everything is in their hands.
P.S. Legends about warring tribes of women exist among many peoples of the world. These are either legends about tribes that actually existed, or widespread ancient myths, overgrown with new details. And I personally have a great suspicion that, firstly, the Amazons were not so bloodthirsty (the Greeks could have spread false information about them), and secondly, they could also not have been as graceful as in the images that have come to us from antiquity, or created in our time. Enormous physical exertion in battle and early training (from 10-12 years old) made their bodies more muscular and less “curvy”. Think about modern professional athletes.
In ancient times, Amazons were the name given to a tribe of warlike, self-sufficient women who conquered lands, fought with men, took some captives (to procreate), but managed without them in everyday life.
Sounds like a beautiful fairy tale, doesn't it? But still, if there are myths and legends about such women that have passed through centuries, if famous ancient scientists mention them (and even modern ones do not dispute the possibility of the existence of Amazons), then, probably, there is some truth in this.What does "Amazon" mean?
According to some sources, “Amazon” means “a mazos” - breastless. Teenage girls from the tribe had their right breasts burned out with hot coals so that they would not interfere in battle. But this source can be questioned, because not a single image of the Amazons that has reached us shows breastless women. Other sources claim that this name comes from the Iranian word “ha-mazan” - warriors. Another option is from the word “a masso” - inviolable (for men).
Amazon Kingdom
Where did they come from and where did they live? And here scientists differ in their opinions. Some say that the Amazons were nomads, others that they had their own kingdom on the Mediterranean coast (or in the Crimea). Still other sources claim that a tribe of warlike women came from Asia Minor (somewhere at the foot of the Caucasus) or from the coast of the Sea of Azov.
There is also such a myth: the Amazons were so good in battle that the god Dionysus asked them for help to overthrow the Titans. After defeating them, Dionysus... defeated the Amazons. Few managed to hide from the insidious and vengeful god in the temple of Artemis. Then they went to conquer Asia, fought in the Crimea, conquered Syria, built the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, and others. On the Fermodon River, the Amazons were captured by the Greeks and wanted to transport them by sea to their homeland. But the warriors did not want to submit - they killed the ship’s crew, and soon, by the will of the winds, the ship with the Amazons washed up on the Scythian lands. The Scythians wanted to get offspring from such wonder women, and sent a detachment of beautiful young men to conquer them. This is how a new nation appeared - the Savramats.
Amazons in mythology
In Greek mythology, these warrior maidens traced their origins to the god of war Ares and the naiad Harmony. Lysippa is considered the first Amazon. The Amazons called the goddess Artemis their patroness, and revered her in every possible way. During the Trojan War, the Amazons fought on the side of the Trojans, and the famous Greek hero Achilles was forced to kill their queen. Bellerfont and Theseus also fought with the Amazons. And the ninth labor of Hercules was the task of taking away the magic belt from the leader of the warlike maidens. It was supposed to be a ransom for the kidnapping of Hippolyta, daughter of Queen Antiope.
According to legend, the Amazons had excellent command of a bow, a small double-sided battle ax (labrys), a short sword and a light shield. The Amazons made their own armor and helmets.
Images of Amazons in fine art
Myths about the Amazons gave rise to many works of art in painting and sculpture depicting warrior maidens. This is a popular subject in ancient fine art of the 7th century BC. and in painting already in our time (the era of Baroque and Classicism). Scenes of battles with Amazons are present in the paintings of J. Palma the Elder, J. Tintoretto, G. Reni, etc.
Amazons as characters in literature and cinema
The Amazons and their exploits inspired such European poets and playwrights as R. Granier (“Hippolyta”), Tirso de Molina (“Amazons in India”), Lope de Vega (“Amazons”), G. Kleist (“Penthesilea”), etc. In the 20-21st century, Amazons act as fantasy characters.
Many, I think, know the series “Xena – Warrior Princess,” popular in the 90s of the last century, about a female warrior and her companion Gabrielle.
"Amazon" company
This phenomenon took place in April 1787. The arrival of Empress Catherine II was awaited in Crimea. By order of Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin, a company consisting of women (100 people) was created for this event. The Empress once heard from the prince about an unprecedented miracle - Greek warriors. Potemkin decided to surprise Catherine, and he succeeded. The Empress was sincerely delighted and showered Potemkin with honors.
The creation of the “Amazonian” company in Crimea was undertaken by the Prime Major of the Balaklava Greek Regiment, named Chaponi (Greek by origin). He handed over command of the company to his young wife, 19 years old, Elena Ivanovna Sarandova. The company consisted of the wives and daughters of noble Balaklava Greeks. Women were taught to march and greet Catherine the Second. We have received information about that visit of the Empress, described in “Notes on the Amazonian Company” by G. Dusi. From these memoirs we learn that seeing the company “in parade” - in green velvet jackets and crimson skirts, in white turbans with ostrich feathers (the “seniors in rank” even had guns with three cartridges), Empress Catherine was very happy and said Elena Sarandova: “Congratulations, Amazonian Captain, your company is in good working order, I am very pleased with it.” Soon after the empress's departure, the company was disbanded. This fun cost her over 100,000 rubles.
Warlike maidens of modern times
I think all women sometimes have a feeling when they want to conquer and enslave the whole world. Each one feels remarkable strength, she can handle anything. Modern Amazons walk the streets, travel, head large corporations and raise children. They are strong, self-sufficient, smart and educated. They conquer hearts and condescend to smile at those who like them. They know their worth and know that everything is in their hands.
P.S. Legends about warring tribes of women exist among many peoples of the world. These are either legends about tribes that actually existed, or widespread ancient myths, overgrown with new details. And I personally have a great suspicion that, firstly, the Amazons were not so bloodthirsty (the Greeks could have spread false information about them), and secondly, they could also not have been as graceful as in the images that have come to us from antiquity, or created in our time. Enormous physical exertion in battle and early training (from 10-12 years old) made their bodies more muscular and less “curvy”. Think about modern professional athletes.
Amazons of Ancient Rus'
The Amazons, legendary female warriors who burned their right breasts to facilitate archery, hated men with a passion and allowed them into their bodies only once a year for procreation. For a long time, scientists argued about whether the Amazons actually existed or were the figment of the fantasies of ancient historians and travelers, but recent discoveries by archaeologists have confirmed their reality.
Despite the latest discoveries by archaeologists, very little is still known about the Amazons. Until recently, many historians were rather distrustful of the evidence about female warriors of the Greek historian Herodotus, who in his works widely used myths and legends as sources. According to Herodotus, there was a proud and freedom-loving tribe of female warriors who masterfully wielded weapons and despised men.
To continue their family line, the Amazons sometimes still met with men, but of the children born, they kept only girls.
The boys, according to some sources, were simply killed; according to others, they were sent to their fathers. It happened that the Amazons remained virgins until the end of their lives, because in order to know a man, according to Herodotus, it was necessary to kill at least one enemy, of course, he was a representative of the “stronger sex”.
Archery was one of the main military priorities of the Amazons; they even underwent a terrible operation - cauterization of the right breast, which prevented them from pulling the bowstring and taking aim. Perhaps the meaning of the bow for these women warriors was to inflict maximum destruction on the enemy at a distance, but the Amazons were also terrible in hand-to-hand combat, especially when they rushed at the enemy with a terrible screech, swinging battle axes. Imagine the shock of the men when, after a hail of arrows, such a screaming, screaming and busty army fell upon him... By the time they came to their senses, it was often too late - the Amazons had the upper hand.
I doubt that the Amazons looked as attractive as they are usually shown in adventure series: the absence of one breast, battle scars, a lean muscular body, bowed legs from the “cavalry life” - all this is unlikely to particularly attract men. Although, I do not rule out that I am mistaken, because the legendary Theseus, the conqueror of the Minotaur, kidnapped the queen of the Amazons, Antiope. Theseus considered her beautiful, well, it has long been known that at all times the criteria for beauty varied quite greatly. This abduction ended in a big war: the Amazons, trying to recapture their queen, even conquered Attica; it took some effort to expel them from there. To this day in Athens you can see bas-reliefs on the north side of the Parthenon depicting scenes of the battle with the Amazons.
The Amazons are mentioned in Homer's Iliad, and the poet Pausanias (2nd century) even claimed that female warriors came to the aid of the Trojans, but were defeated by the Greeks. According to some sources, the kingdom of the Amazons with its capital Themiscyra was located in Asia Minor near the Thermodon River, and the ancient Greek historian Diodorus Siculus placed the Amazons on the borders of the inhabited world. It is curious that, according to his data, the Amazons still lived with men who did all the housework instead of women: they took care of children, prepared food... These homely peasants did not participate in military campaigns. According to Plutarch, the Amazons lived in the Black Sea region.
Many people have written about the Amazons, but known sources still do not allow us to accurately determine the location of their kingdom. Maybe this is due to the constant migration of female warriors? Now this assumption finds some confirmation in the finds of archaeologists. Burials of women with military weapons were found even on the territory of Kazakhstan. It is believed that they belonged to the tribe of nomadic Sarmatians and could well be the sought-after legendary Amazons. The Amazons most likely belonged to the Sarmatian and Scythian tribes of nomads. They probably did not lead a sedentary lifestyle and constantly wandered, perhaps sometimes over vast distances due to the threat of enemies or drought. This explains such discrepancies in determining the place of the kingdom of warlike women.
Surviving islands of matriarchy
Historians consider the Amazons to be the surviving islands of matriarchy at the dawn of human history. The virtual absence of historical information about them was explained quite peculiarly by one of the feminist scientists: “Men made every effort to destroy any reminders of the former kingdom of women. Ancient historians unanimously passed over this era in silence. The only thing that can be said with certainty is that there was a stage in the history of mankind when a woman took on the functions of a leader and protector.”
I beg to differ with this opinion. On the contrary, exotic female warriors have always been of interest to men, and the discovery of some semblance of Amazons in any part of the world has always been reflected in the reports of travelers. Thus, even Christopher Columbus, during his journey, having learned from the Indians about some island where only women lived, was inspired by the idea of discovering the kingdom of the Amazons. He even named the group of islands the Virgin Islands. Marco Polo also described an island he discovered near South India with an all-female population.
It is curious that the conquistadors also tried to find the Amazons in South America. One of the participants in Francisco de Orellana's campaign even described the battle that took place between the Spaniards and female warriors armed with bows and arrows. According to him, they were tall and fair-skinned, with long hair braided. Was it the warrior’s fantasy or did this battle actually happen, who knows? There are still reports from time to time of the discovery of tribes of women in little-explored areas of the Amazon River basin. It is still difficult to say whether they are newspaper ducks or whether there is any grain of truth in them.
More specific data also testifies to the martial art of women and the fact that Amazons could very well exist. It is known, for example, that the last king of Dahomey had a guard of 4 thousand black women warriors, fierce and merciless. Almost Amazons existed in the Czech Republic back in the 8th century, their residence was the “Castle of the Virgins” on Mount Vidolve.
They robbed the surrounding peasants and made men their slaves. The leader of this free women’s force was the beautiful Vlasta. Along with her warrior friends, she died in battle when the men finally decided to restore order.
Amazons lived in Rus'!
Perhaps you shouldn’t look for a country of female warriors on the distant shores of the Amazon and in hot Africa; it was located in Rus'. On the map of Charles V, dating from the 16th century, between the Volga and the Don (the region of the Azov Sea, Tartary, below the Volga-Don portage) it is written “AMAXONYM”, this is the country of the Amazons.
But here is what the historian Mavro Orbini (16-17 centuries) writes in a very interesting chapter “On the Amazons - the glorious Slavic warriors”, placed in one of his books: “To the lordship of the glory of the Slavic family is added the courage of the wives of this people. And most of all - AMAZON, who were the wives of the Sarmatian Slavs; their dwellings were near the Volga River.” According to the historian, the “Amazonians” passed through all of Asia Minor, “took Armenia, Galatia, Syria, Cilicia, and Pereida under the yoke,” took part in the Trojan War, “and remained firm in their power even until the time of Alexander the Great.”
There is a mention of the Amazons in the Russian “Tale of Bygone Years”, only here they are called “Mazovnians”. This ancient Russian text also talks about the fact that Amazons do not constantly live with men, but meet only for the purpose of having offspring, and they kill boys and raise only girls. Here is this passage: “And the Mazovnians do not have a husband... but in the spring of the summer they will settle down and be counted among the surrounding ones... If a child is born, they will destroy it;
Of course, you can give as many different written references to the Amazons as you like, but if you really want to, they can all be explained by the myth about female warriors that wanders from people to people. It is not surprising that Herodotus’ story about the Amazons was ridiculed by the ancient Greek geographer and historian Strabo (64/63 BC - 23/24 AD), he wrote: “Who would believe that there could once have been an army of women created without the participation of men, and so coordinated that it raided the lands of neighboring peoples. To say this is the same as saying that in those days husbands played the role of wives, and wives played the role of husbands...”
Such skepticism can only be eradicated by completely material evidence and, fortunately, it exists! I think that the remains of Amazons have been found in mounds for a long time, but some mounds were looted in ancient times, in others the skeletons were significantly damaged, and there were not always specialists able to distinguish the highly fragmented female remains from the male ones. Moreover, weapons were found in the mounds, which immediately suggested a male burial.
There were Amazons among both the Scythians and the Sarmatians. Their burials were discovered in Russia and Ukraine. Perhaps one of the first Amazon burials was discovered during the opening of a mound in the Voronezh region in the early 90s of the 20th century. It was a burial of the Scythian period, it contained a female skeleton, next to which lay darts and a quiver of arrows. Archaeologists also found beads in the grave. At first, scientists, of course, did not believe in the discovery of the burial of an Amazon; they assumed that a man and a woman were originally buried in the mound. In their opinion, the male skeleton could have been thrown out or moved during the looting of the burial ground. However, in this case, fragments of a male skeleton would probably have remained in the burial, but Moscow anthropologists were unable to find them; it turned out that it was a woman who was buried in the mound, and the weapon belonged to her.
In 1995, scientists found two more Amazon burials in the Krasnodar region; next to the skeletons were quivers with arrows and daggers for hand-to-hand combat. One of those buried, according to anthropologists, was a 14-year-old girl, her leg bones showed her to be a skilled horsewoman - they were twisted due to constant riding.
In 1998, archaeologists found six Amazon burials in the Voronezh region (Ostrogorsk district). The Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper wrote about this discovery: “As the institute’s specialists established, these were women 20-25 years old (the average human life expectancy at that time was 30-40 years), of average height and modern build. In addition to weapons, in their graves they found gold earrings, spindle parts, a bone comb with the image of a cheetah, and in almost every tomb a bronze or silver mirror.”
In the 90s of the 20th century, archaeologists excavated mounds in the Volga region, and in 2005 an international expedition worked in this area. Although men were buried in many mounds, there were also women’s burials, and they contained high-quality weapons and valuable funeral gifts, including gold. A study of the women's remains showed that during their lifetime they rode a lot. As a result of archaeological excavations, it turned out that of all the mounds studied in the lower reaches of the Volga River, a fifth belonged to female warriors.
And by 2006, mounds with burials of Amazons were discovered by archaeologists on the Don. Doctor of Historical Sciences V. Gulyaev said the following about these finds: “Our expedition established (thanks to the constant presence of anthropologists) that in six of the 59 examined mounds near the villages of Ternovoe and Kolbino, armed young women from noble families were buried. Next to them is the usual set of weapons: a pair of darts, a spear, a bow and arrows with bronze and iron tips. Then expensive jewelry made in Greece and purely feminine items - bronze mirrors, earrings, beads, a spindle made of clay and lead.”
Now it is quite possible to say that 30 km from Rostov-on-Don, not far from the ruins of the ancient city of Tanais, the burials of an entire detachment of Amazons were found. In one of these burials, the skeleton of a young girl was discovered, next to which lay a shield and a short sword. The girl's leg bones were twisted, indicating constant horseback riding. And many similar burials have been found here. Senior researcher at the Tanais archaeological museum-reserve Valery Chesnok is sure that the Amazons lived on the territory of modern Russia, because on ancient maps the Don River was often called the river of the Amazons.
It is curious that, by historical standards, female warriors existed in Rus' quite recently, just a few centuries ago. It is known that in 1641, during the famous Azov sitting, in addition to male warriors, Cossack female riders also took part in the battle with the Turks. They were excellent archers and inflicted significant damage on the Turks.
In Rus', women warriors were called “Polonitsy” (in some sources - “Polyanitsy”), they became heroes of Russian epics and fairy tales, but historical information about them has to be collected literally bit by bit. However, in light of the latest finds in the Volga region and the Don, scientists clearly have to reconsider our