The Amazons
Francisco de Orellana swore that he and his men encountered powerful
warrior women in 1542 during his quest for El Dorado. He would later name
the river down which they traveled, the "Amazon," referring to
women found in Greek mythology. According to this myth, there existed
women who cut off their right breasts to make it easier to use a
bowstring, and thus were named "a mastos," from the Greek "without breast."
These Amazons had no use for men, other than for procreation and were
said to kill male children.
English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, who would make his bid for El
Dorado, in 1595, never had first-hand experience with the Amazons.
But, in a romantic account he later writes of his expedition to Guiana
as he dubbed the fabulous land, Raleigh sums up the information he had gathered on these
warrior women:
"They...do accompany with men but only once a year, and for the time
of one month, which I gather by their relation to be in April. At that
time all the Kings of the borders assemble, and the Queens of the
Amazons, and after the Queens have been chosen, the rest cast lots for
their Valentines. This one month they feast, dance and drink their
wines in abundance, and the moon being done they all depart to their
own provinces. If they conceive and be delivered of a son, they return
him to the father; if of a daughter they nourish it and retain it, and
as many as have daughters send unto the begetters a present, all being
desirous to increase their own sex and kind. But that they cut off
the right dug of the breast I do not find to be true. It was farther
told me that if in the wars they took any prisoners, that they used to
accompany with those also, at what time soever, but in the end for
certain they put them to death; for they are said to be very cruel and
blood-thirsty, especially to such as offer to invade their
territories."
Text excerpt: "The Discoverie of the Large, Rich and Bewtiful Empyre
of Guiana with a Relation of the Great and Golden Citie of Manoa
(which the Spaniards call El Dorado)" By Sir W. Ralegh, Knight; 1596