Amazon Files and Backgrounds at the Shadow of Olympus

AMAZON FILES

Rites and Ceremonies

Ritual is an important aspect of life within the Amazon nation. Here are the major rituals of Amazon culture, with some detail in how they are performed.
The following rituals are performed at different stages in an Amazon’s life, directly relating to her age and status within the tribe.
The Welcoming Of Life: This ceremony is performed when an Amazon goes into labor. While she is attended by healers and at least one priestess, her Amazon sisters remain outside in a continuous vigil that includes song and dance that only stops once the baby is born, and the priestess has declared the child healthy and announced its name. This ritual is performed regardless of the child’s sex, though there is significantly less celebration afterward if it is a boy child. For first time mothers, it is traditional for her to receive gifts from fellow Amazons, and both she and her child are considered to be favored by Artemis if her first-born is a healthy girl.
Rite of the First Hunt: The rite in which a ten year old goes out and makes a symbolic kill, small animal, alone. Each girl is marked with the blood of her prey when she returns, and brought to sing and dance with her fellow Amazons. The next evening, groups of three go out, capture a live stag and bring him home. The stags are held till sunset the next day and then released. During this ceremony they don a mask for the first time as a contributing member of the tribe and learn their secret, spiritual name, known only within the tribe. The mask is made to appear like the patron animal of the Amazon’s bloodline, and it is required that the feathers or fur of the symbolic kill are used somehow in the creation of the mask.
Ceremony of First Blood: This rite is performed when a young woman menstruates for the first time. This ceremony, combined with the Rite of the First Hunt, completes the requirements for a young Amazon to become a completely adult member of her society. There is little in the way of formal ceremony save for acknowledgement by a priestess before the Amazon nation, though it is expected for the other women of the girl’s bloodline to host a feast in her name. It is also traditional for the young woman to receive presents from her bloodline and from her age mates at this time.
Ceremony Of Last Blood: This ritual is performed when an Amazon goes into menopause. It is a solemn event, where the woman is brought before the nation by a priestess, and announced as having passed into an age of wisdom. Some women choose this time to ‘retire’ from their particular roles in Amazon society, becoming elders of their bloodline and serving as advisors or teachers.
Rite Of Passage: This is the rite that occurs when an Amazon dies. Amazons traditionally burn their dead. An Amazon’s possessions will often be distributed to other members of her bloodline, or to whomever she sees fit, and this is overseen by someone she selects to take care of this matter, or her bloodline’s eldest living Amazon by default. Most Amazons killed in war simply leave this duty for the eldest of her bloodline, whereas an Amazon who dies of old age or sickness will often ask a close friend to take care of this important duty. The only thing that is burned with the Amazon is her mask, and it is believed that should an Amazon be burned without her mask, she will not be able to go properly into her after life. The only exception to this rule is the Mask of Queens, which is passed down by the bloodline of the Queenship of the Amazons when the throne is assumed. It is traditional for the Amazons present at the rite to sing in honor of the fallen, incorporating both the traditional Amazon song for the dead, any songs that may have been composed to honor the woman who has passed, as well as songs favored by the deceased, whether they be solemn or merry.

The rituals below describe rituals that are only required during specific events, rather then relating to stages of their individual lives.
Induction: When a female who is not born of the nation wishes to join, an Induction ritual is performed. It requires that the woman who wishes to join have a sponsor, usually one who plans on bringing the woman into her bloodline (see Adoption). How it is determined that a woman will be brought into the nation can vary – sometimes she is given a task, or brought before the Queen and highest ranking priestess to be interviewed, sometimes both or neither. But once she has been deemed acceptable to the Amazons, she is brought before them and announced as a sister among them. This is a time of great celebration, often incorporating dancing and singing, as well as a feast. The Induction rite is almost always coupled with the Adoption rite, though Adoption can take place at a later time.
Adoption: Usually performed at the same time as an Induction, this is when an Inducted Amazon is declared a member of a specific bloodline by the highest ranking member of that bloodline. She is also granted a mask at this time, unless she is still young enough to go through the Rite of the First Hunt. If one has the appropriate knowledge, they can tell the difference between an Amazon by birth and an Amazon by initiation – Amazons by birth always have something of their First Hunt prey on their mask. If Adoption is performed sometime other then at the Induction, then a similar feast is usually celebrated.
Rite Of Tears: This ritual can be performed in many ways. It is a healing ceremony of sorts, used to assist a woman when dealing with some trauma, be it the death of a loved one, or to overcome some form of abuse. It can be a ritual that includes many people, or only the woman requesting the rite and the assisting priestess. It is performed at night, and is an intense, emotional experience for any involved. Rites of Cleansing may also be included as a smaller part of this ritual.
Battle Rite: This ritual is performed the night before the Amazons go into battle, though it can be performed in the day as well. It is a feast to celebrate life, and the glory of those who will die in battle – and a time to say good bye to loved ones, possibly until they meet in the after life. Often during this feast, the Queen and those chosen to lead in the battle address their sisters, and the singing and dancing is often wild and reckless. It is speculated that the legend of the Maenads comes from men who were unfortunate enough to happen upon a group of Amazons celebrating a battle rite. Of course, it is unlikely that they lived to tell the tale…
Punishment Rite: When an Amazon has committed some crime and has been judged guilty, a punishment rite is performed. Amazon punishment can vary depending on the severity of the crime. See the files on Amazon law for more information.
Ritual of Challenge: This ritual is used to resolve disputes, and can also be used to challenge someone’s position of power. These challenges are often combat oriented, but can be enacted in other ways. A third, neutral party must be witness to the challenge regarding a dispute, and are commonly selected from the Fox bloodline, in their natural role as arbiters. If the challenge is for a position, then the challenging Amazon must have a sponsor of acceptably high rank, either from another bloodline, her own bloodline, or in the case of challenging to become heir, the Queen herself. Note that the queenship cannot be challenged for, though the right to be the queen’s heir can be.

The following rituals are celebrated in seasonal rotation. The ceremonies tend to range from joyous to hedonistic to surprisingly ascetic, depending on the festival. Though certain goddesses are prreviewent at different ceremonies, Artemis is always given offerings in addition to the goddess of the festivity, as she is the patroness of the Amazons.
Celebration of the New Year: A nightlong feast on the first night of spring. This is the Day of Artemis, the time of youth, maidenhood, and beginnings. Persephone is also traditionally sacrificed to by Amazons who have not reached adulthood.
Midsummer: A celebration of fertility and love. Many Amazons who wish for children strive to conceive on this night, and many Amazons simply use it as an excuse to enjoy the evening’s sensual pursuits. This is the sole celebration in which Amazons might offer sacrifices to Aphrodite. Sacrifices to Demeter in her capacity as a fertility goddess, are also not uncommon.
Autumn Harvest: This is the time of gathering food and celebrating the bounties of the earth before the winter sets in. A huge feast is traditional, and it has been known that on some rare occasions, queens have permitted outsiders to share in this celebration as an act of good faith. This celebration requires sacrifice to both Demeter as the goddess of growing things, and Artemis as goddess of the hunt.
Winter Solstice: Also known as The Long Night, this is a celebration that honors the dead, most especially fallen warriors, as well as celebrating the longest night of the year. Athena is sometimes invoked to bless the spirits of the fallen and grant their skill to the new generation. This is also a time of power for those who study magic, and a time when one should resolve old debts and quarrels.
Moon Rituals: Artemis is the goddess of the moon, and as such, night is her time. Smaller rituals are celebrated at various phases of the moon each month. The new moon is a quiet, solemn time, usually important to those who pursue the study of magic. It is a time of beginnings. The full moon is a time of fertility and completion, and the Amazons celebrate it by feasting and singing, drumming and dancing until the first rays of dawn touch the sky.

Bloodlines

There are several castes, or bloodlines within the Amazon tribes. Though each bloodline is known for specific functions, it is not forbidden, nor uncommon to find women within each one choosing different paths other then the traditional role of their bloodline.
Wolf: The royal house, including the queen and her family, whether by birth or adoption. Any Amazon who becomes queen is automatically adopted into Wolf, and all of her direct descendants are considered to be Wolf even if they never ascend to Queenship.
Wildcat: This is a bloodline of warriors. Charismatic and fierce, Wildcats make up the majority of those Amazons who devote their lives to being the soldiers of the nation. Though the Amazon warriors have little in the way of military structure, it is most common to find those who lead their fellow warriors wear the mask of a Wildcat.
Owl: The bloodline of the Owl are those women who serve Artemis as priestesses, serving their community as spiritual leaders, oracles, and devoting their time to the study of magic. Though all Amazons may choose to study magic, those amongst the Owls are considered the most powerful. This particular bloodline has more adoptions then some of the others, since the call to serve Artemis and the potential for learning magic tends to be random rather then inherited – though those born directly into the Owl bloodline are often most powerful of all.
Bear: Bear women are sometimes referred to as ‘Ursa’s Daughters’. These woman are those that oversee the daily lives of the Amazon nation. It is they who insure that children are cared for, that there is enough food to eat, and that the slaves are seeing to their duties. They are somewhat like housekeepers or chatelaines, only with far more influence. Even though most Bear bloodline Amazons do not go into battle, they often function as a general home guard, and can be frenzied warriors, not unlike a true she-bear who would die to protect her young.
Boar: Amazons of the Boar bloodline are artisans. Leatherworkers, the occasional metal-smith, wood-crafters, seamtresses and weapon makers, these Amazons are engineers, crafters, and smiths.
Fox: Amazons of the Fox bloodline are poets, bards, singers, and storytellers. Even though the Amazon life is a hard one, without song and dance, without beauty, there would be no point. The Fox bloodline are those that create new songs and sing the old. They are also the keepers and recorders of Amazon law, acting as judges when needed. Though it is the Bear bloodline that teaches the young, it is the Fox bloodline that insures that the knowledge is kept and recorded, as well as adding to the Amazons’ tradition of story and song. Like Owl, the Fox bloodline tends to have more adoptions then direct descendants into the bloodline.
Falcon: While the Wolf bloodline devote themselves to the art of war, the Falcons are the huntresses of the Amazons. Keen eyed and quick witted, Falcons also serve as trackers and infiltrators in combat. It is often said that if a man actually sees a Falcon while she is in the forest, it is usually already too late and he will soon be dead.

Resources

Here are some suggestions for media sources that reflect Amazon culture. The various mythological resources are not mentioned, as they should be obvious. These are just a list of books, tv shows, movies, and plays, as well as a list of characters from these sources who might not be Amazons as defined by Grecian culture, but certainly reflect them in spirit. Feel free to add to this list.

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (Television, series)
Xena: Warrior Princess (Television, series)
Hercules And The Amazon Women (Television, movie)
Wonder Woman (Comic book only! The TV series is damn cheesy.)
The Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley (novel)
The Books of Great Alta by Jane Yolen (novel series)
Sword And Sorceress Anthology edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Oathbound and Oathbreakers by Mercedes Lackey
By The Sword by Mercedes Lackey
Lysistrata, the Play
Trojan Women by Euripides (No Amazons, but still theme approprate.)
The Coda, as created for Image Comics

Sara Pezzini from Witchblade
Delenn, Susan Ivanova, and Lyta Alexander from Babylon 5
Zaahn and Aeryn Sun from Farscape
The Queen of Swords
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Elektra, Storm, Namorita, and various Marvel Heroines
Amanda from Highlander

Final Words

Just some final thoughts on Amazon role-play. There’s a lot of misconception about what it means to play an Amazon character. It is assumed that in order to play one, you must be a stereotypical angry female, unable to appreciate and completely denying the touch of any man. Not true! While yes, there are indeed Amazons who prefer the company of other women, there are just as many Amazons who enjoy the company of men, at least as far as sexual preference goes. Amazons can, if they choose, relate to men on a social level, but only if they bear in mind the common sense realization that the world at large does not share their perception of how society runs. There is no reason why an Amazon cannot have feelings for a man – she simply chooses a lifestyle that leaves men out of the every day aspects of her life.
Amazons also do not have to be exclusively warriors. They maintain a self-contained society, and that requires more then just soldiers. Craftspeople, leaders both temporal and spiritual, teachers, child-tenders, healers, domestics, any and all are required to maintain any society. And just as your average small town can have various personalities and levels of character, there is also just as wide a range amongst the Amazons. So along with the ‘angry’, the ‘recovering abused’ and all the other initial stereotypes, you will find a whole spectrum of potential characters with a wide range of attitudes and feelings about themselves and the world around them. The key is not to view Amazons as being limited in role-play, but rather as being a challenge, a chance to explore and RP in a society where rather then allowing the choices to be made for her, a woman can make the choices for herself – no matter what those choices might be.