File this under things you learn every day.
Amina was born around 1533 in Zaria, a province of today’s Nigeria. She was the daughter of Bakwa of Turunku. Their family’s wealth was derived from the trade of leather goods, cloth, kola, salt, horses, and imported metals.
When Bakwa died in 1566, the crown of Zazzua passed to Amina’s younger brother, Karama. Their sister, Zaria, fled the region and little is known about her.
Although Bakwa’s reign was known for peace and prosperity, Amina chose to hone her military skills from the warriors of the Zazzau military. As a result, she emerged as leader of the Zazzua cavalry. Many accolades, great wealth, and increased power resulted from her numerous military achievements.
When her brother Karama died after a ten-year rule, Amina had matured into a fierce warrior and had earned the respect of the Zazzau military and she assumed the reign of the kingdom.
To her credit, she fortified each of her military camps with an earthen wall. Later, towns and villages sprung up within these protective barriers. The walls became known as Amina’s Walls and many of them remain in existence to this day.
According to legend, Amina refused to marry and never bore children. Instead, she took a temporary husband from the legions of vanquished foes after every battle. After spending one night together, she would condemn him death in the morning in order to prevent him from ever speaking about his sexual encounter with the queen.
Legend also decrees she died during a military campaign at Atagara near Bida in Nigeria. Her exploits earned her the moniker Amina, daughter of Nikatau, a woman as capable as a man.
Now if Amina’s story sounds incredibly familiar to many of you, there’s a reason for that. Amina was used as a model for the fictional heroine Xena: Warrior Princess.
Given the fact that Amina’s origins and exploits reads almost verbatim to Xena’s, I’m inclined to believe it.
You know what this means right? Xena was based on a historical black woman. You know, I used to joke for years that Xena had a bit of a sister in her. Everything from her swagger, to her weakness for the brothers. NOW it makes sense, and I wasn’t projecting that.
The real Xena was black. I knew it!
Now anyone who’s known me for five seconds knows how much I love me some Xena: Warrior Princess. In addition to being a great show, it broke a lot of ground and paved the way for female and queer protagonists. Given that both Xena and Gabrielle were queer heroines. I would even argue that Xena will probably go down as television’s greatest action hero of all time. She’s the Greek mythical equivalent of Batman only more badass.
Whether she stars on Xena, Battlestar Galactica, or Spartacus, people also know I’m down for all things Lucy (F)Lawless. But damn, we should’ve had a Black Xena.
Imagine if instead of getting cast for the role of Nebula and Cleopatra on Hercules and Xena, the goddess herself, Gina Torres was handed the role of the warrior princess. She would’ve have redefined the term perfection, more than she does now. If that’s even possible or imaginable.
Say it with me: #BlackGirlMagic and #BlackGirlsRock!!!!!!
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