Are 'Dora Milaje' inspired by real women? True story behind 'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier' warriors
‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ recently introduced Wakanda’s elite female fighting force, the “Dora Milaje”, with a bang and enthralled the viewers with an epic fight scene that captivated the minds of everyone who love the show.
The badass group was first introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in the 2018 movie ‘Black Panther’ and when they appeared on the screen they blew everyone’s mind. For women, the “Dora Milaje” was not just a group of fictional characters. They were much more than that and were actually an inspiration to all the women around the world. Let’s dig a little deeper and get to know more about Dora Milaje and the real-life inspiration behind the group.
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Comic-book nerds and those who follow the Marvel Cinematic Universe religiously know how “Dora Milaje” has been instrumental in keeping Wakanda safe from all the threats. They have also fought against alien threats alongside the Avengers and did not even think twice in supporting T’challa (Chadwick Boseman) against Erik Killmonger (Michael B Jordan).
The women in the group are highly skilled and highly intelligent. Many people believe that they are inspired by a group of female warriors actually rooted in the real world.
Who are the Dora Milaje and when was the group introduced in Marvel?
The ‘Dora Milaje’ first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1998. The members of the group are called the “wives of the king.” They are a team of women who serve as special forces for the fictional African nation of Wakanda. An ancient tribal tradition, the Dora Milaje were assembled as potential queens for an unmarried king, maintaining the peace in Wakanda by ensuring that every tribe has the opportunity to put forward one of their daughters for the crown.
Over time, the order of the Dora Milaje expanded considerably, with more than a dozen active participants from the various tribes. Their service continued even after T'Challa's marriage to Ororo.
Is Dora Milaje inspired by a real-life group of female warriors?
As mentioned above, Christopher Priest introduced the group in 1998 and instantly became a fan favorite. However, the group has a lot of history attached to it and it is certainly not fiction. It is believed that the group of female soldiers was inspired by a real-life group of female warriors known as the “Dahomey Amazons.”
The name, “Dahomey Amazons”, was given to them by the Europeans, but in Africa, they were known as “Mino”, which means “our mothers.” It is believed that the third King of Dahomey, King Houegbadja, originally started the group which would become the Amazons as a corps of elephant hunters called the ‘gbeto’. Whatever their origin, the King was always surrounded by armed women in public and private life. Approximately 4,000 women were a part of the group by the end of the 19th century.
In the book ‘The Women Soldiers of Dahomey’, author Sylvia Serbin notes that the “Dahomey Amazons” were the last line of defense between the enemy and the king and they were always ready to put their bodies on the line to protect the king. They were exposed to pain and merciless killing as part of their training. As a result, the world saw a group of fearsome women who did not think twice before killing anyone and winning the wars with authority.
This is pretty similar to what we saw in ‘Black Panther’. The group did not just sacrifice their lives for the King, but they also fought hard for their nation.
The group has come a long way from its initial comic book appearance. In the modern era, the “Dora Milaje” gained prominence after their appearance in ‘Black Panther #1’ in 2016. Ta-Nehisi wrote the comic and Brian Stelfreze joined in as the illustrator. It seems like the MCU is following the same path.
The introduction of Ayo and her group in 'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier' has made things interesting. They dominated the new Captain America (Wyatt Russell) and made a mockery out of his fighting skills. It will be interesting to see how ‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ goes forward with the “Dora Milaje”. Can they help Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) in defeating the Flag-smashers? The duo can surely seek some assistance from the warriors from Wakanda.
‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ returns to Disney+ with a new episode every Friday.
