Amazon and Its Many Meanings

Defining Amazon

Did you know that Amazon was one of the must used words on the web? Of course, we all know it's because there's an Amazon company that sells books and electronics. But how much do we really know about the other Amazons?

The River

The Amazon river dwarfs all the other rivers on Planet Earth. Its length is nearly 4,000 miles and, its width, at times, measures a whopping 7 miles across. When it floods, as it does during the rainy season, that width can broaden to nearly 25 miles across. Not an easy river to cross without a bridge or a boat.

The Amazon river is also home to a plethora of fish, snakes and birds, most of whom aren't friendly. Everybody knows about the deadly piranha fish that hunt in packs and can eat a human being in a few minutes. They also know about those large Anaconda pythons that are apt to hug an unlucky guy to death, and then make a meal of him. But who know that much about the Jaguar? Certainly, its coat is the desire of many a fashionista, but does it eat people?

It's unlikely because they hunt mainly at night near to the Jaguars will eat small alligators, deer, fish and other small animals.

All in all, the Amazon is not a safe place to be, albeit one of the most exciting places in the world.

The Women

Xena, we all know, was an Amazon. But where exactly did the myths about Amazons originate?

The Greek writer, Homer, first spoke about Amazons in his tale, 'The Iliad' - the story of the Trojan War. According to Homer, these warrior women fought with men, conquered them, mated with them, had their children, then killed off the males, and kept the females. In later Greek mythology, there are many tales of these Amazon women.

Amazons were often portrayed as beautiful with exceptional skills in battle. They had a code of honor and were brave. The stories of these women gradually seeped into the mythical lore of many cultures, including nations in Africa, Asia,Europe and South America. In fact, the Amazon River is named after the Amazon women of old.

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