Things The Woman King Got Factually Right & Wrong

Top 10 Things The Woman King Got Factually Right and Wrong

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Things The Woman King Got Factually Right and Wrong.

For this list, we’ll be looking at key details and plot points from this epic historical film that are factually accurate, as well as the creative liberties taken by the filmmakers. Since we’ll be discussing plot details, a spoiler alert is now in effect.

What was your favorite part of “The Woman King?” Let us know in the comments.

#10: The Characters’ Accents
Wrong

Hollywood films have long been criticized for their egregious misrepresentation of accents from African countries. Criticism similar to that which plagued movies like 2015’s “Concussion” and Marvel’s “Black Panther” resurfaced when the trailer for “The Woman King” was released. And while the performances in the eventual film were a little easier to swallow, one glaring blunder was the sheer variation in the characters’ accents. King Ghezo’s John Boyega said to Men’s Health that he’d use his parents’ Nigerian accent, Nawi’s Thuso Mbedu sounded more like she was speaking with her native South African cadence while Viola Davis largely relied on Hollywood’s generic African accent. While we don’t expect things to be 100% accurate, some consistency in the speech patterns would’ve gone a long way.

#9: The Kingdom of Dahomey Under Oyo Control
Right

The relationship between the Kingdom of Dahomey and their neighbor received a pretty accurate representation in the movie. In the 1730s, after a bloody war against Oyo, Dahomey became one of their tributary states. This meant having to offer some of their people annually, as tributes to their Oyo overlords, which was well portrayed in “The Woman King.” However, when the real-life King Ghezo became Dahomey’s ruler in 1818, he sought to put an end to that. In 1823, the year in which the movie is set, Ghezo led the Agojie, and the rest of the Dahomean army, against Oyo soldiers. Just like in the movie, they won this battle, bringing a permanent end to their tributary status.

#8: Recruitment into the Agojie
Right

As one of the primary army factions of the Kingdom of Dahomey, the Agojie at their peak reportedly numbered more than 6,000. To get this many female soldiers, women were recruited from all nooks and crannies of the kingdom. In “The Woman King,” one of the central characters, Nawi, joins the Agojie after she is offered to the King by her father because of her apparent bad behavior. This was a common occurrence, as leaders of the Dahomey Agoji sought out particularly rebellious women to join their ranks. Involuntary recruits were also obtained from foreign captives, while free Dahomean women were allowed to enroll voluntarily, with some joining from as early as 8 years old.

#7: Agojie Preference of Palm Oil Trade Over Slave Trade
Right

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Dahomey thrived on the Atlantic slave trade. But by the 1840s, the British had abolished the practice and made it difficult for Dahomey to continue the trade. At that time, the kingdom was split into two political parties. The Elephant Party, consisting of the King, wealthy traders and male military officers, went against England’s wishes. While the Fly Party, made up of the Agojie and lower-level traders, favored palm oil trading, in a bid to maintain a strong business relationship with England. This validates the stance of the fictional Nanisca in “The Woman King,” who proffers palm oil to Ghezo as an alternative to slave trade. Although her vehement opposition to the practice in the film is a little unrealistic.

#6: The Violent History of the Dahomey Kingdom
Wrong

Since “The Woman King” is only “inspired by true events,” it takes creative license in retelling the story of the Dahomey Kingdom. Because of this, most of the atrocities committed by the Agojie, at the behest of King Ghezo, are glossed over. In the film, the Agojie are portrayed as fierce protectors of their land. And while this is true, it only paints half the picture. The all-female unit actively invaded neighboring towns, capturing their citizens as slaves and leaving many dead in their wake. They were also known to raze such villages to the ground. The Dahomey people reportedly also conducted an Annual Customs ceremony, where they routinely offered up to 500 prisoners as a human sacrifice to their ancestors.

#5: The Existence of the Agojie
Right

The powerful all-female team of warriors featured on “The Woman King” is indeed based on the real-life Agojie. While it’s not known when exactly the Agojie were formed, their origin dates back to a group of elephant hunters formed in the 1600s, under the rule of King Houegbadja. It was Queen Hangbe, Houegbadja’s daughter and successor, who first designated them as bodyguards of the crown. As seen in the movie, under King Ghezo, the Agojie became more combatant and increased in strength, ballooning from a few hundreds to about 6,000 women. It is believed that the adoption of the Agojie into Dahomey’s army was due to a significant loss of their male population in previous battles.

#4: Celibacy of the Agojie
Right

In “The Woman King,” the young Nawi takes a liking to the half-Dahomean, half-Portuguese Malik but soon learns that all Agojie are expected to remain chaste. This is one detail the film gets absolutely right. Upon taking their oath of service, the real-life Agojie were, in fact, not allowed to get married to any man. This is because they were formally considered to be wives of the King. Since they never shared his bed or got intimate with him, this meant that the Agojie soldiers essentially took a vow of celibacy. While this rule was strictly adhered to, it is documented that a lot of them also explored romantic relationships with each other.

#3: The Real-Life Figures
Right

As a historical film, “The Woman King” does its best to represent an actual era in the history of the Dahomey Kingdom. While some characters are entirely fictional, others were based on, or at least loosely inspired, by real people. Most notable is Ghezo, the young, recently enthroned King, played by John Boyega. Ghezo ruled Dahomey from 1818 till 1859, after overthrowing his brother from the position. Although Nanisca and Nawi as portrayed in the movie never existed, they were named after documented female warriors. Nanisca was also possibly modeled after real-life Agojie generals like General Seh-Dong-Hong-Beh. The Brazilian slave trader in the movie, Santo Ferreira, was also likely inspired by a historical counterpart who was key in Ghezo’s rise to power.

#2: Combat Skills & Bravery of the Agojie
Right

The Agojie were just as skilled in combat in real-life, as they were portrayed in “The Woman King.” In order to be recruited into the force, prospective soldiers underwent intense physical training, including being conditioned to withstand pain and running through a field of thorns. The resulting warriors were documented to be so fierce in battle and highly disciplined that they were considered more effective than the male warriors. The Agojie participated in slave raids of neighboring villages and fought in the battle that liberated Dahomey from the Oyo Empire. Although described by French soldiers as having “incredible courage and audacity” in battle, the Agojie still suffered crushing losses during the two Franco-Dahomean Wars in the 1890s.

#1: Dahomey’s Role in the Slave Trade
Wrong

“The Woman King” portrays the Kingdom of Dahomey to be quite conflicted on slave trading. In the movie, Nanisca, in a moral dilemma, pleads with King Ghezo to put an end to the practice. This detail couldn’t be further from the truth. While most of the Agojie advocated for palm oil trading after England’s abolition of slave trading, they reportedly did that to gain the favor of the British. Dahomey prospered as a result of the slave trade from its Ouidah port, which climbed to its peak during the reign of King Ghezo. The Agojie and the rest of the Dahomean army routinely raided neighboring villages, from where they captured prisoners who were then sold off as slaves.