Warrior Women

Lucy Lawless hosts 5 one-hour episodes in this documentary series produced by October Films production - Discovery Networks Co-production This series of five films bring to life History’s most charismatic women warrior. Shot on location in France, Ireland, Britain, China, and New Mexico, the stories are a heady mix of historical sleuthing and provocative reconstruction brought to the screen by television’s most famous women warrior: Lucy Lawless, star of the television series Xena, Warrior Princess.

The Olympic Games are the pinnacle for many of the world's leading sportsmen and women - but for horseback wrestlers, bone-throwers and eagle hunters it's the World Nomad Games. Kyrgyzstan hosts the games, and they are an important part of the region's drive to re-establish its nomad identity and traditions, 25 years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. One of the most important nomad folk heroes is a female warrior called Saikal. As part of the BBC's 100 Women season Olga Ivshina visits the Games in search of Central Asia's modern-day nomad warrior women.

Lupita Nyong'o uncovers the truth behind the women who inspired the Dora Milaje in Marvel film Black Panther. Travelling to Benin in West Africa, Lupita reveals the stories of the real-life warrior women who fought African and European powers alike from the 17th to the 19th centuries in the Kingdom of Dahomey, centred in the modern-day country of Benin.

Throughout history, warfare has been seen as the preserve of men, but evidence shows that over the centuries, women were often in on the fight. Join us as we tell the tales of history's most iconic female fighters, from the legendary Amazons of Central Asia to the gladiators of the Roman Empire to the all-female fighting force of West Africa. Discover the extraordinary lives of women who, just as fiercely as men, bravely fought, endured, and sacrificed.

Women are taking over the Fantasia, a male-dominated equestrian event in Morocco. Once a year, riders in M?diouna near Casablanca celebrate the ancient martial arts of their ancestors. Now, Moroccan women are changing the rules.

Greek travelers and writers from the ancient world mythologized the Amazons, but these legendary female warriors were very real. They hailed from the ferocious nomadic Scythian tribes that controlled a huge swath of Central Asia and kept the great powers of Greece, Persia, and China at bay. With the help of recent archaeological findings, uncover the lives of these Amazons through the tale of a Scythian who grows up to become a horse warrior and leader of her tribe in a defining battle against the Persians in 6th century BC.

Even during the brutality of the Dark Ages, the Vikings of Northern Europe were considered particularly fearsome, ruthless, and dangerous. For centuries, historians believed all Viking warriors were men, but new archaeological discoveries on a small island in central Sweden have revealed evidence that some of the fighters were women. See how modern forensic testing helped identify the sex of one female war chief.

Even during the brutality of the Dark Ages, the Vikings of Northern Europe were considered particularly fearsome, ruthless, and dangerous. For centuries, historians believed all Viking warriors were men, but new archaeological discoveries on a small island in central Sweden have revealed evidence that some of the fighters were women. See how modern forensic testing helped identify the sex of one female war chief.