B'Dora Mnemon

Beyond Modjadji: Female Rainmakers of the Venda and Lovedu Regions

| Rainmaking & Ritual Authority |

The Venda and Lovedu regions of present-day Limpopo Province were home to a wider constellation of female rainmakers beyond the famous Modjadji line. Known as makhadzi among the Venda and mokhadi among the Lovedu, these women held real ritual and political authority through ancestral mediation, control of rain medicines, and custodianship of sacred landscapes such as Lake Fundudzi. This article examines their evidence base, institutions, biographies, and enduring legacies.

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Shanakdakhete: The First Known Female Ruler of Kush? Sovereignty, Ritual and Dynasty in Ancient Meroë

| Queens & Empresses |

Shanakdakhete is the earliest attested female sovereign of the Kingdom of Kush, ruling from Meroë in the late second century BCE with the full titulary of a reigning monarch. This article examines the archaeological and epigraphic evidence for her reign, the succession and ritual systems that enabled female rule, and her enduring legacy as a foundational Kandake in the Nile Valley.

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Amina of Zazzau: The Warrior Queen Who Built Walls – An Encyclopedic Profile

| Warrior Women |

Amina of Zazzau, remembered as the warrior queen who built walls, ruled the Hausa city-state of Zazzau in present-day northern Nigeria during the sixteenth century. Her reign is reconstructed from oral traditions, the Kano Chronicle, and the earthen ramparts known as ganuwar Amina. This article examines the evidence, political structures, military strategies, economic networks, and contested legacy of one of Africa’s most celebrated female sovereigns.

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Hatshepsut’s Erasure: Why Did Thutmose III Remove Her from the Record? An African Queens Encyclopedia Analysis

| Queens & Empresses |

Hatshepsut’s erasure was a systematic campaign to remove her name, image, and monuments from Egypt’s public record during the late reign of Thutmose III. This article examines the archaeological evidence, dynastic politics, gender dynamics, and ritual logic behind the attack, arguing that it was a calculated succession strategy rather than simple personal vengeance. It also explores how the erasure paradoxically preserved her legacy for modern scholarship.

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Magajiya: The Senior Female Title in Hausa Kingdoms — Trade, Ritual, and Political Authority

| Queen Mothers & Royal Offices |

The Magajiya was one of the most senior female titleholders in the Hausa kingdoms of present-day northern Nigeria and southern Niger. Rooted in pre-Islamic systems of complementary governance, she held substantial authority over women’s affairs, market regulation, and ritual life, serving as a counterbalance to the male emir. This article examines the origins, political functions, economic powers, and enduring legacy of the Magajiya, drawing on oral traditions, palace chronicles, and critical Africanist scholarship.

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Rainmaking and Matriliny: Did Rain Authority Pass Through Women in Central and Southern Africa?

| Succession & Matriliny |

This article examines the intersection of rainmaking ritual power and matrilineal succession in Central and Southern Africa. Focusing on the Lovedu Rain Queens and the Chewa rain priestess Makewana, it assesses whether rain authority passed through women, the mechanisms of female inheritance, and the limits of colonial and patriarchal interpretations.

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