Structure Before Strength
1
Selection began in childhood
Girls entered the corps as young as eight, sworn to the king and severed from all civilian ties without appeal.
2
Drill replaced instinct with discipline
Pre-dawn exercises along the palace walls of Abomey forged reflexes that held formation under French artillery.
3
Celibacy was the price of the blade
Any warrior who bore a child faced execution — the corps permitted no divided allegiance and no retreat into domestic life.
4
Scars outranked bloodline
Promotion came from proven endurance in battle and years of unbroken service, not from family name or proximity to the throne.