Njinga of Ndongo: The Warrior Queen Who Outsmarted Empires & Ruled Like a Boss

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!

In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods dive into the fearless and ferocious reign of Njinga of Ndongo—the warrior queen who outsmarted the Portuguese, ruled two kingdoms, and flipped gender norms on their head centuries before it was even a conversation.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

👑 Born to Rule, Built to Fight – How Njinga went from princess to military mastermind and monarch

⚔️ Beating Back the Colonisers – Her ruthless tactics and slick diplomacy that kept the Portuguese on their toes

🧠 Power Moves & Political Genius – How she turned alliances, religion, and even identity into weapons of war

🔥 A Legacy That Still Slaps – Why Njinga is remembered as one of the most powerful women in African history

Bloomin’ Legend or Not?

At the end of the episode, we decide: Was Njinga of Ndongo a true Bloomin’ Legend? Or just a clever queen playing the game?

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📩 Send us your legendary stories—whether epic, absurd, or downright bonkers—and we’ll decide if they’re Bloomin’ Legendary or not!

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This is a Global Original podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.

Executive Producer: Chris Janes

Commissioning Editor: Chris Lander