amazons and nuns?

"The married nun looked at the widowed amazon and refused battle." (page 63, end of the first full paragraph) I'm nearly positive that the "amazon" is like the "amazon" warrior woman that we discussed during Cranford, which makes the contradictions from the phrase even more interesting. From what I remember, the amazon warrior women did not need men and actually would murder men, so being a widowed amazon is an oxymoron in itself, no? And wouldn't being a married nun be the same, an oxymoron/contradiction, based on nuns are only married to God and not a man. I think the fact that it is comparing mother (married nun) to her daughter (widowed amazon) interesting because it shows the shift of the female role in generations. Any thoughts?