Suffrage and Submission
In Wonder Woman #1, a panel showing an Amazon woman beating back her abusers with broken chains to reclaim her personhood was indeed worth a thousand words….
The Amazons
Divine Motherhood: The Birth of Princess Diana
Like all the Amazons, Queen Hippolyte enjoyed a bountiful life brimming with every happiness—save one. After centuries of personal development and self-actualization, and ruling over…
Herland: Origin of the Amazon Nation
Margaret Sanger proposed that “woman free from sexual domination would produce a race spiritually free and strong enough to break the last of the bonds of intellectual darkness.” The Amazons of Paradise Island epitomize this idea.
Hippolyte and Hercules: Abuse, Loss, and Reclaiming of Power
Hercules’ violation of Hippolyte’s trust created in her a feeling of terrible foolishness and deep shame, which destroyed her faith in her own instincts. Only after she re-connected with Aphrodite, the embodiment of Divine Love, and thus her self-respect, could Hippolyte reclaim sovereignty over her life and her family, and rediscover the strength to break her chains and lead her sisters to freedom.
History of Hercules
Wonder Woman’s real-world origin begins in World War II America, but elements of her backstory can be traced to ancient Greek tales of the mighty hero, Hercules. Famous for his incredible strength, Hercules was the son of Zeus, king of the gods, and the mortal Alcmene.
Herstory of Hippolyte
“The truth does seem to change according to who is looking for it — and why.” Phyllis chesler In the pages of Wonder Woman, Marston…
Under the Queen’s Girdle
The Magic Girdle as a gift from Aphrodite adds another dimension to the mythology. Hanley correctly identifies the girdle as a zoster, but it is also something more, a specific artifact from the boudoir love goddess herself.