World building - Themyscira/Paradise Island

[Tzigone]

I'm just looking for canonical info that tells us about the mundane things of the wider world. Do they use forks (forks are relatively new)? Do we know what foods they eat or grow? If they have animals for wool or use linen and cotton instead? What is housing like? What sort of production methods or economy they have? Okay, I don't expect anything on that last bit, but really, anything about the division of labor or labor used in "ordinary" pursuits (producing food, clothing, household goods, etc.).

Actually, on the subject of clothing, it will vary with whether Amazons are vulnerable to heat and cold. And with what the actual climate of the island is - do we have any ideas on climate? That would effect crops, too. Presuming Amazons need to eat (Donna, at least, one would think, but who knows after purple ray change).

I know some people don't like world building - please don't post telling me it's pointless (recently happened elsewhere when I asked about Atlantis). It's interesting to me, and that is the point.

[CRaymond]

My first suggestions are reliant on YOUR Themyscira's status as an extradimensional location. Does it allow for conditional exchange of persons and things? Does the environment change with seasons? Doe male livestock and produce exist on the island? How much ocean water and fresh water exists? How much effort goes into maintaining the closed, semi-closed, semi-open ecosystem?

[Tzigone]

Well for my personal version males animals definitely exist, and there is no magical harm to male humans, even, but there are none there and never have been. Amazons do not age.

I considered the Amazons having horses, since I think some versions of myth have Amazons invent cavalry, but decided against it, since so few are suitable for warhorses it seems like they'd end up up to their ears in horsemeat (have to cull, I think, or the horses would starve) to maintain enough horses that every Amazon has a warhorse. I had tentatively planned to give them a climate similar to the one in the region they are from in the myth. After that, I'm murky on details.

Which, really, is sort of the point. I wanted to know if there were any canonical hints (from any version of the island) in the comics. Maybe use that as a foundation.

[CRaymond]

YES Horses are historically important to Amazons. A lot of the names associated with premier Amazons are derived from the Greek word for horse. But if horses were impossible to maintain on the closed ecosystem of the island, horses would become mythologically elevated to Amazons the same way European lions are mythological and symbolic to European nations of today. Not having actual horses might make "horses" a far more important idea and symbol.

AFAIK, the comics have always been fast and loose with the gritty details of the island. It's always portrayed as beautiful and lush, but that changes with whoever's drawing. It almost always have mountains and steep cliffs, but no mention of the volcanos and earthquakes that would be essential to the creation of those features.

[Tzigone]

AFAIK, the comics have always been fast and loose with the gritty details of the island.

No shocker there. I was just really hoping there was some canon to fall back on.

I just like trying to figure things out.

If they came to the island in the era of Hercules, rotary querns hadn't even been invented yet, I don't think. Technology for them would look totally different than ours. So by figuring out their needs, I hoped to have some ideas where they'd focus. And the types of food would be far more limited, I think, too. But really, what I'm trying to get at is what people do when they aren't being warriors. I dislike the notion that everyone stays in the same role forever, and so think some sort of rotational roster for unpleasant work (like tanning or mining) would be in place.

[Mel Dyer]

I would like to see the world-building for Paradise Island reserved for a second WW title, focused entirely on myth, magic and Diana sharing adventures with her Amazon sisters. For the regular WW comic, I'd like to see Paradise serve, as Diana's Batcave, with only brief appearances from Queen Hippolyta, Mala and a few others.

Kangas required...