Krypton

Revision as of 11:47, 28 February 2005

Krypton, (pronounced Krypt-tonne or Cryp-tin) the doomed planet where Superman was born.

The flag of Krypton

Animated Max Fleischer Cataclysm

Overview

First seen in the unsold "Superman" comic strip by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster 1934.

It's capital city was Kryptonopolis, where Jor-El, Lara and their infant, Kal-El, lived. In it's original depiction, Krypton was shown as being inhabited by a race of super-beings.

In later years, Krypton had a super-scientific advanced civilization of non-super beings who only gained their super powers on Earth and/or under a yellow sun.

Among Krypton's natural wonders were The Jewel Mountains, the Scarlet Jungle, The Fire Falls, Gold Volcano and the Rainbow Canyon. Other major cities on Krypton included Kandor and Argo City.

Tradition

Weddings took place in the Palace of Marriage, with the betrothed couple mounting the Jewel of Honor, or Jewel of Truth and Honor - a low pedestal carved from a single, huge, multifaceted jewel - and exchanging vows, accompanied either by an exchange of wedding rings or by the donning of marriage bracelets of a color variation all their own, which no other couple was allowed to duplicate. In accordance with an old Kryptonian custom, statues of the parents of both the bride and the groom adorned the wedding hall. According to the Supergirl story in Action Comics #289, marriage between cousins was prohibited on Krypton. Although the Kryptonians were, by and large, an intellectually sophisticated people, they were not without their superstitions. According to Superman #164, which enumerates four Kryptonian superstitions, it was considered bad luck for a bride to wear jewels from the Jewel Mountains at her wedding; the killing of birds was regarded as extremely unlucky, hence the absence of bird hunting on Krypton; an old Kryptonian belief dictated that upon seeing a comet, a person must hide in a cave for 24 hours or he'd die; and Kryptonian criminals believed that if they experienced failure, drawing a picture of a Kryptonian mythological creature known as a "one-eyed grompus" would cause Krypton's demons to bring them good luck.

A holiday of great importance on Krypton was the Day of Truth, celebrated annually, on which Kryptonians spoke nothing but the truth to one another - even though the truth might be abrasive and undiplomatic - in order to honor the memory of Val-Lor, a valiant Kryptonian of ancient times, who, by courageously speaking out against the ruthless swarm of alien invaders - known as Vrangs - who had invaded Krypton and enslaved its people, inspired his fellow Kryptonians to revolt against the Vrangs and drive them from Krypton, albeit at the cost of his own life. The Day of Truth is still celebrated each April in the bottle city of Kandor.

Religion

Although Krypton was an advanced scientific civilization, it was originally a religious society made up of conflicting faiths. Initially a grouping of polytheistic states, Krypton eventually transformed itself into a united, essentially secular state. Ultimately, the vestiges of Krypton's religious past survive in the small number of mild oaths and observed traditions practiced by Superman and his extended family.

Chief among the ancient Kryptonian deities was Rao, god of the sun.

Yuda was the goddess of love and also of Krypton's two moons (KC No. 3, Nov. 1981:"The Race to Overtake the Past").

When Supergirl visits her family in the Bottle City of Kandor, she encounters three statues on the "Boulevard of Legendary Heroes" bearing the likeness of "mythical gods of ancient Krypton". These are Telle, god of wisdom; Mordo, god of strength; and Lorra, goddess of beauty (Action No.299, April 1963:"The Fantastic Secret of Superbaby II"). According to Supergirl, Lorra is the "image of Lyla, the girl Superman fell in love with when he made a time-journey into the past and visited Krypton".

In addition to the ancient worship of these deities, Kryptonians also practice a form of ancestor worship. In October 1963, Superboy discovers five statues of his ancestors which he is required to manipulate as part of the Father-Son test, a ritual of Kryptonian Father's Day. Similar statues are kept in the family crypts of all Kryptonians (Adv No. 313, Oct. 1963:"Father's Day on Planet Krypton"). These same statues are encountered again when Superman and Supergirl engage in some research into the House of El for a TV miniseries on WGBS (KC No.1 Sept. 1981:"The Search for Superman's Roots").

Both Superman and Supergirl honour their ancestors through similar displays in the Fortress of Solitude.