Folks, I was literally surfing the web(I had a surf board and all) and I unintentionally came across looking a picture of a tribe of Amazonians. Now when I thought of the word Amazonians I was thinking Amazons, and when I was thinking Amazons I was assumed Wonder Woman. You know, because Diana is an Amazon warrior princess, but there's a difference between types of Amazonian.

So here's my question

What if Diana was born as a tribal Amazonian princess instead Greek Amazon.

The character Zhu Rong in the Dynasty Warriors series is a tribal amazon. Usually amazons are strong female warriors in general. I think Wonder Woman's character would be totally different as a tribal amazonian.

Yeah it would be different, yet very interesting.

It would definitely be different.

While it's obviously too late for DC to do this since Cassie is already established (and floundering) and Donna just came back, but I would be on board with the origin of Wonder Girl heavily influenced by the Amazonian tribes in South America. There are definitely parallels between the Amazonian tribes and the Amazons of Greek legend, after all, the etymology of 'Amazon' in South America was based on the fact that many of their tribes had women fighting alongside men just like the myths that inspired Western culture. The mythology of Wonder Girl would be more tied to Animism which as long as it's treated with respect it would be fun and enlightening to read about, not to mention it could tie her world to Vixen and we need more Vixen in the DCU.

While I think it's far too late to change now with Diana having been a Greek Amazon for 80 years now. It is certainly possible to make a 'Tribal Diana', and it's been done before:

• Oranja, the first red-headed rival, native of an African jungle dwelling offshot of the Themysciran Amazons, briefly became Wonder Woman after defeating Diana.
• Artemis, the best known rival of Diana, specifically named and written to be a harsher more brutal Diana, born in Bana-Mighdall, lost city in the desert founded by Antiope's followers.

It's easy to add stuff to the Wonder Woman mythos, even at this stage, and especially now as there is so little of the New 52 Amazon's past that is known. Like there could be:

• The original Amazon nation was composed of hundreds of thousands of invididuals that were scattered when the first city of Themyscira fell. Some followed Hippolyta and resettled on Paradise Island, a pale shadow of what once was. Others vanished into the Sahara desert (Bana-Mighdall). Others still tavelled down the Nile and vanished into the jungles (Oranja's tribe). Some headed into the Far East (dissapearing into India's jungles, maybe China or even going as far as Indonesia). Some might have journeyed North (becoming the Valkyries) and groups might have escaped by sea, sailing so far they end up on the American contients. All of them would have been seperated for so long that their culture and traditions will seem alien to someone like Diana, but they would always be able to trace their roots back to the orignal nation.
• Other Pantheons of Gods founding their own versions of the Amazons for their own purpose, like the Valkyries of the Norse.
• Other legendary warrior women tribes prove to be real.
• A rival nation founded by someone like Circe to combat the original Amazons at one point having been either abandoned by their maker or rebelled and fled into hiding.

Each of these could have their own Diana whom she'd have to face when she meets the tribe/nation.

It only really called that because we in the west (or Europe to be exact) had the legends of the Greek Amazons for so long that the definition of the word 'Amazon' became synomymous with warrior women.

@outside_85: Yeah and I think the early tribal cultures (typically around the areas by South America) adapted to it. It is rare to see women in combat nowadays though.

Not really, but it depends on where you are. In the west it's still considered rare because it grew into the perception that it was a thing for men, while women hid away with the kids. Right now however, there are plenty of women in various standing armies (like Gal Gadot) and quite a few that are active fighters, like the Kurds fighting ISIS seem to have a substantial amount, sadly ISIS oddly enough, also has a brigade of armed women that go around policing other women and there are ofc the Black Widows that plague Russia.

That said, I dont think the tribes in South America adapted to anything, they have their own names for themselves, their area and other tribes, it's just us that calling them this, kinda like Ayers Rock.

@outside_85: Guess you're right. I know there are women in armies but some armies don't put them in great danger like men. Female agents always been a thing. Most of these tribes don't even exist anymore because they usually get killed off and time changes.

Women only fought during the european invasions because they were outnumbered and faced complete annihilation, otherwise anywhere in the world war's always been an almost exclusively male domain since men are more expendable and better at it. That's what makes women like Mariya Oktyabrskaya so endlessly fascinating. Upon learning that her husband had been killed by the Nazis, she sold everything and bought a tank, she named it "Fighting Girlfriend" and proceeded to avenge her man behind the wheel of her badass killing machine

You right, that is pretty badass.

Having Wonder Woman come across other cultures where the women are battle savvy could be rather cool. The idea there is only one group of people worthy of being considered warrior women is rather narrow-minded.

I love your ideas.

Well look on the bright side, Vixen is gonna have her own show tied in with DC's CW Universe(Arrow/The Flash). Although it's animated and not live action. It's still a good thing they're featuring minor characters to shine in their own series.