Golden Girdle of Gaea
Encyclopedia
The Golden Girdle of Gaea is a fictional object depicted in the DC Comics
book Wonder Woman
. It is based on the mythological girdle
stolen by Heracles
as part of his Twelve Labors.
Amazons
were created by the Olympian gods
, they assigned Hippolyta and Antiope to rule as co-queens to the new nation. When they assigned these titles they gave each of the Amazon queens a Golden Girdle of Gaea, which were made from the original girdle belonging to the Earth goddess Gaea
. The belts provided the two queens with enhanced strength and heightened their other abilities.
Eventually the demi-god Heracles
was successful in stealing Hippolyta's belt at the urging of his half-brother Ares
. After denouncing the Olympian gods for perceived false judgement, Antiope gave Hippolyta her girdle and left the Amazon nation with a group of faithful Amazons with her. They later became the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall. Together they retrieved Hippolyta's stolen belt and kept it as an heirloom.
Thousands of years later when Wonder Woman
discovered this lost tribe of Amazons, she battled one of their warriors named Shim'Tar
. Shim'Tar used the power of the Girdle of Gaea to defeat Diana. She would have been successful had the Olympian god Hermes
not come to Diana's aid. After Shim'Tar was defeated Diana took the belt and returned it to her mother Hippolyta.
Similarly, the belt given to Hippolyta by Antiope was taken from Hippolyta by the goddess Hestia
and transformed into Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth
.
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
book Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
. It is based on the mythological girdle
Girdle
A girdle is a garment that encircles the lower torso, perhaps extending below the hips, and worn often for support. The word girdle originally meant a belt. In modern English, the term girdle is most commonly used for a form of women's foundation wear that replaced the corset in popularity...
stolen by Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
as part of his Twelve Labors.
Comic book history
Originally when the ThemyscirianThemyscira
Themyscira is a fictional island nation in the DC Comics universe that is the place of origin of Wonder Woman and her sister Amazons. Known as Paradise Island since Wonder Woman and the island's first appearance in All Star Comics #8 , it was renamed "Themyscira" with the character's February...
Amazons
Amazons
The Amazons are a nation of all-female warriors in Greek mythology and Classical antiquity. Herodotus placed them in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia...
were created by the Olympian gods
Olympian Gods (comics)
The Olympian Gods are mythological deities who appear in the Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel and Aquaman comics.-Ancient Times:When a Godwave spilled forth from the creation of the Fourth World, the Earth was seeded with great power. It first manifested in the form of old gods, then of metahumans...
, they assigned Hippolyta and Antiope to rule as co-queens to the new nation. When they assigned these titles they gave each of the Amazon queens a Golden Girdle of Gaea, which were made from the original girdle belonging to the Earth goddess Gaea
Gaia (mythology)
Gaia was the primordial Earth-goddess in ancient Greek religion. Gaia was the great mother of all: the heavenly gods and Titans were descended from her union with Uranus , the sea-gods from her union with Pontus , the Giants from her mating with Tartarus and mortal creatures were sprung or born...
. The belts provided the two queens with enhanced strength and heightened their other abilities.
Eventually the demi-god Heracles
Hercules (DC Comics)
Hercules is a fictional Olympian god in the DC Universe based on the Greek demigod and hero of the same name....
was successful in stealing Hippolyta's belt at the urging of his half-brother Ares
Ares (DC Comics)
Ares is a fictional character, a supervillainous God appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Based upon the Greek mythological figure of the same name, he is the god of War and one of the major adversaries of Wonder Woman. He first appeared in Wonder Woman #1, volume 1, published in...
. After denouncing the Olympian gods for perceived false judgement, Antiope gave Hippolyta her girdle and left the Amazon nation with a group of faithful Amazons with her. They later became the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall. Together they retrieved Hippolyta's stolen belt and kept it as an heirloom.
Thousands of years later when Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
discovered this lost tribe of Amazons, she battled one of their warriors named Shim'Tar
Shim'Tar
Shim'Tar is a fictional character owned by DC Comics and was created by writer George Pérez. According to the Wonder Woman comic book, the name Shim'Tar can also be a title given to the chief warrior of the fictional Bana-Mighdall tribe of Amazons....
. Shim'Tar used the power of the Girdle of Gaea to defeat Diana. She would have been successful had the Olympian god Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
not come to Diana's aid. After Shim'Tar was defeated Diana took the belt and returned it to her mother Hippolyta.
Similarly, the belt given to Hippolyta by Antiope was taken from Hippolyta by the goddess Hestia
Hestia
In Greek mythology Hestia , first daughter of Cronus and Rhea , is the virgin goddess of the hearth, architecture, and of the right ordering of domesticity and the family. She received the first offering at every sacrifice in the household. In the public domain, the hearth of the prytaneum...
and transformed into Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth
Lasso of Truth
The Lasso of Truth is a fictional weapon wielded by DC Comics superheroine Wonder Woman, Princess Diana of Themyscira. It is usually referred to as the Magic Lasso or Golden Lasso and forces anyone it captures to obey and tell the truth....
.