Culture
Kryptonians are a highly culturally and technologically advanced people. Their technology is mostly based on self-grown crystals, both natural and synthetic, which covered the vast majority of their planet's surface, giving it a bluish hue when viewed from space. Vast amounts of data and information can be stored on relatively small crystals. The Fortress of Solitude is often portrayed as a recreation of Krypton's surface, also serving as a storehouse for all the knowledge obtained by the Kryptonian race.
Each Kryptonian family, or House, is represented by a pictographic crest or symbol, often worn by the head of the house. According to the Superman movie and sequels, the House of El, for example, is represented by a shape similar to the English letter "S". Superman wears this same symbol on his costume, which therefore serves a dual purpose: it displays his Kryptonian heritage as well as functioning as the "S" for Superman. Male Kryptonians are identified by hyphenated names which identify both themselves and their houses, such as "Jor-El" and "Kal-El" (of the House of El). Female Kryptonians have one given name, but take their father's name as their last name. For example, Kal-El's mother is named Lara Lor-Van, taken from her father's name (Lor-Van).
The different Houses were also broken up into a loosely based caste system as well. The scientist and warrior castes tended to be the most important. The different castes lived in buildings with different architectural styles; representing various styles throughout Krypton's history.
Kryptonian society was severely xenophobic. This is a convenient way to explain why no other Kryptonian left the planet before Kal-El. Non-superpowered Kryptonians are genetically dependent to their home planet; as such, Kal-El was sent to Earth as a newly conceived embryo within a birthing matrix in order to survive in Earth's atmosphere. He was also devoid of any Kryptonian minerals, as any such minerals would turn to Kryptonite upon leaving Krypton's atmosphere. Kryptonians are evolutionarily related to Daxamites, who are severely xenophobic themselves. The Daximites remain that way up through the 31st century.
Kryptonian Law did not believe in capital punishment. Instead, the worst criminals were sent to the Phantom Zone. This was done without understanding the nature of the zone, its danger to the imprisoned, and the presence of exits.
Rao was the name of Krypton's red sun. It was worshiped by the Kryptonians as a deity (albeit in a more scientific and rational way as the giver and sustainer of all life on the planet).
While many Kryptonians wear brightly colored clothes on a daily basis, formal occasions such as funerals and certain council meetings require everyone to wear white. The white formal clothes are often luminescent.
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