Reply off the list. Or on it, if you believe this will be of help to more
fanfic writers than just myself.

Being a fan of Ranma 1/2 solely on the base of fan-fiction (Curse/Bless you
Lawson-san!) and having neither the resources nor the opportunity nor the
freedom to purchase anime or manga, I must rely on the experience of those
who have. Hence, don't flame me for asking what you believe to be stupid
questions.

That out of the way...

Exactly how much of Amazon tribal law is defined in the canon? More
specifically, is there any prohibition against the following
laws/traditions? (And the reasons behind them, for those of you who think
I'm just making these things up with no backing.)

The Amazon tribe will accept as its own any creature who falls into the
Spring of Drowned Girl, or Nyanniichuan. (For those of you who don't like
translations.)

Reason behind it: Think about it. Exactly how many of you outsider males
wouldn't take advantage of a vapor-brained knockout, (if Ranma's reaction to
the Nyanniichuan can be taken as typical) particularly if said knockout was
acting like an animal in heat? And no outsider male would voluntarily give
up his manhood. In the Amazon village, the poor things can at least be
fairly well protected...

Any outsider male who defeats an Amazon female is bound by law to marry her.
(Yes, I know that's already in the canon... bear with me, here.) However,
within the tribe, defeat is not binding, but it is necessary for marriage,
though this requirement can be waived by the agreement of an Elder and both
interested parties.

Reason behind it (the new part): If the original purpose of the law was to
extend the genetic pool a bit, then there's really no reason why defeat
should be necessary within the tribe. If anything, it'll actually dilute
things a bit, since only the weakest of the warriors will actually marry
unless someone sneaks a few performance-enhancing drugs into the man's
ramen. Of course, love will find a way, though a thrown match is hardly
binding. The waiving bit came about because there are some warriors who do
love within the tribe but either would obviously be throwing the match if
they lost or because their sense of honor won't allow them to give less than
their all. Also, I really didn't want Lawson's Shampoo and Mousse to be
living in sin. Read the TIL epilogues for some idea...

And, finally, rape by a male, particularly an outsider male, is the worst
crime, comparable to or worse than murder and punishable by either permanent
removal of manhood (Nyanniichuan plus that strange and mystical bucket the
Musk Dynasty has... or just a few cuts in the right place) or death.

Reason behind it: In a matriarchal society which prizes the strength of its
women, do you really have to ask? Perhaps that "defeat by an outsider male"
rule was instituted for more reasons than just to keep the tribe strong...

Anyway, please provide answers and commentary. And if you've read the top
two questions carefully, you might know where I'll be going...

{* Or, rather, where I'LL be going. *}

Look for "Stop and Think" sometime around June if not sooner, with a special
cameo appearance by the Voice of Reason as itself.

--G. Falconar