Battlestar Wiki - User contributions [en]

Life Forms of the Twelve Colonies

2007-01-04T12:30:31Z

Cohan: /* Mammals */ Cain uses dog-phrase in quote of the day

:''This article discusses an aspect of the [[Re-imagined Series]] version of the Twelve Colonies. For information on the [[Original Series]] version, see [[The Twelve Colonies (TOS)]].''

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}

This article is a list of fictional and real '''animals and plants''' mentioned in the [[Re-imagined Series]] as existing on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|the Twelve Colonies]]. For the most part, the colonies appear to have the same organisms as present-day earth, with the exceptions noted below.

In keeping with the [[naturalistic science fiction]] concepts that [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron D. Moore]] uses to model the series, it is unlikely that we may see any life forms outside of those found on any of the Earth-like planets of the Twelve Colonies.

Ron D. Moore has essentially made it a point to avoid addressing the issue in a direct way (i.e. no live dogs will appear on the series, etc.). In the commentary for the [[Miniseries]], RDM elaborates:
:..."David and I, we had discussed, at an early point; well, do they have dogs and cats and things like that? And we said, "No, no, no", let's not go there, 'cause that locks us into a whole Terrestrial-kind of like thing. We'll just avoid any mention of it. '''Nobody will even, like, register that we had "Chicken pie" the whole time, and in retrospect "Oh, I guess there are chickens"."'''

However, over the course of the series various stray comments have established that ''more than a few'' "terrestrial" (real world Earth) life forms also exist in the series:

==Fictional==
===Plants===
*[[Chamalla]]
:'''Roslin:''' "I would like to explore alternative treatment. [...] Have you ever heard of Chamalla extract?" ([[Act of Contrition]])
:''Resembles (somewhat) herbal [[Wikipedia:Cannabinoids|cannabinoids]] and [[Wikipedia:Opioids|opioids]] in its pain-killing and hallucinogenic effects, which are found in the plant [[Wikipedia:Cannabis|cannabis]] and the [[Wikipedia:Opium Poppy|opium poppy]], respectively.''
*[[Fumarella leaf]]
:'''Baltar:''' "A parting gift: hand-rolled from some of the finest Fumarella leaf on Caprica. It's also one of the last left in the universe." ([[Water]])
:''An homage to the [[TOS|original series]], in which [[Starbuck (TOS)|Starbuck]]'s [[Wikipedia:Cigar|cigars]] are referred to as "[[Fumarello|fumarellos]]". This plant may be similar or identical to [[Wikipedia:Tobacco|tobacco]].''

==Real==
===Animals===
====Mammals====
*[[w:Bat|Bat]]
:Seen flying out of an abandoned warehouse in "Litmus".
*[[Wikipedia:Cat|Cat]]
:'''Adama:''' "...then grab your gun and bring in the cat." ([[Miniseries]])
*[[Wikipedia:Dog|Dog]]
**'''Cally:''' "She said the engine power-up sequence began by squeezing something that looks like a red ligament with blue veins on the right side coming out of a sack of gooey fluid, shaped like a... dog." ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])
**'''Baltar:''' "I will be the President, all right, but without the military support, I might as well be an anointed dog catcher." ([[Epiphanies]])
**'''Roslin:''' "I need you to send my ID code on the exact same frequency: D, as in dog [...]" ([[Miniseries]])
**'''[[Helena Cain|Cain]]:''' "Madam President, you look like I just shot your dog." ([[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]], [[Quotes:01 5|Quote of the day]])
**'''[[Billy Keikeya|Billy]]:''' "...dog takes 20 pills a day." - '''Roslin:''' "I didn't know you had a dog-" - '''Billy:''' "yeah, big shaggy thing - [[Jake (Billy's Dog)|Jake]]" ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]], [[List_of_Deleted_Scenes|deleted scene]])
**A dog named [[Jake (New Caprica)|Jake]] appears on [[New Caprica]], whose water bowl is flipped by [[Felix Gaeta]] to tell [[Galen Tyrol]] that an intelligence drop has happened ([[Precipice]]). (''This is one of the few instances where an animal can actually be seen in the series and by far the most prominent one.'')
*[[Wikipedia:Elephant|Elephant]]
:'''Hallucination-Baltar:''' "Start with the elephants..." ([[Downloaded]])
*[[Wikipedia:Goat|Goat]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "A horse. Why not a goat? I mean, that's good, right? Think of it as a goat." ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])
*[[Wikipedia:Gorilla|Gorilla]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "I'm gonna need some of those gorillas you call Marines." ([[Sacrifice]])
*[[Wikipedia:Horse|Horse]]
**'''Tyrol:''' "Take it for a ride. Treat it like a horse." ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])
**Helo and Sharon are in what looks like horse stables in "[[The Hand of God]]"
*[[Wikipedia:Hare|Jackrabbit]]
:'''Starbuck''': "This is the Viper Mark II. It's as maneuverable as a jackrabbit and can flip end for end in .35 seconds." ([[Act of Contrition]])
*[[Wikipedia:Monkey|Monkey]]
:'''[[Cliff Hooper]]'s friend:''' "He's a real-deal war hero, Hoop. Can't be seen drinkin' with a bunch of low-life freight monkeys." ([[Scattered]], [[List of Deleted Scenes|deleted scene]])
*[[Wikipedia:Panther|Panther]]
:'''Adama:''' "I'm a [[Picon Panthers]] fan myself." ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]])
*[[Wikipedia:Pig|Pig]]
:'''Phelan''': "Fisk was a pig. He tried to force us to renegotiate."
*[[Wikipedia:Rat|Rat]]
:'''Helo:''' Frakkin' rats! ([[Bastille Day]])
:''Rats have actually been seen on screen in this episode.''
*[[Wikipedia:Tiger|Tiger]]
:Gaeta reveals a tattoo of a tiger on his upper right chest in the episode "[[Final Cut]]".''

====Birds====
*[[Wikipedia:Bird of prey|Birds of Prey]]
**While the animals have never been specifically mentioned, it's reasonable to assume the [[Raptor]] is named after them.
**Possibly a bird of prey is heard and mentioned by Tyrol and Socinus in "[[Valley of Darkness]]"
*[[Wikipedia:Blackbird|Blackbird]]
:Namesake of the [[Blackbird]] experimental stealth fighter ([[Flight of the Phoenix]]).
*[[Wikipedia:Chicken|Chicken]]
*'''Cami:''' "We're going out for dinner, and I'm having chicken pie, and then we're going home, and then Daddy's going to read to me, and then I'm going to bed." ([[Miniseries]])
*Colonel Tigh imitates a chicken when mocking Starbuck's nickname, "Starbuck-buck-buck." ([[Miniseries]])
*[[Wikipedia:Duck|Ducks]]
**'''Palacios''': "Wouldn't we be like ducks in a Cylon shooting gallery?" ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]])
**"Duck" is the callsign of Lieutenant [[Tucker Clellan]] ([[Flight of the Phoenix]], [[Scar]], [[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|"The Resistance" webisodes]])
*[[Wikipedia:Geese|Geese]]
:'''Colonel Tigh''': "They're coming up with big goose eggs" ([[Water]])
*[[Wikipedia:Parakeet|Parakeet]]
:'''Jammer:''' "I don't care if they put a giant parakeet in here. If the colonel says build a cell, we build a cell." ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]])
*[[Wikipedia:Swallow|Swallow]]
:Namesake of the Colonial drone weapon, the [[Swallow]] ([[Occupation]]).
*[[w:Vulture|Vulture]]
:In a [[List of Deleted Scenes (RDM)#Downloaded|deleted scene]] from "[[Downloaded]]", [[Karl Agathon]] calls [[D'anna Biers]] a "stupid frakking vulture" after being notified of [[Hera]]'s alleged death.

====Reptiles====
*[[Wikipedia:Python|Python]]
:'''Adama:''' "Betrayal has such a powerful grip on the mind. It's almost like a python. You can squeeze out the thought, suffocate all other emotion until everything is dead except for the rage." ([[Home, Part I]])
*[[Wikipedia:Viper|Viper]]
:While the animal has never been specifically mentioned, it's reasonable to assume the [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] is named after it.

====Fish====
*[[Wikipedia:Salmon|Salmon]]
:'''Baltar:''' "There was an off-road bridge, over the Euclid river. I used to go there, when I was a boy. Watch the fish try and swim upstream. They were mesmerizing." ([[Home, Part I]])
:''What Baltar describes, without naming, are [[Wikipedia:Anadromous|anadromous]] fish - almost certainly a type of salmon.
*[[Wikipedia:Shark|Shark]]
:ECO [[Lyla Ellway|Lyla "Shark" Ellway]] ([[The Captain's Hand]]) presumably took her call-sign from these creatures.
*[[Wikipedia:Betta|Betta]] or [[Wikipedia:Guppy|Guppy]]
:When Six comes "home" to Baltar's house carrying the metal suitcase, one can see three different glasses on a table in the front of the scene. They contain only water and one living, small, long-finned, black fish each, a way agressive [[Wikipedia:Siamese fighting fish|Siamese fighting fish]] are kept. ([[Miniseries]])

====Invertebrates====
*[[Wikipedia:Ant|Ant]]
:'''Crashdown:''' "Someone else feel like they have ants crawling behind their frakking eyeballs?" ("[[33]]")
*[[Wikipedia:Cockroach|Cockroach]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "...even a cockroach needs to breathe..." ([[You Can't Go Home Again]])
*[[Wikipedia:Oyster|Oyster]]
:'''Caprica-Sharon:''' "I remember the first day I met you, Starbuck. You were puking your guts out in the head after you ate some bad oysters." ([[Scattered]])

===Plants===
*[[Wikipedia:Apple|Apple]]
:'''Roslin:''' "I need you to send my ID code on the exact same frequency: D, as in dog, dash, 456, dash, 345, dash, A as in apple." ([[Miniseries]])
:''In the commentary for the [[Miniseries]], [[Ron Moore]] stated that the [[Armistice Officer|officer]] at [[Armistice Station]] was originally supposed to take out an apple and eat it while studying his notes; in keeping with the new series emphasis on naturalism.''
*[[Wikipedia:Blueberry|Blueberry]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "You look like a blueberry." ([[Flight of the Phoenix]])
*[[Wikipedia:Carrot|Carrot]]
:'''Baltar''': "Simply put, Admiral, you have already used the stick. It's time to use a carrot". ([[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]])
*[[Wikipedia:Coffea|Coffee plant]]
:'''Gaeta:''' "Seven other container ships are refusing to release their supplies. Food, medicine, even coffee." ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]])
*[[Wikipedia:Lemon|Lemon]]
:'''Col. Tigh''': "A couple of lemons, we could make lemonade". ([[Bastille Day]])
*[[Wikipedia:Licorice|Licorice]]
:'''Roslin:''' "Chamalla and Licorice. Would you like some?" ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]])
*[[Wikipedia:Walnut|Walnut]]
:Adama cracks walnuts while going over potential CAGs in the episode "[[Home, Part I]]".
*[[Wikipedia:Beans|Beans]]
*[[Wikipedia:Maize|Maize]]
*[[Wikipedia:Peanut|Peanut]]
*[[Wikipedia:Chile pepper|Chile pepper]]
:'''Helo:''' You hungry? I don't know, what do we got? Peanut butter... baked beans, corn. How about some chili? ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]])
:''Helo is probably referring to the common [[Wikipedia:Haricot bean|Haricot bean]].''

==Official Statements==

*In an [http://www.battlestargalactica.com/outside_docs/bg_outdoc0050.htm interview with BattlestarGalactica.com on December 28th, 2005] RDM was asked about the possibility of animals actually appearing in future episodes:

:"Q: Boxey's been more or less written out of the series, but there's always a chance that we might one day see the return of Muffit, or some other form of Man's Best Friend. Might we see the introduction of animals (including Cylon animals) into the Galactica universe? Where would Cylon animals fit in with the Cylon plan (especially in light of "The Farm")? Can Cylon animals reproduce?

:RDM: The presence of animals in the rag-tag fleet was something that came up in early discussions, but we kinda dropped it from the conversation as the year went on. I don't know if we'll ever get around to doing something in this area or not. It mostly depends on finding a story that supports it in some interesting fashion other than [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]] finds a kitty. I don't think the Cylons are creating animals as we would define them, but they certainly see the Raiders and other craft as animals vis a vis their relationship with the [[Cylon agent|humanoid Cylons]]."

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Society]]
[[Category:Colonial Society (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Life Forms of the Twelve Colonies

2007-01-03T22:31:25Z

Cohan: /* Fish */ Guppy or Betta on the table when six comes home

:''This article discusses an aspect of the [[Re-imagined Series]] version of the Twelve Colonies. For information on the [[Original Series]] version, see [[The Twelve Colonies (TOS)]].''

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}

This article is a list of fictional and real '''animals and plants''' mentioned in the [[Re-imagined Series]] as existing on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|the Twelve Colonies]]. For the most part, the colonies appear to have the same organisms as present-day earth, with the exceptions noted below.

In keeping with the [[naturalistic science fiction]] concepts that [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron D. Moore]] uses to model the series, it is unlikely that we may see any life forms outside of those found on any of the Earth-like planets of the Twelve Colonies.

Ron D. Moore has essentially made it a point to avoid addressing the issue in a direct way (i.e. no live dogs will appear on the series, etc.). In the commentary for the [[Miniseries]], RDM elaborates:
:..."David and I, we had discussed, at an early point; well, do they have dogs and cats and things like that? And we said, "No, no, no", let's not go there, 'cause that locks us into a whole Terrestrial-kind of like thing. We'll just avoid any mention of it. '''Nobody will even, like, register that we had "Chicken pie" the whole time, and in retrospect "Oh, I guess there are chickens"."'''

However, over the course of the series various stray comments have established that ''more than a few'' "terrestrial" (real world Earth) life forms also exist in the series:

==Fictional==
===Plants===
*[[Chamalla]]
:'''Roslin:''' "I would like to explore alternative treatment. [...] Have you ever heard of Chamalla extract?" ([[Act of Contrition]])
:''Resembles (somewhat) herbal [[Wikipedia:Cannabinoids|cannabinoids]] and [[Wikipedia:Opioids|opioids]] in its pain-killing and hallucinogenic effects, which are found in the plant [[Wikipedia:Cannabis|cannabis]] and the [[Wikipedia:Opium Poppy|opium poppy]], respectively.''
*[[Fumarella leaf]]
:'''Baltar:''' "A parting gift: hand-rolled from some of the finest Fumarella leaf on Caprica. It's also one of the last left in the universe." ([[Water]])
:''An homage to the [[TOS|original series]], in which [[Starbuck (TOS)|Starbuck]]'s [[Wikipedia:Cigar|cigars]] are referred to as "[[Fumarello|fumarellos]]". This plant may be similar or identical to [[Wikipedia:Tobacco|tobacco]].''

==Real==
===Animals===
====Mammals====
*[[w:Bat|Bat]]
:Seen flying out of an abandoned warehouse in "Litmus".
*[[Wikipedia:Cat|Cat]]
:'''Adama:''' "...then grab your gun and bring in the cat." ([[Miniseries]])
*[[Wikipedia:Dog|Dog]]
**'''Cally:''' "She said the engine power-up sequence began by squeezing something that looks like a red ligament with blue veins on the right side coming out of a sack of gooey fluid, shaped like a... dog." ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])
**'''Baltar:''' "I will be the President, all right, but without the military support, I might as well be an anointed dog catcher." ([[Epiphanies]])
**'''Roslin''': "I need you to send my ID code on the exact same frequency: D, as in dog [...]" ([[Miniseries]])
**'''[[Billy Keikeya|Billy]]:''' "...dog takes 20 pills a day." - '''Roslin:''' "I didn't know you had a dog-" - '''Billy:''' "yeah, big shaggy thing - [[Jake (Billy's Dog)|Jake]]" ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]], [[List_of_Deleted_Scenes|deleted scene]])
**A dog named [[Jake (New Caprica)|Jake]] appears on [[New Caprica]], whose water bowl is flipped by [[Felix Gaeta]] to tell [[Galen Tyrol]] that an intelligence drop has happened ([[Precipice]]). (''This is one of the few instances where an animal can actually be seen in the series and by far the most prominent one.'')
*[[Wikipedia:Elephant|Elephant]]
:'''Hallucination-Baltar:''' "Start with the elephants..." ([[Downloaded]])
*[[Wikipedia:Goat|Goat]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "A horse. Why not a goat? I mean, that's good, right? Think of it as a goat." ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])
*[[Wikipedia:Gorilla|Gorilla]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "I'm gonna need some of those gorillas you call Marines." ([[Sacrifice]])
*[[Wikipedia:Horse|Horse]]
**'''Tyrol:''' "Take it for a ride. Treat it like a horse." ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])
**Helo and Sharon are in what looks like horse stables in "[[The Hand of God]]"
*[[Wikipedia:Hare|Jackrabbit]]
:'''Starbuck''': "This is the Viper Mark II. It's as maneuverable as a jackrabbit and can flip end for end in .35 seconds." ([[Act of Contrition]])
*[[Wikipedia:Monkey|Monkey]]
:'''[[Cliff Hooper]]'s friend:''' "He's a real-deal war hero, Hoop. Can't be seen drinkin' with a bunch of low-life freight monkeys." ([[Scattered]], [[List of Deleted Scenes|deleted scene]])
*[[Wikipedia:Panther|Panther]]
:'''Adama:''' "I'm a [[Picon Panthers]] fan myself." ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]])
*[[Wikipedia:Pig|Pig]]
:'''Phelan''': "Fisk was a pig. He tried to force us to renegotiate."
*[[Wikipedia:Rat|Rat]]
:'''Helo:''' Frakkin' rats! ([[Bastille Day]])
:''Rats have actually been seen on screen in this episode.''
*[[Wikipedia:Tiger|Tiger]]
:Gaeta reveals a tattoo of a tiger on his upper right chest in the episode "[[Final Cut]]".''

====Birds====
*[[Wikipedia:Bird of prey|Birds of Prey]]
**While the animals have never been specifically mentioned, it's reasonable to assume the [[Raptor]] is named after them.
**Possibly a bird of prey is heard and mentioned by Tyrol and Socinus in "[[Valley of Darkness]]"
*[[Wikipedia:Blackbird|Blackbird]]
:Namesake of the [[Blackbird]] experimental stealth fighter ([[Flight of the Phoenix]]).
*[[Wikipedia:Chicken|Chicken]]
*'''Cami:''' "We're going out for dinner, and I'm having chicken pie, and then we're going home, and then Daddy's going to read to me, and then I'm going to bed." ([[Miniseries]])
*Colonel Tigh imitates a chicken when mocking Starbuck's nickname, "Starbuck-buck-buck." ([[Miniseries]])
*[[Wikipedia:Duck|Ducks]]
**'''Palacios''': "Wouldn't we be like ducks in a Cylon shooting gallery?" ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]])
**"Duck" is the callsign of Lieutenant [[Tucker Clellan]] ([[Flight of the Phoenix]], [[Scar]], [[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|"The Resistance" webisodes]])
*[[Wikipedia:Geese|Geese]]
:'''Colonel Tigh''': "They're coming up with big goose eggs" ([[Water]])
*[[Wikipedia:Parakeet|Parakeet]]
:'''Jammer:''' "I don't care if they put a giant parakeet in here. If the colonel says build a cell, we build a cell." ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]])
*[[Wikipedia:Swallow|Swallow]]
:Namesake of the Colonial drone weapon, the [[Swallow]] ([[Occupation]]).
*[[w:Vulture|Vulture]]
:In a [[List of Deleted Scenes (RDM)#Downloaded|deleted scene]] from "[[Downloaded]]", [[Karl Agathon]] calls [[D'anna Biers]] a "stupid frakking vulture" after being notified of [[Hera]]'s alleged death.

====Reptiles====
*[[Wikipedia:Python|Python]]
:'''Adama:''' "Betrayal has such a powerful grip on the mind. It's almost like a python. You can squeeze out the thought, suffocate all other emotion until everything is dead except for the rage." ([[Home, Part I]])
*[[Wikipedia:Viper|Viper]]
:While the animal has never been specifically mentioned, it's reasonable to assume the [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] is named after it.

====Fish====
*[[Wikipedia:Salmon|Salmon]]
:'''Baltar:''' "There was an off-road bridge, over the Euclid river. I used to go there, when I was a boy. Watch the fish try and swim upstream. They were mesmerizing." ([[Home, Part I]])
:''What Baltar describes, without naming, are [[Wikipedia:Anadromous|anadromous]] fish - almost certainly a type of salmon.
*[[Wikipedia:Shark|Shark]]
:ECO [[Lyla Ellway|Lyla "Shark" Ellway]] ([[The Captain's Hand]]) presumably took her call-sign from these creatures.
*[[Wikipedia:Betta|Betta]] or [[Wikipedia:Guppy|Guppy]]
:When Six comes "home" to Baltar's house carrying the metal suitcase, one can see three different glasses on a table in the front of the scene. They contain only water and one living, small, long-finned, black fish each, a way agressive [[Wikipedia:Siamese fighting fish|Siamese fighting fish]] are kept. ([[Miniseries]])

====Invertebrates====
*[[Wikipedia:Ant|Ant]]
:'''Crashdown:''' "Someone else feel like they have ants crawling behind their frakking eyeballs?" ("[[33]]")
*[[Wikipedia:Cockroach|Cockroach]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "...even a cockroach needs to breathe..." ([[You Can't Go Home Again]])
*[[Wikipedia:Oyster|Oyster]]
:'''Caprica-Sharon:''' "I remember the first day I met you, Starbuck. You were puking your guts out in the head after you ate some bad oysters." ([[Scattered]])

===Plants===
*[[Wikipedia:Apple|Apple]]
:'''Roslin:''' "I need you to send my ID code on the exact same frequency: D, as in dog, dash, 456, dash, 345, dash, A as in apple." ([[Miniseries]])
:''In the commentary for the [[Miniseries]], [[Ron Moore]] stated that the [[Armistice Officer|officer]] at [[Armistice Station]] was originally supposed to take out an apple and eat it while studying his notes; in keeping with the new series emphasis on naturalism.''
*[[Wikipedia:Blueberry|Blueberry]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "You look like a blueberry." ([[Flight of the Phoenix]])
*[[Wikipedia:Carrot|Carrot]]
:'''Baltar''': "Simply put, Admiral, you have already used the stick. It's time to use a carrot". ([[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]])
*[[Wikipedia:Coffea|Coffee plant]]
:'''Gaeta:''' "Seven other container ships are refusing to release their supplies. Food, medicine, even coffee." ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]])
*[[Wikipedia:Lemon|Lemon]]
:'''Col. Tigh''': "A couple of lemons, we could make lemonade". ([[Bastille Day]])
*[[Wikipedia:Licorice|Licorice]]
:'''Roslin:''' "Chamalla and Licorice. Would you like some?" ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]])
*[[Wikipedia:Walnut|Walnut]]
:Adama cracks walnuts while going over potential CAGs in the episode "[[Home, Part I]]".
*[[Wikipedia:Beans|Beans]]
*[[Wikipedia:Maize|Maize]]
*[[Wikipedia:Peanut|Peanut]]
*[[Wikipedia:Chile pepper|Chile pepper]]
:'''Helo:''' You hungry? I don't know, what do we got? Peanut butter... baked beans, corn. How about some chili? ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]])
:''Helo is probably referring to the common [[Wikipedia:Haricot bean|Haricot bean]].''

==Official Statements==

*In an [http://www.battlestargalactica.com/outside_docs/bg_outdoc0050.htm interview with BattlestarGalactica.com on December 28th, 2005] RDM was asked about the possibility of animals actually appearing in future episodes:

:"Q: Boxey's been more or less written out of the series, but there's always a chance that we might one day see the return of Muffit, or some other form of Man's Best Friend. Might we see the introduction of animals (including Cylon animals) into the Galactica universe? Where would Cylon animals fit in with the Cylon plan (especially in light of "The Farm")? Can Cylon animals reproduce?

:RDM: The presence of animals in the rag-tag fleet was something that came up in early discussions, but we kinda dropped it from the conversation as the year went on. I don't know if we'll ever get around to doing something in this area or not. It mostly depends on finding a story that supports it in some interesting fashion other than [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]] finds a kitty. I don't think the Cylons are creating animals as we would define them, but they certainly see the Raiders and other craft as animals vis a vis their relationship with the [[Cylon agent|humanoid Cylons]]."

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Society]]
[[Category:Colonial Society (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Life Forms of the Twelve Colonies

2007-01-03T18:53:29Z

Cohan: /* Mammals */ billy really says "yeah, big shaggy thing - jake"

:''This article discusses an aspect of the [[Re-imagined Series]] version of the Twelve Colonies. For information on the [[Original Series]] version, see [[The Twelve Colonies (TOS)]].''

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}

This article is a list of fictional and real '''animals and plants''' mentioned in the [[Re-imagined Series]] as existing on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|the Twelve Colonies]]. For the most part, the colonies appear to have the same organisms as present-day earth, with the exceptions noted below.

In keeping with the [[naturalistic science fiction]] concepts that [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron D. Moore]] uses to model the series, it is unlikely that we may see any life forms outside of those found on any of the Earth-like planets of the Twelve Colonies.

Ron D. Moore has essentially made it a point to avoid addressing the issue in a direct way (i.e. no live dogs will appear on the series, etc.). In the commentary for the [[Miniseries]], RDM elaborates:
:..."David and I, we had discussed, at an early point; well, do they have dogs and cats and things like that? And we said, "No, no, no", let's not go there, 'cause that locks us into a whole Terrestrial-kind of like thing. We'll just avoid any mention of it. '''Nobody will even, like, register that we had "Chicken pie" the whole time, and in retrospect "Oh, I guess there are chickens"."'''

However, over the course of the series various stray comments have established that ''more than a few'' "terrestrial" (real world Earth) life forms also exist in the series:

==Fictional==
===Plants===
*[[Chamalla]]
:'''Roslin:''' "I would like to explore alternative treatment. [...] Have you ever heard of Chamalla extract?" ([[Act of Contrition]])
:''Resembles (somewhat) herbal [[Wikipedia:Cannabinoids|cannabinoids]] and [[Wikipedia:Opioids|opioids]] in its pain-killing and hallucinogenic effects, which are found in the plant [[Wikipedia:Cannabis|cannabis]] and the [[Wikipedia:Opium Poppy|opium poppy]], respectively.''
*[[Fumarella leaf]]
:'''Baltar:''' "A parting gift: hand-rolled from some of the finest Fumarella leaf on Caprica. It's also one of the last left in the universe." ([[Water]])
:''An homage to the [[TOS|original series]], in which [[Starbuck (TOS)|Starbuck]]'s [[Wikipedia:Cigar|cigars]] are referred to as "[[Fumarello|fumarellos]]". This plant may be similar or identical to [[Wikipedia:Tobacco|tobacco]].''

==Real==
===Animals===
====Mammals====
*[[w:Bat|Bat]]
:Seen flying out of an abandoned warehouse in "Litmus".
*[[Wikipedia:Cat|Cat]]
:'''Adama:''' "...then grab your gun and bring in the cat." ([[Miniseries]])
*[[Wikipedia:Dog|Dog]]
**'''Cally:''' "She said the engine power-up sequence began by squeezing something that looks like a red ligament with blue veins on the right side coming out of a sack of gooey fluid, shaped like a... dog." ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])
**'''Baltar:''' "I will be the President, all right, but without the military support, I might as well be an anointed dog catcher." ([[Epiphanies]])
**'''Roslin''': "I need you to send my ID code on the exact same frequency: D, as in dog [...]" ([[Miniseries]])
**'''[[Billy Keikeya|Billy]]:''' "...dog takes 20 pills a day." - '''Roslin:''' "I didn't know you had a dog-" - '''Billy:''' "yeah, big shaggy thing - [[Jake (Billy's Dog)|Jake]]" ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]], [[List_of_Deleted_Scenes|deleted scene]])
**A dog named [[Jake (New Caprica)|Jake]] appears on [[New Caprica]], whose water bowl is flipped by [[Felix Gaeta]] to tell [[Galen Tyrol]] that an intelligence drop has happened ([[Precipice]]). (''This is one of the few instances where an animal can actually be seen in the series and by far the most prominent one.'')
*[[Wikipedia:Elephant|Elephant]]
:'''Hallucination-Baltar:''' "Start with the elephants..." ([[Downloaded]])
*[[Wikipedia:Goat|Goat]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "A horse. Why not a goat? I mean, that's good, right? Think of it as a goat." ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])
*[[Wikipedia:Gorilla|Gorilla]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "I'm gonna need some of those gorillas you call Marines." ([[Sacrifice]])
*[[Wikipedia:Horse|Horse]]
**'''Tyrol:''' "Take it for a ride. Treat it like a horse." ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])
**Helo and Sharon are in what looks like horse stables in "[[The Hand of God]]"
*[[Wikipedia:Hare|Jackrabbit]]
:'''Starbuck''': "This is the Viper Mark II. It's as maneuverable as a jackrabbit and can flip end for end in .35 seconds." ([[Act of Contrition]])
*[[Wikipedia:Monkey|Monkey]]
:'''[[Cliff Hooper]]'s friend:''' "He's a real-deal war hero, Hoop. Can't be seen drinkin' with a bunch of low-life freight monkeys." ([[Scattered]], [[List of Deleted Scenes|deleted scene]])
*[[Wikipedia:Panther|Panther]]
:'''Adama:''' "I'm a [[Picon Panthers]] fan myself." ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]])
*[[Wikipedia:Pig|Pig]]
:'''Phelan''': "Fisk was a pig. He tried to force us to renegotiate."
*[[Wikipedia:Rat|Rat]]
:'''Helo:''' Frakkin' rats! ([[Bastille Day]])
:''Rats have actually been seen on screen in this episode.''
*[[Wikipedia:Tiger|Tiger]]
:Gaeta reveals a tattoo of a tiger on his upper right chest in the episode "[[Final Cut]]".''

====Birds====
*[[Wikipedia:Bird of prey|Birds of Prey]]
**While the animals have never been specifically mentioned, it's reasonable to assume the [[Raptor]] is named after them.
**Possibly a bird of prey is heard and mentioned by Tyrol and Socinus in "[[Valley of Darkness]]"
*[[Wikipedia:Blackbird|Blackbird]]
:Namesake of the [[Blackbird]] experimental stealth fighter ([[Flight of the Phoenix]]).
*[[Wikipedia:Chicken|Chicken]]
*'''Cami:''' "We're going out for dinner, and I'm having chicken pie, and then we're going home, and then Daddy's going to read to me, and then I'm going to bed." ([[Miniseries]])
*Colonel Tigh imitates a chicken when mocking Starbuck's nickname, "Starbuck-buck-buck." ([[Miniseries]])
*[[Wikipedia:Duck|Ducks]]
**'''Palacios''': "Wouldn't we be like ducks in a Cylon shooting gallery?" ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]])
**"Duck" is the callsign of Lieutenant [[Tucker Clellan]] ([[Flight of the Phoenix]], [[Scar]], [[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|"The Resistance" webisodes]])
*[[Wikipedia:Geese|Geese]]
:'''Colonel Tigh''': "They're coming up with big goose eggs" ([[Water]])
*[[Wikipedia:Parakeet|Parakeet]]
:'''Jammer:''' "I don't care if they put a giant parakeet in here. If the colonel says build a cell, we build a cell." ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]])
*[[Wikipedia:Swallow|Swallow]]
:Namesake of the Colonial drone weapon, the [[Swallow]] ([[Occupation]]).
*[[w:Vulture|Vulture]]
:In a [[List of Deleted Scenes (RDM)#Downloaded|deleted scene]] from "[[Downloaded]]", [[Karl Agathon]] calls [[D'anna Biers]] a "stupid frakking vulture" after being notified of [[Hera]]'s alleged death.

====Reptiles====
*[[Wikipedia:Python|Python]]
:'''Adama:''' "Betrayal has such a powerful grip on the mind. It's almost like a python. You can squeeze out the thought, suffocate all other emotion until everything is dead except for the rage." ([[Home, Part I]])
*[[Wikipedia:Viper|Viper]]
:While the animal has never been specifically mentioned, it's reasonable to assume the [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] is named after it.

====Fish====
*[[Wikipedia:Salmon|Salmon]]
:'''Baltar:''' "There was an off-road bridge, over the Euclid river. I used to go there, when I was a boy. Watch the fish try and swim upstream. They were mesmerizing." ([[Home, Part I]])
:''What Baltar describes, without naming, are [[Wikipedia:Anadromous|anadromous]] fish - almost certainly a type of salmon.
*[[Wikipedia:Shark|Shark]]
:ECO [[Lyla Ellway|Lyla "Shark" Ellway]] ([[The Captain's Hand]]) presumably took her call-sign from these creatures.

====Invertebrates====
*[[Wikipedia:Ant|Ant]]
:'''Crashdown:''' "Someone else feel like they have ants crawling behind their frakking eyeballs?" ("[[33]]")
*[[Wikipedia:Cockroach|Cockroach]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "...even a cockroach needs to breathe..." ([[You Can't Go Home Again]])
*[[Wikipedia:Oyster|Oyster]]
:'''Caprica-Sharon:''' "I remember the first day I met you, Starbuck. You were puking your guts out in the head after you ate some bad oysters." ([[Scattered]])

===Plants===
*[[Wikipedia:Apple|Apple]]
:'''Roslin:''' "I need you to send my ID code on the exact same frequency: D, as in dog, dash, 456, dash, 345, dash, A as in apple." ([[Miniseries]])
:''In the commentary for the [[Miniseries]], [[Ron Moore]] stated that the [[Armistice Officer|officer]] at [[Armistice Station]] was originally supposed to take out an apple and eat it while studying his notes; in keeping with the new series emphasis on naturalism.''
*[[Wikipedia:Blueberry|Blueberry]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "You look like a blueberry." ([[Flight of the Phoenix]])
*[[Wikipedia:Carrot|Carrot]]
:'''Baltar''': "Simply put, Admiral, you have already used the stick. It's time to use a carrot". ([[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]])
*[[Wikipedia:Coffea|Coffee plant]]
:'''Gaeta:''' "Seven other container ships are refusing to release their supplies. Food, medicine, even coffee." ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]])
*[[Wikipedia:Lemon|Lemon]]
:'''Col. Tigh''': "A couple of lemons, we could make lemonade". ([[Bastille Day]])
*[[Wikipedia:Licorice|Licorice]]
:'''Roslin:''' "Chamalla and Licorice. Would you like some?" ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]])
*[[Wikipedia:Walnut|Walnut]]
:Adama cracks walnuts while going over potential CAGs in the episode "[[Home, Part I]]".
*[[Wikipedia:Beans|Beans]]
*[[Wikipedia:Maize|Maize]]
*[[Wikipedia:Peanut|Peanut]]
*[[Wikipedia:Chile pepper|Chile pepper]]
:'''Helo:''' You hungry? I don't know, what do we got? Peanut butter... baked beans, corn. How about some chili? ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]])
:''Helo is probably referring to the common [[Wikipedia:Haricot bean|Haricot bean]].''

==Official Statements==

*In an [http://www.battlestargalactica.com/outside_docs/bg_outdoc0050.htm interview with BattlestarGalactica.com on December 28th, 2005] RDM was asked about the possibility of animals actually appearing in future episodes:

:"Q: Boxey's been more or less written out of the series, but there's always a chance that we might one day see the return of Muffit, or some other form of Man's Best Friend. Might we see the introduction of animals (including Cylon animals) into the Galactica universe? Where would Cylon animals fit in with the Cylon plan (especially in light of "The Farm")? Can Cylon animals reproduce?

:RDM: The presence of animals in the rag-tag fleet was something that came up in early discussions, but we kinda dropped it from the conversation as the year went on. I don't know if we'll ever get around to doing something in this area or not. It mostly depends on finding a story that supports it in some interesting fashion other than [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]] finds a kitty. I don't think the Cylons are creating animals as we would define them, but they certainly see the Raiders and other craft as animals vis a vis their relationship with the [[Cylon agent|humanoid Cylons]]."

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Society]]
[[Category:Colonial Society (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Talk:Cylon Models/Archive 1

2007-01-03T17:45:20Z

Cohan: Baltar glows as well?

==Image Requests==
#Number Six's glowing spine from the "Miniseries"
:::done. --[[User:Dancing_salad|Dancing salad]] 12:11, 26 February 2006 (EST)
#Valerii's viper optic arm trick from "Flight of the Phoenix"
::: [[Battlestar Wiki:Island of Misfit Images]] --[[User:Dancing_salad|Dancing salad]] 12:11, 26 February 2006 (EST)
#Thrace cutting into the downed raider's brain from "You Can't Go Home Again"
::: Done. More on [[Battlestar Wiki:Island of Misfit Images]] --[[User:Dancing_salad|Dancing salad]] 12:11, 26 February 2006 (EST)
#Closer-cropped headshots of each of the six known Cylons --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 16:17, 30 December 2005 (EST)
:::as you wish ;) --[[User:Dancing_salad|Dancing salad]] 11:20, 26 February 2006 (EST)

More?
:Thanks, it looks fantastic. I only wonder if we can't find a better picture of Doral... --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 14:19, 26 February 2006 (EST)
:: i'm really trying to. i think the previous was crappier than this one, but it doesn't make this a good one. by the way, the background color is painful! =D --[[User:Dancing_salad|Dancing salad]] 15:32, 26 February 2006 (EST)

:::Agreed; Doral could stand to be better.--[[User:The Merovingian|The Merovingian]] 12:45, 2 March 2006 (CST)

''"Organizational Relationships''

''The exact nature of the Cylon hierarchy remains unclear. The humanoid models, as the most evolved form of Cylon, are definitely in charge of the Centurions and Raiders. Caprica-Six's statement in "Downloaded" that Cylon culture is based on unity and that celebrities such as herself are something new implies that there is no single "Imperious Leader" as there was in the old series. Copies of Numbers Three, Five, Six, and Eight are most often seen in command positons. "''

i don't agree. can i have some other opinion about this? --[[User:Dancing_salad|Dancing salad]] 08:02, 16 March 2006 (CST)

:What's your opinion? --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 08:32, 16 March 2006 (CST)
::well, i think we shouldn't say the humanoids are in charge, but thats not the main point. i think we everybody agree about the non humanoid execute orders and do most military actions, and, when with cylon agents, the last ones are in charge. but i non-humanoids are like instruments, just like animals or sensor powered machines with no full artificial inteligence.
::what i want to discuss about is "Cylon culture is based on unity".c ylon culture is actually based on the fact that enybody is fully necessary, they are all clones, when dead another one is replacing them, and their missions are minor parts from a great plan. cylons DO have a plan, we mustn't forget it, no matter it seems not (hey, they finnaly taken their planetary colony, twice xD).
::the caprica copies were uniques were living with humans, they have really decisive missions, and they were heroes. so, when introduced back on their original culture, they couldn't engage. for the cylon culture they were dangerous, as they are leading voices who can make the cylon agent having their own opinions as the caprica copies have. they are fully IA (or whatever they are) and can question, for example, the cylon atack against the colonies.
::"Copies of Numbers Three, Five, Six, and Eight are most often seen in command positions." we know 7 agents and are mentioned 4, thats like saying "men between 25-55 y o are usually in command of younger ones". i think thats more a personality issue rather than military. when seen, we didn't know more models. in fact, they are not only the most often seen in command positions, but also the most often seen.
::and, about the imperious leader, as i said before, their culture is about to execute plan. the fact that the audience and the colonial leaders haven't met a cylon leader yet doesn't mean that he doesn't exist. by the other hand, i'm not saying that actually does, but i think we shouldn't give information far away from the series information by the last '''aired''' episode.
::EDIT.: oh, i hadn't understood "unity" the right way. well, now i think it's confusing. not beacuse i have confused it, but because the information is one step closer to the speculation instead of actual facts. how do the agents give orders to raiders or explain missions? and when have we seen an agent giving an order to a centurion? all we know is that they execute actions. maybe they do beacuse agents can't. as agents execute missions the centurions can't. imagining is true they have no leader, why have they to have militar levels?
:: as i'm not saying it must be deleted, i think is too close to the line and has to be often revisited. thats why i've asked for you opinion.
::btw, has anybody found a better Doral pic? i'm still loking for, but it's not easy! a Cavil one was earlier found! xD
::have a nice day! --[[User:Dancing_salad|Dancing salad]] 09:23, 16 March 2006 (CST)

:::The "unity" quote is based on dialogue from "[[Downloaded]]", so I consider that to be fairly reliable. As for "Copies of Numbers Three, Five, Six, and Eight are most often seen in command positions," we have the following evidence:
:::*Miniseries: High ranking Six on Armistice Station, Eight at Ragnar Anchorage.
:::*Bastille Day, Flesh and Bone, Litmus, Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down: High ranking Five and Six oversee Cap-Valerii's mission.
:::*Final Cut: High ranking Threes, Fives, Sixes and Eights view classified documentary footage
:::*Downloaded: High ranking Three assigned to observe Caprica-Six and Boomer.
:::By contrast, we have not seen Conoy, Simon or Cavil receiving classified information, overseeing other cylons, or delivering orders. I think the statement as written is pretty fair. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 09:54, 16 March 2006 (CST)

==Cylon Hierarchy==
It says we've seen 3, 5, 6, and 8 in command, but frankly, we've seen at least one instance of each model having commmand. --[[User:Sauron18|Sauron18]] 22 March 2006

==Merging?==
This thread is very complete on every aspect of the Cylons. I'm proposing we merge it with the "Cylons (RDM)" thread, and rename it as such, since it seems to me to explain the Cylons quite well.--[[User:Sauron18|Sauron18]] 22 March 2006
:Actually it originally ''was''; the "Cylons" article, in it's current form, is two paragraphs as an intro and a link box to subsections; originally it WAS all of the info from this page, and then some--->I don't know if I agree with this system or not, and I have been pondering it for some time. --[[User:The Merovingian|The Merovingian]] <sup>([[Special:Contributions/The Merovingian|C]] - [[Special:Editcount/The Merovingian|E]])</sup> 21:39, 21 March 2006 (CST)
::Well, if it goes down to some sort of vote, I for one prefer to have this as the main Cylon artice (for the species). .--[[User:Sauron18|Sauron18]] 22 March 2006
:::It seems to me that a short history article would be a better choice for the main page of the Cylons series. Perhaps we could just have blurbs farmed out to each subsidiary article with a "see also" line. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 02:20, 22 March 2006 (CST)

==Known (human) models==
Seven (7) are pictured. Isn't there another male model, as seen in the opening credits? (cut from a scene in, I believe, the miniseries--been a while since I've seen the mini)... where we see a group of several human-Cylons walking in profile. Or was that Leoben? I might be wrong, but I thought it was another actor. --[[User:Sasoriza|Sasoriza]] 06:55, 24 May 2006 (CDT)
:The only male cylons visible in the mini are Leoben Conoys and Aaron Dorals. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 09:32, 24 May 2006 (CDT)
::I stand corrected. It was indeed Leoben. My bad.--[[User:Sasoriza|Sasoriza]] 12:29, 20 July 2006 (CDT)

== Re: Centurion Model 0005 ==

''"it is most likely that she is referring to the modern Centurions, which seem to have replaced them entirely"''

Isn't this subjective speculation? Is there any evidence that the old "toasters" can't still be walking around? In fact, seems like I read somewhere that they're supposed to show one (or more) of the old models in Season 3... (Yes, this is speculation on my part as well. Would appreciate any clarification anyone can provide. I resist reading spoilers.) --[[User:Sasoriza|Sasoriza]] 12:37, 20 July 2006 (CDT)

:We are fairly sure that the old Centurions have been replaced and no longer exist, and we're going to retain that for the time being. I asked in Ron Moore's blog about this but he hasn't made a new one since April, and I think he's the only one that knows :) --[[User:The Merovingian|The Merovingian]] <sup>([[Special:Contributions/The Merovingian|C]] - [[Special:Editcount/The Merovingian|E]])</sup> 13:09, 20 July 2006 (CDT)
::''If'' they are shown in series three ''then'' we will update the wiki ;) --[[User:Mercifull|Mercifull]] <sup>([[User talk:Mercifull|Talk]]/[[Special:Contributions/Mercifull|Contribs]])</sup> 14:11, 20 July 2006 (CDT)
:That article could really use some TOS love. It's perfectly adequate for their RDM role (especially if we never see one again), but considering how important they were to the original series there isn't much material on them. I may have to hunt up some TOS screenshots and put together more material on the old tin cans... --[[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] 14:49, 20 July 2006 (CDT)
::Rather than putting them both on the same page, there's enough material on both to support separate pages, so I would suggest [[Cylon Models (RDM)]] and [[Cylon Models (TOS)]].--[[User:The Merovingian|The Merovingian]] <sup>([[Special:Contributions/The Merovingian|C]] - [[Special:Editcount/The Merovingian|E]])</sup> 09:12, 21 July 2006 (CDT)
:::Actually, I wasn't suggesting a TOS verision of Cylon Models (though that information seems to be present in a "summary form" at [[Cylons (TOS)]].) I was more mentioning a desire to add more content about the TOS Centurions on the Centurion 0005 page (unless the content becomes enough for THAT page to have to split).--[[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] 09:29, 21 July 2006 (CDT)
::::We shouldn't add TOS info about the original-model Centurions, even though they are physically identical: only what has appeared on screen in the RDM continuity. --[[User:The Merovingian|The Merovingian]] <sup>([[Special:Contributions/The Merovingian|C]] - [[Special:Editcount/The Merovingian|E]])</sup> 10:00, 21 July 2006 (CDT)
:::::Well, that sounds like a project then. Right now the 005 article has both TOS and RDM continuity categories, and all links to the old-style toaster point to that article. It sounds like you're suggestions a Centurion (TOS) maybe, and then point all TOS/1980/etc. references to that page. There's less than 100 links to 005, so it's not insurmountable... just more than I plan on taking on today. (Creating the TOS article, creating any disambig pages (if necessary), changing links/redirects to point to new article.) I'll make a note about it on the 005 page so I don't forget, though. --[[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] 10:20, 21 July 2006 (CDT)
::::::I'll get on that.--[[User:The Merovingian|The Merovingian]] <sup>([[Special:Contributions/The Merovingian|C]] - [[Special:Editcount/The Merovingian|E]])</sup> 10:31, 21 July 2006 (CDT)
== Dean Stockwell Interview ==
In Battlestar Magazine, Dean Stockwell is reported saying
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1" class="spoiltext_border"
! {{spoilerplate}}
|-
| id="spoil-text" class="spoiltext_box" | Yeah, absolutely. When I was up there last time, the writer passed around a document to all of the Cylons in the cast that I got to read. It said very specifically that there are seven - [let's] call them the significant seven - Cylons, and then there's five others ones that are in this mystery mode. No one knows where they are, what they are, and what they are up to. They've so scretive that they've programmed the significant seven so that they can't even think about the other five. They can't have a thought enter their head about these other five [laughs]. I turned out to be number three. Brother Cavil, of the significant seven. I'll be back!

|}

Can anyone confirm that before the wiki is updated with the info? I had heard this before, but had not seen any proof. Edit: Really could affect Cylon Agent Spec. --[[User:Gougef|FrankieG]] 10:43, 20 September 2006 (CDT)

:If Stockwell's reference number is to be taken as correct, it screws up what we know of the Numbers of models. I doubt that it's right, and it DOES really make future Cylon reveals scarier than ever. I'll see if I can find the issue and date to confirm. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 11:34, 20 September 2006 (CDT)

::Got to thinking about this. Maybe it's kinda like a "bible" doc and til it happens onscreen, it's not "canon". Just a thought. --[[User:Gougef|FrankieG]] 12:20, 20 September 2006 (CDT)

::: Grace Park also said in an interview that the Significant Seven are programmed not to think about the Final Five. It is a bible document, but they are doing the storyline with the assumption that it's true. It does explain why we will only see seven models included in the voting process during the occupation. Also, a spoiler for Taking A Break From All Your Worries includes a scene where Baltar flashs back to asking D'anna if she's seen the five models that no one else has seen. It's still subject to change, and we shouldn't include it on the wiki before we see it, but I think it will probably turn out this way. [[User:Noneofyourbusiness|Noneofyourbusiness]] 12:55, 20 September 2006 (CDT)
::::Yeah, we've known about this little piece of info for a while, but I'm confused why he claimed to be "number three", while that number has already been assigned to the D'annas....Probably a mistake, which is tantalizing since I was hoping he would reveal his number in the interview. Oh well. --[[User:Sauron18|Sauron18]] 16:25, 20 September 2006 (CDT)

== Bad Link ==

The External link in reference to the twelve cylon models seems in err. --[[User:Mitchy|Mitchy]] 23:44, 16 October 2006 (CDT)

==Lack of Birth==

Since Cylons can't give birth, does that mean that if a Cylon dies it's a '''permanent decrease''' in their population? If so we should add that. [[User:Commander Mazien|Commander Mazien]] 18:19, 29 November 2006 (CST)
: This is really nebulous. Cylons of the same model are capable of sharing their memories, so it could be said that a Cylon never "dies". On the other hand, now that unique Cylon personalities are emerging (Athena, Boomer, Caprica Six, Biers), it can be argued that Cylons can die. So it's really up in the air at this point.-- [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] <sup>[[User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|So say we all]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Site support|Donate]]</sup> 09:37, 30 November 2006 (CST)

Ok, but actually I was referring to numbers. For all intended purposes, lets say there were 2,000,000 biological Cylons at the time of the Miniseries. If that one Leoben had truly died (permanently) at Ragnar Station, that would decrease it to: 1,999,999 biological Cylons at the time of the first few episodes. Then let's say 10,000 died during the Battle of the Resurrection Ship: 1,989,999 biological Cylons and so on. Sorry if this is getting confusing but, yeah I'm just talking more about loss in numbers than loss of memories. [[User:Commander Mazien|Commander Mazien]] 06:10, 2 December 2006 (CST)
:No, they can make new copies again and again and again, their ability to do so is unlimited. It is only natural birth that they cannot achieve, but again, they can make many many copies. --[[User:Sauron18|Sauron18]] 14:00, 2 December 2006 (CST)
:: Well, they can make a copy of the same ''basic'' model. But, when we're talking about "death", it has a different meaning to the Cylons. After each Cylon has been created from a master template (for lack of a better term), each Cylon goes on to have different life experiences. So if their husk is killed and aren't resurrected, then that is a "death", since you can't look at it like a mere numbers game. Also, do note that both the raiders and baseships are living organisms after a fashion as well, and are thus alive (though domesticated). -- [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] <sup>[[User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|So say we all]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Site support|Donate]]</sup> 15:08, 2 December 2006 (CST)

== Baltar's glowing Neck or Spine? ==
Even if that spine-glowing is considered a continuity error now - does anyone else recall a very short scene in the miniseries or season one where baltar on caprica has some similiar glow on his neck? It could have been a reflection (from Caprica-Six?) or his spine glowing but covered by his shirt, only the neck-part visible, although I recall it having more of a left-to-right rather than bottom-to-top-motion. Didn't find the scene yet, but i'm quite sure it exists, and it keeps puzzling me ;) --[[User:Cohan|Cohan]] 11:45, 3 January 2007 (CST)

Life Forms of the Twelve Colonies

2007-01-03T16:50:40Z

Cohan: /* Mammals */ linked to billy's dog

:''This article discusses an aspect of the [[Re-imagined Series]] version of the Twelve Colonies. For information on the [[Original Series]] version, see [[The Twelve Colonies (TOS)]].''

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}

This article is a list of fictional and real '''animals and plants''' mentioned in the [[Re-imagined Series]] as existing on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|the Twelve Colonies]]. For the most part, the colonies appear to have the same organisms as present-day earth, with the exceptions noted below.

In keeping with the [[naturalistic science fiction]] concepts that [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron D. Moore]] uses to model the series, it is unlikely that we may see any life forms outside of those found on any of the Earth-like planets of the Twelve Colonies.

Ron D. Moore has essentially made it a point to avoid addressing the issue in a direct way (i.e. no live dogs will appear on the series, etc.). In the commentary for the [[Miniseries]], RDM elaborates:
:..."David and I, we had discussed, at an early point; well, do they have dogs and cats and things like that? And we said, "No, no, no", let's not go there, 'cause that locks us into a whole Terrestrial-kind of like thing. We'll just avoid any mention of it. '''Nobody will even, like, register that we had "Chicken pie" the whole time, and in retrospect "Oh, I guess there are chickens"."'''

However, over the course of the series various stray comments have established that ''more than a few'' "terrestrial" (real world Earth) life forms also exist in the series:

==Fictional==
===Plants===
*[[Chamalla]]
:'''Roslin:''' I would like to explore alternative treatment. [...] Have you ever heard of Chamalla extract? ([[Act of Contrition]])
:''Resembles (somewhat) herbal [[Wikipedia:Cannabinoids|cannabinoids]] and [[Wikipedia:Opioids|opioids]] in its pain-killing and hallucinogenic effects, which are found in the plant [[Wikipedia:Cannabis|cannabis]] and the [[Wikipedia:Opium Poppy|opium poppy]], respectively.''
*[[Fumarella leaf]]
:'''Baltar:''' A parting gift: hand-rolled from some of the finest Fumarella leaf on Caprica. It's also one of the last left in the universe. ([[Water]])
:''An homage to the [[TOS|original series]], in which [[Starbuck (TOS)|Starbuck]]'s [[Wikipedia:Cigar|cigars]] are referred to as "[[Fumarello|fumarellos]]". This plant may be similar or identical to [[Wikipedia:Tobacco|tobacco]].''

==Real==
===Animals===
====Mammals====
*[[Wikipedia:Cat|Cat]]
:'''Adama:''' ...then grab your gun and bring in the cat. ([[Miniseries]])
*[[Wikipedia:Dog|Dog]]
:'''Cally:''' "She said the engine power-up sequence began by squeezing something that looks like a red ligament with blue veins on the right side coming out of a sack of gooey fluid, shaped like a... dog." ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])
:'''Baltar:''' "I will be the President, all right, but without the military support, I might as well be an anointed dog catcher." ([[Epiphanies]])
:'''Roslin''': "I need you to send my ID code on the exact same frequency: D, as in dog [...]" ([[Miniseries]])
:'''[[Billy Keikeya|Billy]]:''' "...dog takes 20 pills a day." - '''Roslin:''' "I didn't know you had a dog-" - '''Billy:''' "yeah, big shaggy thing - [[Jake (Billy's Dog)|Jake]]" ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]], [[List_of_Deleted_Scenes|deleted scene]])
:A dog named [[Jake (New Caprica)|Jake]] appears on [[New Caprica]], whose water bowl is flipped by [[Felix Gaeta]] to tell [[Galen Tyrol]] that an intelligence drop has happened ([[Precipice]]). (''This may be the first time that an actual animal has appeared in the series.'')
*[[Wikipedia:Elephant|Elephant]]
:'''Hallucination-Baltar:''' "Start with the elephants..." ([[Downloaded]])
*[[Wikipedia:Goat|Goat]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "A horse. Why not a goat? I mean, that's good, right? Think of it as a goat." ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])
*[[Wikipedia:Gorilla|Gorilla]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "I'm gonna need some of those gorillas you call Marines." ([[Sacrifice]])
*[[Wikipedia:Horse|Horse]]
:'''Tyrol:''' "Take it for a ride. Treat it like a horse." ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])
:Helo and Sharon are in what looks like horse stables in "[[The Hand of God]]"
*[[Wikipedia:Hare|Jackrabbit]]
:'''Starbuck''': "This is the Viper Mark II. It's as maneuverable as a jackrabbit and can flip end for end in .35 seconds". ([[Act of Contrition]])
*[[Wikipedia:Monkey|Monkey]]
:'''[[Cliff Hooper]]'s friend:''' "He's a real-deal war hero, Hoop. Can't be seen drinkin' with a bunch of low-life freight monkeys." ([[Scattered]], [[List of Deleted Scenes|deleted scene]])
*[[Wikipedia:Panther|Panther]]
:'''Adama:''' "I'm a [[Picon Panthers]] fan myself". ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]])
*[[Wikipedia:Pig|Pig]]
:'''Phelan''': "Fisk was a pig. He tried to force us to renegotiate".
*[[Wikipedia:Rat|Rat]]
:'''Helo:''' Frakkin' rats! ([[Bastille Day]])
:''Rats have actually been seen on screen, in "[[Bastille Day]]"''
*[[Wikipedia:Tiger|Tiger]]
:''Gaeta revealed an ugly tattoo of a tiger on his upper right chest in the episode "[[Final Cut]]"''

====Birds====
*[[Wikipedia:Bird of prey|Birds of Prey]]
:''While the animals have never been specifically mentioned, it's reasonable to assume the [[Raptor]] is named after them.''
:Possibly a bird of prey is heard and mentioned by Tyrol and Socinus in "[[Valley of Darkness]]"
*[[Wikipedia:Blackbird|Blackbird]]
:''Namesake of the [[Blackbird]] experimental stealth fighter ([[Flight of the Phoenix]])''
*[[Wikipedia:Chicken|Chicken]]
:'''Cami:''' "We're going out for dinner, and I'm having chicken pie, and then we're going home, and then Daddy's going to read to me, and then I'm going to bed." ([[Miniseries]])
:Col. Tigh imitates a chicken when mocking Starbuck's nickname, "Starbuck-buck-buck." ([[Miniseries]])
*[[Wikipedia:Duck|Ducks]]
:'''Palacios''': "Wouldn't we be like ducks in a Cylon shooting gallery?" ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]])
:Duck is the callsign of Lieutenant [[Tucker Clellan]] ([[Flight of the Phoenix]], [[Scar]], [[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|"The Resistance" webisodes]])
*[[Wikipedia:Geese|Geese]]
:'''Col. Tigh''': "They're coming up with big goose eggs" ([[Water]])
*[[Wikipedia:Parakeet|Parakeet]]
:'''Jammer:''' I don't care if they put a giant parakeet in here. If the colonel says build a cell, we build a cell. ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]])
*[[Wikipedia:Swallow|Swallow]]
:''Namesake of the Colonial drone weapon, the [[Swallow]] ([[Occupation]]).''
*[[w:Vulture|Vulture]]
:In a [[List of Deleted Scenes (RDM)#Downloaded|deleted scene]] from "[[Downloaded]]", [[Karl Agathon]] calls [[D'anna Biers]] a "stupid frakking vulture" after being notified of [[Hera]]'s alleged death.

====Reptiles====
*[[Wikipedia:Python|Python]]
:'''Adama:''' "Betrayal has such a powerful grip on the mind. It's almost like a python. You can squeeze out the thought, suffocate all other emotion until everything is dead except for the rage." ([[Home, Part I]])
*[[Wikipedia:Viper|Viper]]
:''While the animal has never been specifically mentioned, it's reasonable to assume the [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] is named after it.''

====Fish====
*[[Wikipedia:Salmon|Salmon]]
:'''Baltar:''' "There was an off-road bridge, over the Euclid river. I used to go there, when I was a boy. Watch the fish try and swim upstream. They were mesmerizing." ([[Home, Part I]])
:''What Baltar describes, without naming, are [[Wikipedia:Anadromous|anadromous]] fish - almost certainly a type of salmon.
*[[Wikipedia:Shark|Shark]]
:''ECO [[Lyla Ellway|Lyla "Shark" Ellway]] ([[The Captain's Hand]]) presumably took her call-sign from these creatures.

====Invertebrates====
*[[Wikipedia:Ant|Ant]]
:'''Crashdown:''' "Someone else feel like they have ants crawling behind their frakking eyeballs?" ("[[33]]")
*[[Wikipedia:Cockroach|Cockroach]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "...even a cockroach needs to breathe..." ([[You Can't Go Home Again]])
*[[Wikipedia:Oyster|Oyster]]
:'''Caprica-Sharon:''' "I remember the first day I met you, Starbuck. You were puking your guts out in the head after you ate some bad oysters." ([[Scattered]])

===Plants===
*[[Wikipedia:Apple|Apple]]
:'''Roslin:''' I need you to send my ID code on the exact same frequency: D, as in dog, dash, 456, dash, 345, dash, A as in apple. ([[Miniseries]])
:''In the commentary for the [[Miniseries]], [[Ron Moore]] stated that the [[Armistice Officer|officer]] at [[Armistice Station]] was originally supposed to take out an apple and eat it while studying his notes; in keeping with the new series emphasis on naturalism.''
*[[Wikipedia:Blueberry|Blueberry]]
:'''Starbuck:''' You look like a blueberry. ([[Flight of the Phoenix]])
*[[Wikipedia:Carrot|Carrot]]
:'''Baltar''': "Simply put, Admiral, you have already used the stick. It's time to use a carrot". ([[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]])
*[[Wikipedia:Coffea|Coffee plant]]
:'''Gaeta:''' Seven other container ships are refusing to release their supplies. Food, medicine, even coffee. ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]])
*[[Wikipedia:Lemon|Lemon]]
:'''Col. Tigh''': "A couple of lemons, we could make lemonade". ([[Bastille Day]])
*[[Wikipedia:Licorice|Licorice]]
:'''Roslin:''' Chamalla and Licorice. Would you like some? ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]])
*[[Wikipedia:Walnut|Walnut]]
:''Adama cracks walnuts while going over potential CAGs in the episode "[[Home, Part I]]"''
*[[Wikipedia:Beans|Beans]]
*[[Wikipedia:Maize|Maize]]
*[[Wikipedia:Peanut|Peanut]]
*[[Wikipedia:Chile pepper|Chile pepper]]
:'''Helo:''' You hungry? I don't know, what do we got? Peanut butter... baked beans, corn. How about some chili? ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]])
:''Helo is probably referring to the common [[Wikipedia:Haricot bean|Haricot bean]].''

==Official Statements==

*In an [http://www.battlestargalactica.com/outside_docs/bg_outdoc0050.htm interview with BattlestarGalactica.com on December 28th, 2005] RDM was asked about the possibility of animals actually appearing in future episodes:

:"Q: Boxey's been more or less written out of the series, but there's always a chance that we might one day see the return of Muffit, or some other form of Man's Best Friend. Might we see the introduction of animals (including Cylon animals) into the Galactica universe? Where would Cylon animals fit in with the Cylon plan (especially in light of "The Farm")? Can Cylon animals reproduce?

:RDM: The presence of animals in the rag-tag fleet was something that came up in early discussions, but we kinda dropped it from the conversation as the year went on. I don't know if we'll ever get around to doing something in this area or not. It mostly depends on finding a story that supports it in some interesting fashion other than [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]] finds a kitty. I don't think the Cylons are creating animals as we would define them, but they certainly see the Raiders and other craft as animals vis a vis their relationship with the [[Cylon agent|humanoid Cylons]]."

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Society]]
[[Category:Colonial Society (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)

2007-01-03T16:19:15Z

Cohan: /* The Clergy */ typo

:''This article discusses the religion of the Colonies as seen in the [[Re-imagined Series]]. For summary information on the Kobollian religion from the [[Original Series]], see [[Kobollian Faith]].''

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}

The '''religion of the Twelve Colonies''', which the various characters of ''Battlestar Galactica'' practice to greater or lesser extent, is a polytheistic faith shared with real-life [[Wikipedia:Greek mythology|Greek mythology]], with a strong emphasis on the philosophy of [[Wikipedia:Eternal return|eternal return]].

==Origin==
[[Image:Pythia.jpg|right|thumb|A portion of the Sacred Scrolls, specifically, a portion of the Book of [[Pythia]].]]
There is substantial circumstantial evidence that people of Kobol ''originated'' from the planet [[Earth]], and it is also known that one of the thirteen tribes later returned there. The similarity in beliefs of the Colonials and ancient real-world Earth Greco/Roman mythology is probably not coincidental, although it is not yet clear which gave rise to the other. See [[History of the Twelve Colonies]] and [[Sacred Scrolls]] for a more detailed analysis.

In the burial scene of the [[Miniseries]], Adama states "Life here began out there,<ref>This phrase is a homage to the [[Original Series]], where each episode began with this phrase in a voice-over introduction.</ref>" reminding the assembly that this was the first line of the Sacred Scrolls, told to them by the Lords Of Kobol many centuries ago.

==Belief==

===The Lords of Kobol===

Colonial religion is centered on the Lords of Kobol, analogous to the [[Greek Gods]]. In the Re-imagined Series, seven Lords of Kobol have been positively identified:

* [[Zeus]] - The leader of the gods. [[Tom Zarek]] has twice referred to [[William Adama|Commander Adama]] as "Zeus" ([[Bastille Day]], [[The Farm]]).
* [[Apollo, Lord of Kobol|Apollo]] - Zeus' son, said to be the god of the hunt and of healing ([[Bastille Day]]).
* [[Ares]] - The god of war. The [[Nicholas Tyrol|infant son]] of [[Cally]] and [[Galen Tyrol]] is [[dedication ceremony|dedicated]] to this Lord of Kobol ([[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|The Resistance, Episode 10]]).
* [[Artemis]] - Twin sister of Apollo, goddess of the hunt. [[Kara Thrace]] prays often to this lord ([[Flesh and Bone]]) ([[Flesh and Bone]])
* [[Aphrodite]] - The goddess of love and sexuality. Kara Thrace prays often to this lord ([[Flesh and Bone]])
* [[Athena, Lord of Kobol|Athena]] - This lord committed suicide "out of despair over the exodus of the thirteen tribes" ([[Home, Part II]]). Her [[Tomb of Athena|tomb]] holds a map to [[Earth]] ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]).
* [[Hera, Lord of Kobol|Hera]] - Wife and sister of Zeus. A [[Gates of Hera|mountain ridge]] on Kobol is named after her ([[Home, Part II]]), and the [[Hera|first Cylon/human hybrid child]] is named for this lord ([[Downloaded]])

Curiously, [[Laura Roslin]] mentions that the 134th day of the Cylon occupation of [[New Caprica]] is Mars Day ([[Occupation]]), suggesting that Ares may also be called by his alternate Roman pantheon's name. The same happens again in "[[The Passage]]" when Zeus is referred to by the name of his Roman counterpart Jupiter.

==== Paradise Lost ====

According to the [[Sacred Scrolls]], the gods once shared a paradise-like existence with the people of [[Kobol]]. Later circumstances forced the exodus of the human population of Kobol to [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|the Twelve Colonies]] and [[Earth]], and lead to Athena's suicide. See [[History of the Twelve Colonies]] for more.

The existence of the Lords of Kobol is attested to by the survival of numerous artifacts, including the [[Arrow of Apollo]], the [[Tomb of Athena]] and the [[Gates of Hera]]. However, although she accepts their historicity, [[Sharon Valerii (Caprica copy)|Sharon Valerii]], a [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]], has called their divinity into question.<ref>There is a notion in fan circles that there are twelve lords of Kobol, by analogy to the twelve Cylon models, twelve Colonies, and perhaps the [[Wikipedia:Twelve Olympians|Twelve Olympians]] of Greek mythology. A post from [[Ron D. Moore]]'s blog [http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/03/index.html#a000023 on March 12, 2005] loosely alludes on this coincidence, but further official sourcing has not been revealed.</ref>

====The Jealous God====

[[Elosha]] states that the exodus from Kobol was precipitated when "one jealous god began to desire that he be elevated above all the other gods, and the war on Kobol began."<ref>From a [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season01/112/mov/bsg_del_112_regret.mov deleted scene] cut from the episode "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]."</ref>

====The Path of Olympus====

[[Tom Zarek]] conveys to [[Laura Roslin]] and members of her command staff of [[Laura Roslin faction|factioners]] the news that Commander [[William Adama]] had resumed command of ''[[Galactica]]'' after the attempt on his life by saying: "Zeus has returned to '''Olympus''' " ([[The Farm]]).

In Greek mythology, the home of the gods on Earth resided high atop Greece's highest mountain, Mount Olympus, at a time where access to the mountain summit would be almost impossible with the inhabitants' technology of that age. By Zarek's comment we can infer that Colonial religion appears to acknowledge the existence of a place called Olympus. It cannot yet be determined, however, if Olympus was thought of as the residence of the gods at a specific physical or ''metaphysical'' location of Kobol, as there has been no mention of Olympus elsewhere in the series. If Olympus is a metaphysical locale, this may contradict [[Elosha]]'s comment that the gods and man lived on Kobol together in harmony.

===Other Mythological Names in Colonial Culture===

Various items have been identified which are apparently named after other gods and legendary figures, although these have not been explicitly identified as Lords of Kobol.

* ''[[Triton]]'' - ([[Miniseries]]) - The namesake of a battlestar lost in the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]].
* ''[[Atlantia]]'' - ([[Miniseries]]) - The name of a [[Wikipedia:Hamadryad|hamadryad]], a form of nymph and namesake of another battlestar lost in the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]. Could also be a reference to the lengend of Atlantis, written by Plato.
* ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]''- ([[Pegasus (episode)]]) - A legendary horse and namesake of Admiral [[Helena Cain]]'s [[Mercury class battlestar]].
* ''[[Zephyr]]'' - ([[Fragged]]) - A ship in [[The Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]].
* ''[[Mercury]]'' - The lead ship of the [[Mercury class battlestar|Mercury class]], apparently named for the Roman version of the Greek god [[Wikipedia:Hermes|Hermes]].
* Pluto - ([[Bastille Day]]) - Namesake of the element [[Wikipedia:Plutonium|plutonium]]; the name is the Roman version of the Greek god Hades.
* [[Pythia]] - ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]) - An [[oracle]]. The Pythia was the name for the oracle at Delphi in Greece.
* ''[[Persephone]]'' - ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]) - A ship in the Fleet. A goddess of the underworld has this name in Greek mythology.
* ''[[Ragnar Anchorage]]'' - named in reference to Ragnarok, the ''Twilight of the Gods'' from [[Wikipedia:Norse mythology|Norse mythology]]
* ''[[Valkyrie]]'' - A minor Norse deity and [[w:shieldmaiden|shieldmaiden]] who gathered up warriors to fight at Ragnarok. [[William Adama]] formerly commanded a battlestar of the same name and, in allegory, is later the commanding "warrior" at planet [[Ragnar]] in the retreat from Colonial space.

===The Cycle of Time===

''"All this has happened before, and all this will happen again."''

According to [[Gaius Baltar]], this line from the Pythian Prophesy is very well known ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]). [[Laura Roslin]] later expands on it, reminding [[Kara Thrace]],

:"If you believe in the gods, then you believe in the cycle of time that we are all playing our parts in a story that is told again, and again, and again throughout eternity" ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]).

Various events throughout the series have led some characters to believe that they are playing out another turn of this cycle<ref>The notion of a circular progression of time (also known as [[Wikipedia:eternal return|eternal return]] or eternal recurrence) is a common theme in other faiths, particularly [[Wikipedia:Maya#Religion|Mayan]] mythology and is a cornerstone of the Hindu and Buddhist faiths. Moreover, [[Wikipedia:Stoic|Stoic]] philosophy did believe in the concept of ekpyrosis, the fire which consumes the old world and signals the birth of a new world, identical to the old, for a recurring cycle of birth, death and rebirth.</ref>. See [[Sacred Scrolls]] for more detailed analysis.

===Sanctity of Life===

According to the Sacred Scrolls, abortion is "an abomination in the eyes of the Gods". The more fundamentalist [[Gemenon]]s strictly adhere to this commandment, however the more secular Colonies such as Caprica apparently do not follow this as strictly: officially, Colonies-wide Federal law guaranteed a woman the right to an abortion, at least at the time of the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]] ([[The Captain's Hand]]).

==Individual Practice==

The Colonials display a wide spectrum of religious practice, ranging from [[Billy Keikeya]]'s atheism ([[Home, Part II]], [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season02/207/deleted4.html cut scene]) to Corporal [[Venner]]'s literalistic readings of the Sacred Scrolls.

===[[Temple]]===
While not seen in season 1, the worship sites known as temples have appeared on [[New Caprica]]. Temples may have been more elaborate places on the Twelve Colonies, but the spaceborne remnants of humanity presumably use any space they can find on their ships to form a basic temple. As seen on [[New Caprica]], a basic temple may consist of a simple altar with candles, idols of the Lords of Kobol, and what meager offerings the Colonials can give as a tithe. Some prayers are written and paper and burned ([[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance]]).

The temple on New Caprica was known as the Temple of Artemis ([[Collaborators]]), suggesting that temples are named after a lord or lords.
<br clear="all">

===Dress===
[[Image:Season 3 - Promo - Epi 1 - 2 - Oracle Selloi.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The robes of [[Dodona Selloi]] ([[Exodus, Part I]])]]
As seen by the various [[Laura Roslin faction|separatists]] orbiting [[Kobol]] in "[[Home, Part I]]," it appears that many Colonials have clothing that suggests a religious deference. In the scene, one older, white-bearded gentleman is dressed in simple colored robes and a round, flat head covering that may remind viewers of the tradition dress of Hasidic Jews, Islamic clerics, or Eastern Orthodox clerics of the real-world Earth. Other distinctive dress styles of other characters in the scene increase the sense of the dedication of religion in the Gemenese people (which appeared to comprise the majority of Roslin's separatists).

The [[oracle]] [[Dodona Selloi]] dresses in a turban and robes, suggesting a special role in Colonial society or its religious hierarchy ([[Exodus, Part I]]).
<br clear="all">

===Idols===
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">[[Image:Idols.jpg|100px]]</div>
At the end of the episode "[[Flesh and Bone]]," Kara Thrace, a devotee of Artemis and Aphrodite (as stated by [[Leoben Conoy]] in the same episode), prays to them on Conoy's behalf using figurines that bear a similarity to classic representations of Artemis and Athena. Artemis is depicted with her bow and arrow, and Athena with her helmet of war.
<br clear="all">

===Rosaries===
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">[[Image:Rosary.jpg|100px]]</div>
As Roslin begins to suffer from Chamalla withdrawal in "[[Fragged]]," Corporal [[Venner]], a fundamentalist from [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Gemenon|Gemenon]], anxiously clutches a set of white prayer beads.
<br clear="all">

===Group prayer===
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">[[Image:The_Farm-Group_Worship.jpg|100px]]</div>
Some prisoners on the ''[[Astral Queen]]'' seeking rehabilitation have turned to group prayer. In the episode "[[The Farm]]", they greet Laura Roslin as a prophet and she provides them with a blessing.

Priestess [[Elosha]] sings a group prayer in the service for the dead at the conclusion of the [[Miniseries]]. Curiously, the language she sings is Sanskrit, a classical language of real-world Earth's Hindu/Indian peoples. More about the verses that she sings and their meaning can be found in the [[Language in the Twelve Colonies#Liturgy|Language in the Twelve Colonies]] article.''<br clear="all">

===Artifacts===
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">[[Image:Bsg-arrow-apollo.jpg|75px]]</div>
Despite Gemenon's fundamentalist climate, the city of [[Delphi]] on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]] was apparently of a mind to store an important religious artifact, the [[Arrow of Apollo]], in a [[Delphi Museum of the Colonies|museum]], rather than a devotional institution.
<br clear="all">

==The Clergy==
[[Image:Season 3 - Promo - Collaborators - Priest.jpg|right|thumb|A male priest. ([[Collaborators]]).]]
The religious and government bodies of the Twelve Colonies work together. This association is likely based on the religious homogeneity of the Colonies.<ref>This differs from the United States, whose government is based on religious tolerance through the separation of religious practice and legislature. While the real-world Earth has many, many religions, the Twelve Colonies, as yet, appear to have only one religion and as such does not suffer greatly from schisms or other religious factions, although colonists such as the Gemenese show a different emphasis on how they interpret the religious writings.</ref>

[[Laura Roslin]] [[Case Orange|is sworn into the presidency]] by a ''priest'', [[Elosha]], who continues on in an advisory capacity within Roslin's administration. However the oath of office itself contained no religious content. Priests also preside over military funerals, without regard for the beliefs of the deceased.

[[Image:Elosha1.jpg|thumb|left|Elosha, priest and friend of President Roslin. ([[Home, Part I]])]]
Priests in the Twelve Colonies are apparently not required to practice celibacy, as in some Christian denominations. Priests can also be male or female. In the episode "[[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]]," Chief [[Galen Tyrol]] states that his father was a priest and his mother an oracle.

According to Billy Keikeya, some priests use the [[Chamalla]] plant for its hallucinogenic properties. The prescient dreams it imparted to Laura Roslin may imply the use of something similar by [[Pythia]], an ancient prophet.

The term ''Brother'' is used as a title for male members of the clergy, although it is not fully apparent whether this is used in the real-world Earth's common usage as the title of a [[Wikipedia:Monk|monk]]. As with priests, a brother offers consultation and leads prayer.

The only instance of this clergy in the series, as of the end of season 2, is Brother [[Cavil]], who offers guidance to Chief Tyrol. Cavil, however, is revealed as a [[Cylon agent]] some time later. Because of Cavil's nature, there may be doubt as to whether Cavil is a useful example of the work of a Brother in Colonial religion.
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

[[Image:Tivenan.jpg|right|thumb|Sister Tivenan (right) at a [[dedication ceremony]] ([[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|The Resistance: Episode 10]])]]
As with Brothers in the clergy, there are ''Sisters'' as well. Sister [[Tivenan]] is briefly seen tending to business in the temple on [[New Caprica]], guiding prayer and officiating a [[dedication ceremony]] for the [[Nicholas Tyrol|newborn son]] of [[Galen Tyrol|Galen]] and [[Cally Tyrol]] ([[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance]]).

Based on their viewed works, as well as their simple dress and frequency of appearance, it is probable that Brothers and Sisters are lay clergy (unlike priests and oracles, who appear to have political status as well as their religious status).

Other than the works of Pythia and the mention of Chief Tyrol's mother, there is little information as to the functions of an ''[[oracle]]''.

[[Dodona Selloi]] is the only oracle seen in the Re-imagined Series. She confirms the dreams of a copy of [[Number Three]] and the existence of [[Hera]]. It is not clear if Selloi was sitting in a tent designated as a temple, but there were numerous ornate or curious inscriptions surrounding and inside her tent that suggest the significance of the oracle's tent or her presence.

Priests and oracles may assume their roles due to an personal, possibly inherited affinity to sense spiritual changes or conditions. [[Galen Tyrol]], the son of a priest and oracle, detects the presence of and finds the [[Temple of Five]] alone, based only on his senses, apparently detecting the hidden temple on the otherwise-unremarkable (and undocumented) [[algae planet]] ([[The Eye of Jupiter]]).

== Cylon Interpretations ==

Many Cylon agents show a strict, firm belief in a monotheistic [[God]]. When agents such as Leoben Conoy, Cavil, and [[Sharon Agathon|Caprica-Valerii]] begin talking of Cylon beliefs, they are ridiculed and threatened with death. They refer to the Lords of Kobol as "false idols." They also claim to have more insight into Colonial religion than the Colonials themselves, as shown by Caprica-Valerii in "[[Home, Part II]]."

However, a connection between the Cylon God and the Lords of Kobol may exist. In "[[Exodus, Part I]]," an [[Selloi|oracle]] tells [[Number Three]] (a [[Cylon agent]] who has a ''dream'' of the oracle's tent and of holding the believed-dead hybrid child [[Hera]]) that she has a message from the one that Number Three worships. How would an oracle of the Lords of Kobol be able to hear the messages of the Cylon god?

One possibility involves the fates of the Lords of Kobol. If a Kobollian god(s) was separated from the others (per [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies#The Jealous God|the deleted scene about a jealous god]]), could that deity have influenced the Cylons later, compelling them to deny the existence of the other Lords? The Olympian gods had many enemies, including the ones they deposed, the [[Wikipedia: Titan (mythology)|titans]]. While the notion of a fallen Lord is speculative in the Re-imagined Series, there is already a parallel series of characters from the [[Original Series]]: The [[Beings of Light]] and their fallen member, [[Iblis]].

==References==
<div style="font-size:85%"><references/></div>

{{featured article}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial History]]
[[Category:Colonial History (RDM)]]
[[Category:Colonial Religion]]
[[Category:Colonial Religion (RDM)]]
[[Category:Colonial Society]]
[[Category:Colonial Society (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Life Forms of the Twelve Colonies

2007-01-03T16:15:40Z

Cohan: /* Mammals */ Billy mentions "his dog Jake" in a deleted scene

:''This article discusses an aspect of the [[Re-imagined Series]] version of the Twelve Colonies. For information on the [[Original Series]] version, see [[The Twelve Colonies (TOS)]].''

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}

This article is a list of fictional and real '''animals and plants''' mentioned in the [[Re-imagined Series]] as existing on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|the Twelve Colonies]]. For the most part, the colonies appear to have the same organisms as present-day earth, with the exceptions noted below.

In keeping with the [[naturalistic science fiction]] concepts that [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron D. Moore]] uses to model the series, it is unlikely that we may see any life forms outside of those found on any of the Earth-like planets of the Twelve Colonies.

Ron D. Moore has essentially made it a point to avoid addressing the issue in a direct way (i.e. no live dogs will appear on the series, etc.). In the commentary for the [[Miniseries]], RDM elaborates:
:..."David and I, we had discussed, at an early point; well, do they have dogs and cats and things like that? And we said, "No, no, no", let's not go there, 'cause that locks us into a whole Terrestrial-kind of like thing. We'll just avoid any mention of it. '''Nobody will even, like, register that we had "Chicken pie" the whole time, and in retrospect "Oh, I guess there are chickens"."'''

However, over the course of the series various stray comments have established that ''more than a few'' "terrestrial" (real world Earth) life forms also exist in the series:

==Fictional==
===Plants===
*[[Chamalla]]
:'''Roslin:''' I would like to explore alternative treatment. [...] Have you ever heard of Chamalla extract? ([[Act of Contrition]])
:''Resembles (somewhat) herbal [[Wikipedia:Cannabinoids|cannabinoids]] and [[Wikipedia:Opioids|opioids]] in its pain-killing and hallucinogenic effects, which are found in the plant [[Wikipedia:Cannabis|cannabis]] and the [[Wikipedia:Opium Poppy|opium poppy]], respectively.''
*[[Fumarella leaf]]
:'''Baltar:''' A parting gift: hand-rolled from some of the finest Fumarella leaf on Caprica. It's also one of the last left in the universe. ([[Water]])
:''An homage to the [[TOS|original series]], in which [[Starbuck (TOS)|Starbuck]]'s [[Wikipedia:Cigar|cigars]] are referred to as "[[Fumarello|fumarellos]]". This plant may be similar or identical to [[Wikipedia:Tobacco|tobacco]].''

==Real==
===Animals===
====Mammals====
*[[Wikipedia:Cat|Cat]]
:'''Adama:''' ...then grab your gun and bring in the cat. ([[Miniseries]])
*[[Wikipedia:Dog|Dog]]
:'''Cally:''' "She said the engine power-up sequence began by squeezing something that looks like a red ligament with blue veins on the right side coming out of a sack of gooey fluid, shaped like a... dog." ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])
:'''Baltar:''' "I will be the President, all right, but without the military support, I might as well be an anointed dog catcher." ([[Epiphanies]])
:'''Roslin''': "I need you to send my ID code on the exact same frequency: D, as in dog [...]" ([[Miniseries]])
:'''[[Billy Keikeya|Billy]]:''' "...dog takes 20 pills a day." '''Roslin:''' "I didn't know you had a dog" '''Billy:''' "yeah, big shaggy thing - Jake" ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]], [[List_of_Deleted_Scenes|deleted scene]])
:A dog named [[Jake (New Caprica)|Jake]] appears on [[New Caprica]], whose water bowl is flipped by [[Felix Gaeta]] to tell [[Galen Tyrol]] that an intelligence drop has happened ([[Precipice]]). (''This may be the first time that an actual animal has appeared in the series.'')
*[[Wikipedia:Elephant|Elephant]]
:'''Hallucination-Baltar:''' "Start with the elephants..." ([[Downloaded]])
*[[Wikipedia:Goat|Goat]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "A horse. Why not a goat? I mean, that's good, right? Think of it as a goat." ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])
*[[Wikipedia:Gorilla|Gorilla]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "I'm gonna need some of those gorillas you call Marines." ([[Sacrifice]])
*[[Wikipedia:Horse|Horse]]
:'''Tyrol:''' "Take it for a ride. Treat it like a horse." ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])
:Helo and Sharon are in what looks like horse stables in "[[The Hand of God]]"
*[[Wikipedia:Hare|Jackrabbit]]
:'''Starbuck''': "This is the Viper Mark II. It's as maneuverable as a jackrabbit and can flip end for end in .35 seconds". ([[Act of Contrition]])
*[[Wikipedia:Monkey|Monkey]]
:'''[[Cliff Hooper]]'s friend:''' "He's a real-deal war hero, Hoop. Can't be seen drinkin' with a bunch of low-life freight monkeys." ([[Scattered]], [[List of Deleted Scenes|deleted scene]])
*[[Wikipedia:Panther|Panther]]
:'''Adama:''' "I'm a [[Picon Panthers]] fan myself". ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]])
*[[Wikipedia:Pig|Pig]]
:'''Phelan''': "Fisk was a pig. He tried to force us to renegotiate".
*[[Wikipedia:Rat|Rat]]
:'''Helo:''' Frakkin' rats! ([[Bastille Day]])
:''Rats have actually been seen on screen, in "[[Bastille Day]]"''
*[[Wikipedia:Tiger|Tiger]]
:''Gaeta revealed an ugly tattoo of a tiger on his upper right chest in the episode "[[Final Cut]]"''

====Birds====
*[[Wikipedia:Bird of prey|Birds of Prey]]
:''While the animals have never been specifically mentioned, it's reasonable to assume the [[Raptor]] is named after them.''
:Possibly a bird of prey is heard and mentioned by Tyrol and Socinus in "[[Valley of Darkness]]"
*[[Wikipedia:Blackbird|Blackbird]]
:''Namesake of the [[Blackbird]] experimental stealth fighter ([[Flight of the Phoenix]])''
*[[Wikipedia:Chicken|Chicken]]
:'''Cami:''' "We're going out for dinner, and I'm having chicken pie, and then we're going home, and then Daddy's going to read to me, and then I'm going to bed." ([[Miniseries]])
:Col. Tigh imitates a chicken when mocking Starbuck's nickname, "Starbuck-buck-buck." ([[Miniseries]])
*[[Wikipedia:Duck|Ducks]]
:'''Palacios''': "Wouldn't we be like ducks in a Cylon shooting gallery?" ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]])
:Duck is the callsign of Lieutenant [[Tucker Clellan]] ([[Flight of the Phoenix]], [[Scar]], [[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|"The Resistance" webisodes]])
*[[Wikipedia:Geese|Geese]]
:'''Col. Tigh''': "They're coming up with big goose eggs" ([[Water]])
*[[Wikipedia:Parakeet|Parakeet]]
:'''Jammer:''' I don't care if they put a giant parakeet in here. If the colonel says build a cell, we build a cell. ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]])
*[[Wikipedia:Swallow|Swallow]]
:''Namesake of the Colonial drone weapon, the [[Swallow]] ([[Occupation]]).''
*[[w:Vulture|Vulture]]
:In a [[List of Deleted Scenes (RDM)#Downloaded|deleted scene]] from "[[Downloaded]]", [[Karl Agathon]] calls [[D'anna Biers]] a "stupid frakking vulture" after being notified of [[Hera]]'s alleged death.

====Reptiles====
*[[Wikipedia:Python|Python]]
:'''Adama:''' "Betrayal has such a powerful grip on the mind. It's almost like a python. You can squeeze out the thought, suffocate all other emotion until everything is dead except for the rage." ([[Home, Part I]])
*[[Wikipedia:Viper|Viper]]
:''While the animal has never been specifically mentioned, it's reasonable to assume the [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] is named after it.''

====Fish====
*[[Wikipedia:Salmon|Salmon]]
:'''Baltar:''' "There was an off-road bridge, over the Euclid river. I used to go there, when I was a boy. Watch the fish try and swim upstream. They were mesmerizing." ([[Home, Part I]])
:''What Baltar describes, without naming, are [[Wikipedia:Anadromous|anadromous]] fish - almost certainly a type of salmon.
*[[Wikipedia:Shark|Shark]]
:''ECO [[Lyla Ellway|Lyla "Shark" Ellway]] ([[The Captain's Hand]]) presumably took her call-sign from these creatures.

====Invertebrates====
*[[Wikipedia:Ant|Ant]]
:'''Crashdown:''' "Someone else feel like they have ants crawling behind their frakking eyeballs?" ("[[33]]")
*[[Wikipedia:Cockroach|Cockroach]]
:'''Starbuck:''' "...even a cockroach needs to breathe..." ([[You Can't Go Home Again]])
*[[Wikipedia:Oyster|Oyster]]
:'''Caprica-Sharon:''' "I remember the first day I met you, Starbuck. You were puking your guts out in the head after you ate some bad oysters." ([[Scattered]])

===Plants===
*[[Wikipedia:Apple|Apple]]
:'''Roslin:''' I need you to send my ID code on the exact same frequency: D, as in dog, dash, 456, dash, 345, dash, A as in apple. ([[Miniseries]])
:''In the commentary for the [[Miniseries]], [[Ron Moore]] stated that the [[Armistice Officer|officer]] at [[Armistice Station]] was originally supposed to take out an apple and eat it while studying his notes; in keeping with the new series emphasis on naturalism.''
*[[Wikipedia:Blueberry|Blueberry]]
:'''Starbuck:''' You look like a blueberry. ([[Flight of the Phoenix]])
*[[Wikipedia:Carrot|Carrot]]
:'''Baltar''': "Simply put, Admiral, you have already used the stick. It's time to use a carrot". ([[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]])
*[[Wikipedia:Coffea|Coffee plant]]
:'''Gaeta:''' Seven other container ships are refusing to release their supplies. Food, medicine, even coffee. ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]])
*[[Wikipedia:Lemon|Lemon]]
:'''Col. Tigh''': "A couple of lemons, we could make lemonade". ([[Bastille Day]])
*[[Wikipedia:Licorice|Licorice]]
:'''Roslin:''' Chamalla and Licorice. Would you like some? ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]])
*[[Wikipedia:Walnut|Walnut]]
:''Adama cracks walnuts while going over potential CAGs in the episode "[[Home, Part I]]"''
*[[Wikipedia:Beans|Beans]]
*[[Wikipedia:Maize|Maize]]
*[[Wikipedia:Peanut|Peanut]]
*[[Wikipedia:Chile pepper|Chile pepper]]
:'''Helo:''' You hungry? I don't know, what do we got? Peanut butter... baked beans, corn. How about some chili? ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]])
:''Helo is probably referring to the common [[Wikipedia:Haricot bean|Haricot bean]].''

==Official Statements==

*In an [http://www.battlestargalactica.com/outside_docs/bg_outdoc0050.htm interview with BattlestarGalactica.com on December 28th, 2005] RDM was asked about the possibility of animals actually appearing in future episodes:

:"Q: Boxey's been more or less written out of the series, but there's always a chance that we might one day see the return of Muffit, or some other form of Man's Best Friend. Might we see the introduction of animals (including Cylon animals) into the Galactica universe? Where would Cylon animals fit in with the Cylon plan (especially in light of "The Farm")? Can Cylon animals reproduce?

:RDM: The presence of animals in the rag-tag fleet was something that came up in early discussions, but we kinda dropped it from the conversation as the year went on. I don't know if we'll ever get around to doing something in this area or not. It mostly depends on finding a story that supports it in some interesting fashion other than [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]] finds a kitty. I don't think the Cylons are creating animals as we would define them, but they certainly see the Raiders and other craft as animals vis a vis their relationship with the [[Cylon agent|humanoid Cylons]]."

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Society]]
[[Category:Colonial Society (RDM)]]
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