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Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)

2007-03-21T16:14:27Z

Sylvain:

:''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 [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies (TOS)]].''

{{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. Their deities have an interesting parallelism to the [[Wikipedia:Greek mythology|Olympic gods]], 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]].]]
The eternal return aspect between the peoples of Kobol and Earth suggest a parallel or reverse-origin with humanity as a whole or the [[Thirteenth Tribe]] that presumably populated it. See [[History of the Twelve Colonies]] for more analysis.

In the burial scene of the [[Miniseries]], [[William 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]], the principle religious tome of the Colonial faith, 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. In the Re-imagined Series, eight 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]], as a play on Capt. Apollo's callsign).
* [[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]]).
* [[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]]).
* [[Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn]] ([[Maelstrom]])<ref>Aurora is the Roman counterpart of the Greek [[w:Eos|Eos]]. Eos is one of the [[w:Titans (mythology)|Titans]]. Since the Lords of Kobol are modeled after the [[w:Twelve Olympians|Twelve Olympians]] however, this could indicate that she is not one of the Lords, but belongs to another group of deities.</ref>

The Colonials appear to use multiple names for their gods, interchanging "Mars" for "Ares," "Jupiter" for "Zeus," and so on.<ref>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.</ref>

==== 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.

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 Agathon|Caprica-Valerii]], a [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]], questions their actual divinity.<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]]).<ref>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.</ref> 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 of their faith, although these have not been explicitly identified as Lords of Kobol.

:''See main article: [[Mythological references]]''

===The Cycle of Time===

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

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

<blockquote>"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]]).</blockquote>

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 [[The_Twelve_Colonies_%28RDM%29#Gemenon|Gemenese]] 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.

While not fully explained in the Re-imagined Series, it appears, based on the information from a [[dedication ceremony]] for [[Nicholas Tyrol]] and the prayers of [[Kara Thrace]], that each Colonial is paired, or "placed in the service" with one or more of the Lords. Based on the dedication ceremony blessing, Zeus is a considered "almighty" or foremost of the gods, while other Lords are prayed to by Colonials as a proxy to Zeus.<ref>This practice is similar to a Catholic practice of prayer to Mary, mother of Jesus. While Mary is a human, followers believe that, by praying to Mary, she can intercede to aid the acceptance of the prayer by the [[w:Trinity|Trinity]], the godhead of the Catholic faith.</ref>

===[[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, and may be related to the pairing of Colonials to a specific set of Lords at their dedication ceremony.
<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<ref>These robes may remind viewers of the tradition dress of Hasidic Jews, Islamic clerics, or Eastern Orthodox clerics of the real-world Earth.</ref> 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.

When visting the oracle [[Yolanda Brenn]], Thrace receives a figurine of the goddess [[Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn|Aurora]] as gift ([[Maelstrom]]).
<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 ''Galactica's'' brig Corporal [[Venner]], who is from the more religious [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Gemenon|Gemenon]], anxiously clutches a set of white prayer beads ([[Fragged]]).
<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. They greet Laura Roslin as a prophet and she provides them with a blessing ([[The Farm]]).

Priestess [[Elosha]] sings a group prayer in the service for the dead after the Fleet escapes from the initial Cylon attack ([[Miniseries]]).<ref>The language she sings is [[w:Sanskrit|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.</ref><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 ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]).

Ancient temples may be also be the repository of special artifacts such as the [[Eye of Jupiter]], believed to be stored inside the legendary [[Temple of Five]] ("[[Rapture]]", "[[The Eye of Jupiter]]").
<br clear="all">

===Sagittaron beliefs ===

Orthodox [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Sagittaron|Sagittaron]] beliefs are more anachronistic than the Gemenese's, believing that the mind and body are myths, and that medicine is "an abomination, a sin against the Gods". Sagittarons also blame physicians for the spread of disease due to their ignorance of the aforementioned "myth" of the body and mind. They traditionally do not believe in violence, even to the point of not aiding the [[New Caprica Resistance]] in their fight against the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] occupation of [[New Caprica]] ([[The Woman King]]).

==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, and can be male or female. Chief [[Galen Tyrol]] states that his father was a priest and his mother an oracle ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]]).

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

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 is Brother [[Cavil]], who offers guidance to Chief Tyrol. Cavil, however, is revealed as a [[Humanoid Cylon]] 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).

[[Image:Season 3 - Promo - Epi 1 - 2 - Oracle Selloi.jpg|left|thumb|The oracle [[Dodona Selloi]] ([[Exodus, Part I]]).]]
There is little information as to the religious functions of ''[[oracle]]s''. [[Dodona Selloi]] is one of two oracles 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. A second oracle, [[Yolanda Brenn]], gives counsel to [[Kara Thrace]] on her strange dreams aboard ''Galactica'' ([[Maelstrom]]).

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 Humanoid Cylons 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 [[Humanoid Cylon]] 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?<ref>The Olympian gods had many enemies, including the ones they deposed, the [[Wikipedia: Titan (mythology)|titans]].</ref> 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>

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[[Category:A to Z]]
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Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)

2007-03-21T16:10:45Z

Sylvain: /* The Lords of Kobol */

:''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 [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies (TOS)]].''

{{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. Their deities have an interesting parallelism to the [[Wikipedia:Greek mythology|Olympic gods]], 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]].]]
The eternal return aspect between the peoples of Kobol and Earth suggest a parallel or reverse-origin with humanity as a whole or the [[Thirteenth Tribe]] that presumably populated it. See [[History of the Twelve Colonies]] for more analysis.

In the burial scene of the [[Miniseries]], [[William 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]], the principle religious tome of the Colonial faith, 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. In the Re-imagined Series, eight Lords of Kobol have been positively identified:

* [[Zeus]] - The leader of the gods. (Also the call sign of Commander Adama)
* [[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]]).
* [[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]]).
* [[Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn]] ([[Maelstrom]])<ref>Aurora is the Roman counterpart of the Greek [[w:Eos|Eos]]. Eos is one of the [[w:Titans (mythology)|Titans]]. Since the Lords of Kobol are modeled after the [[w:Twelve Olympians|Twelve Olympians]] however, this could indicate that she is not one of the Lords, but belongs to another group of deities.</ref>

The Colonials appear to use multiple names for their gods, interchanging "Mars" for "Ares," "Jupiter" for "Zeus," and so on.<ref>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.</ref>

==== 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.

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 Agathon|Caprica-Valerii]], a [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]], questions their actual divinity.<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]]).<ref>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.</ref> 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 of their faith, although these have not been explicitly identified as Lords of Kobol.

:''See main article: [[Mythological references]]''

===The Cycle of Time===

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

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

<blockquote>"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]]).</blockquote>

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 [[The_Twelve_Colonies_%28RDM%29#Gemenon|Gemenese]] 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.

While not fully explained in the Re-imagined Series, it appears, based on the information from a [[dedication ceremony]] for [[Nicholas Tyrol]] and the prayers of [[Kara Thrace]], that each Colonial is paired, or "placed in the service" with one or more of the Lords. Based on the dedication ceremony blessing, Zeus is a considered "almighty" or foremost of the gods, while other Lords are prayed to by Colonials as a proxy to Zeus.<ref>This practice is similar to a Catholic practice of prayer to Mary, mother of Jesus. While Mary is a human, followers believe that, by praying to Mary, she can intercede to aid the acceptance of the prayer by the [[w:Trinity|Trinity]], the godhead of the Catholic faith.</ref>

===[[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, and may be related to the pairing of Colonials to a specific set of Lords at their dedication ceremony.
<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<ref>These robes may remind viewers of the tradition dress of Hasidic Jews, Islamic clerics, or Eastern Orthodox clerics of the real-world Earth.</ref> 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.

When visting the oracle [[Yolanda Brenn]], Thrace receives a figurine of the goddess [[Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn|Aurora]] as gift ([[Maelstrom]]).
<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 ''Galactica's'' brig Corporal [[Venner]], who is from the more religious [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Gemenon|Gemenon]], anxiously clutches a set of white prayer beads ([[Fragged]]).
<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. They greet Laura Roslin as a prophet and she provides them with a blessing ([[The Farm]]).

Priestess [[Elosha]] sings a group prayer in the service for the dead after the Fleet escapes from the initial Cylon attack ([[Miniseries]]).<ref>The language she sings is [[w:Sanskrit|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.</ref><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 ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]).

Ancient temples may be also be the repository of special artifacts such as the [[Eye of Jupiter]], believed to be stored inside the legendary [[Temple of Five]] ("[[Rapture]]", "[[The Eye of Jupiter]]").
<br clear="all">

===Sagittaron beliefs ===

Orthodox [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Sagittaron|Sagittaron]] beliefs are more anachronistic than the Gemenese's, believing that the mind and body are myths, and that medicine is "an abomination, a sin against the Gods". Sagittarons also blame physicians for the spread of disease due to their ignorance of the aforementioned "myth" of the body and mind. They traditionally do not believe in violence, even to the point of not aiding the [[New Caprica Resistance]] in their fight against the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] occupation of [[New Caprica]] ([[The Woman King]]).

==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, and can be male or female. Chief [[Galen Tyrol]] states that his father was a priest and his mother an oracle ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]]).

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

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 is Brother [[Cavil]], who offers guidance to Chief Tyrol. Cavil, however, is revealed as a [[Humanoid Cylon]] 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).

[[Image:Season 3 - Promo - Epi 1 - 2 - Oracle Selloi.jpg|left|thumb|The oracle [[Dodona Selloi]] ([[Exodus, Part I]]).]]
There is little information as to the religious functions of ''[[oracle]]s''. [[Dodona Selloi]] is one of two oracles 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. A second oracle, [[Yolanda Brenn]], gives counsel to [[Kara Thrace]] on her strange dreams aboard ''Galactica'' ([[Maelstrom]]).

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 Humanoid Cylons 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 [[Humanoid Cylon]] 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?<ref>The Olympian gods had many enemies, including the ones they deposed, the [[Wikipedia: Titan (mythology)|titans]].</ref> 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]]

Senior Staff of Galactica

2007-03-16T14:44:24Z

Sylvain:

=Present Senior Staff=
===CIC===
*Admiral [[William Adama]] - Commanding Officer
*Colonel [[Saul Tigh]] - [[Executive Officer]]
*Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]] - [[Tactical officer]], Senior Officer of the Watch
*Lieutenant [[Hoshi]] - [[Communications Officer]]
*Lieutenant [[Anastasia Dualla]]

===Air Wing===
*Major [[Lee Adama]]
*Captain [[Karl Agathon]] - Acting [[CAG]]
*Lieutenant [[Sharon Agathon]]

===Support===
*Major [[Cottle]] - [[Chief Medical Officer]]
*Captain Aaron Kelly - [[Landing Signal Officer]], Second Officer
*Chief Petty Officer [[Galen Tyrol]] - Chief of the Deck
*Gunnery Sergeant [[Erin Mathias]] - Senior [[Marine]] NCO

=Position Histories=
===Commanding Officer===
* Commander William Adama ([[Miniseries]] to "[[Scattered]]") - Injured after assassination attempt
* Colonel Saul Tigh, Acting ("[[Scattered]]" to "[[The Farm]]") - Relinquishes command after Commander Adama returns to duty
* Admiral William Adama ("[[The Farm]]" to present) - Promoted to Admiral by President [[Roslin]] ("[[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]")

===Executive Officer===
* Colonel Saul Tigh ([[Miniseries]] to "[[Scattered]]") - Assumes command when Commander Adama is injured during an assassination attempt
* Captain Aaron Kelly ("[[Scattered]]" to "[[The Farm]]") - Returns to regular duties when Commander Adama resumes command
* Colonel Saul Tigh ("[[The Farm]]" to "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]") - Relocates to [[New Caprica]]
* Captain Karl Agathon ("[[Occupation]]" to "[[Unfinished Business]]") - Demoted when Colonel Tigh resumes post
* Colonel Saul Tigh ("[[The Passage]]" to present)

===Tactical officer===
* Lieutenant Felix Gaeta ([[Miniseries]] to "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]") - Relocates to New Caprica
* Captain Karl Agathon ("[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]") - Promoted to XO
* Captain Aaron Kelly ("[[Occupation]]" to "[[The Passage]]") - Gaeta resumes post
* Lieutenant Felix Gaeta ("[[The Passage]]" to present)

===Communications Officer===
* Petty Officer 2nd Class Anastasia Dualla ([[Miniseries]] to "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]") - Promoted to XO of [[Pegasus (RDM)|''Pegasus'']]
* Unknown ("[[Occupation]]" to "[[Exodus, Part II]]")
* Lieutenant Hoshi ("[[Collaborators]]" to present)

===Commander, Air Group===
* Major [[Jackson Spencer]] ([[Miniseries]]) - Killed in Action
* Captain Lee Adama ([[Miniseries]] to "[[The Captain's Hand]]") - Promoted to CO of ''Pegasus''
* Captain [[George Birch]] ("[[Home, Part I]]" to "[[Home, Part II]]") - Temporary replacement for Captain Adama
* Captain Kara Thrace ("[[The Captain's Hand]]" to "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]") - Relocates to New Caprica
* Captain [[Louanne Katraine]] ("[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]" to "[[Collaborators]]") - Demoted when Major Adama resumes post. Posthumous and symbolic promotion ("[[The Passage]]")
* Major Lee Adama ("[[Torn]]" to "[[The Son Also Rises]]") - Re-assigned as Head of Security for [[Romo Lampkin]]
* Captain Karl Agathon ("[[The Son Also Rises]]" to present)

===Chief Medical Officer===
* Major Cottle ([[Miniseries]] to present, with the exception of his relocation to New Caprica)
* Unknown ("[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]" to "[[Exodus, Part II]]")

===Chief of the Deck===
* Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol ([[Miniseries]] to "[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]") - Replaced by ''Pegasus's'' Deck Chief
* Chief Petty Officer [[Peter Laird]] ("[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]" to "[[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]") - Laird reassigned to ''Pegasus''
* Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol ("[[Epiphanies]]" to "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]") - Relocates to New Caprica
* Unknown ("[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]" to "[[Exodus, Part II]]") - Tyrol resumes post
* Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol ("[[Collaborators]]" to present)

===Master-at-Arms===
* Sergeant Hadrian (Presumably "[[Miniseries]]" to present, but last mentioned in "[[Valley of Darkness]]")

===Landing Signal Officer===
* Captain Aaron Kelly ("[[Miniseries]]" to "[[Exodus, Part I]]") - Re-assigned as Tactical Officer
* Unknown ("[[Exodus, Part I]]" to "[[Exodus, Part II]]") - Felix Gaeta resumes post as Tactical Officer
* Captain Aaron Kelly ("[[Collaborators]]" to present)

===Senior Marine Commander===
* Lieutenant [[Terry Burrell]] (unknown, seen only in "[[Sacrifice]]")
* Gunnery Sergeant [[Erin Mathias]] ("[[Exodus, Part I]]" or earlier to present)

=Chain of Command=
Presently, the first in command aboard Galactica is Admiral Adama, and the second in command is Colonel Tigh. Beyond that the heirarchy is unclear. Major Lee Adama was at one time commander of the Pegasus, and as a Major is the next highest ranking officer along with Major Cottle (over whom Adama would presumably be chosen). However, in past episodes both Captain Kelly & Captain Agathon have have served as seconds-in-command, although given Captain Kelly's detention in [[The Son Also Rises]] he is presumably no longer a candidate.

Senior Staff of Galactica

2007-03-16T14:43:56Z

Sylvain:

=Present Senior Staff=
===CIC===
*Admiral [[William Adama]] - Commanding Officer
*Colonel [[Saul Tigh]] - [[Executive Officer]]
*Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]] - [[Tactical officer]], Senior Officer of the Watch
*Lieutenant [[Hoshi]] - [[Communications Officer]]
*Lieutenant [[Anastasia Dualla]]

===Air Wing===
*Major [[Lee Adama]]
*Captain [[Karl Agathon]] - Acting [[CAG]]
*Lieutenant [[Sharon Agathon]]

===Support===
*Major [[Cottle]] - [[Chief Medical Officer]]
*Captain Aaron Kelly - [[Landing Signal Officer]], Second Officer
*Chief Petty Officer [[Galen Tyrol]] - Chief of the Deck
*Gunnery Sergeant [[Erin Mathias]] - Senior [[Marine]] NCO

=Position Histories=
===Commanding Officer===
* Commander William Adama ([[Miniseries]] to "[[Scattered]]") - Injured after assassination attempt
* Colonel Saul Tigh, Acting ("[[Scattered]]" to "[[The Farm]]") - Relinquishes command after Commander Adama returns to duty
* Admiral William Adama ("[[The Farm]]" to present) - Promoted to Admiral by President [[Roslin]] ("[[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]")

===Executive Officer===
* Colonel Saul Tigh ([[Miniseries]] to "[[Scattered]]") - Assumes command when Commander Adama is injured during an assassination attempt
* Captain Aaron Kelly ("[[Scattered]]" to "[[The Farm]]") - Returns to regular duties when Commander Adama resumes command
* Colonel Saul Tigh ("[[The Farm]]" to "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]") - Relocates to [[New Caprica]]
* Captain Karl Agathon ("[[Occupation]]" to "[[Unfinished Business]]") - Demoted when Colonel Tigh resumes post
* Colonel Saul Tigh ("[[The Passage]]" to present)

===Tactical officer===
* Lieutenant Felix Gaeta ([[Miniseries]] to "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]") - Relocates to New Caprica
* Captain Karl Agathon ("[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]") - Promoted to XO
* Captain Aaron Kelly ("[[Occupation]]" to "[[The Passage]]") - Gaeta resumes post
* Lieutenant Felix Gaeta ("[[The Passage]]" to present)

===Communications Officer===
* Petty Officer 2nd Class Anastasia Dualla ([[Miniseries]] to "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]") - Promoted to XO of [[Pegasus (RDM)|''Pegasus'']]
* Unknown ("[[Occupation]]" to "[[Exodus, Part II]]")
* Lieutenant Hoshi ("[[Collaborators]]" to present)

===Commander, Air Group===
* Major [[Jackson Spencer]] ([[Miniseries]]) - Killed in Action
* Captain Lee Adama ([[Miniseries]] to "[[The Captain's Hand]]") - Promoted to CO of ''Pegasus''
* Captain [[George Birch]] ("[[Home, Part I]]" to "[[Home, Part II]]") - Temporary replacement for Captain Adama
* Captain Kara Thrace ("[[The Captain's Hand]]" to "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]") - Relocates to New Caprica
* Captain [[Louanne Katraine]] ("[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]" to "[[Collaborators]]") - Demoted when Major Adama resumes post. Posthumous and symbolic promotion ("[[The Passage]]")
* Major Lee Adama ("[[Torn]]" to "[[The Son Also Rises]]") - Re-assigned as Head of Security for [[Romo Lampkin]]
* Captain Karl Agathon ("[[The Son Also Rises]]" to present)

===Chief Medical Officer===
* Major Cottle ([[Miniseries]] to present, with the exception of his relocation to New Caprica)
* Unknown ("[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]" to "[[Exodus, Part II]]")

===Chief of the Deck===
* Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol ([[Miniseries]] to "[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]") - Replaced by ''Pegasus's'' Deck Chief
* Chief Petty Officer [[Peter Laird]] ("[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]" to "[[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]") - Laird reassigned to ''Pegasus''
* Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol ("[[Epiphanies]]" to "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]") - Relocates to New Caprica
* Unknown ("[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]" to "[[Exodus, Part II]]") - Tyrol resumes post
* Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol ("[[Collaborators]]" to present)

===Master-at-Arms===
* Sergeant Hadrian (Presumably "[[Miniseries]]" to present, but last mentioned in "[[Valley of Darkness]]")

===Landing Signal Officer===
* Captain Aaron Kelly ("[[Miniseries]]" to "[[Exodus, Part I]]") - Re-assigned as Tactical Officer
* Unknown ("[[Exodus, Part I]]" to "[[Exodus, Part II]]") - Felix Gaeta resumes post as Tactical Officer
* Captain Aaron Kelly ("[[Collaborators]]" to present)

===Senior Marine Commander===
* Lieutenant [[Terry Burrell]] (unknown, seen only in "[[Sacrifice]]")
* Gunnery Sergeant [[Erin Mathias]] ("[[Exodus, Part I]]" or earlier to present)

==Chain of Command==
Presently, the first in command aboard Galactica is Admiral Adama, and the second in command is Colonel Tigh. Beyond that the heirarchy is unclear. Major Lee Adama was at one time commander of the Pegasus, and as a Major is the next highest ranking officer along with Major Cottle (over whom Adama would presumably be chosen). However, in past episodes both Captain Kelly & Captain Agathon have have served as seconds-in-command, although given Captain Kelly's detention in [[The Son Also Rises]] he is presumably no longer a candidate.

Chain-of-command

2007-03-16T14:29:46Z

Sylvain: Redirecting to Senior Staff of Galactica

#REDIRECT [[Senior Staff of Galactica]]

Aaron Kelly

2007-03-16T14:20:41Z

Sylvain: wikify

{{Character Data
|photo=Aaron_kelly.jpg
|age=
|colony=
|birthname=Aaron Kelly
|callsign=
|seen= Miniseries
|death=
|parents=
|siblings=
|children=
|marital status=
|role=[[LSO]], [[Galactica type battlestar|battlestar]] ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''
|rank=Captain
|cylon=
|actor=[[Ty Olsson]]
|name=
}}
Captain '''Aaron Kelly''' is possibly third-in-command aboard ''[[Galactica]]'', ranking behind Admiral [[William Adama]] and Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]; his standing in relation to Major (formerly Commander) [[Lee Adama]] in the [[chain-of-command]] is unclear. As the [[LSO]] (Landing Signal Officer), he is responsible for flight operations - launching and landing spacecraft - on the ship.

Shortly after a Cylon nuclear weapon struck ''Galactica'' in the initial wave of the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]], Kelly begins giving orders to aid crewmembers trapped or fighting damage in the port [[flight pod]], where the detonation occurred, after Executive Officer [[Saul Tigh]] hesitates. Tigh soon countermands Kelly and orders the flight pod vented to stop the fires. He also assists in the capture of [[Aaron Doral]] ([[Miniseries]]).

When Commander Adama is shot by the Cylon infiltrator [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Sharon Valerii]], Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]] reminds him on his arrival to [[CIC]] that Kelly is now second-in-command ([[Scattered]]). As a strong believer in Commander Adama's philosophy on computer networks, he voices his objections over networking ''Galactica's'' computer systems after the battlestar loses the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] due to incorrect [[FTL|jump]] coordinates, asserting that the [[Old Man]] would never even consider Gaeta's option to network the computers for a faster jump calculation. Soon afterwards, when ''Galactica'' is boarded by [[Cylon Centurion]]s, Kelly assists Lieutenant Gaeta and Colonel Tigh in coordinating an effort to stop their advance ([[Valley of Darkness]]).

Captain Kelly apparently returns to his day to day duties as LSO, coordinating Viper landings from the port hangar bay, as Commander Adama returned to duty and the normal chain of command was restored. He is on duty when [[Louanne Katraine|Kat]], disoriented from [[stims]], crash lands her [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] onto the [[landing bay]] ([[Final Cut]]).

During the [[Battle of New Caprica]], and presumably in the year and four months leading to it, he performs [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]]'s role as tactical officer on ''Galactica'' ([[Exodus, Part I]] and [[Exodus, Part II|Part II]]).

When the trial of [[Gaius Baltar]] draws near, Kelly tries to disrupt the proceedings with a series of bombings. One of the attacks kills Baltar's lawyer. An attack on his next lawyer, [[Romo Lampkin]], is thwarted only by chance. A third attack injures Lampkin. When questioned, Kelly says that he couldn't handle sending off pilots to their deaths anymore, and would continue to try if he isn't locked up ([[The Son Also Rises]]).

==Notes==
*Kelly is wearing junior pilot qualification wings. Together with his regular duty as Landing Signal Officer, this indicates that Kelly is not only flight qualified, but an experienced pilot.
*Kelly's Season 1 disappearance and sudden reappearance in Season 2 has become the subject of a running gag in fandom. However, the on-screen revelation of his duties as Landing Signal Officer tucked away in ''Galactica'''s flight pod did much to quell this.
*Kelly's first name is revealed in the closing episode credits of "[[Final Cut]]".
*It is unknown why [[Karl Agathon]] was chosen to become ''Galactica's'' XO prior to the Cylon occupation as Captain Kelly was the nominal third-in-command and should have assumed the post after [[Colonel Tigh]] and his [[Ellen Tigh|wife]] settled on [[New Caprica]].
{{Characters}}

[[Category:A to Z|Kelly, Aaron]]
[[Category:Characters|Kelly, Aaron]]
[[Category:Characters (RDM)|Kelly, Aaron]]
[[Category:RDM|Kelly, Aaron]]

Aaron Kelly

2007-03-16T14:19:04Z

Sylvain: see talk

{{Character Data
|photo=Aaron_kelly.jpg
|age=
|colony=
|birthname=Aaron Kelly
|callsign=
|seen= Miniseries
|death=
|parents=
|siblings=
|children=
|marital status=
|role=[[LSO]], [[Galactica type battlestar|battlestar]] ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''
|rank=Captain
|cylon=
|actor=[[Ty Olsson]]
|name=
}}
Captain '''Aaron Kelly''' is possibly third-in-command aboard ''[[Galactica]]'', ranking behind Admiral [[William Adama]] and Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]; his standing in relation to Major (formerly Commander) [[Lee Adama]] in the chain-of-command is unclear. As the [[LSO]] (Landing Signal Officer), he is responsible for flight operations - launching and landing spacecraft - on the ship.

Shortly after a Cylon nuclear weapon struck ''Galactica'' in the initial wave of the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]], Kelly begins giving orders to aid crewmembers trapped or fighting damage in the port [[flight pod]], where the detonation occurred, after Executive Officer [[Saul Tigh]] hesitates. Tigh soon countermands Kelly and orders the flight pod vented to stop the fires. He also assists in the capture of [[Aaron Doral]] ([[Miniseries]]).

When Commander Adama is shot by the Cylon infiltrator [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Sharon Valerii]], Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]] reminds him on his arrival to [[CIC]] that Kelly is now second-in-command ([[Scattered]]). As a strong believer in Commander Adama's philosophy on computer networks, he voices his objections over networking ''Galactica's'' computer systems after the battlestar loses the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] due to incorrect [[FTL|jump]] coordinates, asserting that the [[Old Man]] would never even consider Gaeta's option to network the computers for a faster jump calculation. Soon afterwards, when ''Galactica'' is boarded by [[Cylon Centurion]]s, Kelly assists Lieutenant Gaeta and Colonel Tigh in coordinating an effort to stop their advance ([[Valley of Darkness]]).

Captain Kelly apparently returns to his day to day duties as LSO, coordinating Viper landings from the port hangar bay, as Commander Adama returned to duty and the normal chain of command was restored. He is on duty when [[Louanne Katraine|Kat]], disoriented from [[stims]], crash lands her [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] onto the [[landing bay]] ([[Final Cut]]).

During the [[Battle of New Caprica]], and presumably in the year and four months leading to it, he performs [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]]'s role as tactical officer on ''Galactica'' ([[Exodus, Part I]] and [[Exodus, Part II|Part II]]).

When the trial of [[Gaius Baltar]] draws near, Kelly tries to disrupt the proceedings with a series of bombings. One of the attacks kills Baltar's lawyer. An attack on his next lawyer, [[Romo Lampkin]], is thwarted only by chance. A third attack injures Lampkin. When questioned, Kelly says that he couldn't handle sending off pilots to their deaths anymore, and would continue to try if he isn't locked up ([[The Son Also Rises]]).

==Notes==
*Kelly is wearing junior pilot qualification wings. Together with his regular duty as Landing Signal Officer, this indicates that Kelly is not only flight qualified, but an experienced pilot.
*Kelly's Season 1 disappearance and sudden reappearance in Season 2 has become the subject of a running gag in fandom. However, the on-screen revelation of his duties as Landing Signal Officer tucked away in ''Galactica'''s flight pod did much to quell this.
*Kelly's first name is revealed in the closing episode credits of "[[Final Cut]]".
*It is unknown why [[Karl Agathon]] was chosen to become ''Galactica's'' XO prior to the Cylon occupation as Captain Kelly was the nominal third-in-command and should have assumed the post after [[Colonel Tigh]] and his [[Ellen Tigh|wife]] settled on [[New Caprica]].
{{Characters}}

[[Category:A to Z|Kelly, Aaron]]
[[Category:Characters|Kelly, Aaron]]
[[Category:Characters (RDM)|Kelly, Aaron]]
[[Category:RDM|Kelly, Aaron]]

Talk:Aaron Kelly/Archive 1

2007-03-16T14:13:37Z

Sylvain:

Captain kelly's first name is revealed in the closing credits of Final Cut. He is listed as "Capt. Aaron Kelly". Ltcrashdown December 23, 2005

The new category system (sweet!) lists him in "CIC personel" but he doesn't work in CIC. Should we rename that category?--[[User:Ricimer|Ricimer]] 13:44, 28 December 2005 (EST)

==Season Three role==

Any thoughts on him acting as the Officer of the Watch? Personally, I doubt he stopped being Landing Signals Officer, and we also saw Helo sitting at the Dradis console in LDYB. I'm thinking maybe in their skeleton crew, they don't have an official Officer of the Watch. Pure speculation I suppose. [[User:Alpha5099|Alpha5099]] 17:26, 16 October 2006 (CDT)

:It appears that, short staffed as they are, Kelly is serving as watch officer while Helo is the XO. Kelly could've easily done the XO role, but maybe he didn't ask, filling in where needed. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 17:47, 16 October 2006 (CDT)

===Weightloss?===
From what we've seen of Captain Kelly in the episodes of season 3 in which he's appeared so far, it seems as though the actor portraying him has lost some weight. Would it be worth mentioning that in the article, since Apollo's weight gain is also being adressed in the Lee Adama article? I found it quite striking and perhaps it should be included in the article.. But it might be good to hear other people's thoughts first before editing the article.. --[[User:Jarnomiedema|Jarnomiedema]] 1:29, 29 October 2006 (GMT+1)
:I didn't get a good look at him, but it's certainly worth noting, if true. Can you try to find a screen capture? --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 18:09, 28 October 2006 (CDT)

==final five?==

On the final five page there is a pic of the final five from the episode rapture. Is it just me or does the male cylon on the far right look like Captain Kelly? I've always wondered why Kelly was never made into an important character (like say Gaeta or Dee) and think this would be great so we could see more of the actor. --[[User:Meteor|Meteor]] 19 January 2007.

==Flight Status?==
We see Kelly wearing wings when on duty. Also, his assigned duty station of LSO strongly suggests he is not only flight qualified, but an experienced pilot. That is assuming the command structure is analogous to the US Navy's system which seem to be the case with most of the show. If it's OK, I'll add it to the notes section [[User:AnteaterFeeder|AnteaterFeeder]] 18:38, 26 January 2007 (CST)
:Sure. You don't have to ask about every addition you make, btw. If someone objects, they'll say something or change it. With small things like this, that isn't a problem, but when doing larger changes, asking might save you some work if you anticipate any trouble. Just be careful with conjecture, but such observations and logical deductions are usually fine as notes. --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 18:55, 26 January 2007 (CST)

==Chain of Command==
I don't think he would be third in the chain of command - Major is a higher rank than captain.[[User:Sylvain|Sylvain]] 09:13, 16 March 2007 (CDT)