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Race and Ethnicity in the Twelve Colonies

2010-03-23T20:25:06Z

These: /* Tauron */ - Sasha Roiz's family trace their origins to Russia.

:''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)]].''

''At Battlestar Wiki, we recognize that race is a problematic concept without any concrete biological definition. Nevertheless, the topic of racial identity in the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] has proven of interest to many fans of the show. Therefore, this page serves to review the information available as best as possible.''

''In this article, we have chosen to indicate race by apparent region of origin, within the following broadly defined categories: European, (Sub-Saharan) African, Middle Eastern, South Asian, East Asian, and Native American / Amerindian. Where bi- or multi-racial individuals are noted, component ethnicities are listed in alphabetical order. Individuals of apparently [[Wikipedia:Mulatto|Mulatto]] and [[Wikipedia:Hispanic|Hispanic]] appearance are noted as biracial African/Europeans and biracial Amerindian/Europeans. Issues relating to the Adama family are briefly discussed in their own section near the end of the article.''

Colonials whose appearances correspond to various real-world ethnicities appear in the [[Re-imagined Series]] and ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]''. As yet, no reference has been made to race, nor any allusions to racial identities or racial discrimination, as it would be defined in the real world. Tensions between different Colonies are portrayed, and are called racial, but there appears to be as much variation in appearance within colonies as there is between them. Thus, the writers use differences between the colonies, as exemplified by [[Gemenon]] and [[Sagittaron]], to mirror real-world race issues. In "[[The Woman King]]" [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] uses the term "racist" to describe the Sagittaron-hating [[Dr. Robert]]. In the ''[[Caprica pilot|Caprica]]'' pilot, [[Joseph Adama]] asks if [[Val Chambers]] is making a "racial comment" about Joseph's Tauron ancestry.

The two finalists for the part of [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] were [[Grace Park]] and [[Katee Sackhoff]], implying that, for some parts at least, the producers employed [[w:Color-blind casting|color-blind casting]]. Nevertheless, analysis of the ethnic mix of the Twelve Colonies has intrigued fans of the series.

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}__TOC__
==Race and Nationality==
In general, no clear associations have been made between particular ethnic groups and individual colonies. Furthermore, there is some evidence within the series that race and colony of origin are not strongly correlated - when Baltar attempts to guess at Boomer's place of origin in "[[Flesh and Bone]]", he comments on her accent, not her physical appearance. For more on this, see the article [[Language in the Twelve Colonies]].

It is generally accepted that the Colonials originally emigrated from a single planet (i.e. Kobol and/or Earth). This being the case, it is entirely possible that the various apparent races are reasonably homogeneously distributed across all of the Twelve Colonies (i.e. there are both European and African Sagittarons, Gemenese, etc. rather than all of the Europeans coming from one tribe/colony, all the Asians from another, etc).

What follows is a list of individuals whose colony of origin has been unambiguously identified, along with their apparent ethnicity.

===Aerilon===
*[[Sharon Valerii]] - east Asian (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]] infiltrator)
*[[Sekou Hamilton]] - African
*[[Gaius Baltar]] - European
*[[Socinus]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Saul Tigh]] - European (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)

===Canceron===
*[[Robin Wenutu]] - European

===Caprica===
*[[William Adama]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
:''The actor, Edward James Olmos, would probably be identified as "Latino", "mestizo", or "Hispanic". Olmos is a social activist working to help the Hispanic-American community, Olmos has made favorable remarks about having the opportunity to play one of the first significant Latino characters in space.''
*[[Carolanne Adama]] - European
**[[Lee Adama|Lee]] and [[Zak Adama]] - their children, see [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below.
*[[Laura Roslin]] - European
*[[Kara Thrace]] - European (Born on Picon according to Sky One; nomadic childhood; this info is not confirmed.)
*[[Aaron Doral]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[James McManus]] - European
*[[Tory Foster]] - south Asian (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)
*[[Michael Robert]] - European
*[[Daniel Graystone]] - European
*[[Amanda Graystone]] -European
*[[Zoe Graystone]] - European
*[[Lacy Rand]] - European
*[[Baxter Sarno]] - European

===Gemenon===
*[[Sarah Porter]] - African
*[[Venner]] - Mixed race, European/African
*[[Galen Tyrol]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[Rya Kibby]] - European
*[[Jurgen Belzen]] - European

===Picon===
*[[Safiya Sanne]] - east Asian (but see his article for some debate on origins)
*[[Playa Palacios]] - European
*[[Asha Janik]] - European
*[[Samuel Anders]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])

===Sagittaron===
*[[Anastasia Dualla]] - Mixed race, African/European
*[[Leon Grimes]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Tom Zarek]] - European
*[[Portia King]] - European
**[[Willie King]] - Her son, also European
*[[Jacob Cantrell]] - European
*The Sagittaron quarter of [[Camp Oil Slick]] is shown in "[[The Woman King]]" to constitute various ethnicities.
*[[Clarice Willow]] - European

===Tauron===
*[[Helena Cain]] - European
*[[Sam Adama]] - Eastern European
*[[Joseph Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Shannon Adama]] - European
*[[Tamara Adama]] - Amerindian/European
*[[Guatrau]] - Amerindian
*[[Tomas Vergis]] - European
*A young woman at ''Backtalk With Baxter Sarno'' - Asian
*Various members of the *[[Ha'la'tha]] - Various, mostly European and Amerindian

===Virgon===
*[[Marshall Bagot]] - European

==Race and Sexuality==
:''An article dedicated to sexuality in the re-imagined series can be found at [[Sexuality in Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]].''

Interracial couplings seem common to the point of ubiquity, and have never been commented upon. It is interesting that such clearly defined racial groups continue to exist in light of this. Notable interracial couples:
*William and Caroline Adama
*[[Sharon Valerii]] and [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Sharon Agathon|Sharon]] and [[Karl Agathon]] ([[Tahmoh Penikett]], who plays Agathon, is Amerindian/European)
*Anastasia Dualla and [[Billy Keikeya]] (Keikeya is European)
*Anastasia Dualla and Lee Adama
*Tory Foster and Gaius Baltar

That being said, at least one individual, Kara Thrace, has only been shown in sexual relationships with individuals of her own race: [[Gaius Baltar]], [[Samuel Anders]], and the Adama brothers (although see the [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below regarding their ethnicity).

==The Adama Brothers==
The Miniseries received some criticism for casting [[Edward James Olmos]], a dark-skinned Latino, as [[William Adama|the father]] of [[Jamie Bamber]], a pale-skinned Englishman. These points were addressed somewhat in the first season, during which viewers are briefly introduced to both [[Carolanne Adama|Carolanne]] and [[Zak Adama]]. During a dinner party in "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]", [[Ellen Tigh]] offers her opinion that [[Lee Adama]] takes after his mother in appearance, while Zak took after his father. Since human skin pigmentation is determined by several genes which can be inherited independently, this scenario is quite plausible.

As such, it is difficult to pigeonhole the Adama brothers as being of either European descent (as Lee appears, and his actor is) or mixed Amerindian/European (as Zak appears, and his actors have been). Where relevant, it is probably best to consider them both of approximately 1/4 Amerindian and 3/4 European descent, regardless of the genetic background of the actors who played them.

In an effort to increase the resemblance between the two characters, Olmos wore blue contact eye lenses to show some genetic commonality with Bamber. Jamie Bamber also dyed his blond hair brown to more closely resemble his on-screen father.

=="Ethnic" Names==

Some characters have distinctly Indo-European personal names or surnames which span multiple "Earth" languages and their generally associated ethnic origins: these include first names such as [[James McManus|James]], [[William Adama|William]], [[Laura Roslin|Laura]], and [[Helena Cain|Helena]], and surnames like [[Emmitt Jones|Jones]], [[Daniel Novacek|Novacek]], [[Bryan Smith|Smith]], [[Brendan Costanza|Costanza]] and [[James McManus|McManus]].

Other characters have surnames that are of non-western origins, such as [[Tom Zarek|Zarek]], [[Billy Keikeya|Keikeya]], [[Royan Jahee|Jahee]] and [[Robin Wenutu|Wenutu]].

There are also ancient Greek, Roman and Hebrew names. Personal and surnames, names of locations in use, as well as names like "Adama" which are carry-overs from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]]: [[Prosna]], [[Socinus]], [[Cally Henderson|Cally]], [[Playa Palacios]], [[Sharon Valerii|Valerii]], [[Karl Agathon|Agathon]], [[Kara Thrace|Thrace]], etc.

Often these are combined: [[Sekou Hamilton]], Cally Henderson, Billy Keikeya, [[Gaius Baltar]], William Adama, and [[Louis Hoshi]].

To make matters even more complicated, these names do not correspond to either ethnic or "racial" populations among the surviving Colonial citizens, nor do they align with Colonial nationalism. Not all Sagittarons have an European personal name like "Tom" and a Hebrew surname like "Zarek" and not all dark-skinned characters have non-western first names like "Sekou". Daniel Novacek (played by [[Carl Lumbly]], an actor of Jamaican origin), for instance, has an Eastern European surname.

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

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

Talk:Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)/Archive 1

2010-03-21T19:21:56Z

These:

== Lords of Kobol ==
Does the existance of the Mercury class Battlestars imply that Hermes/Mercury is a Lord of Kobol? --[[User:PrePressChris|PrePressChris]] 15:15, 18 October 2006 (CDT)+
:The writers of the show are dancing about in the usage of Greek and Roman mythological names. Since Hermes hasn't been mentioned specifically as a Lord, no, we can't add it. I'm not big on mixing the pantheons until the context of the names in the show are clear. We have a list of names (Greek, mostly) of names heard of ships or used as people, but until used in in the context as a Lord, we shouldn't assume that the name is actually that of a Lord. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 15:20, 18 October 2006 (CDT)
::That makes sense. It occured to me after I wrote the above that the name could refer to quicksilver, which would make sense if the Mercury class was faster than earlier ones. That would also tidy up the roman nomenclature.
::Where is the list of names you mentioned? --[[User:PrePressChris|PrePressChris]] 15:30, 18 October 2006 (CDT)
:::See the section, "Other mythological names in Colonial culture," this article. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 17:28, 18 October 2006 (CDT)
::::LMAO. I was searching all over this site. It didn't occur to me that it'd be in the same article I was commenting on. --[[User:PrePressChris|PrePressChris]] 20:47, 18 October 2006 (CDT)

The article mentions that seven lords have been identified. Anyone notice this is the same as the number of identified cylons? It could be that each cylon model represents a lord (i.e. Sharon - Athena, Six (or maybe three) - Hera). The 5 unidentified cylons match 5 unidentified lords match the 5 in the temple of five. On a related note: how about the (norse) idea of an allfather - the Cylons recognize the allfather, but none of the lower "gods" (including the Lords of Kobol). I suppose this would be an alternate theory to the Jealous God being the god of cylons. --[[User:Ublej|Ublej]] 17:29, 4 January 2007 (CST)
:The Colonials have Zeus as the boss of all other gods. --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 17:32, 4 January 2007 (CST)

== More Cowbell ==
Actually, more images, please. Great text content, but a couple of more images applied evenly would really brighten things up. --[[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] 15:04, 8 December 2006 (CST)
:Ooh. And there are some XHTML problems. I'll get on those. --[[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] 15:25, 8 December 2006 (CST)

== Out-of-Universe Referencing and Revision ==

I get very confused with voice when reading this article, where we speak of the Colonials and compare it to real-world references. I wanted to keep these important notes in but not to the point where we had to discuss every detail or explanation. With that in mind, I got bold:

*The two articles that go overboard in discussing the Greek Gods and Greek Mythology are deleted, per Battlestar Wiki policy: We aren't a general encyclopedia, so Wikipedia links to more extensive articles should do for this. Both articles have been discussed of late as being redundant or just plain nongermane.

*This article's out-of-universe notes were moved as footnotes. This simplifies the read but keeps the voice of the article in discussing the Colonials, not the Colonials-vs.-Greek-vs.-Norse. Note that the terms "Greek", Norse, and the like are also removed or pulled; these don't exist in the series and it makes it confusing to make the comparison. The name of the gods usually explain it all but the important points are now footnotes.

I'm finding that reading articles that analyze the Colonials and Cylons take too much from the real-world to form their explanations when in-universe comments work well without overly drawn out comparisons. Comments? --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 23:28, 12 January 2007 (CST)

:While I support the idea, I think it's possible to take it too far. If we take your approach to the extreme, it's impossible to have any real-world references in articles, which happens fairly often and is simply necessary in some cases. I think that this is more important:
:That the ''main'' voice of an article is "in-universe". Meaning no general real-world articles, but "in-universe" articles can contain a few real-world references if necessary.

:Case in point my new [[Mythological references]] page, which generally goes like "<ship/place name> - <significance in the show> <real world reference>". I didn't go out of my way to hide the Greek/Roman/Norse allusions in "in-universe" explinations, like saying that Greek mythology is really Colonial mythology in the context of the show (it probably is in fact, but that's more something for this article).

:However, in this article here, it's appropriate to only detail the religious stuff as it pertains to the Colonials, and not to the real world. So we could keep the "Mythological references" article seperate, delete the references here (which I copied anyways) and link to it from here, as a place that deals with mythology that goes beyond religion and also includes more real-life explinations and links. That would help to keep the POVs seperate --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 07:56, 13 January 2007 (CST)

::I concur. Whereever we can keep the in-universe voice, great. Where out-of-universe comparisons must be in line with the text to keep the article germane and sensible, it's also fine. The recent articles you built/rebuilt exemplify good uses of that practice. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 14:06, 30 January 2007 (CST)

==Concerning religion of the cylons and the colonies==

Keeping Ron Moore's twists and turns from the original series I would like to
suggest that the Lords of Kobol and the "jealous" god, are for all intensive purposes the
Cylons. They are modeled after and therefore more directly linked to the deities say than
Adama is "being Zeus" among the humans. So much so that specific units have become avatars, perhaps posessed of a lord
or at the very least evolving an actual soul in likeness of a lord.

12 cylons = 12 olympians
Final Five - Temple of Five

The mystery of the final five hints to them being something other
that the existing models. Perhaps these five could not be replicated
like the others because of their conflict with the cylon god.

Clearly a more human "being" is developing in Deana in her search for
enlightenment, in Caprica in her search for Love and in Sharon in her self acceptance.
With Deanna the search for enlightenment became so overpweing
the entire line was boxed. With Sharon it's almost as if the humanity
Boomer clung to has moved to Agathon. Boomer is not the woman that
would not leave her human apartment after resurrecting,
but both have in their own fashion esentially accepted who they are.
Caprica appears in a constant state of conflict that many humans will relate to,
while her etherial counterpart is the self assured herald of her cylon maker.

For all the pagan references in the original series we still had Count Iblis
and the ship of lights taking on very familliar christan concepts of angels
and satan. Nothing is ever quite that black and white in the reimagined series.

While the reference has been fleeting, the notion of a god outside the
Lords of Kobol is clear, and he would be the cylons god. Dodona Selloi seems to
refer to the cylon god as nothing more or less than a lord of kobol.
My thought is that somehow this jealous god has sort of ensnared the likeness
perhaps even conciousness of the lords in creating the cylon race, so closely that single copies become avatars of the
lords. The final five could be so possesed that they are not part of the cylon race,
refusing the mechanations of the cylon god. Others an avatar is what we see
developing in Sharon, Deanna and Caprica.

And even the cylon god, the Count Iblis whose voice was that of the imperious
leader in the original series has a model: Brother Cavel. Cavel is horribly wicked, he is always urging his
fellow cylons to the most horrific of actions. He appears out of nowhwere all the time. And
yet, strangely, he seems to honor the importance of free will in his dealings with his brother
cylons, something you would expect of an Abrahamic god. He's not Satan then who would rather rule in hell than serve in
heaven, he is just far more satanic or evil than any characterization offered by a
member of a known pantheon of gods.

Yet another twist, If the Abrahmic god were competing with beings like himself
(greek gods), how satanic might he appear? An abrahamic god accepts free will: I can't make you worship me.
But is flawed like miltons Satan, if you don't worship me , your damned.
Satan's flaw in paradise lost was saying better to rule in hell than serve in
heaven. What he should have said was better to live free on earth not rule in
hell. So Cavel is a marvelous blend of an Abrahamic God & Satan floating through
space in a base ship with 7 of 12 would be Olympians. Caprica/ Aphrodite, Sharon
Athena and Deanna/Hestia(?). Starbuck/Artemis is the next to come forward?

Adama and Laura as Zeus and Hera? Two reason for two of the final five to stay
where they are. They have human avatars leading the fleet. Three male cylons just go with the
flow, well the male gods were always kind of boring anyway. At least if your a fan of
Wonder Woman.

The twist from original series to re-imagined series are always surprising and
wonderful in many ways. In the world of Sci Fi televison, the original Galactica made huge
advances by considering the existence of higher beings. Where would the Ancients of
Stargate or the Vorlons of Babylon be without Battlestar Galactica? Will we see actual communion with
higher beings in the re-imagined series? I don't expect to. It would gnaw at the the gritty
realism of the show.

The idea of this entire exodus from the colonies seeking earth, unifying to a
new Kobol, then breaking off back to earth and the colonies over and over seems entirely plausible. Gods are at the very least real in a
metaphoirical sense and 12 cylon models living in peace with a vast race of humans on new a Kobol in the end
sounds far more believeable than actual gods and godesses co-existing with man. (mevenstar)

:I think a more likely explanation is that whoever designed the humanoid cylons chose to use the lords as an inspiration or possibly the design was intended to mock the 12 lords and thus humanity itself. They chose 12 archetypes to define humanity saying basically all of you have one of these 12 personality types and that's it. I don't think the lords are using the cylons as avatars. Sounds too mystical. I also don't think time travel is involved and that somehow the cylons will one day go back into the past and become the lords.

:I don't really have a theory on exactly what the lords of kobol are but I do think the cylon god is a rogue lord of kobol. I also think the 13th tribe worshipped this rogue lord first. The 13th tribe left kobol because the other 12 pagan tribes were sacrifing humans and indulging in cannibalism. They first found the algae planet and built the temple of five which was dedicated to the five priests who worshipped the one whose name cannot be mentioned. This one whose name cannot be mentioned is almost certainly a rogue lord of kobol. If the priests were worshipping this one god this tells me the entire 13th tribe had the one god.

:Throughout the series we have seen the cylons talk about revelations from god and talk of his commandments. What is the source for this divine inspiration? I suspect the 12 colonies like we in the real world had scholars who studied ancient religions in the real world. They had reference books, academic papers, unearthed archeological artifacts and various other things that set out to paint a picture of what the 13th tribe was like. This information about the 13th tribe and their worship of the one god was known to the mechanical cylons before work on the humanoid models began and became the foundation of the cylon religion.

:The cylons have (more or less) adopted the religion of the 13th tribe. The commandments they speak of are what God demanded of the 13th tribe (an example god commands them to procreate). The humanoid models may not even be entirely aware that their religion mirrors the 13th tribe's ancient religion. This desire to find earth is also part of this borrowed (and possibly distorted) religion. The cylons want to find earth because according to their religion earth is the promised land...and it probably was...for the 13th colony. [[User:Meteor|Meteor]] 12:06, 30 January 2007.

== Lords of Kobol vs other gods ==

I don't think it's sensible to assume that every god or goddess mentioned is a Lord of Kobol. Case in point [[Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn]]. The Greeks didn't just have the Twelve Olympians (after whom the Lords seem to directly modeled after), but also minor deities. No reason the Colonials shouldn't as well. Another example is Nike, who is mentioned - even if not by name - in "Torn". She hang around with Zeus, and is often portrayed together with Athena, but is not a real Olympian.<br/>
I suggest we have another header called "Other gods" or "Other deities" for those, with maybe a footnote stating that their status is uncertain. --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 10:08, 18 April 2007 (CDT)

:I've generally felt that any god mentioned in the context of worship was a Lord of Kobol--the Colonials are very monotheistic. However, since we don't have clearer contexts for some, such as names used in [[Temple]] or something, it may be safe not to read too much into them. Some could be counterparts to [[w:Saint|saints]] for all we know. I agree that the Olympian/Titan arguments are meaningless here since Roman versions and other religions get mixed about. I generally agree with your comments. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 11:39, 18 April 2007 (CDT)
::The Colonials use Greek and Roman names interchangeably, but that doesn't have anything to do with the Olympian/Lords of Kobol parallel. I just have a feeling that that are just twelve Lords of Kobol who are direct parallel to the ancient Olympians. However, there have been a lot of mentions of other mythological figures and gods, especially in the ship names. Or usually when asked about believes it's more "Do you believe in the gods?" instead of "Do you believe in the Lords of Kobol". There is no definite statement that "gods" refers to the Lords of Kobol exclusively, even if they are clearly the main gods. Could go either way. --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 12:06, 18 April 2007 (CDT)
::They're certainly [[w:polytheism|polytheistic]], not [[w:monotheism|monotheistc]], please read the definitions carefully. --[[User:Catrope|Catrope]]<sup>([[User talk:Catrope|Talk to me]] or [[Special:Emailuser/Catrope|e-mail me]])</sup> 12:07, 18 April 2007 (CDT)
:::I meant "poly" and mistyped. Thanks. The notion that there are twelve Lords of Kobol is a TOS misconception that seems to have moved to RDM; I don't know of a citation for that. It's a lot easier to say "gods" than "Lords of Kobol", of course. While there could be other monothesistic or polythestic faiths with the Colonials, only one "sect" or denomination has been established officially: the five priests of the [[Temple of Five]]. Must be significant: they got a temple out of it in the middle of nowhere. -- [[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 12:13, 18 April 2007 (CDT) <sup>([[User_Talk:Spencerian|Talk]] - [[Special:Contributions/Spencerian|Contribs]] - [[Special:Editcount/Spencerian|WonderNumbers]])</sup>
::::I get what you're saying, but I noticed a tendency here lately to push one kind of agenda, when there isn't much concrete evidence to pursue another equally valid interpretation. Obviously something needs to be written, but lack of concrete evidence for point A doesn't prove point B. There is no evidence for there being more than 12 Lords of Kobol either, though Occam's Razor would probably come to that conclusion then. But there are theories that the Lords were originally human leaders of the tribes who were deified later (even before the exodus from Kobol). It's speculation, but agrees with the quotes from the scriptures...As said, it could be either way.
::::However, this has nothing to do with different faiths. Nothing prevents a worshiper of the Lord of Kobol to also recognize or worship certain either deities. The ancient Greeks didn't only worship the Olympians for example. Exclusive worship is somewhat of a monotheistic concept. --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 12:36, 18 April 2007 (CDT)
:::::I don't think we even know if all the named Olympians are Lords of Kobol. Maybe "Lords of Kobol" is synonymous with "the gods", maybe it refers exclusively to the Olympian Dodekatheon, maybe it includes the Dodekatheon and the One Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken, maybe it only includes a few of the Olympians. -- [[User:Gordon Ecker|Gordon Ecker]] 18:35, 18 April 2007 (CDT)
::::::My point is that we haven't been explicitly told of any other ''faiths'', which differs from the number of gods. A single god can be worshipped differently based on many different faith structures, such as the Jews and Christians do. We haven't been given ''any'' data that suggests that their are other central faith structures other than the Lords of Kobol and God (with the [[five priests]]' diety being a possible exception). There are obviously different "denominations", for lack of a better term (Gemonese and Sagittarons do this), but I don't tend to interpret matters any further. Be it 10 or 10,000 Lords, they may fall under the same central faith structure. We don't know, so I don't try to interpret it much, but just drop it in the place that best fits. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 18:47, 18 April 2007 (CDT)
:::::::Agreed. There is only evidence of one religion practiced in the twelve colonies, with various sects, denominations and personal interpretations, however it seems to be, for the most part, relatively uniform. There are two possible exceptions, however both of them may be particularly divergent sects / denominations of the colonial religion. -- [[User:Gordon Ecker|Gordon Ecker]] 19:28, 18 April 2007 (CDT)
:::::::: I disagree with the assumption that Aurora is a Lord of Kobol. She may be a god, but that doesn't make her a Lord of Kobol. I don't think anyone familiar with Greek mythology would think she fits with Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Artemis, Apollo, Athena, etc.

:::::::: I disagree with the assumption that Jupiter is just another name for Zeus and Mars is just another name for Ares. This has not been demonstrated on the show. However, I do realize that I'm the only one who thinks this way and that no one can grasp that they might be slightly different entities, like one a clone of the other. What if Jupiter is the Cylon God, while Zeus is a Colonial god. Think of the sacrilege your Wiki page is committing then!!! Remember ''only a Cylon'' has ever mentioned the god Jupiter. The Sacred Scrolls have (thus far) never mentioned this god - only Zeus, Hera, and the One Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken, whom I think is Jupiter. The temple of Five is for the One Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken, and the Sacred Scrolls tell us that the Eye of Jupiter is in the Temple of Five. Do the math. --[[User:MHall|MHall]] 17:45, 11 October 2007 (CDT)
:::::::::I think that, in the specific case of Zeus/Jupiter, RDM or one of TPTB mentioned that the name had to be changed from Zeus (which it originally was) because of some sort of copyright reason or something like that. I think it's either on a podcast or an interview, but I'm sure I heard it. I'll look it up. --[[User:Sauron18|Sauron18]] 19:29, 11 October 2007 (CDT)
::::::::::Okay, I looked and found one in the "Eye of Jupiter" podcast [http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Podcast:The_Eye_of_Jupiter]. I dunno if it's the one I remember, but either way the reasoning is different from what I thought, but the fact remains that Jupiter and Zeus are the same being-
:::::::::::'''''"Eye of Jupiter" was originally called "Eye of Zeus" for a very long time in draft form and into script. We changed the name, ultimately, for not very deep reasons. Just that there was something about "Eye of Zeus" that seemed a bit too mystical and a little bit too over-the-top, even for us. And that's saying somethin'. But we didn't want to- the story still was what the story was, and we didn't really wanna lose that aspect of what the episode was and the slide to call it Jupiter instead of Zeus was an arbitrary one, except it, somehow, for subjective reasons that are hard to explain, it sounded a little less hokey. Some could argue it's more hokey, but it was also a nice way to broaden the pantheon, as it were, ha ha ha, of the gods and their references in the Galactica universe and the mythos, in that Zeus being the Greek name for the father of the gods, and Jupiter being the later Roman version of the same idea. And it was nice to have both names- both proper names present in the Galactica world. I believe we've used other Roman names, from time to time, as well, although of course right off the top of my head I can't remember which ones they were, but I think we have established that. '''''
::::::::::So yeah....same being. --[[User:Sauron18|Sauron18]] 19:40, 11 October 2007 (CDT)
:::::::::::I'm familiar with the podcast, as well as the other source Sauron18 mentioned. What is there is not one Zeus running around, but two generations of Zeus running around? Then your page is screwed, because RDM decided, for somewhat arbitrary reasons, to call the older Zeus "Zeus" and the younger Zeus "Jupiter," and they are not the same individual, not even necessarily on the same "side." I'm content to lodge the protest and wait for the show to possibly prove your "canon" false. Yes, it could be that the page is correct - but it could be that the page is committing blasphemy in both the Cylon and Colonial religions, which would be an unpardonable sin, times two. This is my last comment on this. --[[User:MHall|MHall]] 02:15, 13 October 2007 (CDT)

== About Hera ==

I've recently gone through several Lord of Kobol articles and removed the Greek mythological references since this information isn't needed here (we're not a general encyclopedia) and because the Earth information doesn't always mesh with the series information. Right now, there's enough references for each Lord to stand on their own without out-of-universe comparisons.

One note about Hera. In our mythology she is the wife AND sister of Zeus (gross as that might be to some). I was about to revert [[User:Mudflap|Mudflap's]] recent deletion of the "sister" part when I realized after checking that the show has NOT noted this element of Hera in its own mythology. So, that stands for now. As I said, there is sufficient mythology generated by the show itself now to avoid adding much from our universe to theirs. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 08:15, 22 May 2007 (CDT)

: Selloi: I have a message for you from the one you worship. He speaks through me to you just as he speaks in your dreams. The message is... the fruit born of two peoples [Three's smile fades.] is alive. A child named after the wife and sister of the all-knowing Zeus. Hera lives.

: So, Hera is wife and sister of Zeus. I think somewhere on the page it says Zeus is the head God of the Colonials. What if Hera is the head God of the Colonials instead? I don't think it's been established that Zeus is the head God for the Colonials. He is all-knowing, true. --[[User:MHall|MHall]] 17:45, 11 October 2007 (CDT)
::Zarek: Zeus has returned to the Olympus. [Lee looks puzzled.] Adama's back.
::Good enough for me. --[[User:Catrope|Catrope]]<sup>([[User talk:Catrope|Talk to me]] or [[Special:Emailuser/Catrope|e-mail me]])</sup> 02:16, 12 October 2007 (CDT)
:::And so if Zarek had said, "Artemis has returned to Olympus. Starbuck's back.", then this would mean that Artemis was the head god of the Colonials? There are 12 gods living in Olympus, ya know.
:::Boomer: I think those are the Gates of Hera.
:::Starbuck: You think?
:::Boomer: I'm putting together a lot of pieces from a lot of sources beyond your scriptures. If I'm right, that's the spot where your God supposedly stood and watched Athena throw herself down onto the rocks below out of despair over the exodus of the 13 tribes.
:::It's possible that the Colonials were once monotheistic and their God was Hera. And if it's possible, then you can't say their head god is Zeus. Who is the President of the Colonies? Zeus (Adama) or Hera (Roslin)? The Cylon God, as I indicated above, could be Jupiter. --[[User:MHall|MHall]] 02:01, 13 October 2007 (CDT)
::::The connotation here is that, given Adama is the military leader of the Fleet, Adama is the king of the gods, a la Zeus. Also, at the time that Zarek said that comment, Adama was effectively the leader of the Fleet, given that Roslin was basically overthrown due to the martial law decree and her prior arrest.
::::The correlation is clear here, and I don't see it being muddied up unless the writers choose to do so. Adama is Zeus.
::::Your Artemis/Starbuck example is logically flawed in that Starbuck herself is a Viper pilot, not the leader of the Fleet. So while Artemis would be a god, she would not be the head god. Also, Artemis is the "maiden goddess of the hunt", which describes Starbuck's initial role in the series (i.e. the best Viper pilot in the Fleet).
::::Also, there's nothing to say that the Cylons even follow the same god from the Colonial's pantheon. And most of the evidence given so far mentioned that they follow a completely different God. -- [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] <sup>[[User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|So say we all]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Site support|Donate]] - [http://www.sanctuarywiki.org Sanctuary Wiki — ''New'']</sup> 02:28, 13 October 2007 (CDT)
::::As to the Boomer quote "you God" does not necessarily imply "your ''only'' God". It can also (and very likely does) mean "''one of'' your Gods". --[[User:Catrope|Catrope]]<sup>([[User talk:Catrope|Talk to me]] or [[Special:Emailuser/Catrope|e-mail me]])</sup> 06:31, 13 October 2007 (CDT)

== Sisters ==

The article says "It is probable that Sisters, like Brothers, are lay clergy." Caprica character [[Clarice Willow]] is called both a "sister" and a "high priestess" in the casting info, so maybe "brother" and "sister" are simply interchangeable with "priest" and "priestess"? [[User:Ausir|Ausir]] 18:26, 7 April 2008 (UTC)
:It's possible, but keep in mind that this is a preliminary casting sheet. It's probably based on the current script, but a lot of things changed from the Miniseries script that is public to the aired version. So, we shouldn't conclude too much from one or two words in it. Sure, it might turn out right, but we can still change it then. Personally, I've always thought that brother/sister is used for monks/nuns. -- [[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 18:59, 7 April 2008 (UTC)
::I'll ask Bradley Thompson at [[BW:OC]]. [[User:Ausir|Ausir]] 19:07, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Up until recently the use of "priest" was gender-neutral, using Elosha as a first example. If the official cast sheets for episodes use "priestess", that's OK, but I wanted to ensure we're not injecting our own words for established data. I've noted this for the unnamed female priest (assuming she, too was not a sister) in the Unnamed Characters list and the [[Escape Velocity]] article. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 17:04, 28 April 2008 (UTC)

== Buddhism in the Twelve Colonies? ==

I was watching "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down" and during the shot of the Observation Deck with Billie and Dualla, I noticed a bald man in orange robes in a meditative position. There was also an "ohmm" sound in the background murmur. RDM mentioned his interest in Eastern religions and philosophy and we know that different religious beliefs such as Caprica-monotheists and Mithraists existed and Saggitarrians practiced a different form of the Colonial religion. While I realise that meditation exists in many religions, the posture and style of the bald man strikes me as Buddhistic. Should we mention in the article that Buddhism or practices-in-the-Colonial-Religion-that-resemble-Buddhism existed in the Colonies?
Heres the picture of the Observation Deck picture by the way: [http://media.battlestarwiki.org/images/d/df/GalacticaInterior_ObservationDeck.jpg]
Note: I moved this question from God (RDM) where I accidentally posted to here just in case any of the moderators think it was vandalism. --[[User:Neakal|Neakal]] 19:08, 19 June 2008 (UTC)

== What about Final Five comics? ==

Hi there.

Had anybody thought about adding informations from the Final Five comics into this article? Some think ( as I do) the comics are relevent because one of the author was also an author of BSG (can't remember who).

We got basically a confirmation of the existence of higher beings that accept the Lords of Kobol name, even if they don't fancy it much and state that one of them is a rogue one, unable to follow the rules.

What do you think we should do with it? {{unsigned|Palpat}}

: As of right now, there's absolutely no definitive word on whether or not the ''Final Five'' comic mini-series is actually canon, regardless of [[Seamus Kevin Fahey]]'s involvement. It's nice back story, although there are several irregularities between these books and what's been established in air content (such as Sam Anders being a homeless bum on Earth I). The other aspect that gives the sensible amongst us pause is the word "interpretation" used on the cover of each of the books in this tag-line: "An original interpretation of the story of the Final Five." -- [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] <sup>[[User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|So say we all]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Site support|Donate]] - [[bsp:|Battlestar Pegasus]]</sup> 00:52, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

I indeed re-read carefully discussions about final five comics article and came accross a few recent post relativising the said canonicity I missed back in early summer when I inquired about it. So waiting for the Plan is a good idea too. And I never cared much about the "original interpretation" thing, but it makes sense indeed.

==The Gods are Dead==

I was reading the newest article on the Caprican and one of the sentences really stood out to me "C-Bucs were defeated by the Leonis Wildcats, 98-96, in a six-minute overtime that lasted approximately two seconds. The gods are, indeed, dead." Now, whether this is a genuine belief in the twelve colonies or just a turn of phrase or a Colonial version of Freidrich Nietze's famous quote is up to interpretation but considering the belief that the Colonies hold that Athena threw herself off of the ledge of Kobol it might be worth discussing as a valid cannon point.

I guess, what I'm asking is has there ever been any more references to more than one Colonial deity being deceased?
[[User:These|These]] 19:21, 21 March 2010 (UTC)

Talk:Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)/Archive 1

2010-03-21T19:17:47Z

These: /* The Gods are Dead */

Talk:Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)/Archive 1

2010-03-21T19:08:15Z

These:

List of battlestars (TRS)

2010-03-20T17:39:28Z

These:

This is a listing of '''battlestars in the [[Re-imagined Series]] continuity'''.

== ''Athena'' ==

'''''Athena''''' is in service during the [[Cylon War]].

[[Saul Tigh]] was recorded as having served admirably aboard this ship as a Viper pilot, earning a number of medals. <ref>"Cylon Intelligence Report: Personnel File: Saul Tigh." [[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Magazine]]. Feb./Mar. 2006: 62.
*"Tigh joined the Colonial Officer Candidate School and was reassigned as a [[Viper Mark II|Viper]] pilot, something he excelled in, earning a string of medals in his post aboard the battlestar ''Athena''."</ref> However, given that Saul Tigh was not involved in the War until after the [[Armistice]], this is false ([[TRS]]: "[[No Exit]]").

====Notes====

*Given her participation in the Cylon War, ''Athena'' is almost certain to be one of the twelve [[Galactica type battlestar|original battlestars]] like her sister, ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''. However, there is not 100% proof that ''Athena's'' actual class is the same as ''Galactica''. It can not be confirmed with this little information.
*The series bible implies that the ''Athena'' was one of only three ships of ''Galactica'''s class to survive the war. As such it is likely that the ''Athena'' was one of the battlestars involved in "[[Operation Raptor Talon]]".

== ''Atlantia'' ==

{{mainarticle|Atlantia (RDM)}}

The Battlestar Atlantia was one of the many vessels upgraded with Gaius Baltar's [[Command Navigation Program]] and so was destroyed by the Cylon's in the Battle over [[Virgon]] during the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]. At the time of her destruction she was the flagship of [[Admiral Nagala]], who was serving as Commander of the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]] following the destruction of [[Picon Fleet Headquarters]].

====Notes====

*It was on Atlantia that [[William Adama]] made his 1,000th Viper landing ([[TRS]]:[[Act of Contrition]]) and received the promotion to Major ([[TRS]]:[[Hero]]).
*At one point in his career, Chief Petty Officer [[Galen Tyrol]] served aboard Atlantia before being assigned to Galactica ([[TRS]]:[[Resistance]]).

== ''Columbia'' ==

{{mainarticle|Columbia}}

There have been at least two [[Battlestar (RDM)|battlestar]]s to bear the name '''''Columbia''''' in the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]]. One is destroyed during [[Operation Raptor Talon]], and the second is destroyed during the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]].

== ''Erasmus'' ==

'''''Erasmus''''' is noted [[:Image:Aerilon proof2.jpg|in the personnel record]] of crewmember [[Mueller (pilot)|Mueller]], who served on it and one other battlestar prior to his service on ''[[Galactica]]'' ([[TRS]]: "[[Home, Part I]]").

====Notes====
*The battlestar's name, specifically the first 3 letters, are covered by a walnut shell. Contributors used reversed-color images to discern the last four letters, "smus", for which there is only one word in American English dictionaries that match. The first letter is partially visible and is a straight-backed letter.
*The second battlestar name on the document, ''[[#Night Flight|Night Flight]]'', is less obscured.

== ''Night Flight'' ==

'''''Night Flight''''' is noted [[:Image:Aerilon proof2.jpg|in the personnel record of crewmember]] [[Mueller (pilot)|Mueller]], who served on it and one other battlestar prior to his service on ''[[Galactica]]'' ([[TRS]]: "[[Home, Part I]]").

====Notes====
* The second battlestar name on the document, after image and etymological analysis, is discovered to be ''[[#Erasmus|Erasmus]]''.

== ''Solaria'' ==

'''''Solaria''''', featuring integrated command and control systems and featuring Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]]'s [[Command Navigation Program]] (CNP) is reported as lost, along with the ''[[Columbia (RDM)|Columbia]]'' and ''[[Triton (RDM)|Triton]]''.

Commander [[William Adama]] mentions the destruction of this battlestar in an update to his crew on the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Cylon attack on the Colonies]] ([[TRS]]: [[Miniseries]]).

== ''Triton'' ==

{{mainarticle|Triton (RDM)}}

'''''Triton''''', belonging to [[Battlestar Group]] 39, and featuring integrated command and control systems, and Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]]'s [[Command Navigation Program]] (CNP) is reported as lost with many other battlestars of the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]] during the initial [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Cylon Attack]], along with ''[[Columbia (RDM)|Columbia]]'' and ''[[Solaria]]'' ([[TRS]]: [[Miniseries]]). [[Kara Thrace|Kara "Starbuck" Thrace]] and [[Alex Quartararo|Alex "Crashdown" Quartararo]] formerly served on this battlestar.

== ''Uned'' ==

[[Image:Battlestar_Uned_message.gif|thumb|Close-up of [[Anastasia Dualla]]'s printout regarding the loss of power on ''Uned'' to [[Felix Gaeta]] ([[TRS]]: [[Miniseries]]).]]

'''''Uned''''' is destroyed in the first waves of [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] attacks during the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]].

[[Anastasia Dualla]] receives a report of ''Uned'''s power outage (a result of the Cylons use of explots in the [[Command Navigation Program]]), and states to [[Felix Gaeta]] that "One report said an entire Battlestar lost power just before it came in contact with the enemy. They said it was like someone just turned off a switch" ([[TRS]]: [[Miniseries]]).

==== Notes ====
* There is no mythological origin for "Uned." This name is strictly a creation from the show's property department.

{{clear}}

== ''Universal'' ==

'''''Universal'''''<ref>[[:Image:William Adama's Reinstatement Letter.jpg|This information comes from a prop used in the episode "Scattered".]]</ref> is a [[Battlestar (RDM)|battlestar]] that was commanded by Commander [[Yulee Milner]] at some point prior to the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]].

When then-captain [[William Adama]] returns to service for the first time since end of the [[Cylon War]], his first assignment is aboard the ''Universal'' based out of Base 12 over [[Aerilon]]. ''Universal''’s deck chief was an officer named [[Teir]] ([[TRS]]: "[[Scattered]]").

====Notes====
*Adama's assignment aboard the ''Universal'' is not mentioned in his [[:Image:Dossier.png|service dossier]].
*The ''Universal''’s name likely comes from [[w:Universal Studios|Universal Studios]], later NBC Universal, the parent company of the [[Sci Fi Channel]], which produces ''Battlestar Galatica''.

== ''Valkyrie'' ==

{{mainarticle|Valkyrie}}

[[Image:Valkyrie profile.jpg|thumb|''Valkyrie'' as seen in "[[Hero]]".]]

'''''Valkyrie''''' belongs to [[Battlestar Group]] 41 and was under the command of [[William Adama]] before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]] ([[TRS]]: "[[Hero]]").

{{clear}}

== ''Yashuman'' ==

''Yashuman'' and at least three other battlestars of the same type—including ''[[Valkyrie]]''—are seen orbiting [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] during the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]. ''Yashuman'' initially detects the Cylon assault force on [[DRADIS]] during the engagement, but after being scanned by [[Raider (RDM)|Cylon raiders]], [[Command Navigation Program|CNP]] backdoors are activated and its systems are shut down ([[TRS]]: "[[The Plan]]"), leading to its destruction.

== References ==

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

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Battlestars]]
[[Category:Battlestars (RDM)]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Craft]]
[[Category:Colonial Craft (RDM)]]
[[Category:Colonial Military]]
[[Category:Colonial Military (RDM)]]
[[Category:Lists]]
[[Category:Ships]]
[[Category:Ships (RDM)]]
[[Category:Ships (TRS)]]
[[Category:RDM]]
[[Category:TRS]]

Talk:Battlestar/Archive 1

2010-03-17T16:15:45Z

These: /* Battlestar Universa and Eos */

==Change Disambig to Redirect==
I was working the [[Special:Disambiguations|Disambiguations Pages]], and I noticed that there are over 100 Battlestar links that go to the disambig page. I'd estimate over 95 percent of them intend to go to Original battlestar (RDM). Since there's already a disambig line at the top of that article, I propose that we change this page to a redirect to that one (after we redirect any pages that are intended to go to the TOS or video game spots). If there was equal amounts of content being added to all namespaces, I would argue for equality (and the disambig page), but since most of the new content being written will be about RDM (especially with how much progress has been made on the TOS pages) I think the average user would benefit from a redirect. I'll go ahead and try to identify and fix the TOS and video game links, but hold off on a Viper-like disambig purge until it is determined whether or not we'll redirect. --[[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] 09:40, 18 January 2006 (EST)

:Sounds good to me. Same is true for "Galactica", which has a similar redirect with disambig line at the top of the RDM page for those lost. We know that the wiki is weighted to the new show, so it makes logical since to get to the current info first. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 15:20, 18 January 2006 (EST)

::Cool. I think I got all the video game and TOS references rounded up, so I think we'd be ok to switch it over. I'll wait until tomorrow morning before doing it, in case the anybody on the night shift has any objections. --[[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] 16:01, 18 January 2006 (EST)

==Battlestar Universa and Eos==
I spotted two more battlestars in my copy of Season Zero volume 2 that could be added to this section, Battlestar's Universa and Eos. I think Universa is a misspelling of Universal (as its only mentioend once) but Eos is definately spelled that way. I've added them to the list although if any one could find a picture of them I'd be happy to write out a page for them.

Universa looks to be a Mercury Class but Eos is of an unknown class. {{unsigned|These}}

: Cool. Actually, I think it's time for a category on just battlestars in general... -- [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] <sup>[[User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|So say we all]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Site support|Donate]] - [[bsp:|Battlestar Pegasus]]</sup> 20:42, 16 March 2010 (UTC)
::Agreed, actually I wonder if we could expand that and merge all of the current named, unnamed and Comic Book Battlestar page's into a single page.
--[[User:These|These]] 16:14, 17 March 2019 (EST)

Battlestar

2010-03-16T16:22:03Z

These:

__NOTOC__

A '''battlestar''' is a [[Colonial]] capital warship that combines the roles of a space fighter carrier and battleship. Battlestars are the adversarial counterpart to the [[Cylon]] [[basestar]].

Battlestars have differing appearances and abilities in both the the [[Original Series]] and [[Re-imagined Series]].

== General ==

*See [[Battlestar (TOS)]] for information on the unnamed Original Series battlestar class.
*See [[Galactica type battlestar|''Galactica'' type battlestar]] for information on this unnamed original battlestar class of the Re-imagined Series
*See [[Mercury class battlestar|''Mercury'' class battlestar]] for information on an advanced battlestar class that succeeds the ''Galactica'' type battlestar
*See [[Valkyrie|''Valkyrie'']] for information on another, smaller class of battlestar that was prevalent at the time of the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]

== ''Galactica'' ==

For information on the battlestar ''Galactica'' itself:

*See [[Galactica (RDM)]] for information on the Re-imagined Series version.
*See [[Galactica (TOS)]] for information on the Original Series and ''[[Galactica 1980]]'' version.
*See [[Galactica (2003 Video Game)]] for information on the Original Series variant seen in the [[2003 Video Game]].

== Original Series ==

[[Image:TOS-galac.jpg|thumb|The [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]] battlestar ''Galactica'']]

*''[[Acropolis]]''
*''[[Atlantia (TOS)|Atlantia]]''
*''[[Columbia (TOS)|Columbia]]''
*''[[Pacifica]]''
*''[[Pegasus (TOS)|Pegasus]]''
*''[[Rycon]]''
*''[[Triton (TOS)|Triton]]''

== Re-imagined Series ==

[[Image:Battlestar_stern.jpg|thumb|The [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]] battlestar ''Galactica''.]]

*Named:
**''[[Athena (Battlestar)|Athena]]''
**''[[Atlantia (RDM)|Atlantia]]''
**''[[Columbia (RDM)|Columbia]]''
**''[[Erasmus]]''
**''[[Night Flight]]''
**''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]''
**''[[Solaria]]''
**''[[Triton (RDM)|Triton]]''
**''[[Uned]]''
**''[[Universal]]''
**''[[Valkyrie]]''
**''[[Yashuman]]''
*Unnamed:
**See [[Unnamed battlestars]]

=== Comic books ===
*''[[Atlas]]''
*''[[Argus]]''
*''[[Cerberus]]''
*''[[Chronos]]''
*''[[Therion]]''
*''[[Ulysses]]''
*Eos
*Universa

==Notes==
*Battlestar Wiki maintains official information on the ''Battlestar Galactica'' officially-licensed episodes, movies, and publications only. [[Fan fiction]] sources that discuss other ships (particularly fan-based clubs that use ship "names") are not permitted in this wiki.

*A common [[fan fiction]] belief is that the Original Series battlestar ''[[Columbia (TOS)|Columbia]]'' was also the class name for these battlestars. No [[BW:CJ|official sources]] confirm this point.

:''For more on what constitutes an official source, see [[Battlestar Wiki:Citation Jihad]].''

{{disambig}}

[[de:Kampfstern]]

Talk:Battlestar/Archive 1

2010-03-16T15:15:40Z

These:

Template talk:Characters (Caprica)

2010-02-28T21:17:41Z

These: /* Reorganization */

== Reorganization ==
Lots of recurring characters are missing, lots of characters from the pilot shouldn't be on the list, and it seems a little judgmental to distinguish between groups defined by their family name OR their religious affiliation. Hence, I suggest we use [[Template:Characters|this]] as a template.
The new template would look like this:<br>
'''Main:''' [[Daniel Graystone]] | [[Joseph Adama]] | [[Amanda Graystone]] | [[Zoe Graystone]] | [[Lacy Rand]] | [[Sam Adama]] | [[Jordan Durham]] | [[Clarice Willow]]<br>
'''Supporting:''' [[William Adama]] | [[Cyrus Xander]] | [[Nestor Willow]]<br>
'''Recurring:''' [[Tamara Adama]] | [[Barnabus Greeley]] | [[Priyah Magnus]] | [[Philomon]] | [[Ruth]] | [[Ben Stark]] | [[Tomas Vergis]] | [[Olaf Willow]]<br>

--[[User:Pedda|Pedda]] 11:52, 24 February 2010 (UTC)

: Definitely agree to this. If more people agree, we can change this over ASAP. -- [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] <sup>[[User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|So say we all]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Site support|Donate]] - [[bsp:|Battlestar Pegasus]]</sup> 15:13, 24 February 2010 (UTC)
:: Any other opinions? --[[User:Pedda|Pedda]] 16:17, 28 February 2010 (UTC)
::: Add Desiree Willow and Larry under Recurring. Can't think of anyone else who is missing right now. -- [[User:Noneofyourbusiness|Noneofyourbusiness]] 16:30, 28 February 2010 (UTC)
:::: I've updated it, but I was thinking it might be a good idea to add [[Youngblood]] and [[Gara Singh]] as well... although, I will admit that I am on the fence on adding either of them at the present time, if only for fear of bloating up this nav box. -- [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] <sup>[[User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|So say we all]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Site support|Donate]] - [[bsp:|Battlestar Pegasus]]</sup> 17:19, 28 February 2010 (UTC)
:::::In my honest opinion, if we've added the members of the Swiss Family Willow to the nav box we should at least add Youngblood and Singh.
[[User:These|These]] 21:15, 28 February 2010 (UTC)

Race and Ethnicity in the Twelve Colonies

2010-02-27T21:47:01Z

These:

:''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)]].''

''At Battlestar Wiki, we recognize that race is a problematic concept without any concrete biological definition. Nevertheless, the topic of racial identity in the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] has proven of interest to many fans of the show. Therefore, this page serves to review the information available as best as possible.''

''In this article, we have chosen to indicate race by apparent region of origin, within the following broadly defined categories: European, (Sub-Saharan) African, Middle Eastern, South Asian, East Asian, and Native American / Amerindian. Where bi- or multi-racial individuals are noted, component ethnicities are listed in alphabetical order. Individuals of apparently [[Wikipedia:Mulatto|Mulatto]] and [[Wikipedia:Hispanic|Hispanic]] appearance are noted as biracial African/Europeans and biracial Amerindian/Europeans. Issues relating to the Adama family are briefly discussed in their own section at the end of the article.''

Colonials of various races appear in the in the [[Re-imagined Series]] and ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]''. As yet, no reference has been made to race, nor any allusions to racial identities or racial discrimination. Tensions between different ''colonies'' are portrayed, but there appears to be as much variation in race within colonies as there is between them. Thus, the writers use differences between the colonies, as exemplified by [[Gemenon]] and [[Sagittaron]], to mirror real-world race issues.<ref>In "[[The Woman King]]" [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] uses the term "racist" to describe the Sagittaron-hating [[Dr. Robert]]. In the ''[[Caprica pilot|Caprica]]'' pilot, [[Joseph Adama]] asks if [[Val Chambers]] is making a "racial comment" about Joseph's Tauron ancestry.</ref>

The two finalists for the part of [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] were [[Grace Park]] and [[Katee Sackhoff]], implying that, for some parts at least, the producers employed [[w:Color-blind casting|color-blind casting]]. Nevertheless, analysis of the ethnic mix of the Twelve Colonies has intrigued fans of the series.

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}__TOC__
==Race and Nationality==
In general, no clear associations have been made between particular ethnic groups and individual colonies. Furthermore, there is some evidence within the series that race and colony of origin are not strongly correlated - when Baltar attempts to guess at Boomer's place of origin in "[[Flesh and Bone]]", he comments on her accent, not her physical appearance. For more on this, see the article [[Language in the Twelve Colonies]].

It is generally accepted that the Colonials originally emigrated from a single planet (i.e. Kobol and/or Earth). This being the case, it is entirely possible that the various apparent races are reasonably homogeneously distributed across all of the Twelve Colonies (i.e. there are both European and African Sagittarons, Gemenese, etc. rather than all of the Europeans coming from one tribe/colony, all the Asians from another, etc).

What follows is a list of individuals whose colony of origin has been unambiguously identified, along with their apparent ethnicity.

===Aerelon===
*[[Sharon Valerii]] - east Asian (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]] infiltrator)
*[[Sekou Hamilton]] - African
*[[Gaius Baltar]] - European
*[[Socinus]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Saul Tigh]] - European (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)

===Canceron===
*[[Robin Wenutu]] - European

===Caprica===
*[[William Adama]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
:''The actor, Edward James Olmos, would probably be identified as "Latino", "mestizo", or "Hispanic". Olmos is a social activist working to help the Hispanic-American community, Olmos has made favorable remarks about having the opportunity to play one of the first significant Latino characters in space.''
*[[Carolanne Adama]] - European
**[[Lee Adama|Lee]] and [[Zak Adama]] - their children, see [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below.
*[[Laura Roslin]] - European
*[[Kara Thrace]] - European (Born on Picon according to Sky One; nomadic childhood; this info is not confirmed.)
*[[Aaron Doral]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[James McManus]] - European
*[[Tory Foster]] - south Asian (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)
*[[Michael Robert]] - European
*[[Daniel Graystone]] - European
*[[Amanda Graystone]] -European
*[[Zoe Graystone]] - European
*[[Lacy Rand]] - European
*[[Baxter Sarno]] - European

===Gemenon===
*[[Sarah Porter]] - African
*[[Venner]] - Mixed race, European/African
*[[Galen Tyrol]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[Rya Kibby]] - European
*[[Jurgen Belzen]] - European

===Picon===
*[[Safiya Sanne]] - east Asian (but see his article for some debate on origins)
*[[Playa Palacios]] - European
*[[Asha Janik]] - European
*[[Samuel Anders]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])

===Sagittaron===
*[[Anastasia Dualla]] - Mixed race, African/European
*[[Leon Grimes]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Tom Zarek]] - European
*[[Portia King]] - European
**[[Willie King]] - Her son, also European
*[[Jacob Cantrell]] - European
*The Sagittaron quarter of [[Camp Oil Slick]] is shown in "[[The Woman King]]" to constitute various ethnicities.
*[[Clarice Willow]] - European

===Tauron===
*[[Helena Cain]] - European
*[[Sam Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Joseph Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Shannon Adama]] - European
*[[Tamara Adama]] - Amerindian/European
*[[Guatrau]] - Amerindian
*[[Tomas Vergis]] - European
*a young woman at ''Backtalk With Baxter Sarno'' - Asian
*Various members of the *[[Ha'la'tha]] - Various, mostly European and Amerindian

===Virgon===
*[[Marshall Bagot]] - European

==Race and Sexuality==
:''An article dedicated to sexuality in the re-imagined series can be found at [[Sexuality in Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]].''

Interracial couplings seem common to the point of ubiquity, and have never been commented upon. It is interesting that such clearly defined racial groups continue to exist in light of this. Notable interracial couples:
*William and Caroline Adama
*[[Sharon Valerii]] and [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Sharon Agathon|Sharon]] and [[Karl Agathon]] ([[Tahmoh Penikett]], who plays Agathon, is Amerindian/European)
*Anastasia Dualla and [[Billy Keikeya]] (Keikeya is European)
*Anastasia Dualla and Lee Adama
*Tory Foster and Gaius Baltar

That being said, at least one individual, Kara Thrace, has only been shown in sexual relationships with individuals of her own race: [[Gaius Baltar]], [[Samuel Anders]], and the Adama brothers (although see the [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below regarding their ethnicity).

==The Adama Brothers==
The Miniseries received some criticism for casting [[Edward James Olmos]], a dark-skinned Latino, as [[William Adama|the father]] of [[Jamie Bamber]], a pale-skinned Englishman. These points were addressed somewhat in the first season, during which viewers are briefly introduced to both [[Carolanne Adama|Carolanne]] and [[Zak Adama]]. During a dinner party in "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]", [[Ellen Tigh]] offers her opinion that [[Lee Adama]] takes after his mother in appearance, while Zak took after his father. Since human skin pigmentation is determined by several genes which can be inherited independently, this scenario is quite plausible.

As such, it is difficult to pigeonhole the Adama brothers as being of either European descent (as Lee appears, and his actor is) or mixed Amerindian/European (as Zak appears, and his actors have been). Where relevant, it is probably best to consider them both of approximately 1/4 Amerindian and 3/4 European descent, regardless of the genetic background of the actors who played them.

In an effort to increase the resemblance between the two characters, Olmos wore blue contact eye lenses to show some genetic commonality with Bamber. Jamie Bamber also dyed his blond hair brown to more closely resemble his on-screen father.

=="Ethnic" Names==

Some characters have distinctly Indo-European personal names or surnames which span multiple "Earth" languages and their generally associated ethnic origins: these include first names such as [[James McManus|James]], [[William Adama|William]], [[Laura Roslin|Laura]], and [[Helena Cain|Helena]], and surnames like [[Emmitt Jones|Jones]], [[Daniel Novacek|Novacek]], [[Bryan Smith|Smith]], [[Brendan Costanza|Costanza]] and [[James McManus|McManus]].

Other characters have surnames that are of non-western origins, such as [[Tom Zarek|Zarek]], [[Billy Keikeya|Keikeya]], [[Royan Jahee|Jahee]] and [[Robin Wenutu|Wenutu]].

There are also ancient Greek, Roman and Hebrew names. Personal and surnames, names of locations in use, as well as names like "Adama" which are carry-overs from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]]: [[Prosna]], [[Socinus]], [[Cally Henderson|Cally]], [[Playa Palacios]], [[Sharon Valerii|Valerii]], [[Karl Agathon|Agathon]], [[Kara Thrace|Thrace]], etc.

Often these are combined: [[Sekou Hamilton]], Cally Henderson, Billy Keikeya, [[Gaius Baltar]] and William Adama.

To make matters even more complicated, these names do not correspond to either ethnic or "racial" populations among the surviving Colonial citizens, nor do they align with Colonial nationalism. Not all Sagittarons have an European personal name like "Tom" and a Hebrew surname like "Zarek" and not all dark-skinned characters have non-western first names like "Sekou". Daniel Novacek (played by [[Carl Lumbly]], an actor of Jamaican origin), for instance, has an Eastern European surname.

==Caprica and Tauron==

Despite previous assumptions about the color-blindedness of each Colony's populations, in the pilot episode of [[Caprica]], the [[Tauron (RDM)|Taurons]]- at least those associated with the Mafia-like Ha'la'tha- are cast with a look that is consistent, and which, in context, distinguishes them from the Capricans. Their "look" is consistent with William and Zak Adama. This is the first time any particular physiognomy has been implied to represent a Colony. All prominent Taurons to date, however, including Admiral Cain, have had dark hair. It is not known if this physiognomy is indicative of all Taurons, or if these characteristics are just very common among Taurons.

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

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

Tauron

2010-02-27T21:45:08Z

These: /* Culture */

[[Image:Tauron.png|thumb|Tauron from orbit ([[Razor]]).]]

'''Tauron''' (ancient name: '''[[wikipedia:Taurus (constellation)|Taurus]]'''), one of the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] of [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]], is reputed for its status as an agricultural colony (much like [[Aerilon]]). ([[Caprica pilot|''Caprica'' pilot]]). Tauron was one of the wealthier colonies before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Fall]] ([[Dirty Hands]]) and is a colony that, for reasons related to their variation of [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Colonial religion]], does not have flowers (''Caprica'' pilot).

Tauronese are looked upon as "dirt eaters" and are treated as second-class citizens on Caprica. This racism forced Joseph Adama to change his last name, and the last name of his family, to the Caprican-sounding "Adams." Tauron is also reputed for its powerful crime syndicate, the [[Ha'la'tha]], with ties to various powerful Capricans (''Caprica'' pilot).

[[Perah Enyeto]] is the colony's representative on the first [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum of Twelve]] after the Fall ([[Colonial Day]]). Enyeto is replaced by another Quorum member, before the Quorum is dissolved after [[Tom Zarek]]'s massacre ("[[Blood on the Scales]]", "[[Islanded in a Stream of Stars]]").

== Culture ==

[[Image:ColonialColors4.png|thumb|150px|Colors and symbol of Tauron]]

Taurons use a different language than Caprican-normal ([[Caprica pilot|''Caprica'' pilot]]); this language would interestingly mirror the "ancient" Greek language on [[Earth (RDM)|Earth II]] tens of thousands of years later ([[Daybreak, Part II]]).

As a culture, Taurons are noted to be a stoic people. When in mourning, they wear black gloves as a possible way to distance themselves from the world. It is also traditional for the deaths of family members to be avenged; "blood for blood."

Many Taurons are known for their elaborate use of [[tattoo]]s, noting their various accomplishments and failures, roles in society, and other social attributes—in essence, each tattoo has its own story and significance ([[Gravedancing]]).

Tauron children are known to play with bones from chicken's feet, as one would play with a rubber ball and metal jacks (Gravedancing).

Further, a Tauron male is considered an adult at thirteen years of age (Gravedancing).

The native Tauron service for the dead is vaguely similar to that performed by the "ancient" Greeks on [[Earth (RDM)|Earth II]] 150,000 years later ([[Daybreak, Part II]]).

{{clear}}

== History ==

Around 100—80 [[BCH]], the [[Tauron Civil War]] occurred here, causing the displacement of many of its people to [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]], including [[Joseph Adama|Joseph]] and [[Sam Adama]] (then children) after their parents were killed in the uprising.

Around 58 BCH, the Tauron [[Tomas Vergis]], CEO of the [[Vergis Corporation]], successfully invented a [[meta-cognitive processor]] that is stolen by the Ha'la'tha and given to Dr. [[Daniel Graystone]] for use in the [[U-87]] prototype. The U-87 would become better known as the first [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] created on the Twelve Colonies ([[Caprica pilot|''Caprica'' pilot]]).

At the end of the first [[Cylon War]] (40 BCH), Tauron was [[Battle of Tauron|under attack]] from Cylon [[basestar (RDM)|basestars]] and [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|ground forces]], causing many civilian causalities in areas such as the city of [[Hypatia]], including all of [[Helena Cain]]'s family ("[[Razor]]", extended DVD edition).

Around 4 BCH, Tauron obtained the reputation for being a troublesome colony within the [[Government of the Twelve Colonies|federal system]] of the Colonies, often disobeying directives decided by the colonies and "pushing their luck with [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|the admiralty]] every chance they got." As a ruse then-Commander [[William Adama]] of [[Valkyrie type battlestar|battlestar]] ''[[Valkyrie]]'' claimed the Taurons were drilling for [[tylium]] ore on a moon that close to the [[Armistice Line]], when in reality Adama launched a reconnaissance mission to determine [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] activity over said Line ([[Hero]]).

==Natives==
* [[Joseph Adama]]
* [[Sam Adama]]
* [[Shannon Adama]]
* [[Ruth]], mother of Shannon Adama
* [[Helena Cain]]
* [[Lucy Cain]]
* [[Saundra Cain]] and [[Cain (father)|her husband]]
* [[Tomas Vergis]]

==Notes==
*Tauron is the third of the twelve Colonial worlds shown in the Re-imagined Series, but only through the extended DVD version of "[[Razor]]." The extended version scene shows a brief scene on the surface with the terrified Cain family, but there is little detail.

[[Category: A to Z]]
[[Category: Planets]]
[[Category: Planets (RDM)]]
[[Category: RDM]]

Talk:God (RDM)/Archive 1

2010-02-27T18:23:55Z

These: /* "Daybreak" retconning the entire series */

It always seemed to me that "God" is the Cylon central computer (or equivalent). My hypothesis is that the "re-imagined" Count Iblis will be the God.[[User:Kuralyov|Kuralyov]] 20:21, 21 May 2005 (EDT)

== from the author ==

Do you like this style of this God page that I wrote? I personally think the quotes are too numerous. I'll probably delete some quotes, but it's hard to know which might prove important. For example, Adama's speaking of God may be significant. I would love to have such quotes about other topics on other Wiki pages, as it's easier to do unbiased research this way.

Regarding your theory of the Cylon God being Iblis, although there probably is a head Cylon like that, their religion seems more abstract: "We are all God, all of us. I see the love that binds all living things together."

Should we include deleted scenes on Wiki pages? There is an important bit of dialog in KLG 1 about the legend of a jealous god who tried to elevate himself above the rest. Internal Six replies something like, "Blasphemy! There has only ever been one God."

I need help for the original series section of this God page. I haven't watched the original series since the late 70's! Feel free to do whatever you want with that section.

-[[User:MHall|MHall]]

I don't think we should include colonial expressions of "God", as I'm pretty sure they're just accidentals from the actors. - Chris

:The "… play God …" quote in particular needn't be considered monotheistic. A polytheist can easily refer to a singular god, and not mean the only God. "play god" can just as easily mean "play at being a god" as "play at being God himself".

:I would recommend removing that one at the very least from the monotheist list.
:--[[User:Brons|Brons]] 08:37, 3 December 2006 (CST)
:In complete agreement, I have removed that sentence. Even a polytheistic religion can refer to one god like this. --[[User:Talos|Talos]] 11:57, 3 December 2006 (CST)

== about that "Jesus" thing ==

I've seen the original US release of the miniseries once, but what I've watched the most is the UK DVD. And I can't recall Tigh saying "Jesus". Wasn't that dubbed over with something else? I vaguely recall reading something about that --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 08:02, 13 September 2006 (CDT)
:It's in both of my copies of the miniseries (the pre-season one release and the season one boxed set.) The Lord appears in mysterious dialogue. :P --[[User:Slander|Slander]] 15:16, 24 April 2007 (CDT)
::It's when Adama shows Tigh the really old picture. --[[User:BklynBruzer|BklynBruzer]] 15:18, 24 April 2007 (CDT)
::Yeah, I found it by now. It's really under the breath, which is why I missed it. --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 15:24, 24 April 2007 (CDT)
Should that even be mentioned in the article? I thought that was just a mistake made by the actor. --[[User:R.Adair|R.Adair]]
:It's mentioned on the general gaffe article and some other places. But yeah, it's relevance here is somewhat doubtful. --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 13:59, 17 July 2007 (CDT)

==pockets of Monotheism in the colonies?==

Ok this is a small matter but from the mini did anyone get the feeling that the worship of one single god wasn't completely unheard of in the colonies? Six's comments about God are mocked by Baltar but he isn't shocked by the notion of one god. Basically what I'm getting at is that in the real world we have people who claim to have gone back to pagan religions and they worship multiple gods...could the opposite have been true in the colonies. That a monotheistic religion was something some colonists adapted as a way to be contrary or as even an actual alternative to the kobolian faith? I'm not saying it was widespread or even a major issue within the colonies. Basically there were colonists who wanted to be different and were mocked for having what other colonists percieved as a wacky religion. --[[User:Meteor|Meteor]] 02 February 2007.
: Gaeta makes comments that seem to support this in "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I" when Adama reviews the texts regarding Kobol. -- [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] <sup>[[User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|So say we all]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Site support|Donate]]</sup> 22:11, 2 February 2007 (CST)
::Caprica casting info confirms it, so I added a bit about it, with the part directly connected with Caprica plot hidden as a spoiler. [[User:Ausir|Ausir]] 18:02, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

=="Scientific Explanation" Section==
Perhaps it's me, but I feel that this section is mainly theoretical and as such should not really be there. --[[User:Sauron18|Sauron18]] 16:38, 18 June 2007 (CDT)
:Erm, never mind ;) --[[User:Sauron18|Sauron18]] 16:39, 18 June 2007 (CDT)
:I really like it, and vaguely thought of something similar once (not in such detail, but that god is a real construct). It also reminds me of the Ultimate Intelligence in Dan Simmon's ''[[w:Hyperion Cantos|Hyperion Cantos]]'' which I read recently. But as you say, unfortunately it's way to speculative for this place. --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 16:42, 18 June 2007 (CDT)
::It's not in the series and has no sources and is wholly fanwank. I've rolled it back and await any sources. I can say that the Cylons are actually part of the ancient Matrix, but that doesn't make it true. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 16:45, 18 June 2007 (CDT)
:::I'm well aware of that and said that it has no place here. I just think it's interesting nonetheless. --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 16:48, 18 June 2007 (CDT)
::::Sorry, didn't mean to sound at all snappy there. I'm feeling a bit [[w:birthday|"''get off my lawn you crazy kids''"]] today and probably tomorrow. 8/ --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 19:50, 18 June 2007 (CDT)
:::::Hello, I am the one who wrote the original article. As for the information, I got the quoted portions from the wiki on the subject http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity, which has multiple links to respected sources, especially http://www.kurzweilai.net/index.html?flash=1, which was where I first heard about the idea. If there is a specific way to write an article that includes respected sources, please let me know and I will consider writing one. As for it being "mainly theoretical" and "speculative," I would argue the "Background to FTL in the Re-imagined Series" article is just as speculative as no one in the series mentions the physics behind it. However, it did not stop someone on committing how FTL is scientifically plausible, thus showing how true to reality the show can be. I check this sight frequently and I am always disappointed that no one wrote about how the cylon "god" (or any "god") is scientifically plausible. In keeping with how true to reality the show can be, I thought it was appropriate to comment on how a "god" could actually exist in nBSG without relying on a supernatural basis or aliens.--[[User:DuMan|DuMan]] 22:01, 21 June 2007 (CDT)
::::::For what it's worth, there was some concern about the FTL article as well, regarding its validity to the show. At least as far as the scientific speculation is concerned. And some articles are indeed more speculative than others, making some case-by-case decisions necessary. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter how well you source your information here, as the problem is its connection to the show itself.
::::::I understand that you put some effort into this, and even basically agree with it, or appreciate it. But aside from a minimal note like "It's hasn't been established whether this God is supernatural or can be explained with scientific means", I don't see how we can use any of this. --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 01:21, 22 June 2007 (CDT)
:::::::On the first point, philosophically, I do appreciate the FTL article and any article that adds more information to the show even if the show does not explicitly say it, so long as that information has a ''strong scientific'' backing. As the show holds so strongly to a tenant of expressing realism, I am sure its creators would incorporate any strong scientific concepts into their verse as they have with networking, nuclear arms, and AI, provided they had time to mention it.
:::::::As I read through the adjacent article on cylon religion, I was unable to find the source of your quotes, but regardless most of the articles on this site imply that the cylon god is a supernatural being. This article refers to the god as a "deity" and the article on cylon religion refers to it as a "metaphysical being." The latter term does support other definitions of the cylon’s god being more of an abstract concept or an idea rather than supernatural entity, but it still does not address the actual scientific plausibility of a "god" existing. Without a possible scientific explanation, readers will always walk away with the one-sided idea that the cylon god is and can only be a supernatural being, rather than something scientifically plausible as AI.
:::::::As for my intentions, I thought my writing was bad and wrote most of it off the cuff, thus I was not particularly proud of it. My main intention was to generate discussion on this topic and have its possibility mentioned in the article. ''Given the cylon's are strongly rooted in the topic of AI and the idea of a technological singularity branches off of that topic, I believe it is more than reasonable to at least mention it in this article''.
:::::::On a side note, please let me know if I should take my defenses personally to each member that criticizes my contributions rather than posting them here, as this page might become quite lengthy. And again, if you just demand better writing or sourcing, tell me exactly how (or refer me to the relevant section in the FAQ) and I will consider writing the article myself.--[[User:DuMan|DuMan]] 19:21, 22 June 2007 (CDT)
::::::::It's not the sourcing to external sites that's the problem, but the sourcing with the show. See what Spence wrote below. If you can back it up with some references to the episodes and quotes, though they will probably be somewhat indirect, good. I'd suggest that you don't worry about style for now, but produce a bullet point list of references from the show itself. Put it on your user page or maybe your talk page. Then we can see if we can really use it. If not, then we can always put in a small note without the speculation attached.
::::::::While lengthy talk pages are problematic too, splitting over discussion in several talk is really confusing. --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 04:52, 23 June 2007 (CDT)

:I'd write it up as a separate article, and attach the following template: <nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[Template:Plausible speculation|Plausible speculation]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki>,<strike> <nowiki>{{Essay}}</nowiki></strike>. There is precedent; see [[Cyrannus (system)]]. It is an example of plausible, researched, cited speculation, clearly marked as such, and is worthwhile. Failing that, there is always your User space. [[User:JubalHarshaw|JubalHarshaw]] 19:11, 22 June 2007 (CDT)
::I agree. The debate on Cyrannus is as close to the edge of fandom-derived speculation that I'd care to see on the wiki. DuMan's research may be enlightening. A few points: Yes, please do use the {{tl|plausible speculation}} tag on such an article. Also, in keeping with the wiki's mission, making this an essay is not recommended. But, using links and citations from the episodes, DuMan and others can add plausible support for the theories he expressed earlier, discarding or disputing what does not agree with the Cylons as portrayed. The FTL article, by the way (and in my opinion) is supported by the principles ''displayed'' in the episodes. While not explained, the process of moving from the place to place (without change in relative velocity before or after) screams "wormhole" and is supported by Ron Moore's [[naturalistic science fiction]] guideline, "no moving violations" on true-faster-than-light travel. I think DuMan has his work cut out for him in linking episode events that connect his research with the show, but it will fun to see him try, and should make for a very interesting article once it's ready. The links ''have'' to be there for this to be an acceptable article per the wiki's canonical or licensed product mission, IMO. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 22:53, 22 June 2007 (CDT)
::That might work, if there can be a few references to back it up somewhat. We could also put it in [[Cylon Religion]]. That one talks more about religion in general and does already have an analysis section. This speculation might be more justifiable there than here. --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 04:52, 23 June 2007 (CDT)

==Image==
I was wondering if perhaps we should change what could be considered the "main image" for the promotional picutre in which Gaius is shown looking religious with Number Six at his back.
[[Image:Cylon God.jpg|thumb|250px]]
I feel like this might best represent the article, given the association both characters have with the Cylon God and the specific representation in the picture. --[[User:Sauron18|Sauron18]] 23:42, 7 April 2008 (UTC)
:Or Baltar praying from [[He That Believeth In Me]]? {{unsigned|OTW}}
:The picture at the top, is a reference to god though. The promo picture, while nice, is more about religion in general. But we could put it further down, and replace the "crucified Baltar" one with it. -- [[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 07:13, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

== "Daybreak" retconning the entire series ==

Since we discovered in "[[Daybreak, Part II]]" that God was indeed behind all of the show's mysteries, shouldn't individual articles be updated to reflect God's ultimate control over all events and people that we've seen throughout the entire series? Since God was aware of the [[Battle of the Colony]] as least as far back as the time of the Final Five (which is why [[the Music]]/Coordinates were programmed into Sam back then), then God would have been strictly controlling all events and people up until the Battle so that Kara could punch in the numbers. Therefore, it should be noted that no characters had any free will or choice; everything they did was determined and controlled by God. (For a list that explains this in more detail, I refer you to [http://ideas.4brad.com/battlestar/story-bsg-god-gog Brad Templeton's blog].)

This could also affect ''Caprica'', but it's possible (albeit ''very'' remotely) that the new show will explain what God actually is.

What do you think?

-- [[User:Liquidcross|Liquidcross]] 16:59, 27 February 2010 (UTC)

I would probably say no myself, and its because I think that that theory overstates how much control that the 'God' entity has in the BSG universe. For one thing, its never stated that 'God' controls everything or that he has the power or ability to do things on a large scale (besides of course, bringing the dead back to life).

Maybe your right, maybe it was 'God's' will that made it all happen but I think that it was the character's experiences that was set up by the entity that called itself 'God' which helped them make the decisions that they did and we don't know enough about the entity to make these kinds of rationalisations.

-- [[User:These|These]] 18:19, 27 February 2010 UTC

There is Another Sky

2010-02-27T11:10:33Z

These: /* Analysis */

{{Episode Data
| image= IntoAnotherSky.jpg
| series= cap
| title=There is Another Sky
| season=1
| episode=5
| special=
| extra=
| guests=
| writer= [[Kath Lingenfelter]]
| story=
| director= [[Michael Nankin]]
| production=
| rating=
| US airdate=February 26, 2010
| CAN airdate=
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| prev= [[Gravedancing]]
| next = [[Know Thy Enemy]]
}}

== Overview ==
''[[Tamara Adama|Tamara]] is forced to participate in a game in a trade with those who can help her return to reality. [[Joseph Adama|Joseph]] tries to reconnect with his son. [[Daniel Graystone|Daniel]] keeps himself from being removed by his own [[Graystone Industries|company]] by introducing the [[Cylon Prototype|U-87]].''

== Summary ==

=== Teaser ===

=== Act 1 ===

=== Act 2 ===

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

== Notes ==

== Analysis ==
*The [[Tauron]] Funeral Rite as seen in this episode mirrors the Ancient Greek rite of placing a coin on the head of the dead for the Charon, the ferryman who took the souls of the dead across the Rivers Styx and Acheron to Hades (The Underworld). Key differences however rise from the amount of coinage payed; in Ancient Greece it was two coins for each person to be placed on each eye however in the case of the Tauron rite it was a single coin and also that the ceremony involved the Tauron custom of applying tattooes.

== Questions ==

== Official Statements ==

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

== Guest Stars ==
* [[Luciana Carro]] as [[Priyah Magnus]]
* [[Karen Austin|Karen Elizabeth Austin]] as [[Ruth]]
* [[Camille Mitchell]] as [[Vesta]]
* [[Sina Najafi]] as [[William Adama]]
* [[Hiro Kanagawa]] as [[Cyrus Xander]]
* [[Genevieve Buechner]] as [[Tamara Adama]]
* [[Julius Chapple]] as [[Larry]]
* [[Richard Harmon]] as [[Heracles]]
* [[AC Peterson]] as [[Chiron]]
* [[Eve Harlow]] as [[Byun]]
* [[Travis Turner]] as [[Ashok]]
* [[Graham Chabot]] as Big Kid
* [[Thomas Saunders]] as [[Jon Parker]]
* [[Ian A. Wallace]] as [[Ferryman]]
* [[Patti Allan]] as [[Tauron (RDM)|Tauron]] Rites Singer
* [[Jim Ralph]] as Chiron's Bank Guard
* [[Charles Andre]] as Rail Thin Man
* [[Zolton Crane]] as Man

== References ==

{{Episode list (Caprica season 1)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Kath Lingenfelter]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Michael Nankin]]

Talk:Arts and Literature of the Twelve Colonies/Archive 1

2010-02-26T17:55:22Z

These:

==Purpose==
This page serves to collect all information on arts, literature, music, and aesthetics in the twelve colonies. It is currently a merger of [[Edward Prima]], [[Dark Day]], [[A Murder on Picon]], [[Kataris]] and [[Monclair]], with additional notes on the abstract art of [[Kara Thrace]] and her father's piano compositions, as proposed on [[Talk:Polygons]]. The current version is a very rough draft. This article will eventually include notes on colonial aesthetics (octagons, hexagons, etc.) and some more prosaic introductory text, and become part of the [[Battlestar Wiki:The Twelve Colonies|the Twelve Colonies series]].

Suggestions are welcome. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 18:00, 21 May 2006 (CDT)

==Aesthetics==
Merv, please leave the outline on Aesthetics alone until I have a chance to fill it. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 18:06, 21 May 2006 (CDT)

:As a dumping ground compilation of the various arts pages I agree, but there don't need to be whole subsections on the cut corners; a mention in the intro will do. I'm assuming popular culture counted too?--[[User:The Merovingian|The Merovingian]] <sup>([[Special:Contributions/The Merovingian|C]] - [[Special:Editcount/The Merovingian|E]])</sup> 18:04, 21 May 2006 (CDT)

::Would you give me a day or two to put something together before passing final judgement? I think it could be a fairly interesting section of the article, and the need for something of this nature was pointed out convincingly on [[Talk:Polygons]]. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 18:07, 21 May 2006 (CDT)

::Oh yeah, sorry I thought it was as done was it was going to be; didn't see that it was a new project thing. --[[User:The Merovingian|The Merovingian]] <sup>([[Special:Contributions/The Merovingian|C]] - [[Special:Editcount/The Merovingian|E]])</sup> 18:29, 21 May 2006 (CDT)

==Dreilide Thrace==
The Merovingian deleted the reference to Dreilide Thrace with the edit summary: "We don't know her father's name".

With respect, I submit that if the SkyOne information is good enough for us to have articles on the otherwise unnamed [[Joseph Adama|Joseph]] and [[Evelyn Adama]], we can rely on it for Mr. Thrace's given name until contradicted by the series. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 18:06, 21 May 2006 (CDT)

:....I don't know if we should do that: A) SkyOne isn't a definative source B) most importantly, '''This SkyOne information was *taken down*'''. It no longer exists online. Maybe they took it down....because it was no longer "correct"? I've pointed out in several character bios, notably [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Galactica-Sharon]], that information from SkyOne's old bio stuff has in fact been ''contradicted'' several times by new information.

:You are right: I was unaware that that was the ''sole'' source of William Adama's mother's name (his father's name is engraved on the lighter), but if SkyOne is indeed the sole source of this info I'm going to slap a proposal for deletion on "Evelyn Adama". We really shouldn't use it if it's not from Scifi, and was actually ''removed''. --[[User:The Merovingian|The Merovingian]] <sup>([[Special:Contributions/The Merovingian|C]] - [[Special:Editcount/The Merovingian|E]])</sup> 18:33, 21 May 2006 (CDT)

::I've copied this to [[Battlestar Wiki talk:Citation Jihad]]. Let's continue the discussion there. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 18:48, 21 May 2006 (CDT)

I've set to remove all SkyOne bio information from regular articles and just limit it to the [[Series bible]] page. Discussion about whether to even delete it from there should continue on that page's Talk section. --[[User:The Merovingian|The Merovingian]] <sup>([[Special:Contributions/The Merovingian|C]] - [[Special:Editcount/The Merovingian|E]])</sup> 13:08, 19 July 2006 (CDT)

==Image Requests==
*Kataris: Either Palladino's bound copy of his poems, or the threatening message on Tigh's mirror.
*Dark Day: A screen cap of Adama giving the book to Roslin, or Roslin returning it to Adama
*Dreilide Thrace: Can we link to the [http://www.amazon.com/gp/music/clipserve/B0000026Y4001001/1/ref=mu_sam_ra001_001/ streaming media] sample of "Metamorphosis One" on Amazon?
--[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 18:13, 21 May 2006 (CDT)
:What about the free, full copy of it posted in Galacticastation's media section? Click on my username at the end of this message: I already hotlinked it into my 'music to work to' section. :) --[[User:The Merovingian|The Merovingian]] <sup>([[Special:Contributions/The Merovingian|C]] - [[Special:Editcount/The Merovingian|E]])</sup> 20:10, 21 May 2006 (CDT)
::Link's broken. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 21:37, 21 May 2006 (CDT)

==Efficiency==
Buzzword of the day: the technical reason squares are the most "efficient" shape is because they are the [[Wikipedia:measure polytope|measure polytope]] of two-dimensional space. The [[Wikipedia:Octagon|Octagon]], meanwhile, cannot tesselate 2-space. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 03:59, 19 June 2006 (CDT)
:Thanks for the tidbit; that's really quite interesting. --[[User:CalculatinAvatar|CalculatinAvatar]]<sup>([[Special:Contributions/CalculatinAvatar|C]]-[[User talk:CalculatinAvatar|T]])</sup> 13:25, 19 June 2006 (CDT)

:: Maybe they should reverse the polarity, thus creating an inverse phase variance. I'm not sure if I'm up on all this "science" and "math" but a blind man told me that might work sometimes. --[[User:Day|Day]] <sup>([[User talk:Day|Talk]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Administrators' noticeboard|Admin]])</sup> 21:18, 3 July 2006 (CDT)

==Big Enough?==

I added two sections on Sculpture and Architecture, including 3 thumbnail images. Is that enough to expand this article sufficiently or should I hunt down more? --[[User:Homeworld616|Homeworld616]] 15:53, 3 July 2006 (CDT)

:I would hope that all the TODO's would be done (or at least removed) before removing the expansion tag. --[[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] 15:59, 3 July 2006 (CDT)

:I'm not sure what your basis is for identifying the two unnamed cities with a pre-federalist aesthetic, and Caprica city with a federalist aesthetic. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 16:40, 3 July 2006 (CDT)

Homeworld616 I appreciate your work and a lot of its good...but most of this is just "we put a camera on downtown Vancouver because that's where we film", and you're trying to base theories on that. I mean the bemusing thing is to add on notes to like, Caprica or the Miniseries + "Epiphanies" and say "this is really shot on SFU's campus in Vancouver", but it doesn't really mean anything. --[[User:The Merovingian|The Merovingian]] <sup>([[Special:Contributions/The Merovingian|C]] - [[Special:Editcount/The Merovingian|E]])</sup> 16:51, 3 July 2006 (CDT)

:Yeah. I'd rather not read too much into the architectural variations. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 18:23, 3 July 2006 (CDT)

::Sorry about all this you guys. I just write about what I see. I apologize for my overzealous detail-espousing and theory-making. I'll try to improve that. Anyhow, my basis for the different aesthetics ranging from the unnamed cities to Caprica City is, on secondary review on my part, unfounded. I see mixtures of both "styles" in each city. I'll get on that. Also, if you don't want to read into that architectural detail mumbo-jumbo I'll trim down the Kobol section (which, since Kobol wasn't a colony, I don't know if that section should even ''be'' here). I can also take superfluous detail off of the other sections and perhaps combine them. --[[User:Homeworld616|Homeworld616]] 23:17, 3 July 2006 (CDT)

::There. Does this form please you? --[[User:Homeworld616|Homeworld616]] 23:24, 3 July 2006 (CDT)

==Galactica v. Pegasus==

''Galactica'' corridors are pretty much just pentagons while those on ''Pegasus'' are octagons. That clears up that TODO, doesn't it? (I asked this question because I didn't want to write false info into the article. I'd like this hallway shape verified first). --[[User:Homeworld616|Homeworld616]] 23:33, 3 July 2006 (CDT)

:I believe that the corridor junctions on ''Galactica'' form acute angles, whereas the junctions on ''Pegasus'' are at right angles. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 04:37, 4 July 2006 (CDT)

It would also be nice to get some more images and rethink their layout in this article before going live. The image to text ratio is going to be necessarily high due to topic matter - I think this calls for judicious use of the gallery tag. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 04:45, 4 July 2006 (CDT)

::Right, I agree with you. We need to hunt down some images. I'll try Google.--[[User:Homeworld616|Homeworld616]] 12:28, 4 July 2006 (CDT)
:::We use GalacticaStation.com's episode guide's screencap gallerys for many of our day to day screencap needs. --[[User:The Merovingian|The Merovingian]] <sup>([[Special:Contributions/The Merovingian|C]] - [[Special:Editcount/The Merovingian|E]])</sup> 13:55, 4 July 2006 (CDT)

Beyond a brief mention of how Pegasus looks more advanced than Galactica, the actual place for pointing out the differences should really be under [[Mercury class battlestar]], though we're actually waiting for the Extended Version of Pegasus to come out because RDM said in the podcast that there is a scene in it where they mention some of the differences, so that's on hold till September. --[[User:The Merovingian|The Merovingian]] <sup>([[Special:Contributions/The Merovingian|C]] - [[Special:Editcount/The Merovingian|E]])</sup> 13:57, 4 July 2006 (CDT)

:I've completed the merge from a separate article on the shapes and forms to the article, also adding the Pegasus/Galactica shape question. It's from memory, so do correct with picture evidence. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 09:09, 30 July 2006 (CDT)

== TV design...an aesthetic? ==

I first realized this when [[User: Sauron18]] brought this up on the [[Channel 7 News]] article [[Talk: Channel 7 News|discussion page]]. We've technically seen three Colonial TV sets, two at Baltar's house in the [[Miniseries]] and one at Boomer's apartment in [[Downloaded]]. Both times, the TV sets were vertical rectangular screens. Would this be an aesthetic, kind of like the aversion to right angles fettish? (although, with some sense of irony, the corners for the TV sets ''are'' right angles)--[[User:Homeworld616|Homeworld616]] 06:11, 23 July 2006 (CDT)

:Ever consider the mechanical hell necessary to make a hexagonal display? In all seriousness, I think the orientation is more important than the shape; it a space conserving look. They could've placed triangles at the corners to "fake" the hex shape, but when it comes to informational displays, the Colonials appear just as rectangular as the rest of us. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 09:09, 30 July 2006 (CDT)

== Merging articles. ==

The [[Tattoo]] article has been merged. As this article is supposed to describe the Twelve Colonies' tastes and not those of the actors, references to the nature of the actor's personal tattoos has been either made a reference point or deleted to keep the article on-topic and germane.

I have also removed Dreilide Thrace from the article, replacing it with "Kara Thrace's Father," as that name is not canonical per wiki policy not to treat Sky One's biographies as canonical. A reference notes this adjustment. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 17:59, 14 October 2006 (CDT)

== Popular music ==

There is loud music playing in Boomer's apartment in "Downloaded" and some songs play in [[Joe's bar]]. This might be worth mentioning, but I don't really know what to say except "Colonial popular music is similar to modern Earth", which is kind of obvious anyways. Or we just note appearances of such music without any commentary. --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 12:17, 18 August 2007 (CDT)
: Well, one of the pieces playing in Joe's Bar is apparently something by [[Raya Yarborough]], according to [[Bear McCreary]], and it apparently came from the "Rest Stop" soundtrack. Otherwise, we should just note its appearance without commentary, since we don't know much about the pieces they've chosen. -- [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] <sup>[[User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|So say we all]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Site support|Donate]] - [http://www.sanctuarywiki.org Sanctuary Wiki — ''New'']</sup> 12:56, 18 August 2007 (CDT)

== Right Angles ==

Do we have any idea where the deal with the Colonials and right angles stems from? Is there some reason behind it or is it just a cultural quirk? {{unsigned|Rapturous}}
: It was actually a joke that went overboard... They had to cut corners in producing the Miniseries, so, well, they cut corners. It should be noted somewhere -- but it should really be noted here as well, now that you've brought the subject up. -- [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] <sup>[[User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|So say we all]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Site support|Donate]] - [http://www.sanctuarywiki.org Sanctuary Wiki — ''New'']</sup> 16:02, 15 October 2007 (CDT)
::In the Companion (see footnote 11) it's also stated that there is a production reason behind it. It was a joke, but they also felt that it would be a way to make the world a bit more different despite the similarities. --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 16:06, 15 October 2007 (CDT)
:::Danged waste of paper, cutting the corners off. In the production environment of the show, what do they do with those scraps of paper? In the context of the genre, what do the Colonials do with the scraps? Recycle them? I have to assume that a society that's learned to make space flight routine has also learned to produce only recyclable materials and to recycle everything as a matter of personal habit. [[User:Gcapp1959|Gcapp1959]] 12:53, 4 September 2008 (UTC)
::::Well, some of the production people believe that the corners are recycled, since the corners on the pages of books are typically empty and unused anyway. Not a "canon" explanation, but a reasonable one. Also, if you read Ken Hawryliw's interview on Future-Past, you can get an idea of who really came up with the idea and why. -- [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] <sup>[[User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|So say we all]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Site support|Donate]] - [[bsp:|Battlestar Pegasus]]</sup> 16:22, 1 December 2008 (UTC)

== Gina's bodyguard's tattoo ==

In the episode "[[Epiphanies]]", the bodyguard Baltar meets right before Gina has two tattoos on both of her arms. Worth mentioning here or not notable enough? I tried taking a screenshot but the tattoo keeps blurring: [http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i263/xyzzy42/snapshot20081201084715.png image].--[[User:DrWho42|DrWho42]] 15:46, 1 December 2008 (UTC)
:The tattoo is so large and detailed (even with that image) that it's more likely its a "terrestrial" tattoo and not one specifically added on the extra for the show. Helps to show how tough they are, but likely doesn't have any further meaning than, "Hey! I have a tattoo!" :) --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 03:40, 2 December 2008 (UTC)
:I'd have to agree with Spence on this one. The tattoo is just the actress's own and not applied by the makeup department. However, if there's anything jarring about it (something definitively "Earth-like" vs. "Colonial-like") then it ''might'' be worth noting. Beyond that, I don't really feel inclined to note it. -- [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] <sup>[[User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|So say we all]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Site support|Donate]] - [[bsp:|Battlestar Pegasus]]</sup> 04:10, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

==Could someone add the reference for me?==

I've expanded the last paragraph of the popular musical section to include the music heard in the V Club during the Caprica Pilot however I have no idea how to add the reference ([[http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=1903]], scroll down to the comments section. Bear's reply on May 22nd 2009). Could someone add this reference for me?

Arts and Literature of the Twelve Colonies

2010-02-26T17:48:09Z

These: /* Popular music */

:''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)]].''

The [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]], like most civilizations, have a rich historical record of '''arts and literature''' as well as other works. Their [[Government of the Twelve Colonies|democratic republic]] gives its citizens many freedoms of expression in addition to freedom of the press. Colonials have paintings, abstract designs and a variety of musical traditions.

Additionally, many functional items produced on the Colonies adhere to an aesthetic, even at a cost to efficiency.

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}

__TOC__

==Literature==

===Religion===

==== ''The Physics of Religion and Spirituality'' ====

A copy of ''The Physics of Religion and Spirituality'' is included in the package of [[Zoe Graystone]]'s personal effects that [[Natalie Stark]] gives to [[Amanda Graystone]] at [[Apollo Park]] ([[Rebirth]]).

===Political===

==== Tom Zarek's book ====

'''Tom Zarek's book''' is a political book of [[Tom Zarek]]'s beliefs, which he wrote while imprisoned. The manuscript is smuggled from his prison and published, but due to its yet-unspecified content, the book became banned in certain places throughout the Twelve Colonies, particularly the fleet academy.

During the incident on the ''[[Astral Queen]]'', Captain [[Lee Adama]] tells Zarek that he read the book and that it challenged the way he thought about things on the Colonies ([[Bastille Day]]).

==== ''My Triumphs, My Mistakes'' ====

{{mainarticle|My Triumphs, My Mistakes}}

After returning to the [[The Fleet (RDM)|The Fleet]] months after the exodus from [[New Caprica]], [[Gaius Baltar]] wrote his manifesto, in which he criticizes the Colonial government system and highlights the class factions between the "[[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]]n elite" and the lower classes in the Colonies. Much like Tom Zarek's book, Baltar's manifesto was smuggled out by his [[Alan Hughes|lawyer]] and published, despite attempts to ban and destroy the book by [[Laura Roslin]] and her supporters ("[[Dirty Hands]]", "[[The Son Also Rises]]").

===Prose===

====''Dark Day''====
Edward Prima is the author of the novel ''Dark Day''.

[[William Adama]], who had ''Dark Day'' in his personal library on ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', gives it to [[Laura Roslin]] as a gift ([[Water]]). She considers it to be "one of those classics I've never gotten around to reading." Given the context of their conversation, notably Roslin's reference to ''A Murder on Picon'', it is likely a mystery.

Roslin returns the book, to Adama's consternation, after the prognosis of her illness sharply worsens ([[Flight of the Phoenix]]).

====''The French Lieutenant's Woman''====

[[Image:The French Lieutenant's Woman.jpg|thumb|A copy of ''The French Lieutenant's Woman''.]]

'''''The French Lieutenant's Woman'''''<ref>This is likely a gaffe and never intended to be seen on screen in detail. See: [[Continuity errors (RDM)]] for additional information on this book's appearance.</ref> is part of William Adama's formidable library of books on ''Galactica''.

It is located on the shelf behind the couch in Adama's quarters ([[Black Market]]).

====''A Murder on Picon''====
'''''A Murder on Picon''''' is a mystery novel, apparently taking place on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Picon|Picon]].

[[Laura Roslin]] brought the book with her on the trip to ''[[Galactica]]'' prior to its decommissioning ceremonies ([[Miniseries]], "[[Water]]").

==== ''Blood Runs at Midnight'' ====
A mystery novel given to William Adama by President Roslin as a gift ([[A Day in the Life]]).

==== ''Love and Bullets'' ====
A murder mystery written by Nick Taylo that is set in [[Caprica City]]. Adama reads part of the book to Roslin when she lies in ''Galactica'''s [[sickbay]] to receive [[Doloxan]] treatments ([[The Ties That Bind]]).

:''See [[The Ties That Bind#Noteworthy Dialogue]] for an excerpt.''

==== ''Searider Falcon'' ====
[[Image:Searider Falcon.jpg|thumb|Adama's singed copy of ''Searider Falcon'' ([[Sine Qua Non]]).]]

Another book Adama reads to Roslin. Adama calls it a classic, and both say that it is one of their favorites ([[Escape Velocity]]). Roslin takes it with her when she visits the rebel baseship ([[Guess What's Coming to Dinner]]) and Adama finds it shortly later in a derelict Raptor that escaped from a battle with the Cylons. When Adama decides to stay behind the Fleet in a Raptor in order to find Roslin, he takes the book with him ([[Sine Qua Non]]).

:''The raft was not as seaworthy as I'd hoped. The waves repeatedly threatened to swamp it. I wasn't afraid to die. I was afraid of the emptiness that I felt inside. I couldn't feel anything. And that's what scared me. You came into my thoughts. I felt them. It felt good.''

===Poetry===

====''A Poet's Dream''====

[[Image:A Poet's Dream - Kataris - watermarked.jpg|thumb|''A Poet's Dream'', Kataris' memorable collections of poetry.]]

'''A Poet's Dream''' is a compilation of poems from the [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprican]] poet [[Kataris]]. Lieutenant [[Joe Palladino|Palladino]] owns a bound edition of this book and threatens Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] with lines from a poem within:

<blockquote>From the darkness you must fall<br />
Failed and weak, to darkness all.</blockquote>

At least one of the poems from this compilation is quite well-known amongst Colonials. [[Kara Thrace]] recognizes the above quotation, recalls from which piece it comes, and knows the poem's quality relative to his other works. [[D'Anna Biers]] identifies Palladino's copy on sight in a recording she is editing ([[Final Cut]]). Later, [[Gaius Baltar]] has a copy of this book in his cell on ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' ([[Dirty Hands]]).

===Periodicals===
*[[Aerelon Gazette]]
*[[Caprica Times]]
*[[Caprican Life]]
*[[Nymph]]
*[[Picon Star Tribune]]
*[[Scorpia Paragliding]]

===Law books===

''Caprican Criminal Codes'' is a multi-volume collection of Caprican law ([[A Day in the Life]]).

''[[Trial Tactics and Strategies]]'' and ''[[Law and Mind: The Psychology of Legal Practice]]'' are two books about the the practice of law, written by [[Joseph Adama]], [[William Adama]]'s father ("[[The Son Also Rises]]", "[[Crossroads, Part I]]").

==Visual Arts==

===Representationalist===

====Monclair====
[[Image:Monclair2.jpg|thumb|right|A Monclair original.]]
'''Monclair''' was a [[Colonial]] painter. One of his original paintings, a stylized depiction of the [[Cylon War]], adorns [[William Adama]]'s quarters on ''[[Galactica]]''. He is apparently of considerable renown, given [[Gaius Baltar]]'s impressed reaction to the piece ([[Bastille Day]]).

===== Notes =====

* In ''[[Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 4]]'' (which exists in a [[BW:SC|separate continuity]]), [[Colonial Intelligence]] agent [[Levin]] comments on the painting, noting Adama's "expensive tastes". Additionally, Levin knowingly mentions that the painting was a gift from [[Julian DiMarco]], Adama's friend and former commander.

* According to ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]'', the painting hanging in Adama's quarters was made by additional art director [[Ken Rabehl]].

<div style="clear:both;"></div>

===Abstract===

====Kara Thrace====
[[Image:Valley_of_Darkness-Starbuck_Helo.jpg||thumb|right|Abstract paintings by Kara Thrace. ]]
Between tours of duty, [[Kara Thrace]] was an enthusiastic painter. [[Karl Agathon]] is surprised to discover this side of her when they visit her apartment in [[Delphi]] ([[Valley of Darkness]]). Curiously, a specific design that Thrace has doodled as a child would be found more than two years later inside an [[Temple of Five|ancient temple]] of the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]], without Thrace or Helo understanding why she would be aware of the design ([[Rapture]]).
<br clear="both">

===Film===

====''The Tauron Line''====
'''''The Tauron Line''''' is a war film produced several decades before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]. It is possibly set during the [[Tauron Civil War]].

The plot of the film is unknown. At one point in the film, the antagonists booby-trap an item with explosives, then wait for the protagonists to pick it up and take it somewhere before detonating it. Samuel Anders uses this scene as inspiration for the [[Caprica Resistance]]'s first attack on the Cylons ([[The Plan]]).

===Tattoos===

====[[Kara Thrace]] & [[Samuel Anders]]====
[[Image:Anders and Thrace wedding tattoo.jpg|thumb|left|[[Samuel Anders]] and [[Kara Thrace]]'s wedding band.]]

Instead of wearing wedding rings, Samuel Anders and Kara Thrace<ref>Actress Katee Sackhoff has a number of personal tattoos on her body. The crew uses various means to cover or block these tattoos from view during filming, but the results are not always perfect. See the article on [[Katee Sackhoff]] for details.</ref> created tattoos on their arms that, when they embrace, form a unified circle with wings. The symbol for the colony of [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] is also in view<ref>In a TV Guide photoshoot video interview, [[Katee Sackhoff]] comments: "...the tattoos that Anders and Starbuck got when they got married and uh, it kinda looks like the Redwings sign doesn't it? Or logo, but its, um... when he's holding me the rings match up and it becomes one ring with two wings. So it's very cool there's some signs in there like the Caprica symbol and some space things and its all very intricate and very cool and the guys over at Twin Villain Tattoo down in Gastown designed it so we're all very excited about it."</ref>.

From a behind-the-scenes perspective, [[Michael Trucco]] adds that it is their wedding band, but that this is never fully explained in the show. Further, these matching tattoos are applied by the makeup department.

<br clear="all" />

==== Other ====

[[Felix Gaeta]] displays a tattoo of a rather large tiger during his interview with [[D'anna Biers]] ([[Final Cut]]). Gaeta indicated he was quite inebriated with [[ambrosia]] to minimize the pain of the tattoo.

[[Socinus]] has a tattoo of an [[Wikipedia:Aries|Aries]] design on his right arm ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]).<ref>It is not yet known if the tattoo belongs to Alonso Oyarzun or if it is purely for the character of Socinus, as both the actor was born under the sign of Aries and the character is a colonist of [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Aerelon|Aerelon]].</ref>

An unnamed [[Tattooed pilot|pilot]] has many tattoos on both upper arms, depicting a tiger and a dragon, among other things.

[[Vireem]], specialist aboard the battlestar ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', has a complex tattoo on his shoulder ([[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]])<ref>Visible on his left shoulder in the "little robot girl" sequence, apparently a Chinese-style dragon and a Chinese character over a spiral background that could be a galaxy.</ref>.

<gallery>
Image:Gaeta tiger tatoo.jpg|Gaeta's tiger tattoo.
Image:SocinusTatoo KLGp1.JPG|Socinus's tattoo.
Image:Unnamed_pilot_1.jpg|The unnamed [[tattooed pilot]].
</gallery>

==Sculpture==

In addition to the [[Arrow of Apollo]], the [[Delphi Museum of the Colonies]] contains a large collection of ancient pottery. Located in numerous display cases in the exhibit halls spanning the museum's levels, this large collection of vases, jars, pots and stone fragments form a rough outline of the Colonials' artistic history. Many of the artifacts and art pieces are quite elaborate and appear to be in the detailed Corinthian Style.

==Music==

===Dreilide Thrace===
[[Dreilide Thrace]] was a pianist. His daughter [[Kara Thrace|Kara]] kept recordings of some of his piano arrangements in her Delphi apartment ([[Valley of Darkness]]).<ref>According to ''Battlestar Galactica'' composer [[Bear McCreary]], the piece attributed to Thrace's father is actually ''Metamorphosis Five'', composed by [[Wikipedia:Philip Glass|Philip Glass]], from his 1989 album ''Solo Piano''.</ref> At some point in his career, he recorded an album, ''Dreilide Thrace: Live at the Helice Opera House'' ([[Someone to Watch Over Me]]).

===Colonial Anthem===
The [[Colonial anthem]] is heard as a short fanfare over the Viper flyby during ''Galactica's'' decommissioning ceremony and as a background music at the beginning of Baltar's television interview ([[Miniseries]]). Its third, and longer, appearance is as background music for the rousing closing speech of [[D'anna Biers]]'s documentary on the Colonial military ([[Final Cut]]).<ref>In reality, this is the [[Original Series]] theme by [[Stu Phillips]]. For "Final Cut", the piece was specially re-arranged by [[Bear McCreary]].</ref>

===Popular music===
Popular Colonial music can be heard in Boomer's apartment on Caprica in the episode "[[Downloaded]]" and in [[Joe's bar]] in "[[Taking a Break From All Your Worries]]". Another song is playing as Lee Adama enters the bar on ''[[Prometheus (ship)|Prometheus]]'' ([[Black Market]]) <ref>This is only a small part of the song that was composed for the episode by Bear McCreary. The full 5 minute long version is available on the [[Soundtrack (Season 2)|Season 2 soundtrack]].</ref>.

In addition, a popular sing-a-long song is "99 Bottles of Ambrosia"<ref>This is clearly the Colonial version of "[[w:99 Bottles of Beer|99 Bottles of Beer]]".</ref>, which [[Marcia Case]] throws out there as a recommendation after [[Kara Thrace]] comments on the humdrum of their up-until-then-uneventful search and rescue mission for a missing [[Raptor]] ([[Razor]]).

Roughly 60 Years before the Fall of the Twelve Colonies musical styles had emerged on the planets [[Caprica]] and [[Tauron]] that would later be repeated thousands of years later on the second [[Earth]]; these include Alternative Hip Hop (of which the only known artists are Tauron.) ([[The Reins of a Waterfall]]) as well as forms of Punk Rock and Dance Music ([[Caprica pilot]])

==Aesthetics==

Colonial [[Wikipedia:Aesthetics|aesthetics]] lead to an avoidance of right angles.

===Octagons===

Colonial printouts, photographs, videos, and [[Computers in the Re-imagined Series#Data discs|data discs]] are rarely rectangular; the corners are trimmed at 45 degree angles, creating snub rectangles, i.e octagons. The reasoning for this is likely based on their aversion to right angles, as rectangles are, particularly for paper, more efficient <ref>This developed out of a discussion between [[Richard Hudolin]], Ron Moore, David Eick and Michael Rymer. It was felt that cutting the corner of most documents is an easy way to make the look a bit unconventional and unfamiliar. Hudolin also states that not all documents are clipped, but that classified ones definitely are ([[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]], p.140)</ref>.

This design choice is also evident in Colonial [[Computers in the Re-imagined Series|computer systems]] with windows and menus often having clipped corners.

===Hexagons===

In the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]], hexagons feature significantly as [[dog tags]], [[Triad (RDM)|playing cards]], glass bottles and many other objects. This likely reflects both the dislike of right angles and the simplicity of polygons over curved shapes.

===Pentagons===

While not a part of Colonial society ''per se'', pentagons play a large part in the architecture of the lone Thirteenth Tribe structure encountered by the Colonials thus far, the [[Temple of Five]]. Much like the Colonials, it appears at least the ancient members of the Thirteenth Tribe were also wary of right angles.

==Architecture==

===Federal Period===

[[Image:Mini-Caprica City.jpg|thumb|right|Some Federal Period architecture in Caprica City]]
This style was mix of older and newer trends, utilizing traditional stone facades along with glass and steel. This architecture was found throughout [[Caprica City]], [[Delphi]], and other [[Unnamed cities of Caprica|unnamed cities]] prior to the Cylon attack.

Several buildings in Caprica City had the form of a pyramid, but the cultural significance of this design choice is unknown <ref>This is a reference to the [[:Image:Capricaattack.jpg|Caprica]] of the [[Original Series]], which was influenced by Egyptian mythology and symbolism.</ref>.

===Ancient Kobol===

[[Image:City of the Gods.jpg|thumb|right|Bird's eye view of the [[City of the Gods]] and its architecture]]
[[Image:Opera House ruins.jpg|thumb|right|The stone ruins of the Opera House]]
In "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]", Roslin looks at schematics for the [[City of the Gods]] on [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]]. Its buildings, such as the [[Temple]], [[Forum]], and the [[Opera House]], were made of stone and range in shape and size, and resemble classical Greco-Roman architecture.

Later, the ruins of the Opera House are seen when [[Gaius Baltar]] and others crash-land nearby. The building was made of stone and utilized decorative columns and pillars. While there, Baltar has a vision which may have represented the original appearance of the Opera House before it fell into disrepair.

===Polygonal Architecture===

Many places and objects within ''Galactica'' reflect early aesthetic choices that eschew right-angular forms. Many corridors, including ship bulkhead doors, are hexagonal. [[CIC]] elements, particularly the Command & Control Center table, the tactical station table, and even the alignment of the displays of the [[DRADIS]] console, form a hexagonal appearance.

This aesthetic appears to have waned during the construction of more advanced battlestars such as ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', which uses far fewer hexagonal shapes.<ref>The sets for ''Pegasus'' were purchased from a failed series pilot for a ''[[Wikipedia:Lost in Space|Lost in Space]]'' series remake. As such, the sets adhere to "earthly" rectangular design, and budget constraints for ''Battlestar Galactica'' likely limited any large modifications.</ref>

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

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial History]]
[[Category:Colonial History (RDM)]]
[[Category:Colonial Society]]
[[Category:Colonial Society (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]
{{featured article candidate previous}}

Arts and Literature of the Twelve Colonies

2010-02-26T17:47:36Z

These: /* Popular music */

:''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)]].''

The [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]], like most civilizations, have a rich historical record of '''arts and literature''' as well as other works. Their [[Government of the Twelve Colonies|democratic republic]] gives its citizens many freedoms of expression in addition to freedom of the press. Colonials have paintings, abstract designs and a variety of musical traditions.

Additionally, many functional items produced on the Colonies adhere to an aesthetic, even at a cost to efficiency.

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}

__TOC__

==Literature==

===Religion===

==== ''The Physics of Religion and Spirituality'' ====

A copy of ''The Physics of Religion and Spirituality'' is included in the package of [[Zoe Graystone]]'s personal effects that [[Natalie Stark]] gives to [[Amanda Graystone]] at [[Apollo Park]] ([[Rebirth]]).

===Political===

==== Tom Zarek's book ====

'''Tom Zarek's book''' is a political book of [[Tom Zarek]]'s beliefs, which he wrote while imprisoned. The manuscript is smuggled from his prison and published, but due to its yet-unspecified content, the book became banned in certain places throughout the Twelve Colonies, particularly the fleet academy.

During the incident on the ''[[Astral Queen]]'', Captain [[Lee Adama]] tells Zarek that he read the book and that it challenged the way he thought about things on the Colonies ([[Bastille Day]]).

==== ''My Triumphs, My Mistakes'' ====

{{mainarticle|My Triumphs, My Mistakes}}

After returning to the [[The Fleet (RDM)|The Fleet]] months after the exodus from [[New Caprica]], [[Gaius Baltar]] wrote his manifesto, in which he criticizes the Colonial government system and highlights the class factions between the "[[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]]n elite" and the lower classes in the Colonies. Much like Tom Zarek's book, Baltar's manifesto was smuggled out by his [[Alan Hughes|lawyer]] and published, despite attempts to ban and destroy the book by [[Laura Roslin]] and her supporters ("[[Dirty Hands]]", "[[The Son Also Rises]]").

===Prose===

====''Dark Day''====
Edward Prima is the author of the novel ''Dark Day''.

[[William Adama]], who had ''Dark Day'' in his personal library on ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', gives it to [[Laura Roslin]] as a gift ([[Water]]). She considers it to be "one of those classics I've never gotten around to reading." Given the context of their conversation, notably Roslin's reference to ''A Murder on Picon'', it is likely a mystery.

Roslin returns the book, to Adama's consternation, after the prognosis of her illness sharply worsens ([[Flight of the Phoenix]]).

====''The French Lieutenant's Woman''====

[[Image:The French Lieutenant's Woman.jpg|thumb|A copy of ''The French Lieutenant's Woman''.]]

'''''The French Lieutenant's Woman'''''<ref>This is likely a gaffe and never intended to be seen on screen in detail. See: [[Continuity errors (RDM)]] for additional information on this book's appearance.</ref> is part of William Adama's formidable library of books on ''Galactica''.

It is located on the shelf behind the couch in Adama's quarters ([[Black Market]]).

====''A Murder on Picon''====
'''''A Murder on Picon''''' is a mystery novel, apparently taking place on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Picon|Picon]].

[[Laura Roslin]] brought the book with her on the trip to ''[[Galactica]]'' prior to its decommissioning ceremonies ([[Miniseries]], "[[Water]]").

==== ''Blood Runs at Midnight'' ====
A mystery novel given to William Adama by President Roslin as a gift ([[A Day in the Life]]).

==== ''Love and Bullets'' ====
A murder mystery written by Nick Taylo that is set in [[Caprica City]]. Adama reads part of the book to Roslin when she lies in ''Galactica'''s [[sickbay]] to receive [[Doloxan]] treatments ([[The Ties That Bind]]).

:''See [[The Ties That Bind#Noteworthy Dialogue]] for an excerpt.''

==== ''Searider Falcon'' ====
[[Image:Searider Falcon.jpg|thumb|Adama's singed copy of ''Searider Falcon'' ([[Sine Qua Non]]).]]

Another book Adama reads to Roslin. Adama calls it a classic, and both say that it is one of their favorites ([[Escape Velocity]]). Roslin takes it with her when she visits the rebel baseship ([[Guess What's Coming to Dinner]]) and Adama finds it shortly later in a derelict Raptor that escaped from a battle with the Cylons. When Adama decides to stay behind the Fleet in a Raptor in order to find Roslin, he takes the book with him ([[Sine Qua Non]]).

:''The raft was not as seaworthy as I'd hoped. The waves repeatedly threatened to swamp it. I wasn't afraid to die. I was afraid of the emptiness that I felt inside. I couldn't feel anything. And that's what scared me. You came into my thoughts. I felt them. It felt good.''

===Poetry===

====''A Poet's Dream''====

[[Image:A Poet's Dream - Kataris - watermarked.jpg|thumb|''A Poet's Dream'', Kataris' memorable collections of poetry.]]

'''A Poet's Dream''' is a compilation of poems from the [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprican]] poet [[Kataris]]. Lieutenant [[Joe Palladino|Palladino]] owns a bound edition of this book and threatens Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] with lines from a poem within:

<blockquote>From the darkness you must fall<br />
Failed and weak, to darkness all.</blockquote>

At least one of the poems from this compilation is quite well-known amongst Colonials. [[Kara Thrace]] recognizes the above quotation, recalls from which piece it comes, and knows the poem's quality relative to his other works. [[D'Anna Biers]] identifies Palladino's copy on sight in a recording she is editing ([[Final Cut]]). Later, [[Gaius Baltar]] has a copy of this book in his cell on ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' ([[Dirty Hands]]).

===Periodicals===
*[[Aerelon Gazette]]
*[[Caprica Times]]
*[[Caprican Life]]
*[[Nymph]]
*[[Picon Star Tribune]]
*[[Scorpia Paragliding]]

===Law books===

''Caprican Criminal Codes'' is a multi-volume collection of Caprican law ([[A Day in the Life]]).

''[[Trial Tactics and Strategies]]'' and ''[[Law and Mind: The Psychology of Legal Practice]]'' are two books about the the practice of law, written by [[Joseph Adama]], [[William Adama]]'s father ("[[The Son Also Rises]]", "[[Crossroads, Part I]]").

==Visual Arts==

===Representationalist===

====Monclair====
[[Image:Monclair2.jpg|thumb|right|A Monclair original.]]
'''Monclair''' was a [[Colonial]] painter. One of his original paintings, a stylized depiction of the [[Cylon War]], adorns [[William Adama]]'s quarters on ''[[Galactica]]''. He is apparently of considerable renown, given [[Gaius Baltar]]'s impressed reaction to the piece ([[Bastille Day]]).

===== Notes =====

* In ''[[Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 4]]'' (which exists in a [[BW:SC|separate continuity]]), [[Colonial Intelligence]] agent [[Levin]] comments on the painting, noting Adama's "expensive tastes". Additionally, Levin knowingly mentions that the painting was a gift from [[Julian DiMarco]], Adama's friend and former commander.

* According to ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]'', the painting hanging in Adama's quarters was made by additional art director [[Ken Rabehl]].

<div style="clear:both;"></div>

===Abstract===

====Kara Thrace====
[[Image:Valley_of_Darkness-Starbuck_Helo.jpg||thumb|right|Abstract paintings by Kara Thrace. ]]
Between tours of duty, [[Kara Thrace]] was an enthusiastic painter. [[Karl Agathon]] is surprised to discover this side of her when they visit her apartment in [[Delphi]] ([[Valley of Darkness]]). Curiously, a specific design that Thrace has doodled as a child would be found more than two years later inside an [[Temple of Five|ancient temple]] of the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]], without Thrace or Helo understanding why she would be aware of the design ([[Rapture]]).
<br clear="both">

===Film===

====''The Tauron Line''====
'''''The Tauron Line''''' is a war film produced several decades before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]. It is possibly set during the [[Tauron Civil War]].

The plot of the film is unknown. At one point in the film, the antagonists booby-trap an item with explosives, then wait for the protagonists to pick it up and take it somewhere before detonating it. Samuel Anders uses this scene as inspiration for the [[Caprica Resistance]]'s first attack on the Cylons ([[The Plan]]).

===Tattoos===

====[[Kara Thrace]] & [[Samuel Anders]]====
[[Image:Anders and Thrace wedding tattoo.jpg|thumb|left|[[Samuel Anders]] and [[Kara Thrace]]'s wedding band.]]

Instead of wearing wedding rings, Samuel Anders and Kara Thrace<ref>Actress Katee Sackhoff has a number of personal tattoos on her body. The crew uses various means to cover or block these tattoos from view during filming, but the results are not always perfect. See the article on [[Katee Sackhoff]] for details.</ref> created tattoos on their arms that, when they embrace, form a unified circle with wings. The symbol for the colony of [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] is also in view<ref>In a TV Guide photoshoot video interview, [[Katee Sackhoff]] comments: "...the tattoos that Anders and Starbuck got when they got married and uh, it kinda looks like the Redwings sign doesn't it? Or logo, but its, um... when he's holding me the rings match up and it becomes one ring with two wings. So it's very cool there's some signs in there like the Caprica symbol and some space things and its all very intricate and very cool and the guys over at Twin Villain Tattoo down in Gastown designed it so we're all very excited about it."</ref>.

From a behind-the-scenes perspective, [[Michael Trucco]] adds that it is their wedding band, but that this is never fully explained in the show. Further, these matching tattoos are applied by the makeup department.

<br clear="all" />

==== Other ====

[[Felix Gaeta]] displays a tattoo of a rather large tiger during his interview with [[D'anna Biers]] ([[Final Cut]]). Gaeta indicated he was quite inebriated with [[ambrosia]] to minimize the pain of the tattoo.

[[Socinus]] has a tattoo of an [[Wikipedia:Aries|Aries]] design on his right arm ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]).<ref>It is not yet known if the tattoo belongs to Alonso Oyarzun or if it is purely for the character of Socinus, as both the actor was born under the sign of Aries and the character is a colonist of [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Aerelon|Aerelon]].</ref>

An unnamed [[Tattooed pilot|pilot]] has many tattoos on both upper arms, depicting a tiger and a dragon, among other things.

[[Vireem]], specialist aboard the battlestar ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', has a complex tattoo on his shoulder ([[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]])<ref>Visible on his left shoulder in the "little robot girl" sequence, apparently a Chinese-style dragon and a Chinese character over a spiral background that could be a galaxy.</ref>.

<gallery>
Image:Gaeta tiger tatoo.jpg|Gaeta's tiger tattoo.
Image:SocinusTatoo KLGp1.JPG|Socinus's tattoo.
Image:Unnamed_pilot_1.jpg|The unnamed [[tattooed pilot]].
</gallery>

==Sculpture==

In addition to the [[Arrow of Apollo]], the [[Delphi Museum of the Colonies]] contains a large collection of ancient pottery. Located in numerous display cases in the exhibit halls spanning the museum's levels, this large collection of vases, jars, pots and stone fragments form a rough outline of the Colonials' artistic history. Many of the artifacts and art pieces are quite elaborate and appear to be in the detailed Corinthian Style.

==Music==

===Dreilide Thrace===
[[Dreilide Thrace]] was a pianist. His daughter [[Kara Thrace|Kara]] kept recordings of some of his piano arrangements in her Delphi apartment ([[Valley of Darkness]]).<ref>According to ''Battlestar Galactica'' composer [[Bear McCreary]], the piece attributed to Thrace's father is actually ''Metamorphosis Five'', composed by [[Wikipedia:Philip Glass|Philip Glass]], from his 1989 album ''Solo Piano''.</ref> At some point in his career, he recorded an album, ''Dreilide Thrace: Live at the Helice Opera House'' ([[Someone to Watch Over Me]]).

===Colonial Anthem===
The [[Colonial anthem]] is heard as a short fanfare over the Viper flyby during ''Galactica's'' decommissioning ceremony and as a background music at the beginning of Baltar's television interview ([[Miniseries]]). Its third, and longer, appearance is as background music for the rousing closing speech of [[D'anna Biers]]'s documentary on the Colonial military ([[Final Cut]]).<ref>In reality, this is the [[Original Series]] theme by [[Stu Phillips]]. For "Final Cut", the piece was specially re-arranged by [[Bear McCreary]].</ref>

===Popular music===
Popular Colonial music can be heard in Boomer's apartment on Caprica in the episode "[[Downloaded]]" and in [[Joe's bar]] in "[[Taking a Break From All Your Worries]]". Another song is playing as Lee Adama enters the bar on ''[[Prometheus (ship)|Prometheus]]'' ([[Black Market]]) <ref>This is only a small part of the song that was composed for the episode by Bear McCreary. The full 5 minute long version is available on the [[Soundtrack (Season 2)|Season 2 soundtrack]].</ref>.

In addition, a popular sing-a-long song is "99 Bottles of Ambrosia"<ref>This is clearly the Colonial version of "[[w:99 Bottles of Beer|99 Bottles of Beer]]".</ref>, which [[Marcia Case]] throws out there as a recommendation after [[Kara Thrace]] comments on the humdrum of their up-until-then-uneventful search and rescue mission for a missing [[Raptor]] ([[Razor]]).

Roughly 60 Years before the Fall of the Twelve Colonies musical styles had emerged on the planets [[Caprica]] and [[Tauron]] that would later be repeated thousands of years later on the second [[Earth]] these include Alternative Hip Hop (of which the only known artists are Tauron.) ([[The Reins of a Waterfall]]) as well as forms of Punk Rock and Dance Music ([[Caprica pilot]])

==Aesthetics==

Colonial [[Wikipedia:Aesthetics|aesthetics]] lead to an avoidance of right angles.

===Octagons===

Colonial printouts, photographs, videos, and [[Computers in the Re-imagined Series#Data discs|data discs]] are rarely rectangular; the corners are trimmed at 45 degree angles, creating snub rectangles, i.e octagons. The reasoning for this is likely based on their aversion to right angles, as rectangles are, particularly for paper, more efficient <ref>This developed out of a discussion between [[Richard Hudolin]], Ron Moore, David Eick and Michael Rymer. It was felt that cutting the corner of most documents is an easy way to make the look a bit unconventional and unfamiliar. Hudolin also states that not all documents are clipped, but that classified ones definitely are ([[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]], p.140)</ref>.

This design choice is also evident in Colonial [[Computers in the Re-imagined Series|computer systems]] with windows and menus often having clipped corners.

===Hexagons===

In the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]], hexagons feature significantly as [[dog tags]], [[Triad (RDM)|playing cards]], glass bottles and many other objects. This likely reflects both the dislike of right angles and the simplicity of polygons over curved shapes.

===Pentagons===

While not a part of Colonial society ''per se'', pentagons play a large part in the architecture of the lone Thirteenth Tribe structure encountered by the Colonials thus far, the [[Temple of Five]]. Much like the Colonials, it appears at least the ancient members of the Thirteenth Tribe were also wary of right angles.

==Architecture==

===Federal Period===

[[Image:Mini-Caprica City.jpg|thumb|right|Some Federal Period architecture in Caprica City]]
This style was mix of older and newer trends, utilizing traditional stone facades along with glass and steel. This architecture was found throughout [[Caprica City]], [[Delphi]], and other [[Unnamed cities of Caprica|unnamed cities]] prior to the Cylon attack.

Several buildings in Caprica City had the form of a pyramid, but the cultural significance of this design choice is unknown <ref>This is a reference to the [[:Image:Capricaattack.jpg|Caprica]] of the [[Original Series]], which was influenced by Egyptian mythology and symbolism.</ref>.

===Ancient Kobol===

[[Image:City of the Gods.jpg|thumb|right|Bird's eye view of the [[City of the Gods]] and its architecture]]
[[Image:Opera House ruins.jpg|thumb|right|The stone ruins of the Opera House]]
In "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]", Roslin looks at schematics for the [[City of the Gods]] on [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]]. Its buildings, such as the [[Temple]], [[Forum]], and the [[Opera House]], were made of stone and range in shape and size, and resemble classical Greco-Roman architecture.

Later, the ruins of the Opera House are seen when [[Gaius Baltar]] and others crash-land nearby. The building was made of stone and utilized decorative columns and pillars. While there, Baltar has a vision which may have represented the original appearance of the Opera House before it fell into disrepair.

===Polygonal Architecture===

Many places and objects within ''Galactica'' reflect early aesthetic choices that eschew right-angular forms. Many corridors, including ship bulkhead doors, are hexagonal. [[CIC]] elements, particularly the Command & Control Center table, the tactical station table, and even the alignment of the displays of the [[DRADIS]] console, form a hexagonal appearance.

This aesthetic appears to have waned during the construction of more advanced battlestars such as ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', which uses far fewer hexagonal shapes.<ref>The sets for ''Pegasus'' were purchased from a failed series pilot for a ''[[Wikipedia:Lost in Space|Lost in Space]]'' series remake. As such, the sets adhere to "earthly" rectangular design, and budget constraints for ''Battlestar Galactica'' likely limited any large modifications.</ref>

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

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial History]]
[[Category:Colonial History (RDM)]]
[[Category:Colonial Society]]
[[Category:Colonial Society (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]
{{featured article candidate previous}}

Race and Ethnicity in the Twelve Colonies

2010-02-25T15:54:03Z

These: /* Sagittaron */

:''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)]].''

''At Battlestar Wiki, we recognize that race is a problematic concept without any concrete biological definition. Nevertheless, the topic of racial identity in the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] has proven of interest to many fans of the show. Therefore, this page serves to review the information available as best as possible.''

''In this article, we have chosen to indicate race by apparent region of origin, within the following broadly defined categories: European, (Sub-Saharan) African, Middle Eastern, South Asian, East Asian, and Native American / Amerindian. Where bi- or multi-racial individuals are noted, component ethnicities are listed in alphabetical order. Individuals of apparently [[Wikipedia:Mulatto|Mulatto]] and [[Wikipedia:Hispanic|Hispanic]] appearance are noted as biracial African/Europeans and biracial Amerindian/Europeans. Issues relating to the Adama family are briefly discussed in their own section at the end of the article.''

Colonials of various races appear in the in the [[Re-imagined Series]] and ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]''. As yet, no reference has been made to race, nor any allusions to racial identities or racial discrimination. Tensions between different ''colonies'' are portrayed, but there appears to be as much variation in race within colonies as there is between them. Thus, the writers use differences between the colonies, as exemplified by [[Gemenon]] and [[Sagittaron]], to mirror real-world race issues.<ref>In "[[The Woman King]]" [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] uses the term "racist" to describe the Sagittaron-hating [[Dr. Robert]]. In the ''[[Caprica pilot|Caprica]]'' pilot, [[Joseph Adama]] asks if [[Val Chambers]] is making a "racial comment" about Joseph's Tauron ancestry.</ref>

The two finalists for the part of [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] were [[Grace Park]] and [[Katee Sackhoff]], implying that, for some parts at least, the producers employed [[w:Color-blind casting|color-blind casting]]. Nevertheless, analysis of the ethnic mix of the Twelve Colonies has intrigued fans of the series.

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}__TOC__
==Race and Nationality==
In general, no clear associations have been made between particular ethnic groups and individual colonies. Furthermore, there is some evidence within the series that race and colony of origin are not strongly correlated - when Baltar attempts to guess at Boomer's place of origin in "[[Flesh and Bone]]", he comments on her accent, not her physical appearance. For more on this, see the article [[Language in the Twelve Colonies]].

It is generally accepted that the Colonials originally emigrated from a single planet (i.e. Kobol and/or Earth). This being the case, it is entirely possible that the various apparent races are reasonably homogeneously distributed across all of the Twelve Colonies (i.e. there are both European and African Sagittarons, Gemenese, etc. rather than all of the Europeans coming from one tribe/colony, all the Asians from another, etc).

What follows is a list of individuals whose colony of origin has been unambiguously identified, along with their apparent ethnicity.

===Aerelon===
*[[Sharon Valerii]] - east Asian (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]] infiltrator)
*[[Sekou Hamilton]] - African
*[[Gaius Baltar]] - European
*[[Socinus]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Saul Tigh]] - European (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)

===Canceron===
*[[Robin Wenutu]] - European

===Caprica===
*[[William Adama]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
:''The actor, Edward James Olmos, would probably be identified as "Latino", "mestizo", or "Hispanic". Olmos is a social activist working to help the Hispanic-American community, Olmos has made favorable remarks about having the opportunity to play one of the first significant Latino characters in space.''
*[[Carolanne Adama]] - European
**[[Lee Adama|Lee]] and [[Zak Adama]] - their children, see [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below.
*[[Laura Roslin]] - European
*[[Kara Thrace]] - European (Born on Picon according to Sky One; nomadic childhood; this info is not confirmed.)
*[[Aaron Doral]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[James McManus]] - European
*[[Tory Foster]] - south Asian (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)
*[[Michael Robert]] - European
*[[Daniel Graystone]] - European
*[[Amanda Graystone]] -European
*[[Zoe Graystone]] - European
*[[Lacy Rand]] - European
*[[Baxter Sarno]] - European

===Gemenon===
*[[Sarah Porter]] - African
*[[Venner]] - Mixed race, European/African
*[[Galen Tyrol]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[Rya Kibby]] - European
*[[Jurgen Belzen]] - European

===Picon===
*[[Safiya Sanne]] - east Asian (but see his article for some debate on origins)
*[[Playa Palacios]] - European
*[[Asha Janik]] - European
*[[Samuel Anders]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])

===Sagittaron===
*[[Anastasia Dualla]] - Mixed race, African/European
*[[Leon Grimes]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Tom Zarek]] - European
*[[Portia King]] - European
**[[Willie King]] - Her son, also European
*[[Jacob Cantrell]] - European
*The Sagittaron quarter of [[Camp Oil Slick]] is shown in "[[The Woman King]]" to constitute various ethnicities.
*[[Clarice Willow]] - European

===Tauron===
*[[Helena Cain]] - European
*[[Sam Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Joseph Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Shannon Adama]] - European
*[[Tamara Adama]] - Amerindian/European
*[[Guatrau]] - Amerindian
*[[Tomas Vergis]] - African (reportedly)
*a young woman at ''Backtalk With Baxter Sarno'' - Asian
*Various members of the *[[Ha'la'tha]] - Various, mostly European and Amerindian

===Virgon===
*[[Marshall Bagot]] - European

==Race and Sexuality==
:''An article dedicated to sexuality in the re-imagined series can be found at [[Sexuality in Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]].''

Interracial couplings seem common to the point of ubiquity, and have never been commented upon. It is interesting that such clearly defined racial groups continue to exist in light of this. Notable interracial couples:
*William and Caroline Adama
*[[Sharon Valerii]] and [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Sharon Agathon|Sharon]] and [[Karl Agathon]] ([[Tahmoh Penikett]], who plays Agathon, is Amerindian/European)
*Anastasia Dualla and [[Billy Keikeya]] (Keikeya is European)
*Anastasia Dualla and Lee Adama
*Tory Foster and Gaius Baltar

That being said, at least one individual, Kara Thrace, has only been shown in sexual relationships with individuals of her own race: [[Gaius Baltar]], [[Samuel Anders]], and the Adama brothers (although see the [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below regarding their ethnicity).

==The Adama Brothers==
The Miniseries received some criticism for casting [[Edward James Olmos]], a dark-skinned Latino, as [[William Adama|the father]] of [[Jamie Bamber]], a pale-skinned Englishman. These points were addressed somewhat in the first season, during which viewers are briefly introduced to both [[Carolanne Adama|Carolanne]] and [[Zak Adama]]. During a dinner party in "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]", [[Ellen Tigh]] offers her opinion that [[Lee Adama]] takes after his mother in appearance, while Zak took after his father. Since human skin pigmentation is determined by several genes which can be inherited independently, this scenario is quite plausible.

As such, it is difficult to pigeonhole the Adama brothers as being of either European descent (as Lee appears, and his actor is) or mixed Amerindian/European (as Zak appears, and his actors have been). Where relevant, it is probably best to consider them both of approximately 1/4 Amerindian and 3/4 European descent, regardless of the genetic background of the actors who played them.

In an effort to increase the resemblance between the two characters, Olmos wore blue contact eye lenses to show some genetic commonality with Bamber. Jamie Bamber also dyed his blond hair brown to more closely resemble his on-screen father.

=="Ethnic" Names==

Some characters have distinctly Indo-European personal names or surnames which span multiple "Earth" languages and their generally associated ethnic origins: these include first names such as [[James McManus|James]], [[William Adama|William]], [[Laura Roslin|Laura]], and [[Helena Cain|Helena]], and surnames like [[Emmitt Jones|Jones]], [[Daniel Novacek|Novacek]], [[Bryan Smith|Smith]], [[Brendan Costanza|Costanza]] and [[James McManus|McManus]].

Other characters have surnames that are of non-western origins, such as [[Tom Zarek|Zarek]], [[Billy Keikeya|Keikeya]], [[Royan Jahee|Jahee]] and [[Robin Wenutu|Wenutu]].

There are also ancient Greek, Roman and Hebrew names. Personal and surnames, names of locations in use, as well as names like "Adama" which are carry-overs from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]]: [[Prosna]], [[Socinus]], [[Cally Henderson|Cally]], [[Playa Palacios]], [[Sharon Valerii|Valerii]], [[Karl Agathon|Agathon]], [[Kara Thrace|Thrace]], etc.

Often these are combined: [[Sekou Hamilton]], Cally Henderson, Billy Keikeya, [[Gaius Baltar]] and William Adama.

To make matters even more complicated, these names do not correspond to either ethnic or "racial" populations among the surviving Colonial citizens, nor do they align with Colonial nationalism. Not all Sagittarons have an European personal name like "Tom" and a Hebrew surname like "Zarek" and not all dark-skinned characters have non-western first names like "Sekou". Daniel Novacek (played by [[Carl Lumbly]], an actor of Jamaican origin), for instance, has an Eastern European surname.

==Caprica and Tauron==

Despite previous assumptions about the color-blindedness of each Colony's populations, in the pilot episode of [[Caprica]], the [[Tauron (RDM)|Taurons]]- at least those associated with the Mafia-like Ha'la'tha- are cast with a look that is consistent, and which, in context, distinguishes them from the Capricans. Their "look" is consistent with William and Zak Adama. This is the first time any particular physiognomy has been implied to represent a Colony. All prominent Taurons to date, however, including Admiral Cain, have had dark hair. It is not known if this physiognomy is indicative of all Taurons, or if these characteristics are just very common among Taurons.

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

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

Race and Ethnicity in the Twelve Colonies

2010-02-25T15:48:55Z

These: /* Gemenon */

:''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)]].''

''At Battlestar Wiki, we recognize that race is a problematic concept without any concrete biological definition. Nevertheless, the topic of racial identity in the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] has proven of interest to many fans of the show. Therefore, this page serves to review the information available as best as possible.''

''In this article, we have chosen to indicate race by apparent region of origin, within the following broadly defined categories: European, (Sub-Saharan) African, Middle Eastern, South Asian, East Asian, and Native American / Amerindian. Where bi- or multi-racial individuals are noted, component ethnicities are listed in alphabetical order. Individuals of apparently [[Wikipedia:Mulatto|Mulatto]] and [[Wikipedia:Hispanic|Hispanic]] appearance are noted as biracial African/Europeans and biracial Amerindian/Europeans. Issues relating to the Adama family are briefly discussed in their own section at the end of the article.''

Colonials of various races appear in the in the [[Re-imagined Series]] and ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]''. As yet, no reference has been made to race, nor any allusions to racial identities or racial discrimination. Tensions between different ''colonies'' are portrayed, but there appears to be as much variation in race within colonies as there is between them. Thus, the writers use differences between the colonies, as exemplified by [[Gemenon]] and [[Sagittaron]], to mirror real-world race issues.<ref>In "[[The Woman King]]" [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] uses the term "racist" to describe the Sagittaron-hating [[Dr. Robert]]. In the ''[[Caprica pilot|Caprica]]'' pilot, [[Joseph Adama]] asks if [[Val Chambers]] is making a "racial comment" about Joseph's Tauron ancestry.</ref>

The two finalists for the part of [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] were [[Grace Park]] and [[Katee Sackhoff]], implying that, for some parts at least, the producers employed [[w:Color-blind casting|color-blind casting]]. Nevertheless, analysis of the ethnic mix of the Twelve Colonies has intrigued fans of the series.

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}__TOC__
==Race and Nationality==
In general, no clear associations have been made between particular ethnic groups and individual colonies. Furthermore, there is some evidence within the series that race and colony of origin are not strongly correlated - when Baltar attempts to guess at Boomer's place of origin in "[[Flesh and Bone]]", he comments on her accent, not her physical appearance. For more on this, see the article [[Language in the Twelve Colonies]].

It is generally accepted that the Colonials originally emigrated from a single planet (i.e. Kobol and/or Earth). This being the case, it is entirely possible that the various apparent races are reasonably homogeneously distributed across all of the Twelve Colonies (i.e. there are both European and African Sagittarons, Gemenese, etc. rather than all of the Europeans coming from one tribe/colony, all the Asians from another, etc).

What follows is a list of individuals whose colony of origin has been unambiguously identified, along with their apparent ethnicity.

===Aerelon===
*[[Sharon Valerii]] - east Asian (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]] infiltrator)
*[[Sekou Hamilton]] - African
*[[Gaius Baltar]] - European
*[[Socinus]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Saul Tigh]] - European (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)

===Canceron===
*[[Robin Wenutu]] - European

===Caprica===
*[[William Adama]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
:''The actor, Edward James Olmos, would probably be identified as "Latino", "mestizo", or "Hispanic". Olmos is a social activist working to help the Hispanic-American community, Olmos has made favorable remarks about having the opportunity to play one of the first significant Latino characters in space.''
*[[Carolanne Adama]] - European
**[[Lee Adama|Lee]] and [[Zak Adama]] - their children, see [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below.
*[[Laura Roslin]] - European
*[[Kara Thrace]] - European (Born on Picon according to Sky One; nomadic childhood; this info is not confirmed.)
*[[Aaron Doral]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[James McManus]] - European
*[[Tory Foster]] - south Asian (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)
*[[Michael Robert]] - European
*[[Daniel Graystone]] - European
*[[Amanda Graystone]] -European
*[[Zoe Graystone]] - European
*[[Lacy Rand]] - European
*[[Baxter Sarno]] - European

===Gemenon===
*[[Sarah Porter]] - African
*[[Venner]] - Mixed race, European/African
*[[Galen Tyrol]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[Rya Kibby]] - European
*[[Jurgen Belzen]] - European

===Picon===
*[[Safiya Sanne]] - east Asian (but see his article for some debate on origins)
*[[Playa Palacios]] - European
*[[Asha Janik]] - European
*[[Samuel Anders]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])

===Sagittaron===
*[[Anastasia Dualla]] - Mixed race, African/European
*[[Leon Grimes]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Tom Zarek]] - European
*[[Portia King]] - European
**[[Willie King]] - Her son, also European
*[[Jacob Cantrell]] - European
*The Sagittaron quarter of [[Camp Oil Slick]] is shown in "[[The Woman King]]" to constitute various ethnicities.

===Tauron===
*[[Helena Cain]] - European
*[[Sam Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Joseph Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Shannon Adama]] - European
*[[Tamara Adama]] - Amerindian/European
*[[Guatrau]] - Amerindian
*[[Tomas Vergis]] - African (reportedly)
*a young woman at ''Backtalk With Baxter Sarno'' - Asian
*Various members of the *[[Ha'la'tha]] - Various, mostly European and Amerindian

===Virgon===
*[[Marshall Bagot]] - European

==Race and Sexuality==
:''An article dedicated to sexuality in the re-imagined series can be found at [[Sexuality in Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]].''

Interracial couplings seem common to the point of ubiquity, and have never been commented upon. It is interesting that such clearly defined racial groups continue to exist in light of this. Notable interracial couples:
*William and Caroline Adama
*[[Sharon Valerii]] and [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Sharon Agathon|Sharon]] and [[Karl Agathon]] ([[Tahmoh Penikett]], who plays Agathon, is Amerindian/European)
*Anastasia Dualla and [[Billy Keikeya]] (Keikeya is European)
*Anastasia Dualla and Lee Adama
*Tory Foster and Gaius Baltar

That being said, at least one individual, Kara Thrace, has only been shown in sexual relationships with individuals of her own race: [[Gaius Baltar]], [[Samuel Anders]], and the Adama brothers (although see the [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below regarding their ethnicity).

==The Adama Brothers==
The Miniseries received some criticism for casting [[Edward James Olmos]], a dark-skinned Latino, as [[William Adama|the father]] of [[Jamie Bamber]], a pale-skinned Englishman. These points were addressed somewhat in the first season, during which viewers are briefly introduced to both [[Carolanne Adama|Carolanne]] and [[Zak Adama]]. During a dinner party in "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]", [[Ellen Tigh]] offers her opinion that [[Lee Adama]] takes after his mother in appearance, while Zak took after his father. Since human skin pigmentation is determined by several genes which can be inherited independently, this scenario is quite plausible.

As such, it is difficult to pigeonhole the Adama brothers as being of either European descent (as Lee appears, and his actor is) or mixed Amerindian/European (as Zak appears, and his actors have been). Where relevant, it is probably best to consider them both of approximately 1/4 Amerindian and 3/4 European descent, regardless of the genetic background of the actors who played them.

In an effort to increase the resemblance between the two characters, Olmos wore blue contact eye lenses to show some genetic commonality with Bamber. Jamie Bamber also dyed his blond hair brown to more closely resemble his on-screen father.

=="Ethnic" Names==

Some characters have distinctly Indo-European personal names or surnames which span multiple "Earth" languages and their generally associated ethnic origins: these include first names such as [[James McManus|James]], [[William Adama|William]], [[Laura Roslin|Laura]], and [[Helena Cain|Helena]], and surnames like [[Emmitt Jones|Jones]], [[Daniel Novacek|Novacek]], [[Bryan Smith|Smith]], [[Brendan Costanza|Costanza]] and [[James McManus|McManus]].

Other characters have surnames that are of non-western origins, such as [[Tom Zarek|Zarek]], [[Billy Keikeya|Keikeya]], [[Royan Jahee|Jahee]] and [[Robin Wenutu|Wenutu]].

There are also ancient Greek, Roman and Hebrew names. Personal and surnames, names of locations in use, as well as names like "Adama" which are carry-overs from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]]: [[Prosna]], [[Socinus]], [[Cally Henderson|Cally]], [[Playa Palacios]], [[Sharon Valerii|Valerii]], [[Karl Agathon|Agathon]], [[Kara Thrace|Thrace]], etc.

Often these are combined: [[Sekou Hamilton]], Cally Henderson, Billy Keikeya, [[Gaius Baltar]] and William Adama.

To make matters even more complicated, these names do not correspond to either ethnic or "racial" populations among the surviving Colonial citizens, nor do they align with Colonial nationalism. Not all Sagittarons have an European personal name like "Tom" and a Hebrew surname like "Zarek" and not all dark-skinned characters have non-western first names like "Sekou". Daniel Novacek (played by [[Carl Lumbly]], an actor of Jamaican origin), for instance, has an Eastern European surname.

==Caprica and Tauron==

Despite previous assumptions about the color-blindedness of each Colony's populations, in the pilot episode of [[Caprica]], the [[Tauron (RDM)|Taurons]]- at least those associated with the Mafia-like Ha'la'tha- are cast with a look that is consistent, and which, in context, distinguishes them from the Capricans. Their "look" is consistent with William and Zak Adama. This is the first time any particular physiognomy has been implied to represent a Colony. All prominent Taurons to date, however, including Admiral Cain, have had dark hair. It is not known if this physiognomy is indicative of all Taurons, or if these characteristics are just very common among Taurons.

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

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

Race and Ethnicity in the Twelve Colonies

2010-02-25T15:45:27Z

These: /* Tauron */

:''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)]].''

''At Battlestar Wiki, we recognize that race is a problematic concept without any concrete biological definition. Nevertheless, the topic of racial identity in the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] has proven of interest to many fans of the show. Therefore, this page serves to review the information available as best as possible.''

''In this article, we have chosen to indicate race by apparent region of origin, within the following broadly defined categories: European, (Sub-Saharan) African, Middle Eastern, South Asian, East Asian, and Native American / Amerindian. Where bi- or multi-racial individuals are noted, component ethnicities are listed in alphabetical order. Individuals of apparently [[Wikipedia:Mulatto|Mulatto]] and [[Wikipedia:Hispanic|Hispanic]] appearance are noted as biracial African/Europeans and biracial Amerindian/Europeans. Issues relating to the Adama family are briefly discussed in their own section at the end of the article.''

Colonials of various races appear in the in the [[Re-imagined Series]] and ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]''. As yet, no reference has been made to race, nor any allusions to racial identities or racial discrimination. Tensions between different ''colonies'' are portrayed, but there appears to be as much variation in race within colonies as there is between them. Thus, the writers use differences between the colonies, as exemplified by [[Gemenon]] and [[Sagittaron]], to mirror real-world race issues.<ref>In "[[The Woman King]]" [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] uses the term "racist" to describe the Sagittaron-hating [[Dr. Robert]]. In the ''[[Caprica pilot|Caprica]]'' pilot, [[Joseph Adama]] asks if [[Val Chambers]] is making a "racial comment" about Joseph's Tauron ancestry.</ref>

The two finalists for the part of [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] were [[Grace Park]] and [[Katee Sackhoff]], implying that, for some parts at least, the producers employed [[w:Color-blind casting|color-blind casting]]. Nevertheless, analysis of the ethnic mix of the Twelve Colonies has intrigued fans of the series.

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}__TOC__
==Race and Nationality==
In general, no clear associations have been made between particular ethnic groups and individual colonies. Furthermore, there is some evidence within the series that race and colony of origin are not strongly correlated - when Baltar attempts to guess at Boomer's place of origin in "[[Flesh and Bone]]", he comments on her accent, not her physical appearance. For more on this, see the article [[Language in the Twelve Colonies]].

It is generally accepted that the Colonials originally emigrated from a single planet (i.e. Kobol and/or Earth). This being the case, it is entirely possible that the various apparent races are reasonably homogeneously distributed across all of the Twelve Colonies (i.e. there are both European and African Sagittarons, Gemenese, etc. rather than all of the Europeans coming from one tribe/colony, all the Asians from another, etc).

What follows is a list of individuals whose colony of origin has been unambiguously identified, along with their apparent ethnicity.

===Aerelon===
*[[Sharon Valerii]] - east Asian (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]] infiltrator)
*[[Sekou Hamilton]] - African
*[[Gaius Baltar]] - European
*[[Socinus]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Saul Tigh]] - European (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)

===Canceron===
*[[Robin Wenutu]] - European

===Caprica===
*[[William Adama]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
:''The actor, Edward James Olmos, would probably be identified as "Latino", "mestizo", or "Hispanic". Olmos is a social activist working to help the Hispanic-American community, Olmos has made favorable remarks about having the opportunity to play one of the first significant Latino characters in space.''
*[[Carolanne Adama]] - European
**[[Lee Adama|Lee]] and [[Zak Adama]] - their children, see [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below.
*[[Laura Roslin]] - European
*[[Kara Thrace]] - European (Born on Picon according to Sky One; nomadic childhood; this info is not confirmed.)
*[[Aaron Doral]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[James McManus]] - European
*[[Tory Foster]] - south Asian (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)
*[[Michael Robert]] - European
*[[Daniel Graystone]] - European
*[[Amanda Graystone]] -European
*[[Zoe Graystone]] - European
*[[Lacy Rand]] - European
*[[Baxter Sarno]] - European

===Gemenon===
*[[Sarah Porter]] - African
*[[Venner]] - Mixed race, European/African
*[[Galen Tyrol]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[Rya Kibby]] - European

===Picon===
*[[Safiya Sanne]] - east Asian (but see his article for some debate on origins)
*[[Playa Palacios]] - European
*[[Asha Janik]] - European
*[[Samuel Anders]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])

===Sagittaron===
*[[Anastasia Dualla]] - Mixed race, African/European
*[[Leon Grimes]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Tom Zarek]] - European
*[[Portia King]] - European
**[[Willie King]] - Her son, also European
*[[Jacob Cantrell]] - European
*The Sagittaron quarter of [[Camp Oil Slick]] is shown in "[[The Woman King]]" to constitute various ethnicities.

===Tauron===
*[[Helena Cain]] - European
*[[Sam Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Joseph Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Shannon Adama]] - European
*[[Tamara Adama]] - Amerindian/European
*[[Guatrau]] - Amerindian
*[[Tomas Vergis]] - African (reportedly)
*a young woman at ''Backtalk With Baxter Sarno'' - Asian
*Various members of the *[[Ha'la'tha]] - Various, mostly European and Amerindian

===Virgon===
*[[Marshall Bagot]] - European

==Race and Sexuality==
:''An article dedicated to sexuality in the re-imagined series can be found at [[Sexuality in Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]].''

Interracial couplings seem common to the point of ubiquity, and have never been commented upon. It is interesting that such clearly defined racial groups continue to exist in light of this. Notable interracial couples:
*William and Caroline Adama
*[[Sharon Valerii]] and [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Sharon Agathon|Sharon]] and [[Karl Agathon]] ([[Tahmoh Penikett]], who plays Agathon, is Amerindian/European)
*Anastasia Dualla and [[Billy Keikeya]] (Keikeya is European)
*Anastasia Dualla and Lee Adama
*Tory Foster and Gaius Baltar

That being said, at least one individual, Kara Thrace, has only been shown in sexual relationships with individuals of her own race: [[Gaius Baltar]], [[Samuel Anders]], and the Adama brothers (although see the [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below regarding their ethnicity).

==The Adama Brothers==
The Miniseries received some criticism for casting [[Edward James Olmos]], a dark-skinned Latino, as [[William Adama|the father]] of [[Jamie Bamber]], a pale-skinned Englishman. These points were addressed somewhat in the first season, during which viewers are briefly introduced to both [[Carolanne Adama|Carolanne]] and [[Zak Adama]]. During a dinner party in "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]", [[Ellen Tigh]] offers her opinion that [[Lee Adama]] takes after his mother in appearance, while Zak took after his father. Since human skin pigmentation is determined by several genes which can be inherited independently, this scenario is quite plausible.

As such, it is difficult to pigeonhole the Adama brothers as being of either European descent (as Lee appears, and his actor is) or mixed Amerindian/European (as Zak appears, and his actors have been). Where relevant, it is probably best to consider them both of approximately 1/4 Amerindian and 3/4 European descent, regardless of the genetic background of the actors who played them.

In an effort to increase the resemblance between the two characters, Olmos wore blue contact eye lenses to show some genetic commonality with Bamber. Jamie Bamber also dyed his blond hair brown to more closely resemble his on-screen father.

=="Ethnic" Names==

Some characters have distinctly Indo-European personal names or surnames which span multiple "Earth" languages and their generally associated ethnic origins: these include first names such as [[James McManus|James]], [[William Adama|William]], [[Laura Roslin|Laura]], and [[Helena Cain|Helena]], and surnames like [[Emmitt Jones|Jones]], [[Daniel Novacek|Novacek]], [[Bryan Smith|Smith]], [[Brendan Costanza|Costanza]] and [[James McManus|McManus]].

Other characters have surnames that are of non-western origins, such as [[Tom Zarek|Zarek]], [[Billy Keikeya|Keikeya]], [[Royan Jahee|Jahee]] and [[Robin Wenutu|Wenutu]].

There are also ancient Greek, Roman and Hebrew names. Personal and surnames, names of locations in use, as well as names like "Adama" which are carry-overs from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]]: [[Prosna]], [[Socinus]], [[Cally Henderson|Cally]], [[Playa Palacios]], [[Sharon Valerii|Valerii]], [[Karl Agathon|Agathon]], [[Kara Thrace|Thrace]], etc.

Often these are combined: [[Sekou Hamilton]], Cally Henderson, Billy Keikeya, [[Gaius Baltar]] and William Adama.

To make matters even more complicated, these names do not correspond to either ethnic or "racial" populations among the surviving Colonial citizens, nor do they align with Colonial nationalism. Not all Sagittarons have an European personal name like "Tom" and a Hebrew surname like "Zarek" and not all dark-skinned characters have non-western first names like "Sekou". Daniel Novacek (played by [[Carl Lumbly]], an actor of Jamaican origin), for instance, has an Eastern European surname.

==Caprica and Tauron==

Despite previous assumptions about the color-blindedness of each Colony's populations, in the pilot episode of [[Caprica]], the [[Tauron (RDM)|Taurons]]- at least those associated with the Mafia-like Ha'la'tha- are cast with a look that is consistent, and which, in context, distinguishes them from the Capricans. Their "look" is consistent with William and Zak Adama. This is the first time any particular physiognomy has been implied to represent a Colony. All prominent Taurons to date, however, including Admiral Cain, have had dark hair. It is not known if this physiognomy is indicative of all Taurons, or if these characteristics are just very common among Taurons.

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

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

Race and Ethnicity in the Twelve Colonies

2010-02-25T15:44:55Z

These: /* Tauron */

:''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)]].''

''At Battlestar Wiki, we recognize that race is a problematic concept without any concrete biological definition. Nevertheless, the topic of racial identity in the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] has proven of interest to many fans of the show. Therefore, this page serves to review the information available as best as possible.''

''In this article, we have chosen to indicate race by apparent region of origin, within the following broadly defined categories: European, (Sub-Saharan) African, Middle Eastern, South Asian, East Asian, and Native American / Amerindian. Where bi- or multi-racial individuals are noted, component ethnicities are listed in alphabetical order. Individuals of apparently [[Wikipedia:Mulatto|Mulatto]] and [[Wikipedia:Hispanic|Hispanic]] appearance are noted as biracial African/Europeans and biracial Amerindian/Europeans. Issues relating to the Adama family are briefly discussed in their own section at the end of the article.''

Colonials of various races appear in the in the [[Re-imagined Series]] and ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]''. As yet, no reference has been made to race, nor any allusions to racial identities or racial discrimination. Tensions between different ''colonies'' are portrayed, but there appears to be as much variation in race within colonies as there is between them. Thus, the writers use differences between the colonies, as exemplified by [[Gemenon]] and [[Sagittaron]], to mirror real-world race issues.<ref>In "[[The Woman King]]" [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] uses the term "racist" to describe the Sagittaron-hating [[Dr. Robert]]. In the ''[[Caprica pilot|Caprica]]'' pilot, [[Joseph Adama]] asks if [[Val Chambers]] is making a "racial comment" about Joseph's Tauron ancestry.</ref>

The two finalists for the part of [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] were [[Grace Park]] and [[Katee Sackhoff]], implying that, for some parts at least, the producers employed [[w:Color-blind casting|color-blind casting]]. Nevertheless, analysis of the ethnic mix of the Twelve Colonies has intrigued fans of the series.

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}__TOC__
==Race and Nationality==
In general, no clear associations have been made between particular ethnic groups and individual colonies. Furthermore, there is some evidence within the series that race and colony of origin are not strongly correlated - when Baltar attempts to guess at Boomer's place of origin in "[[Flesh and Bone]]", he comments on her accent, not her physical appearance. For more on this, see the article [[Language in the Twelve Colonies]].

It is generally accepted that the Colonials originally emigrated from a single planet (i.e. Kobol and/or Earth). This being the case, it is entirely possible that the various apparent races are reasonably homogeneously distributed across all of the Twelve Colonies (i.e. there are both European and African Sagittarons, Gemenese, etc. rather than all of the Europeans coming from one tribe/colony, all the Asians from another, etc).

What follows is a list of individuals whose colony of origin has been unambiguously identified, along with their apparent ethnicity.

===Aerelon===
*[[Sharon Valerii]] - east Asian (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]] infiltrator)
*[[Sekou Hamilton]] - African
*[[Gaius Baltar]] - European
*[[Socinus]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Saul Tigh]] - European (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)

===Canceron===
*[[Robin Wenutu]] - European

===Caprica===
*[[William Adama]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
:''The actor, Edward James Olmos, would probably be identified as "Latino", "mestizo", or "Hispanic". Olmos is a social activist working to help the Hispanic-American community, Olmos has made favorable remarks about having the opportunity to play one of the first significant Latino characters in space.''
*[[Carolanne Adama]] - European
**[[Lee Adama|Lee]] and [[Zak Adama]] - their children, see [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below.
*[[Laura Roslin]] - European
*[[Kara Thrace]] - European (Born on Picon according to Sky One; nomadic childhood; this info is not confirmed.)
*[[Aaron Doral]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[James McManus]] - European
*[[Tory Foster]] - south Asian (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)
*[[Michael Robert]] - European
*[[Daniel Graystone]] - European
*[[Amanda Graystone]] -European
*[[Zoe Graystone]] - European
*[[Lacy Rand]] - European
*[[Baxter Sarno]] - European

===Gemenon===
*[[Sarah Porter]] - African
*[[Venner]] - Mixed race, European/African
*[[Galen Tyrol]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[Rya Kibby]] - European

===Picon===
*[[Safiya Sanne]] - east Asian (but see his article for some debate on origins)
*[[Playa Palacios]] - European
*[[Asha Janik]] - European
*[[Samuel Anders]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])

===Sagittaron===
*[[Anastasia Dualla]] - Mixed race, African/European
*[[Leon Grimes]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Tom Zarek]] - European
*[[Portia King]] - European
**[[Willie King]] - Her son, also European
*[[Jacob Cantrell]] - European
*The Sagittaron quarter of [[Camp Oil Slick]] is shown in "[[The Woman King]]" to constitute various ethnicities.

===Tauron===
*[[Helena Cain]] - European
*[[Sam Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Joseph Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Shannon Adama]] - European
*[[Tamara Adama]] - Amerindian/European
*[[Guatrau]] - Amerindian
*[[Tomas Vergis]] - African (reportedly)
*a young woman at ''Backtalk With Baxter Sarno'' - Asian
Various members of the *[[Ha'la'tha]] - Various, mostly European and Amerindian

===Virgon===
*[[Marshall Bagot]] - European

==Race and Sexuality==
:''An article dedicated to sexuality in the re-imagined series can be found at [[Sexuality in Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]].''

Interracial couplings seem common to the point of ubiquity, and have never been commented upon. It is interesting that such clearly defined racial groups continue to exist in light of this. Notable interracial couples:
*William and Caroline Adama
*[[Sharon Valerii]] and [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Sharon Agathon|Sharon]] and [[Karl Agathon]] ([[Tahmoh Penikett]], who plays Agathon, is Amerindian/European)
*Anastasia Dualla and [[Billy Keikeya]] (Keikeya is European)
*Anastasia Dualla and Lee Adama
*Tory Foster and Gaius Baltar

That being said, at least one individual, Kara Thrace, has only been shown in sexual relationships with individuals of her own race: [[Gaius Baltar]], [[Samuel Anders]], and the Adama brothers (although see the [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below regarding their ethnicity).

==The Adama Brothers==
The Miniseries received some criticism for casting [[Edward James Olmos]], a dark-skinned Latino, as [[William Adama|the father]] of [[Jamie Bamber]], a pale-skinned Englishman. These points were addressed somewhat in the first season, during which viewers are briefly introduced to both [[Carolanne Adama|Carolanne]] and [[Zak Adama]]. During a dinner party in "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]", [[Ellen Tigh]] offers her opinion that [[Lee Adama]] takes after his mother in appearance, while Zak took after his father. Since human skin pigmentation is determined by several genes which can be inherited independently, this scenario is quite plausible.

As such, it is difficult to pigeonhole the Adama brothers as being of either European descent (as Lee appears, and his actor is) or mixed Amerindian/European (as Zak appears, and his actors have been). Where relevant, it is probably best to consider them both of approximately 1/4 Amerindian and 3/4 European descent, regardless of the genetic background of the actors who played them.

In an effort to increase the resemblance between the two characters, Olmos wore blue contact eye lenses to show some genetic commonality with Bamber. Jamie Bamber also dyed his blond hair brown to more closely resemble his on-screen father.

=="Ethnic" Names==

Some characters have distinctly Indo-European personal names or surnames which span multiple "Earth" languages and their generally associated ethnic origins: these include first names such as [[James McManus|James]], [[William Adama|William]], [[Laura Roslin|Laura]], and [[Helena Cain|Helena]], and surnames like [[Emmitt Jones|Jones]], [[Daniel Novacek|Novacek]], [[Bryan Smith|Smith]], [[Brendan Costanza|Costanza]] and [[James McManus|McManus]].

Other characters have surnames that are of non-western origins, such as [[Tom Zarek|Zarek]], [[Billy Keikeya|Keikeya]], [[Royan Jahee|Jahee]] and [[Robin Wenutu|Wenutu]].

There are also ancient Greek, Roman and Hebrew names. Personal and surnames, names of locations in use, as well as names like "Adama" which are carry-overs from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]]: [[Prosna]], [[Socinus]], [[Cally Henderson|Cally]], [[Playa Palacios]], [[Sharon Valerii|Valerii]], [[Karl Agathon|Agathon]], [[Kara Thrace|Thrace]], etc.

Often these are combined: [[Sekou Hamilton]], Cally Henderson, Billy Keikeya, [[Gaius Baltar]] and William Adama.

To make matters even more complicated, these names do not correspond to either ethnic or "racial" populations among the surviving Colonial citizens, nor do they align with Colonial nationalism. Not all Sagittarons have an European personal name like "Tom" and a Hebrew surname like "Zarek" and not all dark-skinned characters have non-western first names like "Sekou". Daniel Novacek (played by [[Carl Lumbly]], an actor of Jamaican origin), for instance, has an Eastern European surname.

==Caprica and Tauron==

Despite previous assumptions about the color-blindedness of each Colony's populations, in the pilot episode of [[Caprica]], the [[Tauron (RDM)|Taurons]]- at least those associated with the Mafia-like Ha'la'tha- are cast with a look that is consistent, and which, in context, distinguishes them from the Capricans. Their "look" is consistent with William and Zak Adama. This is the first time any particular physiognomy has been implied to represent a Colony. All prominent Taurons to date, however, including Admiral Cain, have had dark hair. It is not known if this physiognomy is indicative of all Taurons, or if these characteristics are just very common among Taurons.

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

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

Race and Ethnicity in the Twelve Colonies

2010-02-25T15:43:57Z

These: /* Tauron */

:''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)]].''

''At Battlestar Wiki, we recognize that race is a problematic concept without any concrete biological definition. Nevertheless, the topic of racial identity in the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] has proven of interest to many fans of the show. Therefore, this page serves to review the information available as best as possible.''

''In this article, we have chosen to indicate race by apparent region of origin, within the following broadly defined categories: European, (Sub-Saharan) African, Middle Eastern, South Asian, East Asian, and Native American / Amerindian. Where bi- or multi-racial individuals are noted, component ethnicities are listed in alphabetical order. Individuals of apparently [[Wikipedia:Mulatto|Mulatto]] and [[Wikipedia:Hispanic|Hispanic]] appearance are noted as biracial African/Europeans and biracial Amerindian/Europeans. Issues relating to the Adama family are briefly discussed in their own section at the end of the article.''

Colonials of various races appear in the in the [[Re-imagined Series]] and ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]''. As yet, no reference has been made to race, nor any allusions to racial identities or racial discrimination. Tensions between different ''colonies'' are portrayed, but there appears to be as much variation in race within colonies as there is between them. Thus, the writers use differences between the colonies, as exemplified by [[Gemenon]] and [[Sagittaron]], to mirror real-world race issues.<ref>In "[[The Woman King]]" [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] uses the term "racist" to describe the Sagittaron-hating [[Dr. Robert]]. In the ''[[Caprica pilot|Caprica]]'' pilot, [[Joseph Adama]] asks if [[Val Chambers]] is making a "racial comment" about Joseph's Tauron ancestry.</ref>

The two finalists for the part of [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] were [[Grace Park]] and [[Katee Sackhoff]], implying that, for some parts at least, the producers employed [[w:Color-blind casting|color-blind casting]]. Nevertheless, analysis of the ethnic mix of the Twelve Colonies has intrigued fans of the series.

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}__TOC__
==Race and Nationality==
In general, no clear associations have been made between particular ethnic groups and individual colonies. Furthermore, there is some evidence within the series that race and colony of origin are not strongly correlated - when Baltar attempts to guess at Boomer's place of origin in "[[Flesh and Bone]]", he comments on her accent, not her physical appearance. For more on this, see the article [[Language in the Twelve Colonies]].

It is generally accepted that the Colonials originally emigrated from a single planet (i.e. Kobol and/or Earth). This being the case, it is entirely possible that the various apparent races are reasonably homogeneously distributed across all of the Twelve Colonies (i.e. there are both European and African Sagittarons, Gemenese, etc. rather than all of the Europeans coming from one tribe/colony, all the Asians from another, etc).

What follows is a list of individuals whose colony of origin has been unambiguously identified, along with their apparent ethnicity.

===Aerelon===
*[[Sharon Valerii]] - east Asian (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]] infiltrator)
*[[Sekou Hamilton]] - African
*[[Gaius Baltar]] - European
*[[Socinus]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Saul Tigh]] - European (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)

===Canceron===
*[[Robin Wenutu]] - European

===Caprica===
*[[William Adama]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
:''The actor, Edward James Olmos, would probably be identified as "Latino", "mestizo", or "Hispanic". Olmos is a social activist working to help the Hispanic-American community, Olmos has made favorable remarks about having the opportunity to play one of the first significant Latino characters in space.''
*[[Carolanne Adama]] - European
**[[Lee Adama|Lee]] and [[Zak Adama]] - their children, see [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below.
*[[Laura Roslin]] - European
*[[Kara Thrace]] - European (Born on Picon according to Sky One; nomadic childhood; this info is not confirmed.)
*[[Aaron Doral]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[James McManus]] - European
*[[Tory Foster]] - south Asian (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)
*[[Michael Robert]] - European
*[[Daniel Graystone]] - European
*[[Amanda Graystone]] -European
*[[Zoe Graystone]] - European
*[[Lacy Rand]] - European
*[[Baxter Sarno]] - European

===Gemenon===
*[[Sarah Porter]] - African
*[[Venner]] - Mixed race, European/African
*[[Galen Tyrol]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[Rya Kibby]] - European

===Picon===
*[[Safiya Sanne]] - east Asian (but see his article for some debate on origins)
*[[Playa Palacios]] - European
*[[Asha Janik]] - European
*[[Samuel Anders]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])

===Sagittaron===
*[[Anastasia Dualla]] - Mixed race, African/European
*[[Leon Grimes]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Tom Zarek]] - European
*[[Portia King]] - European
**[[Willie King]] - Her son, also European
*[[Jacob Cantrell]] - European
*The Sagittaron quarter of [[Camp Oil Slick]] is shown in "[[The Woman King]]" to constitute various ethnicities.

===Tauron===
*[[Helena Cain]] - European
*[[Sam Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Joseph Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Shannon Adama]] - European
*[[Tamara Adama]] - Amerindian/European
*[[Guatrau]] - Amerindian
*[[Tomas Vergis]] - African (reportedly)
*a young woman at ''Backtalk With Baxter Sarno'' - Asian
Various members of the *[[Ha'La'Tha]] - Various, mostly European and Amerindian

===Virgon===
*[[Marshall Bagot]] - European

==Race and Sexuality==
:''An article dedicated to sexuality in the re-imagined series can be found at [[Sexuality in Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]].''

Interracial couplings seem common to the point of ubiquity, and have never been commented upon. It is interesting that such clearly defined racial groups continue to exist in light of this. Notable interracial couples:
*William and Caroline Adama
*[[Sharon Valerii]] and [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Sharon Agathon|Sharon]] and [[Karl Agathon]] ([[Tahmoh Penikett]], who plays Agathon, is Amerindian/European)
*Anastasia Dualla and [[Billy Keikeya]] (Keikeya is European)
*Anastasia Dualla and Lee Adama
*Tory Foster and Gaius Baltar

That being said, at least one individual, Kara Thrace, has only been shown in sexual relationships with individuals of her own race: [[Gaius Baltar]], [[Samuel Anders]], and the Adama brothers (although see the [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below regarding their ethnicity).

==The Adama Brothers==
The Miniseries received some criticism for casting [[Edward James Olmos]], a dark-skinned Latino, as [[William Adama|the father]] of [[Jamie Bamber]], a pale-skinned Englishman. These points were addressed somewhat in the first season, during which viewers are briefly introduced to both [[Carolanne Adama|Carolanne]] and [[Zak Adama]]. During a dinner party in "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]", [[Ellen Tigh]] offers her opinion that [[Lee Adama]] takes after his mother in appearance, while Zak took after his father. Since human skin pigmentation is determined by several genes which can be inherited independently, this scenario is quite plausible.

As such, it is difficult to pigeonhole the Adama brothers as being of either European descent (as Lee appears, and his actor is) or mixed Amerindian/European (as Zak appears, and his actors have been). Where relevant, it is probably best to consider them both of approximately 1/4 Amerindian and 3/4 European descent, regardless of the genetic background of the actors who played them.

In an effort to increase the resemblance between the two characters, Olmos wore blue contact eye lenses to show some genetic commonality with Bamber. Jamie Bamber also dyed his blond hair brown to more closely resemble his on-screen father.

=="Ethnic" Names==

Some characters have distinctly Indo-European personal names or surnames which span multiple "Earth" languages and their generally associated ethnic origins: these include first names such as [[James McManus|James]], [[William Adama|William]], [[Laura Roslin|Laura]], and [[Helena Cain|Helena]], and surnames like [[Emmitt Jones|Jones]], [[Daniel Novacek|Novacek]], [[Bryan Smith|Smith]], [[Brendan Costanza|Costanza]] and [[James McManus|McManus]].

Other characters have surnames that are of non-western origins, such as [[Tom Zarek|Zarek]], [[Billy Keikeya|Keikeya]], [[Royan Jahee|Jahee]] and [[Robin Wenutu|Wenutu]].

There are also ancient Greek, Roman and Hebrew names. Personal and surnames, names of locations in use, as well as names like "Adama" which are carry-overs from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]]: [[Prosna]], [[Socinus]], [[Cally Henderson|Cally]], [[Playa Palacios]], [[Sharon Valerii|Valerii]], [[Karl Agathon|Agathon]], [[Kara Thrace|Thrace]], etc.

Often these are combined: [[Sekou Hamilton]], Cally Henderson, Billy Keikeya, [[Gaius Baltar]] and William Adama.

To make matters even more complicated, these names do not correspond to either ethnic or "racial" populations among the surviving Colonial citizens, nor do they align with Colonial nationalism. Not all Sagittarons have an European personal name like "Tom" and a Hebrew surname like "Zarek" and not all dark-skinned characters have non-western first names like "Sekou". Daniel Novacek (played by [[Carl Lumbly]], an actor of Jamaican origin), for instance, has an Eastern European surname.

==Caprica and Tauron==

Despite previous assumptions about the color-blindedness of each Colony's populations, in the pilot episode of [[Caprica]], the [[Tauron (RDM)|Taurons]]- at least those associated with the Mafia-like Ha'la'tha- are cast with a look that is consistent, and which, in context, distinguishes them from the Capricans. Their "look" is consistent with William and Zak Adama. This is the first time any particular physiognomy has been implied to represent a Colony. All prominent Taurons to date, however, including Admiral Cain, have had dark hair. It is not known if this physiognomy is indicative of all Taurons, or if these characteristics are just very common among Taurons.

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

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

Race and Ethnicity in the Twelve Colonies

2010-02-25T15:42:12Z

These: /* Caprica */

:''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)]].''

''At Battlestar Wiki, we recognize that race is a problematic concept without any concrete biological definition. Nevertheless, the topic of racial identity in the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] has proven of interest to many fans of the show. Therefore, this page serves to review the information available as best as possible.''

''In this article, we have chosen to indicate race by apparent region of origin, within the following broadly defined categories: European, (Sub-Saharan) African, Middle Eastern, South Asian, East Asian, and Native American / Amerindian. Where bi- or multi-racial individuals are noted, component ethnicities are listed in alphabetical order. Individuals of apparently [[Wikipedia:Mulatto|Mulatto]] and [[Wikipedia:Hispanic|Hispanic]] appearance are noted as biracial African/Europeans and biracial Amerindian/Europeans. Issues relating to the Adama family are briefly discussed in their own section at the end of the article.''

Colonials of various races appear in the in the [[Re-imagined Series]] and ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]''. As yet, no reference has been made to race, nor any allusions to racial identities or racial discrimination. Tensions between different ''colonies'' are portrayed, but there appears to be as much variation in race within colonies as there is between them. Thus, the writers use differences between the colonies, as exemplified by [[Gemenon]] and [[Sagittaron]], to mirror real-world race issues.<ref>In "[[The Woman King]]" [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] uses the term "racist" to describe the Sagittaron-hating [[Dr. Robert]]. In the ''[[Caprica pilot|Caprica]]'' pilot, [[Joseph Adama]] asks if [[Val Chambers]] is making a "racial comment" about Joseph's Tauron ancestry.</ref>

The two finalists for the part of [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] were [[Grace Park]] and [[Katee Sackhoff]], implying that, for some parts at least, the producers employed [[w:Color-blind casting|color-blind casting]]. Nevertheless, analysis of the ethnic mix of the Twelve Colonies has intrigued fans of the series.

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}__TOC__
==Race and Nationality==
In general, no clear associations have been made between particular ethnic groups and individual colonies. Furthermore, there is some evidence within the series that race and colony of origin are not strongly correlated - when Baltar attempts to guess at Boomer's place of origin in "[[Flesh and Bone]]", he comments on her accent, not her physical appearance. For more on this, see the article [[Language in the Twelve Colonies]].

It is generally accepted that the Colonials originally emigrated from a single planet (i.e. Kobol and/or Earth). This being the case, it is entirely possible that the various apparent races are reasonably homogeneously distributed across all of the Twelve Colonies (i.e. there are both European and African Sagittarons, Gemenese, etc. rather than all of the Europeans coming from one tribe/colony, all the Asians from another, etc).

What follows is a list of individuals whose colony of origin has been unambiguously identified, along with their apparent ethnicity.

===Aerelon===
*[[Sharon Valerii]] - east Asian (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]] infiltrator)
*[[Sekou Hamilton]] - African
*[[Gaius Baltar]] - European
*[[Socinus]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Saul Tigh]] - European (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)

===Canceron===
*[[Robin Wenutu]] - European

===Caprica===
*[[William Adama]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
:''The actor, Edward James Olmos, would probably be identified as "Latino", "mestizo", or "Hispanic". Olmos is a social activist working to help the Hispanic-American community, Olmos has made favorable remarks about having the opportunity to play one of the first significant Latino characters in space.''
*[[Carolanne Adama]] - European
**[[Lee Adama|Lee]] and [[Zak Adama]] - their children, see [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below.
*[[Laura Roslin]] - European
*[[Kara Thrace]] - European (Born on Picon according to Sky One; nomadic childhood; this info is not confirmed.)
*[[Aaron Doral]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[James McManus]] - European
*[[Tory Foster]] - south Asian (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)
*[[Michael Robert]] - European
*[[Daniel Graystone]] - European
*[[Amanda Graystone]] -European
*[[Zoe Graystone]] - European
*[[Lacy Rand]] - European
*[[Baxter Sarno]] - European

===Gemenon===
*[[Sarah Porter]] - African
*[[Venner]] - Mixed race, European/African
*[[Galen Tyrol]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[Rya Kibby]] - European

===Picon===
*[[Safiya Sanne]] - east Asian (but see his article for some debate on origins)
*[[Playa Palacios]] - European
*[[Asha Janik]] - European
*[[Samuel Anders]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])

===Sagittaron===
*[[Anastasia Dualla]] - Mixed race, African/European
*[[Leon Grimes]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Tom Zarek]] - European
*[[Portia King]] - European
**[[Willie King]] - Her son, also European
*[[Jacob Cantrell]] - European
*The Sagittaron quarter of [[Camp Oil Slick]] is shown in "[[The Woman King]]" to constitute various ethnicities.

===Tauron===
*[[Helena Cain]] - European
*[[Sam Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Joseph Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Shannon Adama]] - European
*[[Tamara Adama]] - Amerindian/European
*[[Guatrau]] - Amerindian
*[[Tomas Vergis]] - African (reportedly)
*a young woman at ''Backtalk With Baxter Sarno'' - Asian

===Virgon===
*[[Marshall Bagot]] - European

==Race and Sexuality==
:''An article dedicated to sexuality in the re-imagined series can be found at [[Sexuality in Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]].''

Interracial couplings seem common to the point of ubiquity, and have never been commented upon. It is interesting that such clearly defined racial groups continue to exist in light of this. Notable interracial couples:
*William and Caroline Adama
*[[Sharon Valerii]] and [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Sharon Agathon|Sharon]] and [[Karl Agathon]] ([[Tahmoh Penikett]], who plays Agathon, is Amerindian/European)
*Anastasia Dualla and [[Billy Keikeya]] (Keikeya is European)
*Anastasia Dualla and Lee Adama
*Tory Foster and Gaius Baltar

That being said, at least one individual, Kara Thrace, has only been shown in sexual relationships with individuals of her own race: [[Gaius Baltar]], [[Samuel Anders]], and the Adama brothers (although see the [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below regarding their ethnicity).

==The Adama Brothers==
The Miniseries received some criticism for casting [[Edward James Olmos]], a dark-skinned Latino, as [[William Adama|the father]] of [[Jamie Bamber]], a pale-skinned Englishman. These points were addressed somewhat in the first season, during which viewers are briefly introduced to both [[Carolanne Adama|Carolanne]] and [[Zak Adama]]. During a dinner party in "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]", [[Ellen Tigh]] offers her opinion that [[Lee Adama]] takes after his mother in appearance, while Zak took after his father. Since human skin pigmentation is determined by several genes which can be inherited independently, this scenario is quite plausible.

As such, it is difficult to pigeonhole the Adama brothers as being of either European descent (as Lee appears, and his actor is) or mixed Amerindian/European (as Zak appears, and his actors have been). Where relevant, it is probably best to consider them both of approximately 1/4 Amerindian and 3/4 European descent, regardless of the genetic background of the actors who played them.

In an effort to increase the resemblance between the two characters, Olmos wore blue contact eye lenses to show some genetic commonality with Bamber. Jamie Bamber also dyed his blond hair brown to more closely resemble his on-screen father.

=="Ethnic" Names==

Some characters have distinctly Indo-European personal names or surnames which span multiple "Earth" languages and their generally associated ethnic origins: these include first names such as [[James McManus|James]], [[William Adama|William]], [[Laura Roslin|Laura]], and [[Helena Cain|Helena]], and surnames like [[Emmitt Jones|Jones]], [[Daniel Novacek|Novacek]], [[Bryan Smith|Smith]], [[Brendan Costanza|Costanza]] and [[James McManus|McManus]].

Other characters have surnames that are of non-western origins, such as [[Tom Zarek|Zarek]], [[Billy Keikeya|Keikeya]], [[Royan Jahee|Jahee]] and [[Robin Wenutu|Wenutu]].

There are also ancient Greek, Roman and Hebrew names. Personal and surnames, names of locations in use, as well as names like "Adama" which are carry-overs from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]]: [[Prosna]], [[Socinus]], [[Cally Henderson|Cally]], [[Playa Palacios]], [[Sharon Valerii|Valerii]], [[Karl Agathon|Agathon]], [[Kara Thrace|Thrace]], etc.

Often these are combined: [[Sekou Hamilton]], Cally Henderson, Billy Keikeya, [[Gaius Baltar]] and William Adama.

To make matters even more complicated, these names do not correspond to either ethnic or "racial" populations among the surviving Colonial citizens, nor do they align with Colonial nationalism. Not all Sagittarons have an European personal name like "Tom" and a Hebrew surname like "Zarek" and not all dark-skinned characters have non-western first names like "Sekou". Daniel Novacek (played by [[Carl Lumbly]], an actor of Jamaican origin), for instance, has an Eastern European surname.

==Caprica and Tauron==

Despite previous assumptions about the color-blindedness of each Colony's populations, in the pilot episode of [[Caprica]], the [[Tauron (RDM)|Taurons]]- at least those associated with the Mafia-like Ha'la'tha- are cast with a look that is consistent, and which, in context, distinguishes them from the Capricans. Their "look" is consistent with William and Zak Adama. This is the first time any particular physiognomy has been implied to represent a Colony. All prominent Taurons to date, however, including Admiral Cain, have had dark hair. It is not known if this physiognomy is indicative of all Taurons, or if these characteristics are just very common among Taurons.

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

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

Talk:Race and Ethnicity in the Twelve Colonies/Archive 1

2010-02-25T14:34:03Z

These:

Damned fascinating article, especially in light of the diverse attitudes of the characters. [[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 15:49, 28 August 2005 (EDT)

== Dualla and Lee ==

Why are they listed as being a couple? [[User:Kuralyov|Kuralyov]] 17:24, 28 August 2005 (EDT)

:She checked out his ass in [[Resistance]], and RDM indicated on the podcast that this was a hint for the second half of the season. It's listed with the same level of surety as Baltar's interest in Boomer, anyway. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 17:31, 28 August 2005 (EDT)

== Playa Palacios ==
Who is Playa Palacious? She's listed as an interest of Baltar. Was that the reporter he gave an "exclusive" to after his nomination as VP? [[User:Rocky8311|Rocky8311]] 20:11, October 19, 2005 (EDT)
:"Palacios" not "Palacious". She is one of the recurring-character reporters and has been in 5 episodes so far. She's the one that Baltar gave an exclusive to in "Colonial Day". --[[User:Ricimer|Ricimer]] 23:28, 19 October 2005 (EDT)
::That explains it. The second time the name was listed, it was a typo. [[User:Rocky8311|Rocky8311]] 01:24, October 20, 2005 (EDT)

==Racial Preference==
Noneofyour business would prefer that the paragraph which currently reads:
<blockquote>That being said, some individuals - particularly Gaius Baltar and Kara Thrace - have demonstrated a preference for individuals of their own race. Again, these are not exception-less.</blockquote>
be changed to read:
<blockquote>Some individuals have demonstrated an attraction to several others over the course of the series, both people of their own race and people of other races, notably [[Kara Thrace]] and [[Gaius Baltar]].</blockquote>

The point of this section was to explore attitudes toward race and sexuality in the colonies. Stating that some characters don't display a preference one way or another is senseless, since, as established in the paragraph above, this appears to be the default. I understand your desire to change the wording to reflect the facts of the case, but really, I think the better solution here is to change the focus on the evidence within the section to better explore the topic it was meant to.

Basically, your point about Baltar is sound, and this means he should be removed from the section entirely. Thrace, I think, still stands, as she's had at least four sexual encounters with a person of predominantly European decent, and not a single one with anyone else. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 11:59, 20 May 2006 (CDT)
:If the point is to determine whether or not there is a preference, then it is incorrect to start with the definitive phrase "these characters have demonstrated a preference." Also, I didn't make a point about Baltar. [[User:Noneofyourbusiness|Noneofyourbusiness]] 13:17, 20 May 2006 (CDT)

::You said "the same-race interactions do not outnumber the interracial ones" in an edit summary, which is true for Baltar, but not Thrace. As for Thrace, I think it's quite safe to say that she's demonstrated a preference. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 13:24, 20 May 2006 (CDT)
Who agrees with me that it's coincidental? [[User:Noneofyourbusiness|Noneofyourbusiness]] 13:53, 20 May 2006 (CDT)

Two things: first, the "attraction" list is just to conclusively show that people from the Twelve Colonies don't even seem to acknowledge that there are different (what we would call) ethnicities, and only seem to notice what tribe they belong to. Secondly, unless Kandyse's biography describes her as multi-racial or something (and I've missed that), we should stick to calling her "African". Yes, (as a genetics major, I can tell you) on ''average'' (bell curve, not universally) the average African-American has 10-25% european genetic material. But really, in the interest of trying to keep everyone from being offended (as it says right on the top of this article) let's just stick to what we had. --[[User:The Merovingian|The Merovingian]] <sup>([[Special:Contributions/The Merovingian|C]] - [[Special:Editcount/The Merovingian|E]])</sup> 16:55, 20 May 2006 (CDT)
:Fact Check: Technically, Kandyse McClure isn't African-American, she's South African according to Wikipedia.org. Not that I'm arguing with your point or anything. --[[User:StrayCat0|StrayCat0]] 16:35, 20 May 2006 (PST)
:But the word usage "has demonstrated a preference" does offend me. It should be "seems to have demonstrated a preference", in the interest of accuracy. [[User:Noneofyourbusiness|Noneofyourbusiness]] 18:16, 20 May 2006 (CDT)

::I don't see why. "Seems to" is a weasel phrase - it weakens the statement without improving the factual validity. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 18:56, 20 May 2006 (CDT)
:::It does not weaken the statement and it does improve the factual vailidity. It gives the correct impression that there is only the appearance of a preference and not necessarily the fact. [[User:Noneofyourbusiness|Noneofyourbusiness]] 20:55, 20 May 2006 (CDT)

::::The statement is that she has demonstrated a preference, which she has plainly done with her choice of sexual partners. We are certainly not claiming that she has made a statement on the matter. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 00:52, 21 May 2006 (CDT)

:::::Having many relationships with Europeans is NOT the same as demonstrating a preference towards Europeans. Either (a) she rejected other candidates because they were not European, in which case there is a preference for Europeans, or (b) she was attracted to all these people based solely on other characteristics and it is coincidental they were all European, in which case there is no preference for Europeans. Thus "has possibly demonstrated a preference" is the Only accurate (and thus strong) way to write the sentence. The sentence as is is weakened by the existence of other possibilities which it does not account for. [[User:Noneofyourbusiness|Noneofyourbusiness]] 12:14, 21 May 2006 (CDT)

:On second thought, let's leave out this controversial word "preference" altogether, and just say "That being said, at least one individual, Kara Thrace, has only been shown in romantic or sexual relationships with people of her own race, having been involved with..." which is entirely factual. [[User:Noneofyourbusiness|Noneofyourbusiness]] 12:18, 21 May 2006 (CDT)

::I think I'm fine with that. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 12:21, 21 May 2006 (CDT)
:::Glad it's settled. I don't like arguing. [[User:Noneofyourbusiness|Noneofyourbusiness]] 14:24, 21 May 2006 (CDT)

== Sexuality only mentions heterosexuality ==

In the Webisodes ''Face of the Enemy'', Gaeta is shown to be involved in a homosexual relationship. Also, Admiral Cain, commander of the Pegasus, was involved in a lesbian relationship with Natalie (a Six). During the webisodes, homosexuality was taken for granted - as nothing special. Certainly it wasn't given the prejudice that Americans give it. And with Admiral Cain's relationship, it was looked at negatively only ''after'' it was found that Natalie was a Cylon.
--[[User:Cerberus|Cerberus]] 17:54, 10 March 2009 (UTC)
: We have an article on sexuality [[Sexuality in Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|here]] that addresses all these points. -- [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] <sup>[[User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|So say we all]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Site support|Donate]] - [[bsp:|Battlestar Pegasus]]</sup> 18:23, 10 March 2009 (UTC)

== black (African) characters ==

Why are most of the visibily black characters identified as being mixed African-European. In patricular I am referring to Dualla, Venner, and Sekou. The only black character listed as being "African" on the page is Sarah Porter who is visibily darker than the other 3. It seems to me someone is imposing a somewhat ignorant view of what sub-Saharan Africans can look like without having European ancestry. Obviously among the 1000s of ethnicities in that group there is a wide range of skin tones and facial features and not every black person with skin that isnt very dark has European ancestry. Unless any of the actors who portray them are known to be of mixed race I believe the other 3 black characters all of whom have very visibile African ancestry should be listed as "African". I went ahead and made this change and think it appropriate unless someone can give a valid reason for listing all of these characters as being mixed African-European.
--[[User:Colber|Colber]] 12:16, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

== Updates RE: Caprica Pilot ==

I don't have the time to do this, but someone needs to update this page in light of certain revelations about Taurons in the Caprica pilot. Same with the page on Language in the 12 Colonies.

== Added some Caprican Characters ==

I have added some of the characters that have appeared in Capirca, hope thats ok

Race and Ethnicity in the Twelve Colonies

2010-02-25T14:31:36Z

These: /* Caprica */

:''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)]].''

''At Battlestar Wiki, we recognize that race is a problematic concept without any concrete biological definition. Nevertheless, the topic of racial identity in the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] has proven of interest to many fans of the show. Therefore, this page serves to review the information available as best as possible.''

''In this article, we have chosen to indicate race by apparent region of origin, within the following broadly defined categories: European, (Sub-Saharan) African, Middle Eastern, South Asian, East Asian, and Native American / Amerindian. Where bi- or multi-racial individuals are noted, component ethnicities are listed in alphabetical order. Individuals of apparently [[Wikipedia:Mulatto|Mulatto]] and [[Wikipedia:Hispanic|Hispanic]] appearance are noted as biracial African/Europeans and biracial Amerindian/Europeans. Issues relating to the Adama family are briefly discussed in their own section at the end of the article.''

Colonials of various races appear in the in the [[Re-imagined Series]]. As yet, no reference has been made to race, nor any allusions to racial identities or racial discrimination. Tensions between different ''colonies'' are portrayed, but there appears to be as much variation in race within colonies as there is between them. Thus, the writers use differences between the colonies, as exemplified by [[Gemenon]] and [[Sagittaron]], to mirror real-world race issues.<ref>In "[[The Woman King]]" [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] uses the term "racist" to describe the Sagittaron-hating [[Dr. Robert]].</ref>

The two finalists for the part of [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] were [[Grace Park]] and [[Katee Sackhoff]], implying that, for some parts at least, the producers employed [[w:Color-blind casting|color-blind casting]]. Nevertheless, analysis of the ethnic mix of the Twelve Colonies has intrigued fans of the series.

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}__TOC__
==Race and Nationality==
In general, no clear associations have been made between particular ethnic groups and individual colonies. Furthermore, there is some evidence within the series that race and colony of origin are not strongly correlated - when Baltar attempts to guess at Boomer's place of origin in "[[Flesh and Bone]]", he comments on her accent, not her physical appearance. For more on this, see the article [[Language in the Twelve Colonies]].

It is generally accepted that the Colonials originally emigrated from a single planet (i.e. Kobol and/or Earth). This being the case, it is entirely possible that the various apparent races are reasonably homogeneously distributed across all of the Twelve Colonies (i.e. there are both European and African Sagittarons, Gemenese, etc. rather than all of the Europeans coming from one tribe/colony, all the Asians from another, etc).

What follows is a list of individuals whose colony of origin has been unambiguously identified, along with their apparent ethnicity.

===Aerelon===
*[[Sharon Valerii]] - east Asian (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]] infiltrator)
*[[Sekou Hamilton]] - African
*[[Gaius Baltar]] - European
*[[Socinus]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Saul Tigh]] - European (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)

===Canceron===
*[[Robin Wenutu]] - European

===Caprica===
*[[William Adama]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
:''The actor, Edward James Olmos, would probably be identified as "Latino", "mestizo", or "Hispanic". Olmos is a social activist working to help the Hispanic-American community, Olmos has made favorable remarks about having the opportunity to play one of the first significant Latino characters in space.''
*[[Carolanne Adama]] - European
**[[Lee Adama|Lee]] and [[Zak Adama]] - their children, see [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below.
*[[Laura Roslin]] - European
*[[Kara Thrace]] - European (Born on Picon according to Sky One; nomadic childhood; this info is not confirmed.)
*[[Aaron Doral]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[James McManus]] - European
*[[Tory Foster]] - south Asian (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)
*[[Michael Robert]] - European
*[[Daniel Graystone]] - European
*[[Amanda Graystone]] -European
*[[Zoe Graystone]] - European
*[[Lacy Rand]] - European

===Gemenon===
*[[Sarah Porter]] - African
*[[Venner]] - Mixed race, European/African
*[[Galen Tyrol]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[Rya Kibby]] - European

===Picon===
*[[Safiya Sanne]] - east Asian (but see his article for some debate on origins)
*[[Playa Palacios]] - European
*[[Asha Janik]] - European
*[[Samuel Anders]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])

===Sagittaron===
*[[Anastasia Dualla]] - Mixed race, African/European
*[[Leon Grimes]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Tom Zarek]] - European
*[[Portia King]] - European
**[[Willie King]] - Her son, also European
*[[Jacob Cantrell]] - European
*The Sagittaron quarter of [[Camp Oil Slick]] is shown in "[[The Woman King]]" to constitute various ethnicities.

===Tauron===
*[[Helena Cain]] - European
*[[Sam Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Joseph Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Shannon Adama]] - Amerindian/European
*[[Tamara Adama]] - Amerindian/European
*[[Guatrau]] - Amerindian
*[[Tomas Vergis]] - African (reportedly)

===Virgon===
*[[Marshall Bagot]] - European

==Race and Sexuality==
:''An article dedicated to sexuality in the re-imagined series can be found at [[Sexuality in Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]].''

Interracial couplings seem common to the point of ubiquity, and have never been commented upon. It is interesting that such clearly defined racial groups continue to exist in light of this. Notable interracial couples:
*William and Caroline Adama
*[[Sharon Valerii]] and [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Sharon Agathon|Sharon]] and [[Karl Agathon]] ([[Tahmoh Penikett]], who plays Agathon, is Amerindian/European)
*Anastasia Dualla and [[Billy Keikeya]] (Keikeya is European)
*Anastasia Dualla and Lee Adama
*Tory Foster and Gaius Baltar

That being said, at least one individual, Kara Thrace, has only been shown in sexual relationships with individuals of her own race: [[Gaius Baltar]], [[Samuel Anders]], and the Adama brothers (although see the [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below regarding their ethnicity).

==The Adama Brothers==
The Miniseries received some criticism for casting [[Edward James Olmos]], a dark-skinned Latino, as [[William Adama|the father]] of [[Jamie Bamber]], a pale-skinned Englishman. These points were addressed somewhat in the first season, during which viewers are briefly introduced to both [[Carolanne Adama|Carolanne]] and [[Zak Adama]]. During a dinner party in "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]", [[Ellen Tigh]] offers her opinion that [[Lee Adama]] takes after his mother in appearance, while Zak took after his father. Since human skin pigmentation is determined by several genes which can be inherited independently, this scenario is quite plausible.

As such, it is difficult to pigeonhole the Adama brothers as being of either European descent (as Lee appears, and his actor is) or mixed Amerindian/European (as Zak appears, and his actors have been). Where relevant, it is probably best to consider them both of approximately 1/4 Amerindian and 3/4 European descent, regardless of the genetic background of the actors who played them.

In an effort to increase the resemblance between the two characters, Olmos wore blue contact eye lenses to show some genetic commonality with Bamber. Jamie Bamber also dyed his blond hair brown to more closely resemble his on-screen father.

=="Ethnic" Names==

Some characters have distinctly Indo-European personal names or surnames which span multiple "Earth" languages and their generally associated ethnic origins: these include first names such as [[James McManus|James]], [[William Adama|William]], [[Laura Roslin|Laura]], and [[Helena Cain|Helena]], and surnames like [[Emmitt Jones|Jones]], [[Daniel Novacek|Novacek]], [[Bryan Smith|Smith]], [[Brendan Costanza|Costanza]] and [[James McManus|McManus]].

Other characters have surnames that are of non-western origins, such as [[Tom Zarek|Zarek]], [[Billy Keikeya|Keikeya]], [[Royan Jahee|Jahee]] and [[Robin Wenutu|Wenutu]].

There are also ancient Greek, Roman and Hebrew names. Personal and surnames, names of locations in use, as well as names like "Adama" which are carry-overs from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]]: [[Prosna]], [[Socinus]], [[Cally Henderson|Cally]], [[Playa Palacios]], [[Sharon Valerii|Valerii]], [[Karl Agathon|Agathon]], [[Kara Thrace|Thrace]], etc.

Often these are combined: [[Sekou Hamilton]], Cally Henderson, Billy Keikeya, [[Gaius Baltar]] and William Adama.

To make matters even more complicated, these names do not correspond to either ethnic or "racial" populations among the surviving Colonial citizens, nor do they align with Colonial nationalism. Not all Sagittarons have an European personal name like "Tom" and a Hebrew surname like "Zarek" and not all dark-skinned characters have non-western first names like "Sekou". Daniel Novacek (played by [[Carl Lumbly]], an actor of Jamaican origin), for instance, has an Eastern European surname.

==Caprica and Tauron==

Despite previous assumptions about the color-blindedness of each Colony's populations, in the pilot episode of [[Caprica]], the [[Tauron (RDM)|Taurons]]- at least those associated with the Mafia-like Ha'la'tha- are cast with a look that is consistent, and which, in context, distinguishes them from the Capricans. Their "look" is consistent with William and Zak Adama. This is the first time any particular physiognomy has been implied to represent a Colony. All prominent Taurons to date, however, including Admiral Cain, have had dark hair. It is not known if this physiognomy is indicative of all Taurons, or if these characteristics are just very common among Taurons.

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

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

Race and Ethnicity in the Twelve Colonies

2010-02-25T14:25:32Z

These: /* Tauron */

:''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)]].''

''At Battlestar Wiki, we recognize that race is a problematic concept without any concrete biological definition. Nevertheless, the topic of racial identity in the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] has proven of interest to many fans of the show. Therefore, this page serves to review the information available as best as possible.''

''In this article, we have chosen to indicate race by apparent region of origin, within the following broadly defined categories: European, (Sub-Saharan) African, Middle Eastern, South Asian, East Asian, and Native American / Amerindian. Where bi- or multi-racial individuals are noted, component ethnicities are listed in alphabetical order. Individuals of apparently [[Wikipedia:Mulatto|Mulatto]] and [[Wikipedia:Hispanic|Hispanic]] appearance are noted as biracial African/Europeans and biracial Amerindian/Europeans. Issues relating to the Adama family are briefly discussed in their own section at the end of the article.''

Colonials of various races appear in the in the [[Re-imagined Series]]. As yet, no reference has been made to race, nor any allusions to racial identities or racial discrimination. Tensions between different ''colonies'' are portrayed, but there appears to be as much variation in race within colonies as there is between them. Thus, the writers use differences between the colonies, as exemplified by [[Gemenon]] and [[Sagittaron]], to mirror real-world race issues.<ref>In "[[The Woman King]]" [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] uses the term "racist" to describe the Sagittaron-hating [[Dr. Robert]].</ref>

The two finalists for the part of [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] were [[Grace Park]] and [[Katee Sackhoff]], implying that, for some parts at least, the producers employed [[w:Color-blind casting|color-blind casting]]. Nevertheless, analysis of the ethnic mix of the Twelve Colonies has intrigued fans of the series.

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}__TOC__
==Race and Nationality==
In general, no clear associations have been made between particular ethnic groups and individual colonies. Furthermore, there is some evidence within the series that race and colony of origin are not strongly correlated - when Baltar attempts to guess at Boomer's place of origin in "[[Flesh and Bone]]", he comments on her accent, not her physical appearance. For more on this, see the article [[Language in the Twelve Colonies]].

It is generally accepted that the Colonials originally emigrated from a single planet (i.e. Kobol and/or Earth). This being the case, it is entirely possible that the various apparent races are reasonably homogeneously distributed across all of the Twelve Colonies (i.e. there are both European and African Sagittarons, Gemenese, etc. rather than all of the Europeans coming from one tribe/colony, all the Asians from another, etc).

What follows is a list of individuals whose colony of origin has been unambiguously identified, along with their apparent ethnicity.

===Aerelon===
*[[Sharon Valerii]] - east Asian (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]] infiltrator)
*[[Sekou Hamilton]] - African
*[[Gaius Baltar]] - European
*[[Socinus]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Saul Tigh]] - European (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)

===Canceron===
*[[Robin Wenutu]] - European

===Caprica===
*[[William Adama]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
:''The actor, Edward James Olmos, would probably be identified as "Latino", "mestizo", or "Hispanic". Olmos is a social activist working to help the Hispanic-American community, Olmos has made favorable remarks about having the opportunity to play one of the first significant Latino characters in space.''
*[[Carolanne Adama]] - European
**[[Lee Adama|Lee]] and [[Zak Adama]] - their children, see [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below.
*[[Laura Roslin]] - European
*[[Kara Thrace]] - European (Born on Picon according to Sky One; nomadic childhood; this info is not confirmed.)
*[[Aaron Doral]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[James McManus]] - European
*[[Tory Foster]] - south Asian (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)
*[[Michael Robert]] - European

===Gemenon===
*[[Sarah Porter]] - African
*[[Venner]] - Mixed race, European/African
*[[Galen Tyrol]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[Rya Kibby]] - European

===Picon===
*[[Safiya Sanne]] - east Asian (but see his article for some debate on origins)
*[[Playa Palacios]] - European
*[[Asha Janik]] - European
*[[Samuel Anders]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])

===Sagittaron===
*[[Anastasia Dualla]] - Mixed race, African/European
*[[Leon Grimes]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Tom Zarek]] - European
*[[Portia King]] - European
**[[Willie King]] - Her son, also European
*[[Jacob Cantrell]] - European
*The Sagittaron quarter of [[Camp Oil Slick]] is shown in "[[The Woman King]]" to constitute various ethnicities.

===Tauron===
*[[Helena Cain]] - European
*[[Sam Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Joseph Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Shannon Adama]] - Amerindian/European
*[[Tamara Adama]] - Amerindian/European
*[[Guatrau]] - Amerindian
*[[Tomas Vergis]] - African (reportedly)

===Virgon===
*[[Marshall Bagot]] - European

==Race and Sexuality==
:''An article dedicated to sexuality in the re-imagined series can be found at [[Sexuality in Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]].''

Interracial couplings seem common to the point of ubiquity, and have never been commented upon. It is interesting that such clearly defined racial groups continue to exist in light of this. Notable interracial couples:
*William and Caroline Adama
*[[Sharon Valerii]] and [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Sharon Agathon|Sharon]] and [[Karl Agathon]] ([[Tahmoh Penikett]], who plays Agathon, is Amerindian/European)
*Anastasia Dualla and [[Billy Keikeya]] (Keikeya is European)
*Anastasia Dualla and Lee Adama
*Tory Foster and Gaius Baltar

That being said, at least one individual, Kara Thrace, has only been shown in sexual relationships with individuals of her own race: [[Gaius Baltar]], [[Samuel Anders]], and the Adama brothers (although see the [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below regarding their ethnicity).

==The Adama Brothers==
The Miniseries received some criticism for casting [[Edward James Olmos]], a dark-skinned Latino, as [[William Adama|the father]] of [[Jamie Bamber]], a pale-skinned Englishman. These points were addressed somewhat in the first season, during which viewers are briefly introduced to both [[Carolanne Adama|Carolanne]] and [[Zak Adama]]. During a dinner party in "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]", [[Ellen Tigh]] offers her opinion that [[Lee Adama]] takes after his mother in appearance, while Zak took after his father. Since human skin pigmentation is determined by several genes which can be inherited independently, this scenario is quite plausible.

As such, it is difficult to pigeonhole the Adama brothers as being of either European descent (as Lee appears, and his actor is) or mixed Amerindian/European (as Zak appears, and his actors have been). Where relevant, it is probably best to consider them both of approximately 1/4 Amerindian and 3/4 European descent, regardless of the genetic background of the actors who played them.

In an effort to increase the resemblance between the two characters, Olmos wore blue contact eye lenses to show some genetic commonality with Bamber. Jamie Bamber also dyed his blond hair brown to more closely resemble his on-screen father.

=="Ethnic" Names==

Some characters have distinctly Indo-European personal names or surnames which span multiple "Earth" languages and their generally associated ethnic origins: these include first names such as [[James McManus|James]], [[William Adama|William]], [[Laura Roslin|Laura]], and [[Helena Cain|Helena]], and surnames like [[Emmitt Jones|Jones]], [[Daniel Novacek|Novacek]], [[Bryan Smith|Smith]], [[Brendan Costanza|Costanza]] and [[James McManus|McManus]].

Other characters have surnames that are of non-western origins, such as [[Tom Zarek|Zarek]], [[Billy Keikeya|Keikeya]], [[Royan Jahee|Jahee]] and [[Robin Wenutu|Wenutu]].

There are also ancient Greek, Roman and Hebrew names. Personal and surnames, names of locations in use, as well as names like "Adama" which are carry-overs from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]]: [[Prosna]], [[Socinus]], [[Cally Henderson|Cally]], [[Playa Palacios]], [[Sharon Valerii|Valerii]], [[Karl Agathon|Agathon]], [[Kara Thrace|Thrace]], etc.

Often these are combined: [[Sekou Hamilton]], Cally Henderson, Billy Keikeya, [[Gaius Baltar]] and William Adama.

To make matters even more complicated, these names do not correspond to either ethnic or "racial" populations among the surviving Colonial citizens, nor do they align with Colonial nationalism. Not all Sagittarons have an European personal name like "Tom" and a Hebrew surname like "Zarek" and not all dark-skinned characters have non-western first names like "Sekou". Daniel Novacek (played by [[Carl Lumbly]], an actor of Jamaican origin), for instance, has an Eastern European surname.

==Caprica and Tauron==

Despite previous assumptions about the color-blindedness of each Colony's populations, in the pilot episode of [[Caprica]], the [[Tauron (RDM)|Taurons]]- at least those associated with the Mafia-like Ha'la'tha- are cast with a look that is consistent, and which, in context, distinguishes them from the Capricans. Their "look" is consistent with William and Zak Adama. This is the first time any particular physiognomy has been implied to represent a Colony. All prominent Taurons to date, however, including Admiral Cain, have had dark hair. It is not known if this physiognomy is indicative of all Taurons, or if these characteristics are just very common among Taurons.

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

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

Race and Ethnicity in the Twelve Colonies

2010-02-25T14:18:46Z

These: /* Race and Nationality */

:''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)]].''

''At Battlestar Wiki, we recognize that race is a problematic concept without any concrete biological definition. Nevertheless, the topic of racial identity in the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] has proven of interest to many fans of the show. Therefore, this page serves to review the information available as best as possible.''

''In this article, we have chosen to indicate race by apparent region of origin, within the following broadly defined categories: European, (Sub-Saharan) African, Middle Eastern, South Asian, East Asian, and Native American / Amerindian. Where bi- or multi-racial individuals are noted, component ethnicities are listed in alphabetical order. Individuals of apparently [[Wikipedia:Mulatto|Mulatto]] and [[Wikipedia:Hispanic|Hispanic]] appearance are noted as biracial African/Europeans and biracial Amerindian/Europeans. Issues relating to the Adama family are briefly discussed in their own section at the end of the article.''

Colonials of various races appear in the in the [[Re-imagined Series]]. As yet, no reference has been made to race, nor any allusions to racial identities or racial discrimination. Tensions between different ''colonies'' are portrayed, but there appears to be as much variation in race within colonies as there is between them. Thus, the writers use differences between the colonies, as exemplified by [[Gemenon]] and [[Sagittaron]], to mirror real-world race issues.<ref>In "[[The Woman King]]" [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] uses the term "racist" to describe the Sagittaron-hating [[Dr. Robert]].</ref>

The two finalists for the part of [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] were [[Grace Park]] and [[Katee Sackhoff]], implying that, for some parts at least, the producers employed [[w:Color-blind casting|color-blind casting]]. Nevertheless, analysis of the ethnic mix of the Twelve Colonies has intrigued fans of the series.

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}__TOC__
==Race and Nationality==
In general, no clear associations have been made between particular ethnic groups and individual colonies. Furthermore, there is some evidence within the series that race and colony of origin are not strongly correlated - when Baltar attempts to guess at Boomer's place of origin in "[[Flesh and Bone]]", he comments on her accent, not her physical appearance. For more on this, see the article [[Language in the Twelve Colonies]].

It is generally accepted that the Colonials originally emigrated from a single planet (i.e. Kobol and/or Earth). This being the case, it is entirely possible that the various apparent races are reasonably homogeneously distributed across all of the Twelve Colonies (i.e. there are both European and African Sagittarons, Gemenese, etc. rather than all of the Europeans coming from one tribe/colony, all the Asians from another, etc).

What follows is a list of individuals whose colony of origin has been unambiguously identified, along with their apparent ethnicity.

===Aerelon===
*[[Sharon Valerii]] - east Asian (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]] infiltrator)
*[[Sekou Hamilton]] - African
*[[Gaius Baltar]] - European
*[[Socinus]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Saul Tigh]] - European (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)

===Canceron===
*[[Robin Wenutu]] - European

===Caprica===
*[[William Adama]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
:''The actor, Edward James Olmos, would probably be identified as "Latino", "mestizo", or "Hispanic". Olmos is a social activist working to help the Hispanic-American community, Olmos has made favorable remarks about having the opportunity to play one of the first significant Latino characters in space.''
*[[Carolanne Adama]] - European
**[[Lee Adama|Lee]] and [[Zak Adama]] - their children, see [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below.
*[[Laura Roslin]] - European
*[[Kara Thrace]] - European (Born on Picon according to Sky One; nomadic childhood; this info is not confirmed.)
*[[Aaron Doral]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[James McManus]] - European
*[[Tory Foster]] - south Asian (purported, actually a humanoid Cylon)
*[[Michael Robert]] - European

===Gemenon===
*[[Sarah Porter]] - African
*[[Venner]] - Mixed race, European/African
*[[Galen Tyrol]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])
*[[Rya Kibby]] - European

===Picon===
*[[Safiya Sanne]] - east Asian (but see his article for some debate on origins)
*[[Playa Palacios]] - European
*[[Asha Janik]] - European
*[[Samuel Anders]] - European (purported, actually a [[humanoid Cylon]])

===Sagittaron===
*[[Anastasia Dualla]] - Mixed race, African/European
*[[Leon Grimes]] - mixed race, Amerindian/European
*[[Tom Zarek]] - European
*[[Portia King]] - European
**[[Willie King]] - Her son, also European
*[[Jacob Cantrell]] - European
*The Sagittaron quarter of [[Camp Oil Slick]] is shown in "[[The Woman King]]" to constitute various ethnicities.

===Tauron===
*[[Helena Cain]] - European
*[[Sam Adama]] - Amerindian
*[[Joseph Adama]] - Amerindian

===Virgon===
*[[Marshall Bagot]] - European

==Race and Sexuality==
:''An article dedicated to sexuality in the re-imagined series can be found at [[Sexuality in Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]].''

Interracial couplings seem common to the point of ubiquity, and have never been commented upon. It is interesting that such clearly defined racial groups continue to exist in light of this. Notable interracial couples:
*William and Caroline Adama
*[[Sharon Valerii]] and [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Sharon Agathon|Sharon]] and [[Karl Agathon]] ([[Tahmoh Penikett]], who plays Agathon, is Amerindian/European)
*Anastasia Dualla and [[Billy Keikeya]] (Keikeya is European)
*Anastasia Dualla and Lee Adama
*Tory Foster and Gaius Baltar

That being said, at least one individual, Kara Thrace, has only been shown in sexual relationships with individuals of her own race: [[Gaius Baltar]], [[Samuel Anders]], and the Adama brothers (although see the [[#The Adama Brothers|note]] below regarding their ethnicity).

==The Adama Brothers==
The Miniseries received some criticism for casting [[Edward James Olmos]], a dark-skinned Latino, as [[William Adama|the father]] of [[Jamie Bamber]], a pale-skinned Englishman. These points were addressed somewhat in the first season, during which viewers are briefly introduced to both [[Carolanne Adama|Carolanne]] and [[Zak Adama]]. During a dinner party in "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]", [[Ellen Tigh]] offers her opinion that [[Lee Adama]] takes after his mother in appearance, while Zak took after his father. Since human skin pigmentation is determined by several genes which can be inherited independently, this scenario is quite plausible.

As such, it is difficult to pigeonhole the Adama brothers as being of either European descent (as Lee appears, and his actor is) or mixed Amerindian/European (as Zak appears, and his actors have been). Where relevant, it is probably best to consider them both of approximately 1/4 Amerindian and 3/4 European descent, regardless of the genetic background of the actors who played them.

In an effort to increase the resemblance between the two characters, Olmos wore blue contact eye lenses to show some genetic commonality with Bamber. Jamie Bamber also dyed his blond hair brown to more closely resemble his on-screen father.

=="Ethnic" Names==

Some characters have distinctly Indo-European personal names or surnames which span multiple "Earth" languages and their generally associated ethnic origins: these include first names such as [[James McManus|James]], [[William Adama|William]], [[Laura Roslin|Laura]], and [[Helena Cain|Helena]], and surnames like [[Emmitt Jones|Jones]], [[Daniel Novacek|Novacek]], [[Bryan Smith|Smith]], [[Brendan Costanza|Costanza]] and [[James McManus|McManus]].

Other characters have surnames that are of non-western origins, such as [[Tom Zarek|Zarek]], [[Billy Keikeya|Keikeya]], [[Royan Jahee|Jahee]] and [[Robin Wenutu|Wenutu]].

There are also ancient Greek, Roman and Hebrew names. Personal and surnames, names of locations in use, as well as names like "Adama" which are carry-overs from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]]: [[Prosna]], [[Socinus]], [[Cally Henderson|Cally]], [[Playa Palacios]], [[Sharon Valerii|Valerii]], [[Karl Agathon|Agathon]], [[Kara Thrace|Thrace]], etc.

Often these are combined: [[Sekou Hamilton]], Cally Henderson, Billy Keikeya, [[Gaius Baltar]] and William Adama.

To make matters even more complicated, these names do not correspond to either ethnic or "racial" populations among the surviving Colonial citizens, nor do they align with Colonial nationalism. Not all Sagittarons have an European personal name like "Tom" and a Hebrew surname like "Zarek" and not all dark-skinned characters have non-western first names like "Sekou". Daniel Novacek (played by [[Carl Lumbly]], an actor of Jamaican origin), for instance, has an Eastern European surname.

==Caprica and Tauron==

Despite previous assumptions about the color-blindedness of each Colony's populations, in the pilot episode of [[Caprica]], the [[Tauron (RDM)|Taurons]]- at least those associated with the Mafia-like Ha'la'tha- are cast with a look that is consistent, and which, in context, distinguishes them from the Capricans. Their "look" is consistent with William and Zak Adama. This is the first time any particular physiognomy has been implied to represent a Colony. All prominent Taurons to date, however, including Admiral Cain, have had dark hair. It is not known if this physiognomy is indicative of all Taurons, or if these characteristics are just very common among Taurons.

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

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