The Twelve Colonies of Man
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This article discusses the Twelve Colonies of the Original Series. See The Twelve Colonies (RDM) for information on the Colonies of the Re-imagined Series.
Overview
The Twelve Colonies were introduced in the original Battlestar Galactica. They were located in an unnamed multi-star system within the Cyranus Galaxy, and had been at war with the alien Cylons for 1,000 yahren (years).
Names of the Colonies
The Twelve Colonies included:
History
First Exodus
According to the Book of the Word, a religious text of the Kobollian faith, Humanity began on a planet called Kobol. After an ecological disaster purported to be created by technology, the tribes of humanity fled outward to the stars. Twelve tribes of man eventually passed through a magnetic void and settled on a star system of 12 planets, which would be later known as the Twelve Colonies of Man (Lost Planet of the Gods). A thirteenth tribe made another Exodus to a planet known as Earth.
War
One thousand yahren prior to the destruction of the Colonies, the Colonials interfered with the Cylon Empire's attacks on an alien species called the Hasari. This began the Thousand Yahren War, which ended upon the final sneak attack at the Battle of Cimtar, destroying a portion of the fleet led by President Adar (Saga of a Star World).
Colonization
Several planets, moons and asteroid colonies throughout the portion of the galaxy familiar to the Colonials boasted small croppings of Colonials. Some who were well aware of the Colonies and the war with the Cylons, others knew nothing of them.
It is unknown if the remaining surviving colonists on the homeworlds re-grouped to fight another day and push back the Cylons or if the Cylons defeat on the twelve colonies was total and no colonists live still on the original twelve worlds.
Culture
Each of the Twelve Colonies boasted its own race and dialect as to distinguish itself from the others.
Holidays
Armament Day - A day for celebrating the Colonial Military (Lost Planet of the Gods).
Caprica
Caprica was said to be the world that led the technological renaissance among the Twelve Colonies of Man, rediscovering space flight along the way.
(The attack on Caprica in the first episode of the series, was filmed at the Long Beach, California, City Hall which had been completed in 1976. However, please note that there are no pyramids in Long Beach, only on Caprica: they were matted in to appear behind the city hall building as seen in the attached image.)
Gemoni
Many of the passengers about the freighter Gemini are from Gemoni. The language of Gemoni is Gemonese (which Boomer can translate and Cassiopeia is able to speak fluently). Gemoni is home to the Otori Sect (Saga of a Star World).