Seal of the Lords

Adama shows Tigh his medallion while explaining his reasoning for entering the magnetic void (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II").

The Seal of the Lords is a medallion that is the symbol of the Lords of Kobol. Commander Adama normally wears this peculiar medallion with his commander's robes when in full dress.

He explains to Colonel Tigh that the medallion is a symbol of the Colonial faith as well as a symbol of power. The medallions are passed to members of the Quorum of Twelve; both he and the treasonous Lord Baltar have the last known surviving Seals.

The medallion is also used in the sealing ceremony, where the master of ceremonies wraps the medallion's chains around the bride and groom's hands as each holds the other's hands, with the medallion itself on top.

On Kobol, in search of answers to the whereabouts of Earth, Commander Adama uses the medallion as a key that opens the tomb of the Ninth Lord of Kobol, as well as to circumvent the cage-trap in the corridor leading to the tomb. The diamond-shape of the medallion also served as a mirror to reflect light to photo-sensitive eyes of the animal-figures within the tomb, thus opening the actual resting place beneath the faux sarcophagus (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II").

Related Imagery

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  Adama's command medallion, a variation of the Seal of the Lords (TOS: "The Hand of God").

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  Adama removes the Seal from its golden box (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II").

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  Adama wrapping Apollo and Serina's hands in the Seal of the Lords (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II").

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  Serina points out Adama's Seal might be a key that could open the Tomb of the Ninth Lord of Kobol (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II").

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  The keyhole for Adama's Seal of the Lords, allowing entry into the catacombs leading to the Tomb of the Ninth Lord of Kobol (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II").

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  The light of Kobol's lone star about to hit Adama's Seal through a small slit above where Adama stands. Note the square mirror, tilted 45 degrees, added for practical effects use in lieu of the more diamond shaped version seen earlier (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II").

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  Light from Kobol's star reflects from Adama's Seal of the Lords, striking the eyes of two statues and thus opening the cover stone leading to the sarcophagus of the Ninth Lord of Kobol (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II").

Notes

• The Seal of the Lords is analogous to the Arrow of Apollo in the Re-imagined Series' Kobol story arc. As in "Lost Planet of the Gods," the new series' characters also search for the way to Earth by accessing another ancient tomb of a Lord of Kobol, where the Arrow is the key to the data in the episode, "Home, Part II."
• A similar medallion appeared in Glen A. Larson's television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century as the amulet used to ward off the Vorvon in the episode "Space Vampire."
• An alternate version of this prop, featuring a flat square mirror tilted at a 45 degree angle, is used for the effects sequence where the light of Kobol's star reflects off it and into the eyes of two statues, thus opening the cover stone leading to the sarcophagus room.

Original Series definition: a title of nobility (e.g. Lord Baltar)

Re-imagined Series definition: battlestar landing bay mechanism that arrests a landing Viper, Raptor or other small craft (TRS: "Final Cut")