The mythology of the ''Stargate'' franchise is the historical backstory of the
''Stargate'' premise, which centers around
xeno-
mythology
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narra ...
as experienced by humans during episodic contact. In the
fictional universe of the franchise, the people of Earth have encountered numerous extraterrestrial races on their travels through the
Stargate.
In addition to a diversity of
alien life
Extraterrestrial life, colloquially referred to as alien life, is life that may occur outside Earth and which did not originate on Earth. No extraterrestrial life has yet been conclusively detected, although efforts are underway. Such life might ...
, there is also an abundance of other humans, scattered across the cosmos by advanced aliens in the distant past. Some of the most significant species or beings in ''
Stargate SG-1
''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, ...
'' are the
Goa'uld
The mythology of the ''Stargate'' franchise is the historical backstory of the ''Stargate'' premise, which centers around xeno-mythology as experienced by humans during episodic contact. In the fictional universe of the franchise, the people of ...
, the
Asgard
In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr'' ; "enclosure of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in a multitude of Old Norse sagas and mythological texts. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir ...
, and the
Replicators. ''
Stargate Atlantis
''Stargate Atlantis'' (usually stylized in all caps and often abbreviated ''SGA'') is an adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Coop ...
'', set in the Pegasus galaxy, introduced the
Wraith and the
Asurans. One of the most influential species in ''Stargate'', the
Ancients, have
moved on to a higher plane of existence.
For practical reasons of television productions, almost all of the alien and human cultures in the Stargate's fictional universe speak native English. Because of the time constraints of an hour-long episode, it would become a major hindrance to the story each week if the team had to spend a sizeable part of each episode learning to communicate with a new species.
[ ''The FAQ from the stored official web page of the Stargate series in the www.web.archive.org''.]
''Stargate SG-1'' (1997–2006) explains the human population in the Milky Way galaxy by revealing that the alien Goa'uld transplanted humans from Earth to other planets for slave labor. Many of these populations were subsequently abandoned, often when deposits of the precious fictional mineral naquadah were exhausted, and developed into their own unique societies.
Some of these extraterrestrial human civilizations have become much more technologically advanced than Earth, the in-show rationale being that they never suffered the setback of the
Dark Ages. The most advanced of these humans were the
Tollan, although they were destroyed by the Goa'uld in
Season 5
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...
's ''Between Two Fires''.
The human populations of the Pegasus galaxy are the product of Ancient seeding.
Few human races in Pegasus are technologically advanced, as the Wraith destroy any civilization that could potentially pose a threat.
There are also large numbers of humans in the
Ori galaxy, where they empower the Ori through worship.
Franchise-spanning mythology
The film ''
Stargate'' (1994) establishes that five thousand years ago, the god
Ra transplanted Earth humans throughout the galaxy via the
Stargate. As a result, the people of Earth rose up against him, and buried their Stargate. The modern history of Earth and the Stargate begins when it is unearthed in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
in 1928. The device is brought to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
in 1939 to keep it out of
Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
hands and eventually installed in a facility in Creek Mountain,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
(
Cheyenne Mountain
Cheyenne Mountain is a triple-peaked mountain in El Paso County, Colorado, southwest of downtown Colorado Springs. The mountain serves as a host for military, communications, recreational, and residential functions. The underground operations cen ...
in ''Stargate SG-1''). In the events of the film, Dr.
Daniel Jackson deciphers the workings of the Stargate and a team is sent through to the planet on the other side.
''Stargate SG-1'' resumes the story of the film, but establishes that Ra was one of many parasitic
Goa'uld
The mythology of the ''Stargate'' franchise is the historical backstory of the ''Stargate'' premise, which centers around xeno-mythology as experienced by humans during episodic contact. In the fictional universe of the franchise, the people of ...
, aliens who identify as Earth deities to various primitive human communities on planets throughout the Milky Way. In its pilot episode "
Children of the Gods
"Children of the Gods" is the first episode of the military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1''. It was written by producers Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright and was directed by Mario Azzopardi. The episode first aired on July 27, ...
", which takes place a year after the film,
Stargate Command
Over its decade of existence, science fiction TV series ''Stargate SG-1'' developed an extensive and detailed backdrop of diverse characters. Many of the characters are members of alien species discovered while exploring the galaxy through the S ...
is established in response to an attack by the Goa'uld
Apophis, and given the mandate to explore other worlds and obtain technologies that can be used to defend Earth. They encounter other races, such as the
Asgard
In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr'' ; "enclosure of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in a multitude of Old Norse sagas and mythological texts. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir ...
, who masquerade as
Norse gods
Norse is a demonym for Norsemen, a medieval North Germanic ethnolinguistic group ancestral to modern Scandinavians, defined as speakers of Old Norse from about the 9th to the 13th centuries.
Norse may also refer to:
Culture and religion
* Nors ...
.
[" Red Sky" ('']Stargate SG-1
''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, ...
'') ''Stargate SG-1'' further extended the backstory of Earth humans by introducing the
Ancients, an advanced race of humans from another galaxy who lived on Earth until approximately 10,000 years ago.
Stargate device
A Stargate is a device that allows practical, rapid travel between two distant locations. The first Stargate appears in the 1994 film ''
Stargate'', and subsequently carries over to ''
Stargate SG-1
''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, ...
'' and its spin-offs. In these productions the Stargate functions as a
plot generator, allowing the main characters to visit alien planets without the need for spaceships or any other fictional technology.
Within the ''Stargate'' fictional universe, Stargates are large metal rings with nine "
chevrons
Chevron (often relating to V-shaped patterns) may refer to:
Science and technology
* Chevron (aerospace), sawtooth patterns on some jet engines
* Chevron (anatomy), a bone
* '' Eulithis testata'', a moth
* Chevron (geology), a fold in rock l ...
" spaced equally around their circumference. Pairs of Stargates function by generating an artificial stable
wormhole
A wormhole ( Einstein-Rosen bridge) is a hypothetical structure connecting disparate points in spacetime, and is based on a special solution of the Einstein field equations.
A wormhole can be visualized as a tunnel with two ends at separate p ...
between them, allowing one-way travel through. The symbols on the inner ring of the Stargate correspond to constellations and serve to map out coordinates for various destination planets and other locations in space.
A typical Stargate measures in diameter, weighs ,
and is made of the fictional heavy mineral "naqahdah".
The Stargates were created millions of years ago by an alien race known as the
Ancients;
their modern history begins when
Egyptologist
Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , '' -logia''; ar, علم المصريات) is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religiou ...
Daniel Jackson deciphers their workings in the ''Stargate'' film.
The Stargate device sets apart ''SG-1'' from other science fiction shows by allowing modern-day people to travel to other planets in an instant,
although scholar Dave Hipple argued that ''SG-1'' "also deploys
cience fictionstereotypes both to acknowledge forebears and to position itself as a deserving heir".
[ With the help of the central Stargate device, the premise of ''Stargate SG-1'' combines ancient cultures, present-day political and social concerns, aliens and advanced technologies.][ Near-instantaneous interplanetary travel allows a fundamental difference in plot structure and set design from other series. There is a disjunction between politics on Earth and the realities of fighting an interstellar war. The Stargate also helps to speed up the exposition of the setting.][
]
Ancients
The race of the Ancients is first mentioned in the ''Stargate SG-1'' season 2 episode "The Fifth Race
The second season of ''Stargate SG-1'', an American-Canadian television series, began airing on June 26, 1998 on Showtime. The second season concluded after 22 episodes on February 10, 1999 on British Sky One, which overtook Showtime in mid-seaso ...
" as the original builders of the Stargate network and members of the former Alliance of four great races
The mythology of the ''Stargate'' franchise is the historical backstory of the ''Stargate'' premise, which centers around xeno-mythology as experienced by humans during episodic contact. In the fictional universe of the franchise, the people of ...
. They were considered humanity's predecessors, originally establishing Earth as their homeworld after they migrated to the Milky Way, and having seeded multiple galaxies to allow life to evolve on uninhabited worlds. At the time that the ''Stargate'' franchise takes place, the Ancients have long since "ascended", i.e. they shed their physical bodies and live eternally as pure energy on a higher plane of existence with an increased power and capacity for learning. While they are no longer physically present in the universe, their highly advanced technology—including the Stargate—remains behind, all of which has shown to be almost entirely resilient to the decay of time, and has also proven to be the most advanced technology anyone has ever encountered. With humans from Earth as their closest descendants both from a genetic standpoint and an evolutionary standpoint, they have shown the most proclivity in utilizing Ancient technology when they encounter it.
For the first six seasons of ''Stargate SG-1'', the ascended Ancients maintain a strict rule of noninterference in mortal affairs of the material galaxy, and the interactions between humans of Earth and the Ancients are restricted to the outcast Ancient characters Oma Desala
Over its decade of existence, science fiction TV series ''Stargate SG-1'' developed an extensive and detailed backdrop of diverse characters. Many of the characters are members of alien species discovered while exploring the galaxy through the ...
and Orlin; the Ancients' ascension was also used as a plot device for the departure of actor Michael Shanks
Michael Garrett Shanks (born December 15, 1970) is a Canadian actor, writer and director. He is best known for his role as Daniel Jackson in the long-running military science fiction television series '' Stargate SG-1'' and as Charles Harris ...
( Daniel Jackson) in season 6 of ''Stargate SG-1''. The fictional background of the Ancients was extended with the franchise's Atlantis mythos that began in the ''Stargate SG-1'' season 6 finale " Full Circle", and which also served as the basis for spin-off show ''Stargate Atlantis
''Stargate Atlantis'' (usually stylized in all caps and often abbreviated ''SGA'') is an adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Coop ...
''. The Ori arc of ''Stargate SG-1''s seasons 9 and 10 expanded the Ancient mythos further.
Asgard
A benevolent race that, according to the mythology of ''Stargate'', gave rise to Norse mythology on Earth and inspired accounts of the Roswell Greys. The Asgard can no longer reproduce and therefore perpetuate themselves by transferring their minds into new cloned bodies. Extremely advanced technologically, the threat of their intervention protects many planets in the Milky Way, including Earth, from Goa'uld
The mythology of the ''Stargate'' franchise is the historical backstory of the ''Stargate'' premise, which centers around xeno-mythology as experienced by humans during episodic contact. In the fictional universe of the franchise, the people of ...
attack. They also provide much assistance to Earth in the way of technology, equipment, and expertise. Their main adversary in ''Stargate SG-1'' are the mechanical Replicators, against which they enlist the aid of SG-1
''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is ...
on several occasions. The entire Asgard civilization chooses to self-destruct in "Unending
"Unending" is the season finale of the tenth season and series finale of the science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1'', and the show's 214th episode overall. Written and directed by Robert C. Cooper, the episode originally premiered in ...
", due to the degenerative effects of repeated cloning. A small rogue colony of Asgard, known as the Vanir, still exist in the Pegasus galaxy. They were able to slow cloning's negative side effects by experimenting on humans.
Mythology of ''Stargate SG-1''
''Stargate SG-1'' takes place mostly in the Milky Way galaxy. Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner tried to stay true to the feature film, but also wanted ''Stargate SG-1'' to be unique in its own way. ''Stargate SG-1'' gradually evolved away from the basic premise of the film and developed its own unique mythological superstructure.[Beeler and Dickson 2005. "Introduction", pp. 1–5.] ''Stargate SG-1'' elaborated on the film's Egyptian hybrid mythology and mixed in other historical mythologies, coming up with a mythological superstructure that explains the existence of all of the other mythologies in the overarching ''Stargate'' narrative. The series expands upon Egyptian mythology
Egyptian mythology is the collection of myths from ancient Egypt, which describe the actions of the Egyptian gods as a means of understanding the world around them. The beliefs that these myths express are an important part of ancient Egyp ...
(notably the Egyptian gods Apep/Apophis, and Anubis
Anubis (; grc, Ἄνουβις), also known as Inpu, Inpw, Jnpw, or Anpu in Ancient Egyptian () is the god of death, mummification, embalming, the afterlife, cemeteries, tombs, and the Underworld, in ancient Egyptian religion, usually depict ...
as Goa'uld villains), Norse mythology (notably the god Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...
as an Asgard ally), Arthurian legend
The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Wester ...
(notably Merlin as an Ancient ally), and many other mythologies like Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
and Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of myths of ancient Rome as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans. One of a wide variety of genres of Roman folklore, ''Roman mythology'' may also refer to the modern study of these representa ...
. ''SG-1'' does not introduce new alien races as often as some other science fiction television series.[Beeler 2008, pp. 274-277.] Most civilizations that the Goa'uld had transplanted maintain much of their original Earth culture, and ''Stargate SG-1'' does not equate civilization with technology like many other sci-fi shows do.[Booker 2004, pp. 181–182.] Newly encountered races or visited planets are integrated into the mythology, although plotlines of individual episodes are often new, self-standing and accessible for new audiences, giving a compelling internal coherence.[Beeler 2008, p. 273.]
The writers had to strike a balance in the interaction between the explorers from Earth and advanced races (of which there were only few in the story) so that alliances could be developed where the advanced races do not give Earth all their technology and knowledge. ''Stargate SG-1'' emphasized its present-day-Earth story frame by frequently referencing popular culture
Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
, like ''The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), who ...
'' and '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' had done before.[Hipple, Dave, "Stargate SG-1: Self-possessed Science Fiction". In Beeler 2005, pages 27–28.] According to one critic in 1997, ''Stargate SG-1'' was designed to have no nationality, which might appeal to viewers all over the world. The final episodes of season 7 (2004) brought a more global approach to the scenario when the Stargate Program
Over its decade of existence, science fiction TV series ''Stargate SG-1'' developed an extensive and detailed backdrop of diverse characters. Many of the characters are members of alien species discovered while exploring the galaxy through the S ...
was revealed to over a dozen nations, which further helped the international appeal of ''Stargate SG-1''.
Alliance of four great races
SG-1 learns in season 1's " The Torment of Tantalus" that although most known habitable planets in the ''Stargate'' universe are populated by humans, there was once an Alliance of four great races. In season 2's "The Fifth Race
The second season of ''Stargate SG-1'', an American-Canadian television series, began airing on June 26, 1998 on Showtime. The second season concluded after 22 episodes on February 10, 1999 on British Sky One, which overtook Showtime in mid-seaso ...
", the Asgard
In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr'' ; "enclosure of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in a multitude of Old Norse sagas and mythological texts. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir ...
tell Jack O'Neill that this strategic alliance A strategic alliance (also see strategic partnership) is an agreement between two or more parties to pursue a set of agreed upon objectives needed while remaining independent organizations.
The alliance is a cooperation or collaboration which aims ...
had consisted of the Ancients, the Asgard, the Furlings, and the Nox, and that the humans from Earth had taken the first steps towards becoming "the Fifth Race". (This comes full circle in the ''Stargate SG-1'' finale "Unending
"Unending" is the season finale of the tenth season and series finale of the science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1'', and the show's 214th episode overall. Written and directed by Robert C. Cooper, the episode originally premiered in ...
", when Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...
declares the humans from Earth the Fifth Race.)
SG-1 had encountered the Nox in season 1's "The Nox
The first season of the military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1'' commenced airing on the Showtime channel in the United States on July 27, 1997, concluded on the Sci Fi channel on March 6, 1998, and contained 22 episodes. The ...
", a fairy-like people that wants nothing to do with humanity, viewing them as "young" and having "much to learn". The Nox can live to be hundreds of years old and have a great desire for wisdom and understanding. They are extreme pacifists and never employ violence for any reason, even to defend themselves. Although they outwardly seem to be primitive forest-dwellers, they possess superhuman intelligence and advanced technology beyond that of the Goa'uld, including a floating city. As they have the ability to render themselves and other objects invisible and intangible, as well as the ability to resurrect the dead, they never need to fight. The Nox also appear in "Enigma
Enigma may refer to:
*Riddle, someone or something that is mysterious or puzzling
Biology
*ENIGMA, a class of gene in the LIM domain
Computing and technology
* Enigma (company), a New York-based data-technology startup
* Enigma machine, a family ...
" and " Pretense".
However, ''Stargate SG-1'' revealed virtually nothing about the Furlings, beside making them the story backdrop of an abandoned site in season 6's " Paradise Lost". Furling skeletons were originally planned to be featured in the episode, but the production of such proved to be too expensive. Jack O'Neill concludes that the Furlings must be cute and cuddly creatures, based solely on their name. In "Citizen Joe
"Citizen Joe" is the fifteenth episode for season eight of the Canadian-American military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1''. The episode features known voice actor Dan Castellaneta, who voices Homer Simpson in ''The Simpsons'' ...
", another character equates the Furlings to Ewok
The Ewoks (singular: Ewok) are a fictional species
There are a number of lists of fictional species:
Extraterrestrial
*List of fictional extraterrestrials (by media type)
*Lists of fictional alien species: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, ...
s based on their name. The length of time that the Furling nature remained a mystery in the series turned into a running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...
. When Executive Producer Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper is a Canadian writer and producer best known for his work in the ''Stargate'' franchise. He was formerly an executive producer of ''Stargate SG-1'', ''Stargate Atlantis'' and ''Stargate Universe''. He also co-created both ''Star ...
was asked "Will we ever meet the Furlings?", his answer was "Who says we haven't?". The writers later went on to state that apart from showing Furling technology and legacy, no member of the Furling race has ever appeared on the show. Producer Joseph Mallozzi
Joseph Mallozzi (born 16 October 1965) is a Canadian writer and producer.
He is most noted for his contributions to the '' Stargate SG-1'', '' Stargate: Atlantis'' and '' Stargate Universe'' television series and as showrunner of ''Dark Matter ...
claimed that more about the Furlings would finally be revealed in ''SG-1''s tenth season, which turned out to be an imagined scene from a movie script based on the fictional television series " Wormhole X-Treme!", a parody
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...
of ''Stargate SG-1'' set in the ''Stargate SG-1'' universe. The Furlings were depicted as Ewok
The Ewoks (singular: Ewok) are a fictional species
There are a number of lists of fictional species:
Extraterrestrial
*List of fictional extraterrestrials (by media type)
*Lists of fictional alien species: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, ...
-like, or Koala-like creatures that are destroyed by the Goa'uld soon after making contact with SG-1.
Goa'uld
The Goauld are the primary adversaries in ''Stargate SG-1'' from seasons 1 to 8. ''Stargate SG-1'' creators Brad Wright
Brad Wright (born May 2, 1961) is a Canadian television producer and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of the television series ''Stargate SG-1'' (with Jonathan Glassner), '' Stargate Atlantis'' (with Robert C. Cooper) and '' Sta ...
and Jonathan Glassner
Jonathan Glassner is a television writer, director, and producer. He is known for his involvement with ''Stargate SG-1'' (where he was executive producer for the first three seasons) and '' The Outer Limits''. Glassner was initially noticed as ...
established in ''SG-1''s 1997 pilot episode "Children of the Gods
"Children of the Gods" is the first episode of the military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1''. It was written by producers Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright and was directed by Mario Azzopardi. The episode first aired on July 27, ...
" that the film's unnamed alien race and the Goa'uld are the same. As such, the look of the series' Goa'uld, including the early archvillain Apophis, was based on Ra in the feature film. The Goa'uld are introduced as the first and most prominent alien race in the Milky Way, and are also one of the few nonhumanoid species to appear in the early seasons of the series. They are a parasitic species that resemble finned snakes, which can burrow themselves into a humanoid's neck and wrap around the spinal column. The Goa'uld parasite (generally referred to as a "symbiote") then takes control of its host's body and mind, while providing longevity and perfect health. The Goa'uld are branded as evil by their pretending to be gods and forcing people to submit to their quasi-religious pronouncements.[ The most powerful Goa'uld in the galaxy are collectively known as the System Lords.
The fictional backstory is established over the course of the series. In season 4's " The First Ones", it is stated that the Goa'uld evolved on the planet P3X-888, where there are still populations of primitive Goa'uld. Their original hosts were the Unas (meaning "First Ones"), a race of large and primitive humanoids also native to the planet and whom SG-1 had first encountered in season 1's " Thor's Hammer". The Goa'uld then found and ruled over Earth for thousands of years, masquerading as gods from ancient mythologies and transplanting humans throughout the galaxy to serve as slaves and hosts. A faction of Goa'uld symbiotes named the Tok'ra (meaning "against Ra"), whom SG-1 first encounter in season 2's " The Tok'ra" and become close allies with, formed in opposition to the Goa'uld culturally and militarily millennia ago to live in true symbiosis with their hosts, both beings sharing the body equally and benefiting from each other.
The Goa'uld modified humans to create the Jaffa to serve as soldiers and as incubators for their young via an abdominal pouch. The story of the Jaffa is primarily told through the main character ]Teal'c
Teal'c of Chulak is a fictional character in the 1997 military science fiction television series '' Stargate SG-1''. Portrayed by Christopher Judge, Teal'c is a Jaffa warrior from the planet Chulak. As a Jaffa, Teal'c is a genetically modifi ...
. The Jaffa's look in the series was copied from the Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
ian look of Ra from the film. The Jaffa rely on the symbiotes for their immune system or will die a slow and painful death that can only be avoided by either acquiring a new symbiote or by lifelong regular injections of a replacement drug called Tretonin. Jaffa bear a symbol of their Goa'uld master's insignia on their foreheads, and the highest-ranking Jaffa in the service of a Goa'uld is known as the First Prime. SG-1 encounters three notable Jaffa factions: the all-female Hak'tyl ("liberation") lead by Ishta in season 7's " Birthright", the Ancient
Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cov ...
-worshipping Sodan in season 9's " Babylon", and the Ori-worshipping Illac Renin (meaning "Kingdom of the Path") in season 10's " Talion".
The planet Dakara, a holy ground for the Goa'uld and Jaffa alike, is the turning point in the Goa'uld–Jaffa power struggle in season 8's " Reckoning"/" Threads": It is where the Ancients first landed in the Milky Way Galaxy after fleeing the Alteran Galaxy and later built a powerful device, capable of destroying existing life or creating it where there was none before, long before the galaxy was colonized by the Goa'uld or the humans. Since season 8 was intended to be the show's last, the producers had finished it with the defeat of the Goa'uld and the Replicators. However, when the Sci Fi Channel
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
renewed the series, the producers had grown tired of writing endings. Having had good experiences with the first season of ''Stargate Atlantis
''Stargate Atlantis'' (usually stylized in all caps and often abbreviated ''SGA'') is an adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Coop ...
'', the producers decided to revamp the series by more than just adding new characters, new villains and new missions. Thus they considered the beginning of Season 9 as the pilot of a new show and replaced the Goa'uld with the Ori as the main villains. The Goa'uld still appeared in the show, but on a regular basis under the command of Ba'al
Baal (), or Baal,; phn, , baʿl; hbo, , baʿal, ). ( ''baʿal'') was a title and honorific meaning "owner", "lord" in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during antiquity. From its use among people, it came to be applied t ...
.
Ori
A major threat in the cosmos, the Ori are Ascended beings who use their advanced knowledge of the universe to force lesser beings to worship them. In essence, they used to be Ancients, however they split into separate groups due to different views of life. The Ori are religious while the Ancients prefer science. The Ori sway lesser-developed planets into worshipping them by promising Ascension through an invented and empty religion called "Origin". This religion states that they created humanity and as such are to be worshiped by their creations. It also promises its followers that, on death, they will Ascend. However, Origin was designed to channel energy from the human worshipers to the Ori. As such, the Ori never help anyone else Ascend because then they would have to share the power that they sap from their worshipers. Their ultimate goal is to completely destroy the Ascended Ancients, who they know as "the Others". All of their efforts, including their technology, are for the purpose of garnering worshippers.
As Ascended beings, the Ori do not interfere directly in the mortal plane. They use instead humans called Priors
Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be ...
, which they artificially evolve so that they are one step from Ascension, giving the Priors godlike powers. Because the Ori have worshipers across the entire home galaxy of the Ancients, and use their knowledge to spread, they are nearly unstoppable. For example: Ori warships, built using conventional means while operated through the supernatural abilities of the Priors, are generally considered to be the most powerful vessels in the Stargate universe.
The Ori might be regarded as a shadow form of the Goa'uld, with the significant difference that the Ori promise ascension to their followers but never provide it.[
]
Mythology of ''Stargate Atlantis''
''Stargate Atlantis'' explores the adventures of an elite expedition from Earth, the "Atlantis Expedition", in the Pegasus Galaxy. The story arc of ''Stargate Atlantis'' begins in the season 6 finale of ''Stargate SG-1'', " Full Circle", where Daniel Jackson first mentions the Lost City of the Ancients. The search for the Lost City continues through ''SG-1'' season 7 with the aim to find powerful weapons, and ends with an Ancient outpost found in Antarctica in the season 7 finale " Lost City". In ''SG-1''s season 8 premiere " New Order", Daniel Jackson discovers the gate address to the legendary city Atlantis of Greek mythology. The Atlantis Expedition has a multi-nation civilian leadership and a predominantly United States military faction providing security. Their intent is to establish diplomacy with inhabitants of the galaxy and a permanent human base in the city of Atlantis for scientific and military research and exploration.
Atlantis
The pilot episode " Rising" of ''Stargate Atlantis'' establishes much of the backstory of Atlantis: The city was built by the Ancients millions of years ago, originally as a central outpost in prehistoric Antarctica, until an unexplained crisis—involving a virulent plague—forced them to relocate the city to the planet Lantea in the Pegasus Galaxy via intergalactic hyperdrive engines. The Ancients (known as "Ancestors" to the denizens of Pegasus, and "Lanteans" to the Wraith) seeded several human populations in the Pegasus galaxy, but rarely interbred with them. As explained in season 1's " The Defiant One", the Wraith drove the Ancients from their holdings until only Atlantis was left, defended by its powerful shield and a network of armed satellites. The Atlantis Expedition learn during their arrival in Atlantis in "Rising" that the Ancients submerged the city in Lantea's ocean to evade detection by the Wraith and returned via stargate to Earth, where survivor recollections formed the basis for the ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...
accounts of Lost City of Atlantis
Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and '' Critias'', wherein it represents the antagonist naval power that b ...
. In the ''Atlantis'' series finale " Enemy at the Gate", Atlantis returns to Earth and lands in the Pacific Ocean near San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
.
The producers intended the city of Atlantis to be the size of Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
. Many sets used for Atlantis are part of a large sound stage that was built for almost US$2 million. This stage is used for rooms like the brig, several balconies, and other interior parts of Atlantis. Green screens were used if an outdoor view was required in an episode. According to digital effects artist Bruce Woloshyn, the series' original CGI model of the city of Atlantis was over four million polygons, which was feature film in size. This allows the city model to still look good and detailed in extreme close view. Since most of the city is modelled rather than textured, the details appear more realistic when the virtual camera revolves around the city model.[DVD-Video "Behind the Gate" of the SGA Season 1 DVDs.]
Wraith
The Wraith are the main antagonists in ''Stargate Atlantis'' and the dominant species in the Pegasus Galaxy. They are biologically immortal hive-based humanoids who maintain the human worlds of the Pegasus Galaxy as livestock
Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animal ...
to feed on their "life-force". As established in season 1's " The Gift", the Wraith evolved in the Pegasus galaxy after a human population seeded by the Ancients was fed upon by an insect called the irratus bug, which has the ability to draw upon a human's life to heal itself. As they fed, the bugs incorporated human DNA into themselves, giving rise to the Wraith. The Wraith have destroyed any civilizations with the potential to threaten their dominance, and few human races in Pegasus surpass Earth in technological advancement when the Earth expedition arrives.
The existence of the Wraith is restricted to waking ''en masse'' every few centuries to replenish their health by galaxy-wide abductions of humans called "cullings", but the arrival of the Atlantis Expedition in the Pegasus Galaxy in the pilot episode " Rising" leads to the Wraith waking prematurely from their hibernation. To sate their hunger, the Wraith try to get to Earth whose population is much bigger than that of the whole Pegasus Galaxy. This can only be achieved either through the Stargate or by getting more advanced Hyper drive technology, both of which are present in the city of Atlantis.
Mythology of ''Stargate Universe''
''Stargate Universe'' was conceived as "a completely separate, third entity" in the live-action ''Stargate'' franchise. Although it was firmly entrenched in pre-established ''Stargate'' mythology, ''Stargate Universe'' diverged in a new direction. Like the first two series in the franchise, ''Stargate Universe'' takes place during the present time, not in the distant future. Unlike ''SG-1'' and ''Atlantis'', no single dominant villain race is featured.[
The show is set on the Ancient ship ''Destiny'', which is established as a part of an Ancient experiment to seed the universe with Stargates millions of years ago and investigate a groundbreaking discovery they made pertaining to the origins of the universe. The ''Destiny'' itself was intended to follow a pre-programmed course to explore these galaxies, but was left unmanned and lost at the time of the Ancients' ascension.] The series starts when a team of soldiers and scientists from Earth step through the Stargate to find the ''Destiny'' and are unable to return to Earth. The show focuses mostly on the people aboard the ship and their survival instead of planet-based exploration, and according to Brad Wright, would also "focus on exploration and adventure – and, by extension, the occasional alien encounter as well". In Brad Wright's words, the show was to be "hopefully exploring the truly alien, and avoiding the rubber faced English-speaking one".
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