Battlestar Galactica Week: Mysticism, Suicide Bombers and Freud

that the metaphor works if you consider that...

OK, that's a valid point. But now you've made me wonder about cylons. There aren't really civi-cylons, but are there innocents? Among the toasters or the skinjobs?

I'll agree it's a radical statement, but at the same time, it's not a radical solution. They've been disarmed by their oppressors, but they are at war. How many options can they see for themselves? It will be interesting to see what sort of response you get here. How many viewers stopped and attempted to make any correlations...

OK, that's a valid point. But now you've made me wonder about cylons. There aren't really civi-cylons, but are there innocents? Among the toasters or the skinjobs?

That is an interesting question really. What if there are civiliian/military castes, and we just can't tell the difference? Heck, maybe there is even a large wing of cylons who oppose the war, and they blew up some of them.

They all look alike to us, right?

I remember from the first few minutes of the pilot how it states the Cylons were not seen for 40 years -- the same as the years the Israelites spent wandering the desert. It seems that those years too were a time of spiritual growth for the Cylons as it was for the Israelites. The Cylons were the slaves (". . . created to make life easier on the Twelve Colonies") and note that it is the Cylons with one God. So, perhaps they are the "chosen people". Now, that all said it seems hard to see these 'skin-jobs' as Apostles. Perhaps more like the 12 sons of Jacob (was Jacob the first hybrid from Razor?). Maybe we should ask who is Moses (who only gets to see but never enters the 'promised land').

All said, it is probably best to see this as loosely based on either the apostles or the 12 tribes. Remember that "All this has happened before, and will happen again." so the history we are trying to make parallels to may all happen after. Just another repetition.

The Paul/Saul issue is interesting. Again, it is hard to see the 12 as evangelicals being sent out to share the "good news". But, on this subject, remember that Paul is not part of the original 12 apostles and was a convert after the life of Jesus (he was a Roman Citizen - so Colonel Tigh does fit that). Also, there is Matthias – the apostle selected by lot to replace Judas.

Not sure where any of this would fit in with the topics in this article, but here are some interesting tidbids from the Religious and Mythological References page on Wikipedia:

The opening theme song for seasons one, two, and three is a famous Hindu mantra, the Gayatri Mantra, taken from the Rig Veda. The words are "OM bhûr bhuvah svah tat savitur varçnyam bhargô dçvasya dhîmahi dhiyô yô nah pracôdayât", which may be translated in various ways but means approximately, ""Oh all-protecting lord, please guide our intellects, so that we may proceed in the right direction towards enlightenment".

In the re-imagined series, Kara's last name, Thrace, refers to a region that includes Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey. In Greek mythology this region provided a number of Greek kings (including Lycurgus, Phineas and Orpheus's father) and was known for its mercenaries.

Saul Tigh (previously called Paul) persecuted the Cylons, then, after he loses an eye, discovered that he was one. Similarly, Saul of Tarsus (later called Paul), persecuted the Christians, then, after he was blinded, decided to become one.

More on the Mormon influences:

Some of the elements of the two Battlestar Galactica science-fiction television series seem to be derived from the Mormon beliefs of their creator, Glen A. Larson. In both series the planet Kobol is the ancient and distant homeworld of the human race. According to Jana Reiss, author of "What Would Buffy Do?", Kobol as an anagram of Kolob is only one of many plot points borrowed from Mormonism by Larson.[1] In Mormonism, Kolob is the star or planet nearest unto the throne of God.[2]

The "Lords of Kobol" are sacred figures in both series. They are treated as elders or patriarchs in the original series, while in the new series they are versions of the Twelve Olympians.

Saul Tigh (previously called Paul)

Huh? Lost me on that part.

Huh? Lost me on that part.

In the original series, Colonel Tigh's name was Paul. It was changed to Saul for the new series.

Damn, nice catch. I missed that. I was going through season 1 stuff trying to find Paul...

There has been alot written about the original BSG and Mormonism.

Mormonism is basically just an extremely perverted incarnation of gnosticism.

Tarot's different, myk, but equally fascinating.

The only part of tarot that numerologist type people find interesting is the major arcana. The minor are based a bit more on astrology, and are more appropriate for divination than the majors though. Either way, it's usually not a great idea to combine them.

The major arcana are based on the 22 paths on the tree of life, which in turn correspond to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Both probably descended from the same, older system.

There are several ways of dividing the letters/majors. My favorite is dividing them into three groups of 7. One each for body, mind, and spirit, and the odd card, #22 out is the choice between good and evil, (More colloquially, "The world")

If you want more information, on how to separate them and such, I can tell you.

Btw, the more harmonic/geometric based system in the above post does not relate directly to either the major or minor arcana.

As for the law of fives, I thought it was a joke more than anything, but Maybe I'm missing something?

My favorite "numerological" principle is fractals.

I like it because it so closely relates to so many principles in a variety of religions,

Hua-Yen from buddhism, Advaita Vedanta, "As Above, so Below", ect.

Fractals, being infinitely repeating and self-similar representing the principle that man is a microcosm of the Universe, and that it is a hologram of him... of everyone... on every single level.

Being infinitely small and infinitely large at the same time.

And of course, if you've ever seen fractal art, which, imo, are the most beautiful structures on earth.

Myk:

Nope. But I just hinted to Yasmin that I might because of this article series.

:^{)>

Between the two of you in your description of the Cylons, though, it just sounded a lot to me like Hesiod.

jfx, I think you might really like it.

spiff:

I was a monster Babylon 5 fan before it was cool. Seriously. Watched the pilot first run.

I was not, however, a fan of the original BG so I let this version go until I got pretty far behind.

This version is nothing like the original. Though when I was a kid I really liked the original.

I actually tried rewatching the original series. Wow, those fond childhood memories can be deceiving... I do miss the theme though. Loved that theme music.

jfx, say it ain't so. Next you'll tell me that you're a Buck Rogers hater, too.

As for the Theogony, it's a very apt reference.

As I see, the humans in the series are analogues to both the Titans, which the Olympians (Cylons) overthrew, and humanity (upon which the Olympians alternately predated and also aided). The conflict within the Cylons between those who would help humanity towards enlightenment (the Promethean role) and those who would destroy them for hubris (many parallels) is pretty interesting.

If they don't reveal the final Cylon tonight, I think it might be fun to try to align each known Cylon to an Olympian god, and see if it could give clues to who the final Cylon is.

yasmin:

This version is nothing like the original.

So I read.

:^{)>

spiff:

Next you'll tell me that you're a Buck Rogers hater, too.

Well, except whoever was the hot chick, yeah, I was.

As for Theogony, I'm at a complete disadvantage because I haven't watched (although perhaps that gave me greater scholarly detachment?) so I don't have enough detail to judge.

However, whichever one of you BG geeks who gets famous by writing it up in full owes me a footnote!

Myk, it would be quite a thing to attempt to just go straight out and try to individually match each one to an individual sign of the zodiac.

Probably the first thing you should do is try to group them into the four elements, because the four elements are probably the easiest to understand astrological principle.

After you do that, then you have two options

1. try to group them into each of the three qualities. The qualities, cardinal, fixed, mutable are a bit tricky to understand properly.

2. Or instead you can attempt to group them by the personal, social, universal groupings which are signs 1-4, 5-8, 9-12 respectively.

After you've done that, you can them combine the two assignments you've made and them, voila, you have each corresponding directly to a sign.