DS9 Stories/News: Bajoran Life Part (1)

BAJORAN LANGUAGE

…

The Bajoran language family is a group of both extinct and existing languages and dialects used on Bajor.

Site: http://bajoran.wordpress.com/

The Bajoran script is possibly the most complex phonetic script encountered by the federation. The Bajoran written language is thought to have been developed from a logo syllabic script used in the B’hala region on Bajor. The characters are sometimes described as being ideographic (each symbol represents an idea) this is not the case. Although the Bajorans consider each symbol to represent the idea of language, the script is primarily a syllabary, although it has some unusual spelling conventions.

Site: http://celestialtemple.wikispaces.com/Bajoran+Language

The Bajoran written language consists of square symbols which are composed of thick lines. There are a large number of different symbols which can be used in any of eight rotations (flipped and rotated each and every way). Bajoran tends to be written in horizontal lines, although it can be written vertically. (DS9: “Shadows and Symbols“)

Bajoran writing is said to be ideographic, that is, each character represents a single thought or word pictured. Most forms of written Bajoran share some root ideograms, as evidenced by the Reckoning Tablet. Each ancient Bajoran symbol translated into a pair of nearly identical modern Bajoran symbols. (DS9: “The Reckoning“)

Keiko O’Brien‘s classroom featured a chart depicting the English, the Ferengi, the Cardassian, and the Bajoran alphabet. The chart listed some twenty-five Bajoran language symbols. (DS9: “The Nagus“, “In the Hands of the Prophets“, “Cardassians“)

Site: http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Bajoran_language

Pagh- Bajoran word for life energy or soul. [Emissary]

Peldar Joy – Bajoran greeting used during the Gratitude Festival. [Fascination]

Balik (am) – Shouted by Keeve Falor to children. Possibly “go away”or “get out of here”. [Ensign Ro]

(Beli) Clavian – Bajoran musical instrument. Most likely wind instrument similar to a Clarinet. [Pre-emptive Strike]

Boryhas – Bajoran term for ghosts or spirits of the dead. [The Next Phase]

D’jarras – Ancient Bajoran caste system. [Accession]

Deranya- Lamp for the dead. Candle suspended by chains from four pillars. [Shakaar]

Itanu- Cerimony carried out when a child reaches the age of fourteen. [Accession]

Tessipate, Decipate, Kellipate – Bajoran measures of distance and area.

“Ah – kay – ah. A – ya Va – suu. Ko – van – ha. E – kay – ha.” – Bajoran Death Chant. Repeated over and over again for excess of 3 hours. [Battlelines]

“Tesra Peldar Impadre Bren. Bentel Veytan Olan Sten.” – Presiders address at the Gratitude Festival. [Fascination]

“Raka Ja Hoot. Shalla Moralla. Emma Buru Kana. Uranak Rana Non (Person’s Name).Propay Va Nara Eh Suuk. Shalla Com…” – Bajoran chant for recent deaths. Used with the Deranya lamp. [Shakaar]

“Shakala tie unsyor. Tevan akares kova antana kel.” – Marriage blessing by the Emissary. [Accession]

DS9 Stories/News: Michael Westmore’s Aliens (3)

DS9 Season 3

…

Iliana Ghemor‘s makeup, as worn by Nana Visitor for “Second Skin“, explaining that a new forehead appliance was made, and that he tried to ensure Visitor’s natural beauty was still prominent through the heavy makeup by giving her dark lips and using a great deal of mascara around the eyes. He also explains how when regulars who don’t have to wear makeup normally actually do experience heavy prosthetics, they tend to develop a new appreciation for their fellow actors who have to sit in the makeup chair for hours day in, day out

Julian Bashir‘s aging makeup as worn by Alexander Siddig for “Distant Voices“, which took four hours to apply. Westmore mainly discusses Siddig’s performance, praising how he used the makeup as a prop and altered his body language and voice to complement the prosthetic work

Ferengi makeup, and how during The Next Generation, there was a one-head-fits-all Ferengi appliance. This changed when Armin Shimerman had his own unique head and nose developed for “Emissary“, while Wallace Shawn was given a completely different type of head for “The Nagus“. In relation to the character of Ishka from “Family Business“, Westmore explains that the appliance was based on that worn by Shawn as Zek, and that it was designed to look almost caricature-like, with drooping lobes and large jowls. For the scene when her knees are seen, Westmore even designed drooping kneecaps. For the shot where her shoulders and the top of her chest were exposed, Westmore didn’t have time to create a proper foam-latex appliance, so he rubberized Kleenex, and wrinkled it, laying it across her shoulders and on the upper portion of her chest. According to Westmore, actress Andrea Martin was not amused by the makeup

DS9 Stories/News: Hewitt: Creating The World Of Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe shared memories of his time on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine including setting up long term storylines, actor influence on storylines and lack of interference by the studio.

The writers of Deep Space Nine had more freedom than they found on some shows due to that lack of studio interference. “On Deep Space Nine, we got virtually no studio notes ever,” said Wolfe. “They largely just let us do what we wanted. Things went very smoothly.”

One thing that the writers realized rather quickly was that having the characters on a stationary space station as opposed to being on a traveling starship freed up the writers to create more serialized stories. “We very rapidly realized that being on a space station meant not ending stories every week,” said Wolfe. “If you’re on a starship, you leave the planet where the adventure is happening every week, and therefore…there isn’t a narrative pull towards revisiting those stories or it’s rarer. On our show, we never left, and the people we were dealing with didn’t either a lot of the time, so very quickly…we built towards more serialized storytelling. I think it’s something that was just a natural outgrowth of the premise.”

Some story elements had a longer lead time, and began their build up early in the series. According to Wolfe, these included the Bajoran religion and politics and the Dominion, which was set up beginning in the second season.

Other story elements developed as a result of the actors themselves, including the Odo-Kira romance. Odo’s scenes were played with “this admiration and longing for her that we picked up on very quickly,” said Wolfe, “and [we] thought, ‘Well, OK, that’s a great relationship too…we’ll run with that.’”

More can be heard on the podcast, located here, including Wolfe’s thoughts on working with Michael Piller and Ira Steven Behr, for which characters the writers most enjoyed writing, how Nog went from Ferengi son to Federation cadet and Wolfe’s most recent work, Alphas.

DS9 Stories/News: Deep Space Nine Races – Ferengi

Ferengi Logo

The Ferengi are a technologically sophisticated humanoid race that was long a complete mystery to the United Federation of Planets prior to first contact at the planet Delphi Ardu in 2364. They are extremely sexist, and do not allow their females the honor of clothing – although Ferengi males, often find human females very attractive.

Ships

The Ferengi Business Alliance is ruled by the Grand Nagus, whom is renowned to be the best merchant in the Quadrant. They possess a strict code of honor, called the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition, which is basically ruthless principles of capitalism to the extreme. These rules, of which there are currently 285, are learned by heart by every Ferengi at a young age.

Because of the unusual four-lobed design of Ferengi brains, not entirely dissimilar to the Dopterians, even Betazoids are unable to read their minds.

Ferengi Language

Ferengi Officer

Ferengi Civilian

Shortly after first contact with the Federation, Ferengi entrepreneurs saw new opportunities and quickly assimilated themselves into Federation commerce, as did Quark, a Ferengi whom established a bar at the Bajoran space station Deep Space Nine. Also, relations between the Ferengi and the other nearby powers, have always been strictly businesslike, since the Ferengi are interested in wealth only, and not territory. Therefore they seldom get themselves involved in long wars, since wars are always costly, but if there is profit in winning a war, and they have a chance of winning, they will gladly go ahead.

DS9 Stories/News: Legends of the Ferengi Review

Legends of the Ferengi

Rating: Series: Deep Space 9
Author: Quark, as told to Ira Steven Behr & Robert Hewitt Wolfe
Published: August, 1997
Review by: CL6 Kali D’or

Found this one in a used book store and couldn’t help myself. The premise of the book is that Quark tells stories based on the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition. It is done totally tongue-in-cheek and is a great laugh of a book. I have yet to read the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition which Quark wrote some time ago, but it has to be as good as this one.

…

..

All 285 Rules are not included, the book would be too long and cumbersome, but Quark has taken some of his favorites and explained the who and how and why they came into being through tale tales, old stories, family fables, lies and other devious means to get his/their point across.

Some examples:

Rule #31: “Never insult a Ferengi’s mother….insult something he cares about instead.” A good insult is a thing of beauty, a work of art that endures long after it’s crafting. Not bad, and the attached list of the 10 Most Famous Insults in Ferengi history are a hoot.

Rule #104: “Faith moves mountains…of inventory.” This has a clever little folk tale attached, about one of the really old guys, Grand Nagus Gint, who died of a tooth sharpening accident. But a clever Ferengi, Yost, came up with a plan to liven up the mourning citizenry with figurines of the Nagus and marketing was born.

Rule #177: “Know your enemies….but do business with them always.” Another short little ditty about the Tholians, silk, bog moss and how things really work. According to Quark.

Rule #94: “Females and finances don’t mix.” Funny picture, reputed to be an old cave drawing, showing a female Ferengi with bags of “profit” while all around her, the men are dead. This stuff is just too funny.

This is not a big book – just a small paperbound one, only 157 pages long. It’s the kind of book you might keep in the bathroom, for a quick page or two every day? Or next to your computer – read a rule while something downloads. It’s up to you. I found the writing to be very clever, totally in keeping with the character. There are pictures of all our favorite Ferengi cast members, and their “victims” to entertain as well. And references into the history and culture of the Ferengi that we didn’t know before, and may well not really have wanted to find out. Thank you for sharing, Quark!