DS9 Stories/News: Bajoran Life Part (1)

BAJORAN LANGUAGE

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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 (4)

DS9 Season 4

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The teplan blight from “The Quickening“. Normally a makeup like this would be done by sculpting the veins in a piece of plaster, placing rubber on top of the plaster, and then placing a sheet of clay on top of that, pressing it down, and baking the whole thing in the oven. However, because so many veins were needed extremely quickly, Westmore decided to dispense with the top piece of clay, instead just scraping the excess rubber off the bottom piece of plaster and putting that straight into the oven without a top, thus baking in half the time. This method proved so successful that it has since been used on all Star Trek shows and films

Soto from “The Sword of Kahless“, whose Lethean makeup design had been introduced in the previous season (in “Distant Voices“), and that for its reappearance here, there was a subtle color change, bringing out the red, and pulling back the brown. Westmore also discusses that race was originally conceived as a kind of “dream-monster,” which had to be scary, so he designed teeth protruding from the jaw and forehead, and also used glaring red contact lenses

The Nausicaans from “Bar Association“, who have a “bony” design, with over-emphasized teeth

The makeup worn by Dennis Madalone as the Marauder in “Shattered Mirror“. Westmore says they were trying to convey that he was a tough guy who had been in a lot of combat, and the idea was that he had lost his eye when someone smashed a bottle into it during a barfight

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Hanok in “Starship Down“. Westmore notes James Cromwell‘s performance as Jaglom Shrek in TNG: “Birthright, Part I“, and how much Cromwell liked performing with makeup in general

Morn, and how his head piece was designed in such a way as would have allowed the actor to speak

DS9 Stories/News: Deep Space Nine Races – The Dominion (2)

Cont.

Founders / Changelings

Dominion Logo

Long ago, the Changelings, or the Founders, where explorers, roaming the stars in search for other races. But unfortunately they were met with distrust and hatred from other “solid” races wherever they went. Eventually, the Founders started to build up an empire to protect themselves, and to impose order on a chaotic universe. The empire, called the Dominion, is now the most powerful force in the Gamma Quadrant.

The Founders can shape into almost everything, even a cloud, and they can also change their mass. While shaped into something else, it is practically impossible to tell the difference between a Founder and the real thing. The only drawback is, that they have to return to their original gelatinous state every 16 hours, to regenerate.

They live together in the “Great Link”, which is the very foundation of their society. This is a state of merging of both form and thought, and with a sharing of idea and sensation, which provides a meaning to their existence.

The day-to-day administration of the Dominion is delegated to the Vorta, wile the military section is taken care of by the Jem’Hadar. The main traders are the Karemma.

Shapeshifter, original form is gelatinous

Founder in humanoid form

http://www.belgarath.net/?FramePage=/v5/xeno/founders.asp&

 

Jem’Hadar Soldier	Jem’Hadar Special Forces Soldier

The Jem’Hadar are a genetically engineered species, created by the Founders in order to protect them. It is encoded into their genes, that the Founders are their “Gods”, and that they have to abide by their laws. They are the main, and most feared, soldiers in the Dominionbusiness empire.

 They are extremely attentive and highly intelligent, and takes pleasure in fighting the enemies of the Dominion. In fact they look forward to any battle, and this makes them the most feared soldiers of the Dominion. Also, if they ever fail in a mission, they take their own lives in shame.

In order to keep their soldiers in submission the Founders have programmed the Jem’Hadar to lack a certain enzyme, which they are addicted to from their birth. They must have this enzyme, called Ketracel White, or they will get ill, and eventually die. Also, to keep the Jem’Hadar from rebelling, there are no women of the species, so natural procreation is impossible.

The Jem’Hadar are often commanded by a Vorta, and they find themselves dominated by them.

The Jem’Hadar uses mainly two types of space ships, a small Attack Craft, and a larger Battle Cruiser.

Jem’Hadar Language

DS9 Stories/News: Some ‘Deep’ Talk with Alexander Siddig (2)

Cont.

Reaction On The Station

Regarding his reaction to the character’s change.

Jordan Hoffman: What did the other cast members think? Were they on your side or did they think you were being crazy?

Alexander Siddig: I had a reputation for being a bit of a crank, yeah. They thought I was being cranky. I had this – there was one time I got furious because none of us were being paid royalties on our – this is rubbish, not important for the real world – but, nevertheless, we weren’t being paid royalties on our photographs. So I changed my name for a number of reasons, but that was one of them. So that they would have to re-do all the photographs, all the press with all the right name on it.

And I didn’t turn up to the big photo call for the season’s photo. So there’s one season’s photo of Deep Space Nine – the cast, without me in it which is the one I didn’t turn up to. And being a naïve twenty-something year-old, I didn’t realize that they immediately turned around and fired the head of marketing. So there was a real significant impact for me being such a childish brat.

Jordan Hoffman: Wow. So did that wake you up a little bit? That move?

Alexander Siddig: It woke me up, yeah it woke me up to being naïve and stupid and that real people get involved in these things.

So, Yeah, What’s The Deal With The Name Change?

Jordan Hoffman: It’s funny, for a while you were Siddig El Fadil, then you became Alexander Siddig.  But your full name, is. . .

Alexander Siddig: It’s a mouthful; it’s not something you’d say on the street.

Jordan Hoffman: What is it, could you actually say it for me?

Alexander Siddig: Siddig El Tahir El Fadil El Siddig Abderrahman Mohammed Ah – I stumble a bit myself – Ahmed Abdel Karim El Mahdi.

Jordan Hoffman: Wow, okay. And you sort of just picked Alexander?  Said Alexander works.

Alexander Siddig: Yeah, Alexander worked because it was, it’s Mesopotamian, it’s Arab, you know it’s pre-Muslim. The “Al” bit is a bit like, well, I suppose like Al-Qaeda.  Al-Isskandar is the actual name in Arabic. And it’s a pre – it’s not a Western name at all, it’s an Arabic name. Hence, obviously the great Mesopotamian Alexander who didn’t look much like Colin Farrell and all that jazz.

Jordan Hoffman: So it wasn’t just as random as everyone says.

Alexander Siddig: No, it wasn’t random, and, also my first best friend had a dog that was called Alex. And so I was already happy with that name.

Jordan Hoffman: Can we talk a little bit about your background more? You’re a descendant of Sudanese royalty? Is that correct?

Alexander Siddig: No. I mean, there are no royals in Sudan.  There are certainly religious leaders and I was – my family is a family called the Mahdi family, and these are direct descendants of 1880’s great religious leader. Mahdi loosely translated means messiah so you’ll kind of get the idea.

Jordan Hoffman: That’s a heavy burden!

Alexander Siddig: Heavy burden for him, not for me. I can be the naughty grandchild, great-great grandchild going off the rail. So yeah, the family ruled in the Sudan for many, many years. Even now Sadiq al-Mahdi is trying his hardest to get into power as an opposition party in Sudan.

Jordan Hoffman: You steer clear of the political side of what’s going on over there?

Alexander Siddig: I do, because I’m pretty disgusted by it to be honest. It horrifies me. I happen to have had the privilege of growing up in the West, dictating my righteous indignation across to Africa where they have a much more difficult time and more nuanced existence than I could possibly lead. But I find it very abhorrent and very dangerous. I have problems with the far right. . .I went back in the ’80s and it was a gap between presidencies when my family I weren’t going to be arrested when we arrived and they were extremely condescending . . . Fundamentalist Islam terrifies me anyway, speaking as an Arab. And that’s not just because I’ve been brought up in a coveted western society, it’s because it is scary. That’s the end of that.

DS9 Stories/News: Goodbyes

Source: http://deflipside.com/?page_id=1693

by Christopher DeFilippis

DeFlip Side, Vol. 1, No. 6
(First Appeared: June/July, 1999; First Light E-zine, Issue #82)

This is going to be short and sweet, folks. My original plan for this month’s column was to bid a fond farewell to Deep Space Nine, until recently the best show on television. I was going to do an in-depth review of the final episode, exploring whether or not it brought the Dominion war arc to a satisfying conclusion, as well as if it proved a fitting send-off to the best Trek series ever; my swan song to the swan song, so to speak. But those ne’er do-wells at Paramount took the wind out of my sails. After watching the finale, I came to only one inescapable conclusion: It’s not over.

After all, Sisko left his baseball behind.

Of course, there’s also the question of his unborn child, his career in Starfleet, a new Defiant that needs to be broken in, an unfinished real estate transaction on Bajor and his promise that he would return “in a year from now or yesterday.” But the baseball is the cincher. He doesn’t leave home without it, much less take up permanent residence in Prophet limbo. We haven’t heard the last from him or the rest of these characters. I don’t know when or in what format, but we’ll see them again. Bet on it.

This fact colors my opinion of the two-hour series finale. As a final good-bye, it would have left too many loose ends. But as a “so long for now” it was perfect. It brought enough closure to satisfy, but egged us on just enough to keep our expectations for a return simmering on a low frame somewhere in the back of our brains. Like Kira and Jake, we’re all gazing out of a portal on the Promenade, waiting patiently to see what happens next.

I’ll spare you all a long-winded essay on what I liked and why. Different parts of the finale will have appealed to different people for different reasons. But there is no call for excess exposition. After all, we’re not talking about “Mirror Image” here (the legendarily confusing finale to the TV series Quantum Leap). Instead, I’ll be as succinct as possible:

The Good Stuff:

• The death of Kai Winn.
• The kick-ass battle scenes.
• Kai Winn’s unfortunate demise.
• Garak’s revenge on Weyoun.
• Barbecued Kai.
• Nog’s promotion.
• Pah Wraiths 1, Kai Winn 0
• Kira’s ironic role in the liberation of Cardassia.
• Kai Winn all gone.
• Ezri’s nearly exposed breasts.
• Bye bye Kai.
• Sisko plowing Dukat over the cliff’s edge in a flying tackle.
• The old bag bites it.
• Martok’s self-satisfied belt of blood wine while standing on bloated enemy corpses.
• She’ll finally shut up.
• The faint hope that once O’Brien accepts a teaching position at the academy, he’ll attain some kind of rank (Where does “Chief” fall, anyway? As far as I can tell, it’s somewhere between ensign and lieutenant. So Nog outranks him now? Not a proud legacy for more than a decade in uniform…).
• Winn-kabob.
• Damar’s last stand.
• Burn Winnie burn.
• Worf’s new-found honor and influence with the Klingon council.
• Are those Kai burgers I smell?
• Bashir finally gets some.
• Armagedd-Winn.

The Bad Stuff:

• Vic Fontaine’s schmaltzy send-off.
• A too-short stand-off between Dukat and Sisko that smacked of the
• Kirk/Mitchell showdown in “Where No Man has Gone Before” (“Get on your knees and pray to me, James”).
• A tuxedo-clad Odo melting into the Great Link.
• The use of stock footage of a Klingon getting blown down a corridor on a wave of fire (from The Undiscovered Country, I think).
• Worf’s flashback sequence that held not a smidgen of Jadzia memories. (I guess Paramount didn’t want to have to pay residuals to Terry Farrell.)

 

As you can see, the good clearly outweighed the bad. I think the very best thing about the episode, and the series over all, was that I could never tell exactly how things would turn out. And even when I did have a pretty good idea of where things were going, the characters would reach their destinations via completely unexpected routes.

This rule holds true for the future of Deep Space Nine. It’s a foregone conclusion that Sisko will come back. Just watch; he’ll soon get tired of playing pinochle with Wesley on the astral plain and shuffle back into his mortal coil for a return to his old life. But to what effect? Will he be considered a lord on Bajor? Will his new found Prophet wisdom cause a rift between him and his all-too-human friends and family? Will he have hair? I can’t even guess at the possibilities.

Of course, we’re most likely to be hearing from Worf the soonest. I just hope the powers that be use the opportunity they’ve created to full effect in the next movie. Worf’s position as Federation ambassador to Qo’noS lends itself to a sweeping story that could encompass the Federation and Klingon Empire and propel the franchise forward, something it sorely needs after the disaster that was Insurrection.

The one thing I do not want to see is a feature length film that combines the Next Gen and DS9 casts. The writers have a tough enough time as it is finding useful roles for the entire Enterprise-E ensemble with each outing. If they tried to add the DS9 crew as well, the screen would be packed tighter than Seven of Nine’s Wonder Bra, but with a far less marvelous result. I’ll pin my hopes on a small-screen reunion that will give the DS9 characters and plot lines free reign.

In the meantime, I guess I still have Voyager to give me my Star Trek fix, though it’ll be like going from heroin to methadone. Now that the DS9 writers are freed up, maybe they can help put Voyager on the right track and raise it to the standards we’ve come expect from Star Trek. But I’m not gonna hold my breath. I don’t have to anyway.

When DS9 premiered, I still had a maniacal hatred of new Trek. I wasn’t sucked over the Next Gen event horizon until Generations hit the theaters. And by the time I got into DS9, it was well into its run. So I ask you to pray with me now that channel 11 in NY soon starts rerunning the series from the beginning. There are three years worth of episodes I’ve never seen. It’s a little something extra to look forward to.

See Pop? Sometimes it works to your benefit to be a day late and a dollar short…