SG-1-Use of Myth and Culture Thread

[scifithinker]

Omg Daniel and that horrible outfit and everyone else is doing time in the mines

OK, I missed something. Or did that statement come out of left field?

In other words, what are you talking about?

[gater62]

There's a certain arrogance that persists even today about the American societies precolonization. The conquistadores and colonists had such arrogance in assuming that because these societies didn't reflect theirs, they were less valid and backward. I wonder how much of it was rascism.

There is a great book out there that address this by Orson Scott Card called Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus.

[Iffy]

OK, I missed something. Or did that statement come out of left field?

In other words, what are you talking about?

I hate it when I forget to reference

Daniel wears this horrid green long dress outfit in the Mayan episode where the chica is sarcophogiing him. Or was that a different one, there are not too many Mayan ones. Or is it the one w/ the djinn type creature? *scratches head and ponders*

[resurgamlaura]

I hate it when I forget to reference

Daniel wears this horrid green long dress outfit in the Mayan episode where the chica is sarcophogiing him. Or was that a different one, there are not too many Mayan ones. Or is it the one w/ the djinn type creature? *scratches head and ponders*

I think you mean season two's 'Need'...

[Iffy]

I think you mean season two's 'Need'...

uh maybe

[resurgamlaura]

uh maybe

Mayan (or other ancient South-American culture)-influenced eps:

Hathor- only because of the pyramid at the beginning
Need- more pyramids, etc.
Crystal Skull- and another pyramid, with the whole crystal skull malarkey, grandfather's interest and of course the actual name of the 'Giant'.
Evolution- this was the ep that I think scifithinker mentioned earlier, before everything got confused...

[scifithinker]

I've never considered to references in "Need"to be Mayan. What am I not remembering?

[resurgamlaura]

I've never considered to references in "Need"to be Mayan. What am I not remembering?

The pyramids aren't so Egyptian in style. That's about it

[Iffy]

I've never considered to references in "Need"to be Mayan. What am I not remembering?

The glyphs were also Mayanesque. Ok don't remeber Evolution off the top of head.

Must be Need I'm thinking of..............


I think they steered away from Mayan and Aztec myth since the names are long and hard to pronounce, if not native.

[resurgamlaura]

The glyphs were also Mayanesque. Ok don't remeber Evolution off the top of head.

Must be Need I'm thinking of..............


I think they steered away from Mayan and Aztec myth since the names are long and hard to pronounce, if not native.

There's also a lack of familiarity with Mayan/Aztec myth and culture in general, I think. Roman and Greek culture is better known, and the long-standing fascination with Egypt has its origins in the aforesaid Greeks and Romans finding the Egyptian culture so interesting. The South American cultures were more isolated and therefore didn't have that kind of long-term exposure- and as a result outside of that field know very little apart from things involving human hearts A smidge of familiarity not only inspires the writer to use a culture in the first place, but also assures them that the viewer will not be at a complete loss. Although I for one like being challenged to learn about something I have little no prior understanding of- and therefore I would have liked to have seen a few more alien cultures that were influenced by the Mayans, Aztecs, etc

'Evolution' is mid-season seven. Notable for the introduction of the Krull warrior, a zombie terrorist and Daniel going all Indiana

[scifithinker]

I think they steered away from Mayan and Aztec myth since the names are long and hard to pronounce, if not native.

Hey, I can actually pronounce Quetzalcoatl and Tenochtitlan.

*pats self on back and grins*

Then there's Huitzilopochtli that I can say but can't spell for sh**.

[scifithinker]

A smidge of familiarity not only inspires the writer to use a culture in the first place, but also assures them that the viewer will not be at a complete loss. Although I for one like being challenged to learn about something I have little no prior understanding of- and therefore I would have liked to have seen a few more alien cultures that were influenced by the Mayans, Aztecs, etc

I understand the desire for familiarity, but I think it's a shame that the writers didn't make more of an effort to keep the cultures they were exploring in the proper time frame established by the storyline. There were major ancient civilizations in the Indus river valley, Shang China, Sumeria. Daniel could give us everything we needed to know in a throwaway line at a briefing or in the field.

They couldn't have expected their viewers to know who the various gods and goddesses in Egyptian lore were, especially since the role of each changes based on the timeframe in Egyptian history. Who somebody was in the first kingdom could be radically different the fourth kingdom.

[Iffy]

There's also a lack of familiarity with Mayan/Aztec myth and culture in general, I think. Roman and Greek culture is better known, and the long-standing fascination with Egypt has its origins in the aforesaid Greeks and Romans finding the Egyptian culture so interesting. The South American cultures were more isolated and therefore didn't have that kind of long-term exposure- and as a result outside of that field know very little apart from things involving human hearts A smidge of familiarity not only inspires the writer to use a culture in the first place, but also assures them that the viewer will not be at a complete loss. Although I for one like being challenged to learn about something I have little no prior understanding of- and therefore I would have liked to have seen a few more alien cultures that were influenced by the Mayans, Aztecs, etc

'Evolution' is mid-season seven. Notable for the introduction of the Krull warrior, a zombie terrorist and Daniel going all Indiana

They aren't as well known and how do you deal w/ the whole sacred blood concept w/ the Mayans. Of course I'm still reconciling the peaceful Asgard w/ the bloody ritual sacrifices of the Norse so............

[resurgamlaura]

They aren't as well known and how do you deal w/ the whole sacred blood concept w/ the Mayans. Of course I'm still reconciling the peaceful Asgard w/ the bloody ritual sacrifices of the Norse so............

Human desire for blood, guts and gore embellishing and adding to the divine images and stories the Asgard left them. Not what the writers were thinking, I'm sure, but it actually makes sense

[resurgamlaura]

I understand the desire for familiarity, but I think it's a shame that the writers didn't make more of an effort to keep the cultures they were exploring in the proper time frame established by the storyline. There were major ancient civilizations in the Indus river valley, Shang China, Sumeria. Daniel could give us everything we needed to know in a throwaway line at a briefing or in the field.

They couldn't have expected their viewers to know who the various gods and goddesses in Egyptian lore were, especially since the role of each changes based on the timeframe in Egyptian history. Who somebody was in the first kingdom could be radically different the fourth kingdom.

This is why they needed more amateur ancient history geeks on the production and writing staff At the risk of generalisation, a lot of sci-fi viewers are more science-orientated than into their history. Not all of them, but judging by the amount of science threads and also how many are more fans of shows like Star Trek. So there aren't comparitively that many fans that are going to wish for more interesting stories about hugely varying cultures and how they relate to our worldwide ones (in the right timeline). This also fits into the familiarity thing. And its a shame, because of the reasons why I'm a Gater is because of the myth and culture element, and how they interpret that. It's also the reason why I was not so keen on S9 and 10. Just that smidge too Trekkie for me (waits to be flamed )