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Jaffa

 

Culture

 

General info

Probable caste society: warrior- and priest-caste seem to have equal status.  In Family, Teal'c snaps at a priest at the stargate, who accepts it, and later in the same ep a priest at the stargate refuses entry to Bra'tac, who accepts it. Neither caste has clear prominence over the other (reasonable in a society where the military leaders are also gods, at war with other gods). No indication of status of other castes (farmer, merchant, bureaucrat, etc.)

Jaffa serve purely a military function (presumably the priest-caste has nothing to do with humans, only Jaffa). (Summit)

All female Jaffa receive training in fighting, but no Goa'uld puts them in service as warriors. They're expected to defend their homeworld -- with their lives -- if it comes under attack while their men are called away to battle. (Birthright)

Jaffa homes (on Chulak, at least) have long-range communication devices in them, so Apophis can address them all when he needs to. (Family)

Outcast Jaffa live in encampments outside the cities (Bloodlines).

Different Jaffa serve different Goa'uld.

The Serpent Guard serve Apophis. (Children of the Gods, multiple others)

The Horus Guard (falcon-headed helmets) serve the family of Ra, and are the elite Jaffa army loyal to Heru'ur. (Thor's Chariot)

Jokes are standard human, if in different cultural terms ('A Serpent guard, a Horus guard, and a Setesh guard meet on a neutral planet. It is a tense moment. The Serpent guard's eyes glow. The Horus guard's beak glistens. The Setesh guard's nose drips.') (Seth)

Jaffa don't believe in ghosts. (Spirits)

All Jaffa know the coordinates for Cimmeria -- a world protected by the Asgard -- to ensure no Goa'uld goes there. (Thor's Hammer)

Jaffa use wills (Teal'c asks Bra'tac to hear his will when he thinks he's about to die). (Bloodlines)

Old Jaffa saying: 'They do not make them as they once did' (Into the Fire)

The Jaffa suffered a staggering loss when the Trust began its attempted genocide -- first a rebel Jaffa planet, then three Goa'uld planets, were exposed to the modified Tok'ra symbiote poison, which killed every symbiote it reached, and all the Jaffa who carried them. Millions died in moments, regardless of their loyalties. (Endgame)

Prim'ta

Rite-of-passage for young Jaffa is the Prim'ta, the implantation of a larval Goa'uld into the abdominal pouch designed for it (Bloodlines).

Lack of medical training and medicines, since all adults carry larval Goa'uld and thus don't need medicine. (Bloodlines)

personal speculation -- Possibly a way of continuing to select for only the strongest, healthiest people? i.e., weak, sickly children die for lack of medicines or from severe injuries, so only the strong survive to adulthood.

According to legend, the first prim'ta ritual took place thousands of years ago at the Temple of Dakara. (Reckoning part 1)

Forehead tattoos

God/Goa'uld affiliation and high status are indicated by forehead tattoos. All Jaffa 'belonging' to a particular Goa'uld wear the mark of that Goa'uld in a forehead tattoo.

High-ranking Jaffa have molten metal poured into channels dug in the shape of the tattoo on their foreheads ('The skin is cut with an orak knife, and pure molten gold is poured into the wound' [Teal'c, in Bane])

Some military Jaffa have silver brands, not gold -- these are possibly the mark of a Second Prime.

(nb: This is supposition, not fact, but some ranking Jaffa definitely have silver brands, not gold ones).

Presumably, a similar color difference holds true in the religious caste.

When Jaffa shift allegiance from one Goa'uld to another, they appear to change forehead tattoos as well, although it's never shown happening.

Eventually, the Jaffa who belonged to Sokar appeared to switch to having Apophis's mark on their foreheads. (Maternal Instinct, Serpent's Venom)

Legends:

In legend, when a Jaffa could no longer carry a prim'ta, he would make the journey to Kheb where his kalach (soul) would learn the path through the darkness into the next life. When the Goa'uld learned of Kheb and traveled there, they did not return, and so it was forbidden to speak of it. The story was still passed on in secret by some Jaffa, though. (Maternal Instinct)

According to Jaffa legend, if a Jaffa goes without his symbiote for any length of time, his life flashes before his eyes. (The Changeling)

Chulak:

Homeworld for many of Apophis's Jaffa, including Bra'tac, Teal'c and his family, and Fro'tak.

The stargate (chaapa'ai) sits in the center of two snaky lines of standing stones, which actually look like the arms of a spiral galaxy from above. (Children of the Gods)

After Teal'c's betrayal and the prison break, guards were set on the Stargate -- sometimes warriors, sometimes priests. (Bloodlines, Family, etc.)

There are Grecian elements to the society, possibly at the very highest levels. (Children of the Gods)

Apophis attacked it and massacred a lot of Jaffa in his search for the harsesis child (Shifu). Bra'tac had never seen a Goa'uld turn on his own Jaffa like that before. (Maternal Instinct)

After this, Chulak was eventually largely abandoned by the Jaffa.

After Apophis attacked and slaughtered many of the people on Chulak, the remaining Jaffa were  more sympathetic to Teal'c's ideas. But not all of them agreed -- some remained loyal to Apophis or even other Goa'uld. (Serpent's Venom)

Celebrations:

Birthdays:

Jaffa don't celebrate birthdays, although they keep track of them. (The Light)

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Rebellion

Summary | Signs of dissent | Building rebellion | Hak'tyl

Summary:

Teal'c and Bra'tac believe that the only way to win is to recruit as many Jaffa as possible to act as fifth columnists, and once there's enough, to rise up and wipe out as many System Lords (and presumably minor Goa'uld lords) as possible. That would still leave them with a major war to fight -- against any remaining Goa'uld lords and the army of kull warriors -- but would give them the best chance of success. They're prepared to wait for that day, always working toward it. Most of the Jaffa involved in the rebellion agree with this goal.(Sacrifices)

The Hak'tyl led by Ishta are potentially a hindrance to that their goal is the more immediate destruction of Moloc to end the ritual killing of female Jaffa born in his domain. (Sacrifices)

Signs of dissent, discontent:

One of Osiris's Jaffa -- not even a First or Second Prime -- questions his orders to send Jaffa down to the planet where Heimdall has his base, pointing out that it's dangerous. Later, the same Jaffa objects to Osiris's order to release coolant from the hyperdrive into the ventilation system on the levels where intruders (SG-1) are, because the gas is toxic and there are Jaffa on those levels as well. The Jaffa also wants to evacuate the engine room, since the engines will overheat from the lack of coolant and will release radiation into the room, killing many Jaffa. Osiris doesn't care. He obeys the order, but neither he nor the other Jaffa in the room are happy about it. (Revelations)

Building rebellion

The first public call to rebellion came from Teal'c, on Chulak, after he returned there to raise an army to help him free the rest of SG-1. It was a small beginning, but a handful of Jaffa chose to join him. (Into the Fire)

The first big push to forming a rebel Jaffa army was started by K'tano, who intended to subvert it to his own ends. He set up shop on a world he called Cal Mah ('sanctuary'), gathering Jaffa from many Goa'uld, including at least six System Lords. When Teal'c killed him and exposed him as the Goa'uld Imhotep in the rite of joma secu, Teal'c by default gained leadership of the army. (The Warrior)

This batch of rebel Jaffa, including Rak'nor, moved to the SGC's alpha site after Yu attacked Cal Mah. (Allegiance)

Refugees from Chulak appear to be living on a new world, in camps, under harsh conditions. (Redemption, part 1)

The rebellion is having dangerous consequences -- as symbiotes mature, there are no replacements to keep rebel Jaffa alive. They're going to start dying in large numbers soon if something isn't done. (Redemption, part 1)

The rebel Jaffa aren't willing to sacrifice other Jaffa lives just to gain their symbiotes. (Redemption, part 1)

The Goa'uld began distrusting Jaffa priests after the dissent began to spread, so there are no readily accessible vats of larvae to steal. (Redemption, part 1)

The rebel Jaffa have at least one cargo ship at their disposal. (Redemption, part 1)

Hundreds of Jaffa continue to act as fifth columnists in Goa'uld service. (Allegiance)

The rebel Jaffa more formally allied with both the Tau'ri and the Tok'ra, after an ashrak very nearly succeeded in starting a localized war between Jaffa and Tok'ra on the alpha site. Bra'tac convinced them that working together with the other races was the only way to beat the Goa'uld, and survive as a free people. (Allegiance)

A supposed meeting of rebel leaders was actually an ambush, and over a hundred rebel Jaffa were killed. Only Bra'tac and Teal'c survived -- barely. (The Changeling)

The ambush became known as the 'ambush of kresh'taa' (according to Bloodlines, 'kresh'taa' means 'outcasts' -- interesting term to use for the rebel tribes). 106 rebel warriors were killed there. (Orpheus)

After this, tretonin became an option for the rebel Jaffa, although most preferred to keep their symbiotes as long as possible. Teal'c and Bra'tac were the first test cases for tretonin.

After the death camp on Erebus was liberated (by SGs 1, 2, and 3, with the help of Bra'tac, Rya'c, and Rak'nor), all the former prisoners were sent to the alpha site, where they joined the rebellion. (Orpheus)

Jack and Teal'c, accompanied by an unspecified team of marines, went to P3C-249 to help settle some differences between various rebel factions. When the gate broke down, the factions began accusing each other of sabotage until eventually they came under fire from an al-kesh (under unknown command). After the al-kesh landed and Jaffa headed out on patrols, Jack and Teal'c organized the rebels for a counterattack. They succeeded in capturing the al-kesh. (Avenger 2.0)

Hak'tyl:

'The liberated' (Birthright)

Women and girls living on a world they call Hak'tyl (Liberation), after escaping there from the Goa'uld Moloc and his Ceremony of Fire (the burning to death of all newborn female Jaffa, a decree in effect for 30 years already). (Birthright)

They've formed an alliance with the SGC, trading information and warrior skills for supplies and tretonin. (Birthright)

Despite becoming more involved with the overall Jaffa rebellion through contact with Teal'c and eventually Bra'tac and Rya'c, Ishta and the other Hak'tyl remained dedicated to their shorter-term, more immediate goal of destroying Moloc.(Sacrifices)

The Hak'tyl witnesses at the rehearsal wedding for Rya'c and Kar'yn all followed Kar'yn out when she refused to kneel in front of Rya'c as part of the ceremony, and got upset enough at his reaction to walk away. (Sacrifices)

When one of their contacts failed to arrive at a scheduled meeting, the Hak'tyl assumed they were compromised and sought refuge for all their people at the SGC -- it was granted. They stayed there while the SGC looked for a new world for them. After one was found and approved, the Hak'tyl began readying it as a permanent encampment, but Moloc's troops, and Moloc himself, attacked it before they could finish setting up. Although Moloc was killed, Baal took over his terrorities, and the Hak'tyl still weren't safe. The SGC found them yet another world to live on, and they moved there. (Sacrifices)

'Shel kek nem ron' appears to be a standard first-greeting code, and is used to mean 'I will die free' (although it sounds nothing like 'dal shakka mel', which means 'I die free'.) (Birthright)

Eventually, the rebel Jaffa decided to withdraw from the beta site (where they had retreated along with other survivors of the attack on the second alpha site). Some believed that they'd traded one master for another when the allied with the SGC, and even those who didn't believe that wanted a chance to learn how to be free on their own terms -- making their own communities and bases, training their own leaders. They believe that only after doing that can they be equal partners in an alliance. (Death Knell)

Still in contact with the SGC, however tenuously, even after official ties were broken. Some Jaffa once loyal to Anubis got word of a planet in Anubis's former domain to SG-1 -- a planet that Baal apparently hadn't discovered yet. They also passed along a device that allowed SG-1 access to the hidden base on the planet. Later, the SGC contacted them looking for information about where Baal might be holding SG-1, but the rebels had no information for them. (Zero Hour)

One rebel base was on P4S-161. (Endgame)

This may well have been the base that the rebel Jaffa had intended to create, from which they could start to build a culture of their own. There were a few tents pitched near the stargate, apparently for guards, and further away there was a village made of tents, which seemed to house women and children as well as adult male warriors. There was at least one common cookfire/cookpot in the midst of the tents. (Endgame)

nb: The notion that this was the culture-building base is pure speculation. I have no proof one way or the other. It could just as easily have been a temporary military encampment that included women and older children. (Endgame)

The base and every Jaffa there was killed when the Tok'ra symbiote poison was released into the atmosphere. M'zel was the first to arrive after that, followed by Teal'c. They were both stunned, and both thought it was the work of the Tok'ra. (Endgame)

With the rebellion finally getting big enough to take some real action, they coordinated many simultaneous surprise attacks across the galaxy, each designed to create a strategic weakeness in the forces of the System Lords. (Reckoning part 1)

After the Replicators arrived and started destroying everything in their path, rebel Jaffa began re-pledging their loyalty to the Goa'uld by the thousands, believing the Replicators to be a plague sent in punishment for straying from their gods. (Reckoning part 1)

Teal'c and Bra'tac hatched a plan to regain the Jaffa and overthrow the Goa'uld for good: capture the Temple of Dakara while Baal's forces (which should have been protecting it) were scattered and distracted by the fight with the Replicators. Bra'tac's notion was for the SGC to continue fighting the Replicators (with Thor's help), while the rebellion focused on gaining Dakara and continuing the uprising, so that everyone was fighting the enemy they knew best. (Reckoning part 1)

The rebels had managed to bring five ha'taks, eight al-kesh, and ten squadrons of gliders to the battle for Dakara. When Baal's forces headed back to retake the planet, Teal'c split the rebel forces, sending all of the gliders to the other side of the planet, and sending all the al-kesh and two of the ha'tak on the far side of the moon. (Reckoning part 2)

When the Replicators appeared in commandeered ha'taks to engage Baal's fleet over Dakara, Teal'c switched tactics and joined the fight against them, knowing that the most important objective was to keep the Replicators away from the weapon on the planet. (Reckoning part 2)

After the Replicators were successfully wiped out thanks to the energy wave sent forth by the modified Ancient weapon, rebel Jaffa led by Bra'tac took Baal's ship, storming the peltak and capturing Baal himself. Baal, amused, escaped a moment later by beaming out using a wrist-activator for the transporter, but they still had the ship. (Reckoning part 2)

Despite Baal's escape, the fact that he basically turned tail and ran sufficed to prove to the Jaffa that he wasn't a god, and they began turning to the rebellion from all over the galaxy. Between their growing numbers and the weaponry provided by the SGC, it was possible that they'd be able to turn the tide against the supersoldiers, and even finally win their freedom as a race. (Reckoning part 2)

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Free Jaffa nation

Council

The Jaffa set up a governing council, including Teal'c and Bra'tac, once they won their freedom. (Threads)

The council sent word back to the SGC with Teal'c and Bra'tac that they wouldn't countenance the destruction of the weapon on Dakara, fearing that it would weaken the resolve and unity of the free Jaffa who still had to face Goa'uld. They were aware of the danger posed by the weapon, though, and declared that the Jaffa would pour their energies into finding and killing Anubis. Once that threat was gone, they'd reassess the decision to destroy the device. (Threads)

Bra'tac believed that the quest to defeat Anubis would unite the still-warring Jaffa factions, giving them a common goal to work toward. (Threads)

The fleet headed for Tartarus, where the Jaffa had word that Anubis was gathering his kull warriors. (Threads)

The information about Anubis's forces turned out to be a ruse, and many of the Jaffa left to guard Dakara were killed when Anubis attacked there. He defeated them and gained control of the weapon, losing it again not because of anything that happened on this plane, but because Oma decided that fighting him more or less eternally was better than letting him destroy everything. As a result of this close call, the council agreed that the weapon was too dangerous and should be destroyed. They planned to erect a monument in its place, so future generations of Jaffa wouldn't forget. (Threads)

The first stages of freedom were rocky ones, with many Jaffa highly distrustful of the Tau'ri who were trying to help them form their new government. (Avalon part 1)

The Jaffa of the Onac Ka equaled the numbers of all the other regional coalitions, and strongly supported Gerak. (Avalon part 2)

While Teal'c was on Earth helping out with the situation with Vala, the council held its final vote on governance. Rak'nor voted as Teal'c's proxy, but Gerak's resolution passed by a slim margin: the Jaffa would be ruled by a High Council, with votes attributed to the various coalition representatives based on their military assets. The result was to make Gerak the new leader of the Jaffa nation. (Avalon part 2)

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Religious culture

General info

Priest-caste (which includes priestesses)

Possibly celibate (Daniel points out that temple priestesses 'don't do a lot of dating' in Crossroads).

Seemed to be an odd combination of markings among the priests on Chulak -- many of the priests wore Apophis tattoos, but at least one had a different one -- a silver starburst (four points -- two shorter ones on top, two longer ones on the bottom) inside a black circle. The circle, at least, was a tattoo, although it's not clear if the starburst was silver ink or actual silver. Possibly this was the equivalent of a Second or First Prime?

At the sepulcher of the temple (where Daniel wiped out an entire tank of infant Goa'uld), the symbol over the sepulcher was Apophis's, but the banners surrounding the area had the starburst symbol on top and Apophis's symbol underneath. (Bloodlines)

(Pure speculation: Possibly, the starburst symbol is the symbol of the gods, plural -- all Goa'uld. [Bloodlines])

After dissent began to spread through the Jaffa ranks, Jaffa priests were no longer trusted with Goa'uld young. (Redemption, part 1)

Beliefs

Jaffa religious belief includes concepts of sin, a soul, and an afterlife.

Terok, Heru'ur's torturer, claimed that the captured Teal'c could free his soul and those of all who followed him from eternal punishment by repenting of his 'sin' against his god. (Serpent's Venom)

Belief in Goa'ulds's godlike ability is nearly absolute, even among Jaffa who serve on board ships and are thus more exposed to technology. (Threshold)

Va'lar and Teal'c both believe that Apophis is all-seeing and all-knowing when they serve in his personal guard -- Teal'c has to deliberately deceive Apophis before he's sure that Apophis isn't omniscient. (Threshold)

Drey'auc speaks of Goa'uld magic, like ships rising from the ground, the ability to walk through the wall of water in the chaapa'ai, and the ability to extend a wall of light from his palm to throw a warrior across a square (none of which Teal'c can explain as anything but magic, even though he's also walked through the chaapa'ai and has served on the ships). (Threshold)

Temple of Dakara

Located deep within Baal's territory as of late 2004. Normally, a dozen ships patrolled the system to protect it. (Reckoning part 1)

Originally, this was an Ancient world, and an Ancient structure. See Dakara.

The Temple of Dakara was sacred to all Jaffa, regardless of which Goa'uld they served. (Reckoning part 1)

Legend claimed that it was the place where the first prim'ta ritual was performed -- where the Goa'uld first gave the Jaffa their strength and longevity. As a result, for thousands of years, the Jaffa viewed Dakara as the holiest of sites, 'the very cradle of our existence' according to Bra'tac. (Reckoning part 1)

Rumor also had it that it was where Anubis returned from the dead. (Reckoning part 1)

During the war with the Replicators, while Baal's forces were busy elsewhere, the rebel Jaffa led by Teal'c and Bra'tac launched a plan to capture Dakara. When they arrived, only one ha'tak was patrolling the system, giving them easy access. (Reckoning part 1)

Ascension (to a higher plane of existence):

Many Jaffa dedicate their lives to achieving this. (Revelations)

Marriage/divorce customs:

The wedding ceremony is known as the rite of everlasting union. It doesn't require a priest -- Bra'tac officiated at the union between Rya'c and Kar'yn, even though Ishta was an actual priestess. It apparently involves the ritual sacrifice of a goat, although that isn't an absolute requirement -- when Jack refused to allow it on base, the wedding wasn't cancelled. (Sacrifices)

Traditionally, a rehearsal is held the day before. (Sacrifices)

The ceremony itself (all from Sacrifices):

The place where the ceremony takes place is decked with garlands and a hanging that looks like a sort of dreamcatcher.

Both bride and groom are dressed in silvery clothes -- she in a dress, he in slightly formal tunic and breeches.

The officiant stands behind a standing, footed basin roughly a foot high, with the bride standing to his right and the groom to his left, facing each other across the basin.

The officiant lights a fire in the basin, then blows out the small candle, seated in a stick, that he lit it with, and says, 'Let this fire bear witness to this ceremony. May its flames keep warm the souls of those who came before us. We ask those spirits now to bless this union and to protect it through each day of its existence.'

A horn is blown for two long notes

The groom places the 'circle of fidelity' (a circlet woven of leaves and such) upon the bride's head.

The bride places the 'totem of bravery' (a pendant strung on a leather thong) around the groom's neck.

The bride kneels before her husband in respect.

(there may be something missing here -- the rehearsal went as far as the kneeling, and the wedding itself picked up at the next step)

The officiant instructs the bride to speak of her love for her betrothed (using his name, not 'your betrothed') in her own words.

The officiant instructs the groom to do likewise, in his own words.

The officiant takes the couple's hands nearest him and joins them together, saying, 'Therite is complete. May you love and fight like warriors.'

That last might have been specifically for Rya'c and Kar'yn, since both are warriors most Jaffa women aren't. Also, Bra'tac finished it off more quietly with a slightly exasperated 'Just not with each other.' (heh.)

After the wedding, the bride and groom go off on a honeymoon called a shim'roa. (Sacrifices)

On the first evening of the shim'roa, the groom must undergo the rite of oronac -- which wasn't directly translated, but all the contextual clues pointed at adult circumcision, by either the man or his new wife. Teal'c's advice to Rya'c was to make sure the knife was very sharp. (Sacrifices)

It's possible to 'put aside' a marriage in order to remarry -- Drey'auc did this after Teal'c had been gone for some time, to marry Fro'tak. (Family)

It isn't clear if this is only possible when one partner isn't available (and is unlikely to be available anytime soon) to agree to a divorce, since there are other options available to couples where both are present (the pledge break, as mentioned in Affinity).

On Chulak, at least, if problems between a man and a woman can't be resolved, a 'pledge break'is required. It must be requested by one and granted by the other. (Sounds like a relatively uncomplicated divorce.) (Affinity)

If the request isn't granted, 'a weapon is required', according to Teal'c. (Affinity)

Teal'c specifically replied with 'on Chulak' when Sam asked him how Jaffa couples handle their problems -- it's not clear if this custom isn't widespread among Jaffa in general, or if Teal'c was just being careful to answer only with knowledge he had firsthand about the particular part of the culture he grew up in. (Affinity)

Funeral  customs:

Funeral pyre rather than burial. (Redemption, part 1)

Before lighting Drey'auc's pyre, Teal'c says: 'Shel mak. Shel assah.' (Redemption, part 1)

It's not clear whether this is a new custom adopted because of the refugee situation, or the traditional method.

In support of the 'traditional' idea, when Moac died, Bra'tac wanted his body to be burned. (Maternal Instinct)

On Chulak, the custom when someone dies is to not eat or drink for three days. (Fire and Water)

(Seems to be contradicted by both Shan'auc's and Drey'auc's deaths. -- Crossroads, Redemption pt 1)

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Warrior culture

General info

A Jaffa warrior's head must be shaved. (Holiday)

Teal'c said this to Jack, but it's never been supported anywhere else, and plenty of Jaffa have hair (although usually closely cropped).

It's customary on Chulak to sing a song of lament when a great warrior retires from the field of battle. (Chain Reaction -- but could've just been a joke)

Jaffa serving aboard ha'tak vessels sleep in dormitories of sorts, in single bunks hung in pairs from poles (with an upper and lower paired set hung from each pole). (Threshold)

These group sleeping quarters are possibly patrolled by other Jaffa (a Serpent Guard was walking slowly through, although he could just have been coming off fully-armored duty and headed for bed). (Threshold)

Among Jaffa warriors, life for the sake of life means nothing. Bra'tac refuses to explore avenues to extend his life after his final prim'ta (symbiote) matures and no other symbiote will accept him. (Threshold)

Despite years of exposure to Tau'ri weapons, Jaffa still consider them less than 'true' weapons, preferring to trust in staff weapons and zats. A direct demonstration of staff v. P-90 changes a few minds. (The Warrior)

Not accustomed to thinking of women as warriors, but not freaked at the thought, either. (The Warrior)

Training staffs (wooden versions of staff weapons) are bashaak (The Warrior)

Jaffa don't take vengeance from behind -- they kill face to face. (Allegiance)

After a battle, captured Jaffa who didn't switch sides to the winning Goa'uld's got sent off to a hard-labor/death camp. The prisoners were whipped and beaten to make them produce, and once they fell too far behind, they were killed outright. (Orpheus)At least one of the camps included women. (Orpheus)

First Prime

It's not clear if System Lords has only one First Prime, or several, possibly each in charge of a specific army/armies -- the equivalent of generals, rather than something like a Field Marshal (or four-star generals rather than a five-star general, of which there can be only one).

Many System Lords appear to have only one, but Apophis seems to have still had Bra'tac as First Prime when Teal'c moved up, and later, when Shak'l was promoted, he said that he needed to prove himself to be confirmed in the position, making it seem less clearcut. (Within the Serpent's Grasp, Serpent's Lair, Cor Ai, Threshold)

This is likely a person decision for each System Lord/Goa'uld.

Advancing to the position of First Prime seems to have nothing to do with age.

Bra'tac seems to have been First Prime to Apophis since his mid-30s (Into the Fire, Threshold) and served as First Prime and teacher for many years.

Teal'c became First Prime to Apophis no younger than 85 (Threshold -- Teal'c was still a regular Jaffa very shortly before Rya'c's birth, at which point Teal'c would have been about 85-86, assuming Rya'c was 12 in Bloodlines when his first symbiote was implanted.).

Doesn't seem necessary to be given a silver tattoo prior to being given the gold. (Threshold)

Rules of Engagement

The code of battle during a young Jaffa's training, as dictated by Apophis. The Final Challenge is the day in a warrior's training when first blood is shed, and the games become real. (Rules of Engagement)

Rule 2, Article 4: unauthorized forces shall be shot on sight. (Rules of Engagement)

Article 7, Section 3 (no indication of which rule this comes from): once the battle has commenced, it cannot be stopped. (Rules of Engagement)

Once first blood has been shed, there can be no entry or exit from the quadrant where the games are being held before the final challenge commences (from the one example given, at first light on the next day). (Rules of Engagement)

In the final challenge, real weapons are given out, and the two teams who have been practicing together engage in actual battle, until one team emerges victorious. The Goa'uld want only the strong to survive. (Rules of Engagement

Hunting technique:

Jaffa in the field signal their position, then close into an interlaced pattern and sweep in to corner whomever they're hunting. (Thor's Chariot)

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Technology

Little specific Jaffa technology -- the culture doesn't seem to be even slightly industrial. All advanced tech comes from the Goa'uld, making for a strange combination of primitive and highly advanced in Jaffa daily life.

The rebel Jaffa army, cut off from all Goa'uld tech, uses cloth drawn-in maps, waterskins, pottery cups, firelight/torches -- no tech or industrialized materials at all beyond some scavenged weapons and body armor. (The Warrior)

See Goa'uld Technology

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Language

See Goa'uld Language

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Biology

Background

Humans, possibly genetically modified (still unclear whether Jaffa are born with pouches or given them at puberty). They're bred to serve the Goa'uld, as warriors, priests, slaves, and incubators, carrying the larval form of the Goa'uld. Jaffa do not communicate with the larval Goa'uld they carry.

Finally, years later, confirmation of genetic modification: Jaffa are genetically altered to be dependent on symbiotes, and if they don't get one at puberty, they die. (see nitpick about this) (Birthright)

Originally created specifically to help the Goa'uld blend successfully with human hosts, improving their odds from the original 50% to what appears to be effectively 100%. (Cure)

Granted long life and perfect health by the larval Goa'uld that all Jaffa carry from childhood. Bra'tac was still a strong fighter at 133-plus years old.

Early childhood is symbiote-free Jaffa children are given their first symbiote roughly at puberty, at which point their immune systems collapse and they become totally dependent on their symbiotes to survive. (Family)

If there is no available host when the prim'ta matures, it will take over the Jaffa carrying it (1969)

(This seems to contradict the idea that Goa'uld never use Jaffa for hosts, but possibly it's a temporary measure until the Goa'uld can find a 'proper' host.)

The most painful death a Jaffa can know is removal of his prim'ta. (Within the Serpent's Grasp)

top | Biology

Immune system

The larval Goa'uld takes the place of the Jaffa's immune system, which collapses completely when the first one is implanted during the Rite of Prim'ta if the Goa'uld is removed, the Jaffa soon dies. (Children of the Gods)

Jaffa born to the altered species seem to have an immune system before implantation of a larva, while baseline humans turned into Jaffa by the forcing of a pouch lose their immune systems in the process. No idea how -- it doesn't make a lot of sense that simply having a pouch carved out would trash the immune system. (Hathor)

(Pure speculation here -- maybe the baseline human immune system is a bit too strong for larvae to easily overcome, so destroying it in the process of readying a human to become a Jaffa would help guarantee a successful implantation. Possible that Jaffa pass along a slightly weakened immune system, which in turn helps weed out weaker Jaffa before the Rite of Prim'ta.)

Once the symbiote is removed, a Jaffa has only a few hours before he dies. (Bloodlines)

Not unusual for a Jaffa to contract an illness or an infection. To counter it, he or she must go into kelno'reem and allow the symbiote to do its job. Without that healing time, the Jaffa's body will react as though it has no immune system. (Holiday)

top | Biology

Aging

A Jaffa will probably carry 15-16 larvae during his life.

(if initial implantation happens around age 12, and the final larva matures around age 140 -- Bra'tac, at 137, says his symbiote will mature within a couple of years and he will be rejected by any others because he's gotten too old [Threshold] -- an average maturation time of 8-9 years means 15-16 larvae in a Jaffa lifetime).

Old warriors die when no larva will accept them any longer. (Threshold)

One sign of aging is difficulty in achieving kelno'reeem. (Threshold)

Possibly begin to feel effects of old age once past 130 or so -- Bra'tac feels that he's getting to the point where he will no longer be able to carry a prim'ta at about 135. (Maternal Instinct)

top | Biology

Kelno'reem

Keln'reem is similar to hibernation or very deep meditation. In a state of waking sleep, the subconscious mind of a Jaffa becomes one with the symbiote, which allows it to repair an illness. (Holiday)

A Jaffa has to enter kelno'reem every day to remain healthy. (Beneath the Surface)

The Jaffa is in complete control of his thoughts while in kelno'reem it's not like dreaming (The Changeling)

Can survive drowning by going into a deep state of kelno'reem, during which time the symbiote, in its natural environment, can filter the oxygen from the water and feed it to the Jaffa. (Demons)

In the deepest state of kelno'reem, the heart beats so slowly it may stop. The practice is forbidden. In this state, some communication with the symbiote, in the form of primitive images, can be achieved. (Crossroads)

top | Biology

 

Known Jaffa

X=dead

Adal

A rebel Jaffa in Ramius's service, working as a fifth columnist. He and a few of his fellows were helping Bra'tac and the SGC to capture one of the new genetically engineered Goa'uld foot soldiers -- they went ahead to ensure an undetected escape for the others. (Evolution, part 1)

top | known Jaffa

Aron

A fifth columnist in Moloc's armies, working to overthrow him. When the rebels in Moloc's forces had grown to sufficient numbers, he contacted Ishta and asked for a meeting on the new (not yet inhabited) Hak'tyl homeworld, to discuss Moloc's overthrow. He and his companions believed that if their rebellion grew any larger, Moloc would be sure to discover it, and they would lose everything they'd been fighting toward. (Sacrifices)

When Moloc's forces attacked the tent where the meeting was being held, Aron helped Ishta and Teal'c escape, and ran with them for the forest. (Sacrifices)

After Ishta was captured and brought before Moloc himself, Aron insisted that he and Teal'c had to make a move -- whether or not they could rescue Ishta, they had to take advantage of the opportunity to kill Moloc. Teal'c kept his eye on the bigger picture, and when Aron continued to insist, he zatted Aron. (Sacrifices)

Despite Teal'c's clear lack of trust, Aron went to help him after he recovered, arriving just in time to keep Teal'c from being captured by Moloc's forces. (Sacrifices)

Teal'c left Aron to 'paint' the target for the missiles the SGC would be sending through to help clear out some of the enemy forces so Aron, Teal'c, and Ishta could escape. When Moloc himself arrived at the stargate just before the missiles came though, Aron took his chance, and painted Moloc's chest with the laser light. Moloc died as soon as the missile hit him. (Sacrifices)

He was part of the group that met with Teal'c and Bra'tac to discuss capturing the Temple of Dakara. Aron was doubtful, and believed that they should focus their energies on fighting the Replicators. When Teal'c and Bra'tac stood firm about Dakara, and Tolok eventually agreed, Aron assented to the plan. (Reckoning part 1)

During the fight over Dakara, he was aboard the same ha'tak as Teal'c and Bra'tac, at one set of controls on the peltak. (Reckoning part 2)

top | known Jaffa

Artok X

A rebel Jaffa, probably one of Heru'ur's (had a Horus symbol on his forehead). (Allegiance)

He was part of Imhotep's army, and moved to the SGC's alpha site when Cal Mah was wiped out. (Allegiance)

He didn't like or trust the Tok'ra, and got into arguments with them after the Tok'ra were forced to take shelter at the alpha site as well. After being (wrongfully) accused of killing Ocker, the Tok'ra chief of security, Artok was killed by an ashrak while confined in an SGC holding cell on the alpha site. (Allegiance)

top | known Jaffa

Bra'tac

General info

First Prime to Apophis for decades.

Teal'c's teacher and mentor.

After Teal'c's very public break with Apophis, Bra'tac began working more or less behind the scenes, continuing to foment rebellion among Jaffa warriors, and also helping to train Rya'c.

Has attempted the rite of m'al sharran three times: two of the warriors died, but Teal'c survived intact after the rite succeeded.(Threshold)

Has definitely killed:

One of Klorel's Jaffa, for failing to protect Klorel from Jack and Teal'c. (The Serpent's Lair)

One of the Jaffa guarding Rya'c in the clearing, during SG-1's rescue of the boy. (Family).

The ashrak that had infiltrated the alpha site and fomented massive distrust/enmity between the Jaffa and Tok'ra there. (Allegiance)

(Obviously, he must have killed more people than that, but those are the only confirmed kills seen.)

Presumably has ability to sense Reetou, like Teal'c.

Age and aging:

Born around 1864

'I am one hundred and thirty-three years old' as of Bloodlines [1997]

135 as of Into the Fire [1999]

137 as of Threshold [2001]

Starting to feel old by end of third season (Maternal Instinct), especially after his latest student dies, but gets new lease on life during the ep.

As of fifth season, he's having more and more trouble achieving kelno'reem. (Threshold)

His prim'ta will mature within a couple of years (2003-ish, presumably, when Bra'tac is about 139), and will be his last one even if he could find another symbiote it would reject him. He won't try to extend his life life for the sake of life means nothing. (Threshold)

As of late sixth season, his symbiote was dead and had been replaced by the drug tretonin, after he and Teal'c had had to share Junior back and forth to stay alive in the aftermath of a massacre against the rebel Jaffa forces. (Changeling)

It isn't clear how long the tretonin will keep him alive, but he was still hale and hearty at the end of seventh season (2003). (Lost City, parts 1 and 2)

He was starting to feel his age again after the Jaffa won their freedom, and he'd fulfilled his life's dream -- he told Teal'c that he thought the great preemptive battle against Anubis and his kull warriors would be his last. Teal'c wouldn't hear of it. (Threads)

Bra'tac the First Prime/warrior/teacher:

Former First Prime of Apophis, some 100 years ago (Into the Fire)

(makes for odd timing, since he would only have been in his mid-30s -- was he strictly a teacher after that?).

He was Apophis's First Prime for decades, possibly even until Teal'c took over in what was the mid-1980s on Earth.

His house on Chulak was big, airy, and pretty well-appointed, made of stone. (Into the Fire)

Known throughout Chulak as one of the greatest Jaffa that ever lived (Family)

Was also greeted, and treated, with great respect by the rebel Jaffa army that was drawn from at least six different System Lords's Jaffa. (The Warrior)

Had a special death glider hidden away since the days he was First Prime of Apophis. (Into the Fire)

Has been training Rya'c, teaching him how to be a warrior (including how to fly a glider) (Redemption, parts 1 & 2)

Has a lot of influence just in his very presence -- he talked down Artok from refusing to be held captive simply by looking at him. He broke the tension of an armed standoff between twin lines of Jaffa and Tok'ra by finding the footprints of whatever person had killed Artok, and admitting freely that they could have been either Jaffa or Tok'ra. In the search for the saboteur/assassin, he was paired with Jack and Malek. (Allegiance)

Best fighter ever -- he sensed the ashrak's presence and put up a good fight, even though he couldn't see him. Knocked Malek out of the way to safety first. Lost the fight and was dragged off and left to die, but is too tough for that, and managed to stagger back to the alpha site in time to save everyone by killing the ashrak. (Allegiance)

Bra'tac the rebel:

He was raised to be a rebel, pretty much. His father used to tell him the forbidden tale of Kheb, saying 'If the Goa'uld are truly all-powerful gods, how is it that they fear anything?' (Maternal Instinct)

Has been fomenting dissent/rebellion for decades.

Very carefully primed Teal'c (and other Jaffa?) to prepare him to doubt and eventually work against the Goa'uld, without ever giving himself totally away, although he made himself vulnerable to betrayal (e.g., hinted that he didn't think the Goa'uld were gods, and certainly not all-knowing). (Threshold)

Passed the rebel torch to Teal'c when Teal'c became First Prime and finally had the power to actually do something. (Threshold)

Outed himself as a rebel to Klorel, while he and SG-1 were attempting to escape Klorel's ship. (Serpent's Lair)

He burned his bridges pretty thoroughly: after refusing to obey Klorel, he explained himself by saying, 'Because you are not a god. You are a parasite within a child -- and I despise you.' This got him ribboned in retribution -- he would have died if Jack, Sam, and Teal'c hadn't come in to help. (Serpent's Lair)

To make his rebellion even more official, shortly thereafter he and the others ringed onto Apophis's ship with Klorel as hostage, and Bra'tac very clearly told Apophis that he would no longer worship false gods. (Serpent's Lair)

Was reported to have been tortured to death by Terok, Heru'ur's torturer -- unverified, could have just been a ploy to make Teal'c break. (Serpent's Venom)

Verified still alive in Threshold.

When news of Apophis's death at Sokar's hands reached Chulak, Bra'tac hoped for celebration. Instead, the people were afraid that Klorel would return to claim his inheritance. The remains of Apophis's personal guard beat Bra'tac and left him for dead. If Teal'c hadn't arrived, Bra'tac might not have made it. (Into the Fire)

He vouched for the returned Teal'c to the warriors still on Chulak, hoping to help him raise an army. They only got a few that first time, but together with Hammond, they attacked Hathor's forces and won, rescuing several SG teams, including SG-1. (Into the Fire)

Fought against Apophis during the destruction of Chulak. Moac, his newest apprentice, died from injuries received during the battle. (Maternal Instinct)

He brought Moac to the SGC, both in search of healing and to bring the word that Apophis was alive and had turned on his own Jaffa, massacring much of Chulak. He was flummoxed by the ferocity of the attack -- Apophis could have destroyed Chulak from space, but instead his army swept through personally, as though searching for something. Daniel figured out that he was looking for the harsesis, hidden on Kheb. (Maternal Instinct)

Bra'tac was surprised -- he'd thought Kheb no more than a legend. (Maternal Instinct)

Jaffa were forbidden to speak of it because the Goa'uld despised and feared it, but his father had told him tales of how some Jaffa had discovered it long ago and kept it secret from the Goa'uld. When a Jaffa could no longer carry a prim'ta, he would travel to Kheb where his kalach (soul) would learn the pathway from the darkness into the next life. When some of the Goa'uld found out about it, they went there but never returned. It was forbidden to speak of it after that. (Maternal Instinct)

According to the story Bra'tac knew, Kheb was an untouched wilderness surrounded by mountains, and a single valley with a temple some distance from the stargate. Daniel assumed that if the Goa'uld were scared of it, they would have avoided mining it as they did the rest of the planets in that group (the Loc'na ko). (Maternal Instinct)

When SG-1 and SG-2 headed for Kheb to find the harsesis, Bra'tac went with them. (Maternal Instinct)

Nearly died at what was supposed to be a meeting of rebel Jaffa leaders, but was actually an ambush. Teal'c saved his life by sharing his symbiote for three days, until the rest of SG-1 found them both and brought them back to the SGC. The symbiote was too badly damaged to heal even one of them at that point -- both survived only because Jacob brought a new version of tretonin, designed to support Jaffa life without the aid of symbiotes. (The Changeling)

Bra'tac became as dependent on the new tretonin as he had been on his symbiote as a result. (The Changeling)

Unclear what effect this will have on Bra'tac's aging process -- he would have died within a year or two had he kept his symbiote.

Went with Rya'c and at least two other rebels to recruit more rebel Jaffa. The planet they went to was a sort of penal colony -- Erebus -- where Jaffa who refused to change gods (to Baal) after being defeated in battle were sent. Only the strong survived there -- the weak and disobedient were whipped to make them perform, and those who couldn't work hard enough even with that 'encouragement' were killed outright. (Orpheus)

Rya'c and Bra'tac were caught and forced into hard labor.(Orpheus)

Rya'c was whipped at least once, after dropping his end of a load he and Bra'tac were carrying. Bra'tac distracted the guard whipping Rya'c, and took Rya'c's punishment in his stead. (Orpheus)

While in the camp, Bra'tac had to ration his supply of tretonin, but it weakened him. He was much more accepting of being on tretonin than Teal'c was, though -- he seemed to look on it as something that was keeping him alive, rather than something that was making him weak. Still, by the time he'd been in the camp for three months, his supply had run out, and he was living on borrowed time when SG-1 and two other SG teams, along with Rak'nor, arrived to rescue him and Rya'c. Teal'c and Rak'nor infiltrated the camp just in time to give him a dose of tretonin, enough to let him start recovering. (Orpheus)

He traveled with Teal'c and Rya'c to Hak'tyl, to try to convince Ishta to look beyond her short-term goal of destroying Moloc to see the bigger picture of the eventual destruction of all the System Lords. (Sacrifices)

He was supportive of Rya'c and Kar'yn's wish to be married, and threw himself into sucking up to Jack to get permission to hold the ceremony on the base. When Jack didn't buy the flattery, Bra'tac got right down to it. (Sacrifices)

When the Hak'tyl were agitating to go rescue Ishta, Bra'tac was once again the voice of reason, calming them down so that Jack and the SGC could do what needed to be done. (Sacrifices)

He'd been asked to officiate at Rya'c and Kar'yn's wedding, and did so with aplomb. (Sacrifices)

He was disheartened by the rebel Jaffa army's reaction to the Replicator invasion -- they returned to their Goa'uld masters by the thousands, convinced that the Replicators were a punishment sent for their lack of faith. Teal'c talked him into a daring plan to regain all those Jaffa and more, which perked him up quite a bit: capture the sacred Temple of Dakara, proving once and for all that the Goa'uld did not have the power of gods. Bra'tac helped Teal'c talk Jack into it, going a step further and saying that the Jaffa would focus on the Goa'uld while the SGC and Thor focused on the Replicator threat -- each playing to their  strength, fighting the enemy they knew best. (Reckoning part 1)

He went with Teal'c to help convince other rebel Jaffa leaders about the plan. (Reckoning part 1)

After the Replicators were successfully wiped out thanks to the energy wave sent forth by the modified Ancient weapon, rebel Jaffa led by Bra'tac took Baal's ship, storming the peltak and capturing Baal himself. Baal, amused, escaped a moment later by beaming out using a wrist-activator for the transporter, but they still had the ship. (Reckoning part 2)

Bra'tac, free Jaffa

After the Jaffa won their freedom, both Teal'c and Bra'tac were honored as the two driving forces that had brought them so far, with Tolok presiding over the ceremony: (Threads)

'Brothers Bra'tac of Chulak and Teal'c of the Tau'ri. For your enduring courage and vision, for the strength of will that has brought us to freedom from the Goa'uld -- a future we have yet to even comprehend, but one that will be determined by our own unfettered will -- I hereby bestow upon you the highest honor any Jaffa can know. From this day forward, you shall both be known as blood-kin to all Jaffa.' (Threads)

Bra'tac realized that he and Teal'c had been remiss: they'd focused so much on winning freedom for all Jaffa that they hadn't planned enough for what came next. They were ill-prepared to unite Jaffa who'd fought each other for generations, and still distrusted each other. (Threads)

He broke the news to Teal'c that the high priests wanted them both to sit on the new council being formed to govern the Jaffa, pointing out that that would take Teal'c from the Tau'ri, but also that it had been Teal'c's goal from the beginning to eventually leave the Tau'ri after freeing his people. (Threads)

In a meeting with Teal'c, Jack, Sam, and Jacob about the new weapon on Dakara, he agreed with the others that the weapon was too dangerous to leave active, but pointed out that its destruction without the agreement of the new Jaffa council would anger the entire free Jaffa nation, and sour the already tentative relations with the Tau'ri. (Threads)

Teal'c and Bra'tac had called another meeting of the Jaffa council, hoping to strengthen the bonds between previously warring Jaffa by focusing on uniting against their common enemy -- the Goa'uld who still remained. During the same meeting, they brought up the weapon on Dakara. The council refused to countenance its destruction, believing that it was too powerful a symbol and that its destruction would weaken the resolve of the free Jaffa still facing Goa'uld, especially Anubis. Instead, they decided to throw all the Jaffa energies into finding and killing Anubis. Once that was accomplished, they'd reconsider the decision to destroy the weapon. (Threads)

He was starting to feel his age again -- he told Teal'c that he thought the great preemptive battle against Anubis and his kull warriors would be his last. Teal'c wouldn't hear of it. (Threads)

As the free Jaffa struggled to agree on a form of government, Bra'tac and Rya'c went out to negotiate with coalitions who hadn't yet declared their allegiance to one faction or another. (Avalon part 2)

History with SG-1/the SGC:

The first time he met SG-1, he insulted Sam, bit Daniel in the hand to prove how soft Daniel was, and beat Jack at hand-to-hand. (Bloodlines)

After helping SG-1 escape from Chulak (Bloodlines), Bra'tac worked hard to regain Apophis's trust, and was made First Prime to Klorel. (Serpent's Lair)

Has an SGC remote transmitter and code, to be used in an emergency (to let him through the iris). (Family)

SGC receives this code as 'special code 2' (Maternal Instinct)

Outed himself as a rebel to Klorel, while he and SG-1 were attempting to escape Klorel's ship. (Serpent's Lair)

He burned his bridges pretty thoroughly: after refusing to obey Klorel, he explained himself by saying, 'Because you are not a god. You are a parasite within a child -- and I despise you.' This got him ribboned in retribution -- he would have died if Jack, Sam, and Teal'c hadn't come in to help. (Serpent's Lair)

To make his rebellion even more official, shortly thereafter he and the others ringed onto Apophis's ship with Klorel as hostage, and Bra'tac very clearly told Apophis that he would no longer worship false gods. (Serpent's Lair)

Visited the SGC for the first time after the destruction of Apophis's and Klorel's ships, when the space shuttle picked up him, Jack, Teal'c, and Sam from the death gliders they'd escaped in. (Serpent's Lair)

He greeted Hammond as 'Hammond of Texas', accompanied by brushing his hand just above his scalp this was his standard identifier for Hammond.

When Teal'c returned to Chulak to try to raise an army in hopes of rescuing the rest of SG-1, Bra'tac vouched for him and tried to help. They only got a few that first time, but together with Hammond, they attacked Hathor's forces and won, rescuing several SG teams, including SG-1. (Into the Fire)

After his newest apprentice, Moac, was fatally injured fighting against Apophis's forces during the destruction of Chulak, Bra'tac brought him to the SGC, both in search of healing and to bring the word that Apophis was alive and had turned on his own Jaffa, massacring much of Chulak. He was flummoxed by the ferocity of the attack -- Apophis could have destroyed Chulak from space, but instead his army swept through personally, as though searching for something. Daniel figured out that he was looking for the harsesis, hidden on Kheb. (Maternal Instinct)

Bra'tac was surprised -- he'd thought Kheb no more than a legend. (Maternal Instinct)

Jaffa were forbidden to speak of it because the Goa'uld despised and feared it, but his father had told him tales of how some Jaffa had discovered it long ago and kept it secret from the Goa'uld. When a Jaffa could no longer carry a prim'ta, he would travel to Kheb where his kalach (soul) would learn the pathway from the darkness into the next life. When some of the Goa'uld found out about it, they went there but never returned. It was forbidden to speak of it after that. (Maternal Instinct)

According to the story Bra'tac knew, Kheb was an untouched wilderness surrounded by mountains, and a single valley with a temple some distance from the stargate. Daniel assumed that if the Goa'uld were scared of it, they would have avoided mining it as they did the rest of the planets in that group (the Loc'na ko). (Maternal Instinct)

When SG-1 and SG-2 headed for Kheb to find the harsesis, Bra'tac went with them. (Maternal Instinct)

Talked Hammond into attempting to capture one of the new genetically engineered Goa'uld 'foot soldiers' Anubis had developed, to gain information on how to defeat them. He set up an ambush on Ramius's planet with SGC personnel and rebel Jaffa, but when it went badly, he convinced everyone to surrender (to live to fight another day, on the assumption that Adal and his rebel Jaffa might mount a rescue). (Evolution, part 1)

He was the first offworld alien to come through the stargate after Dr. Elizabeth Weir took over as head of the stargate program. (Lost City, part 1)

When Hammond wasn't there to greet him and Daniel introduced him to Weir as the new leader of the facility, Bra'tac thought that Hammond of Texas had fallen in battle. (Lost City, part 1)

Bra'tac had come to bring the news that Jaffa loyal to the rebel cause had told them that Anubis was gathering his full fleet for an attack against Earth, and that he'd arrive within three days. (Lost City, part 1)

He and Teal'c returned to Chulak in search of ships and warriors, and joined up with a Jaffa named Ronan, the son of a Jaffa Bra'tac had known, who offered his ship if he could join them in their search for a great weapon to use against Anubis. The three of them joined the rest of SG-1 on the voyage to Praclarush Taonas. (Lost City, part 2)

When SG-1 called up from Praclarush to say they'd discovered that the Lost City (and its weapons) were on Earth, Bra'tac told Ronan to pilot the vessel back to the dome while he readied the transport rings to retrieve them. Ronan stabbed him in the belly with no warning, believing it to be a fatal blow. When Bra'tac said 'I am betrayed', Ronan sneered that Bra'tac was the betrayer, of his one true god, Anubis. (Lost City, part 2)

Bra'tac, with no symbiote to be fatally wounded by the stab, beat the shit out of Ronan and then killed him, much to Ronan's surprise. (Lost City, part 2)

He stayed on his feet just long enough to activate the rings to bring SG-1 aboard, then collapsed -- he remained conscious, though. He told them Ronan had been an agent of Anubis, then told Teal'c his wound was fatal (fighting with Ronan probably hadn't helped any), and that he wouldn't survive it.(Lost City, part 2)

Jack healed him, with the power of the Ancients. (Lost City, part 2)

Over Antarctica, Bra'tac held the scout ship in place while SG-1 ringed down through the hole Jack's altered matter-stream-transmitter had blasted open, then peeled off to give everyone protecting him more manueverability. (Lost City, part 2)

He was supportive of Rya'c and Kar'yn's wish to be married, and threw himself into sucking up to Jack to get permission to hold the ceremony on the base. When Jack didn't buy the flattery, Bra'tac got right down to it. (Sacrifices)

top | known Jaffa

Delnor

Rak'nor's father. (Serpent's Venom)

Teal'c, while still First Prime of Apophis, had spared Delnor's life, gaining lifelong loyalty in return (although Teal'c never knew that). Delnor had believed in Teal'c enough to burn off Rak'nor's serpent tattoo on the assumption that soon all Jaffa would be free of their masters. (Serpent's Venom)

top | known Jaffa

Drey'auc X

She was of the Cord'ai Plains. (Family)

Teal'c's wife, left behind with their son Rya'c when Teal'c turned shol'va. She wound up being outcast and having to scrounge to survive, including having to beg the priests to come and perform a Prim'ta ceremony on Rya'c to save his life when he was dying of fever (scarlet fever, according to Jack). (Bloodlines)

With Teal'c gone, she divorced him and married his best friend, Fro'tak, to provide for her and Rya'c. (Family)

After Fro'tak was killed, Drey'auc left Chulak with SG-1 and Rya'c, and moved to the Land of Light, where she lived for some time. (various mentions)

Eventually appears to have moved to a planet where refugee Jaffa had set up a refugee camp of some sort. Died there in 2002 after her symbiote matured. She refused to let the other Jaffa procure her a new one, since that would mean killing another Jaffa to get it. (Redemption, part 1)

top | known Jaffa

Fro'tak X

He was of the High Cliffs (Family)

Teal'c's best friend on Chulak, who later married Drey'auc after Teal'c abandoned her and Rya'c. (Family)

Had high status on Chulak. Worked in a palace, in the hall of recordings, less than 200 paces down the corridor from where the brainwashed Rya'c was being held by Apophis. After seeing Teal'c and Drey'auc rekindling a spark or two, Fro'tak attempted to betray SG-1 to Apophis, but Jack killed him before he got the chance. (Family)

top | known Jaffa

Gar'toc

One of the Jaffa masters who were training the camp full of human boys meant to infiltrate the SGC one day. Before he left to help Apophis in his final battles, he showed Captains Rogers and Nelson a cave, where the live weapons for their final challenge were stored. No idea if he survived or not. (Rules of Engagement)

top | known Jaffa

Gerak

After swaying just barely enough people to his side, Gerak got his resolution passed regarding the makeup of the Jaffa High Council: each coalition representative would be granted votes according to their military power. That made Gerak the leader of the Jaffa nation, since he controlled the most military forces. (Avalon part 2)

He was the First Prime to Montu, a minor Goa'uld in Ra's service who fell in with Baal when Ra was killed. (Origin)

At some point, after what he called 'one of the greatest battles in history', he killed Horus's First Prime (who had lost the battle), Karrok of the High Plains. (Origin)

Teal'c had suspicions that Gerak had caused the disappearance/death of Hubrok, an ally of Bra'tac's who would have supported their bid for a truly democratic High Council. With Hubrok out of the way, Gerak emerged as the spokesman for the more conservative factions, and began manipulating his way to a position of great power. (Origin)

Once Gerak had effectively become the leader of the Free Jaffa, he was invited to the SGC to meet General Landry. He arrived with a small but well-armed entourage of Jaffa warriors. Shortly after his arrival, a Prior arrived (the first in the galaxy), intriguing him. When a meeting to discuss Jaffa/Tau'ri interactions was getting a little tense, he interrupted the proceedings to insist on meeting with the Prior, wanting to know what false religion he preached. He said it was a matter of importance to everyone, after everything. (Origin) (Origin)

top | known Jaffa

Herak X

First Prime of Anubis, by all appearances. (Full Circle)

He also appeared in The Other Guys, and presumably whatever that ep was about, it had at least some basis in reality, because Herak later recognized Jack, who had a few rather snide things to say in return.

On Anubis's orders, he killed the scientist-Goa'uld who had tried (and failed) to make naquadria stable enough to be used to power Anubis's superweapon. Later, he took SG-1 and everyone else in the Kelownan bunker prisoner (so they could be publicly executed), after first killing Commander Hale, who had betrayed them all to Anubis (and therefore to Herak). Herak escaped the ensuing battle in the bunker through the stargate, to an unknown destination. (Homecoming)

Still Anubis's First Prime as of Anbuis's attack on Earth. (Lost City, part 2)

He carried the word that Earth hadn't responded to the presence of the three advance ships, and on Anubis's command ordered them to begin the attack. (Lost City, part 2)

With Anbusis's fleet around Earth attacking power and communication grids, Herak noticed the cargo ship that exited hyperspace inside the ring of ships and started heading for the southern pole (carrying SG-1 and Bra'tac, although Herak didn't know that). (Lost City, part 2)

He kept Anubis informed of all the pertinent movement during the battle, telling him when they were close enough to be in range themselves to start firing, and that the Tau'ri ship (Prometheus) had broken off from its position, and was heading straight for Anubis's mothership. (Lost City, part 2)

Before they could destroy the Prometheus, the Ancient weapon made up of small gold energy squids swept past it and began destroying Anubis's fleet. Anubis's mothership exploded along with all the others, with no sign of escape pods getting away.

To all appearances, Herak died in the explosion, in late 2003. (Lost City, part 2)

top | known Jaffa

Hubrok

He was an ally of Bra'tac's. (Origin)

He led Baal's armada after the fall of the Goa'uld. (Origin)

He would have supported Teal'c and Bra'tac in their bid for democracy among the Jaffa, but disappeared some four months before the final votes -- likely at Gerak's hands (or orders, at least). (Origin)

top | known Jaffa

Inago

He served the same Goa'uld as the Jaffa who went after Jack and Tyler, the Reol disguised as a human, in The Fifth Man. No idea what Goa'uld it was, but the forehead tattoo was identical. (The Ties That Bind)

After the fall of the Goa'uld, he became a merchant, selling Jaffa weaponry among other things. (The Ties That Bind)

Inago bought a necklace from Vala that she claimed was a 'priceless heirloom' from the House of Verenna that turned out to be worthless. He swore he'd kill her if he ever saw her again. (The Ties That Bind)

top | known Jaffa

Ishta

A temple high priestess in Moloc's service (although, oddly, her forehead tattoo was black ink, not silver or gold). (Birthright)

She was married at one time -- her husband was a high-ranked warrior in the Imperial Guard, although she was just one wife of many until he was killed in battle against a rival Goa'uld. (Birthright)

As priestess, she was afforded many luxuries to make up for her mistreatment at her husband's hands. (Birthright)

Part of her duties included recording births, and presiding over the Ceremony of Fire (the death by burning of newborn females, as ordered by Moloc). She couldn't stand by and watch it continue, so without anyone realizing it, she, along with her seconds Mala and Neith, began smuggling babies out secretly after they were brought for the Ceremony, without telling even the parents, bringing them to a world called Hak'tyl ('Liberation') to create a society also called (the) Hak'tyl. (Birthright)

As priestesses, they had access to the stargates on Moloc's worlds to attend to missionary matters, so had no real difficulty carrying it off. (Birthright)

She deliberately sent a party of warriors to a planet where she knew SG-1 would be meeting with a would-be rebel, in order to bring them back to Hak'tyl to make a proposition: she wanted Tau'ri weapons and supplies, in exchange for information about Moloc (through an extensive intelligence network that she was tapped into) and possibly physical help in the form of warriors. (Birthright)

She was first taken aback by Sam's assumption that what they wanted was help overthrowing Moloc, then by Sam's offer of tretonin as an alternative to reliance on symbiotes. (Birthright)

After a sparring match with Teal'c, she decided that tretonin was worth checking out, and agreed to send volunteers to Earth. She originally intended to go with them, but Mala insisted on going in her stead. (Birthright)

While the others were gone, she and Teal'c started working on starting a relationship. (Birthright)

At some point between early 2003 and mid-2004, she lost her symbiote and began taking tretonin. (Sacrifices)

Despite Teal'c and Bra'tac's best efforts, Ishta remained dedicated to the goal of destroying Moloc as soon as possible, regardless of what that might do to the bigger Jaffa rebellion. (Sacrifices)

She and Teal'c were more and more at loggerheads over their different goals. Ishta believed that the larger Jaffa rebellion was useless -- that the leaders of it simply sat around and plotted, without ever taking any action. Teal'c believed that destroying Moloc alone was effectively a waste of time, because another Goa'uld would simply take over his territories. He wanted Ishta to look long-term, while she was focused on the immediate problem of the ongoing murder of female Jaffa infants in Moloc's realm. (Sacrifices)

When Ishta was contacted by rebel Jaffa in Moloc's armies and asked to a meeting, Teal'c asked to come along, in case there was counsel he could offer. Ishta told him that he had to follow her leadership in this -- Teal'c agreed. When the meeting seemed to be heading toward 'rise up against Moloc now, the time is right', Teal'c stepped in to tell the Jaffa that they should wait until rebel Jaffa everywhere could rise up against their Goa'uld masters. Ishta was very, very pissed off. (Sacrifices)

She traveled to the SGC with an urgent request for help when the Hak'tyl thought their location might have been compromised. She wanted to evacuate everyone, but didn't know of a planet where they could go, and couldn't risk trying to hide all the female warriors and children on a populated planet. She was grateful that the SGC would start exploring possible planets for them, but pointed out that if Moloc really knew where the Hak'tyl were hiding out, every moment they stayed put them in more danger. She didn't outright ask to be allowed to stay at the SGC, though, just waited to see if it would be mentioned by Jack (which it was, once he noticed everyone turning to look at him). (Sacrifices)

personal note: Ishta's lack of asking to be allowed to stay could be seen as passive-aggressive, but the vibe I got from it was that she didn't want to put the SGC in the awkward position of saying no, especially when they'd already freely agreed to help the Hak'tyl find a new planet. She was upfront about the situation the Hak'tyl were in, then backed off to let Jack make the decision.

According to Teal'c, Ishta believed in preserving tradition at all costs, especially in the face of oppression. She was completely in favor of the wedding between Kar'yn and Rya'c, believing it would make both of them stronger ('a warrior is always stronger with another at his side'). She took Teal'c's refusal to bless the union personally, saying that the only reason Teal'c could be objecting was if he thought Kar'yn was unacceptable as a warrior partner for Rya'c, and thus that Ishta had been at fault in Kar'yn's training. (Sacrifices)

Despite the Hak'tyl's refugee status, Ishta wanted Kar'yn's wedding to proceed on schedule, determined not to let Moloc's actions disrupt their lives any more than possible. That meant having the wedding at the SGC. (Sacrifices)

After the SGC found a suitable world for the new home encampment (very quickly, within a day or two of starting to search), Ishta set up an emergency meeting there with representatives of the rebel Jaffa still serving in Moloc's armies, including Aron. The meeting was interrupted shortly after it began, as Moloc's forces opened fire. Ishta, Teal'c, and Aron  escaped -- but with no tretonin for Ishta or Teal'c. (Sacrifices)

By the next day, Ishta had been captured and brought before Moloc, who had traveled to the planet to deal with the situation personally. He ribboned her repeatedly, and tried to get her to recant her rebellion, telling her to grovel before her god and repent her sins, then trying to get her to give up the names of other rebels in his domain. She didn't give anyone up. When word came of a rebel uprising on one of Moloc's worlds, he left, and Teal'c freed Ishta. (Sacrifices)

top | known Jaffa

Karrok of the High Plains X

First Prime to Horus. (Origin)

According to Gerak, he once said, 'There is more honor in dying at the hand of a brother than there is in killing a would-be friend.' (Origin)

Gerak killed him shortly after Karrok lost 'one of the greatest battles in history' - he said Karrok was a fool who didn't deserve an honorable death. (Origin)

top | known Jaffa

Kar'yn

As of mid-2004, Rya'c's wife. (Sacrifices)

The young Hak'tyl woman that Rya'c met and fell in love with while on a mission there to help Bra'tac and Teal'c convince Ishta to change her priorities to the wider Jaffa rebellion. (Sacrifices)

She was something of a budding feminist, breaking away from patriarchal Jaffa tradition (not surprising, given the particular society she'd been raised in). She didn't want to use traditional terms to describe their relationship, like 'sim'ka', choosing to go with 'modern' words like 'betrothed' and 'husband-to-be'. (Sacrifices)

She wanted a traditional wedding, right up until the part in the rehearsal where she was told to kneel before Rya'c in respect. She refused, saying she would kneel to no man. When Bra'tac explained that this had been part of the ceremony for thousands of years, she insisted that Rya'c should kneel before her as well. When Rya'c took offense at the notion, she was upset enough to start losing her temper, saying that she had chosen poorly for a husband. When Rya'c retorted that perhaps he had chosen poorly, as well, she took off her 'circlet of fidelty' and slapped it into his chest as she stalked away. (Sacrifices)

After Ishta had a talk with her about getting some perspective (pointing out, among other things, that while Kar'yn badly wanted Rya'c's respect, he wanted hers, too) -- and after Bra'tac had had a chat with Rya'c along similar lines -- Kar'yn and Rya'c made up and went through with the wedding, although they apparently left out the kneeling altogether. (Sacrifices)

top | known Jaffa

Mala X

A priestess in Moloc's service, and one of Ishta's seconds in the temple, along with Neith. (Birthright)

When she was a temple handmaiden, she fell in love with one of the palace guards -- which was forbidden because of their station (not clear whether they were both too low-ranked to merit perks like relationships, or whether one significantly outranked the other, making it inappropriate). When she got pregnant, Moloc had her lover killed and sacrificed their daughter as soon as she was born. (Birthright)

Later, as a priestess along with Ishta and Neith, she had access to the stargates on Moloc's worlds to attend to missionary matters, so had no real difficulty carrying out the smuggling of newborn girls who had been brought to the temple for the Ceremony of Fire, bringing them to a world called Hak'tyl ('Liberation') to create a society also called (the) Hak'tyl. (Birthright)

She was more forward-thinking and less hidebound than Neith, and generally more in agreement with Ishta's more radical ideas (such as bringing in SG-1 and trying the tretonin). (Birthright)

She volunteered to take Ishta's place in the tretonin experiment, saying that Ishta was too valuable to risk. She was determined to see it through, wanting to prove the tretonin worked, but it reacted badly in her, leaving her weak and ill. It got bad enough that Fraiser re-introduced Mala's symbiote against her wishes in a last-ditch effort to save her, and Mala wound up dying as a result. (Birthright)

top | known Jaffa

Moac X

Bra'tac's most recent apprentice -- the finest warrior Bra'tac had ever trained. He was badly injured during Apophis's destruction of Chulak, and despite Fraiser's best efforts, died of his injuries. (Maternal Instinct)

top | known Jaffa

M'zel X

Formerly in the service of Heru'ur, and then Apophis after Heru'ur was killed (interestingly, he never changed his forehead tattoo). (Death Knell)

Eventually he joined the Jaffa rebellion, and became one of its leaders. (Death Knell)

Leader of the surviving Jaffa on the alpha site. (Death Knell)

He was none too fond of the Tok'ra, believing them to be without honor. (Death Knell)

He was convinced that the Tok'ra had a spy high up in Olokun's ranks, close enough to the System Lord to be able to assassinate him, and was furious that the Tok'ra wouldn't order it. Anubis's drones were slaughtering Olokun's Jaffa, and with the death of their master, they'd stop fighting, and have the chance to join the rebels if they chose. He sent a group of Jaffa to do the job instead, less than 24 hours before the alpha site was attacked. He refused to believe that they could be responsible for the attack, saying that no Jaffa would give in to torture -- he was apparently unaware that Anubis could effectively simply read prisoners' minds. (Death Knell)

With Hammond's permission, he went to the beta site to try to find out what happened to the Jaffa he sent. When he returned, he reported that only one had come back, but that Anubis had won a great victory, killing thousands of Jaffa and capturing many of Olokun's commanders, including the Tok'ra spy. (Death Knell)

Later, Jacob asked M'zel to accompany him to the beta site again to help control the tensions there. M'zel wasn't especially interested. He was surprised to hear that tretonin had come at the cost of untold Tok'ra symbiote lives, and agreed that the alliances between the races had made them all strong, but believed that until the other Tok'ra felt as Jacob did, reconciliation between their peoples might be impossible. (Death Knell)

At a final meeting at the SGC between representatives of all three races (Hammond and Daniel, Delek and Jacob, and M'zel), after the Tok'ra announced that they were leaving the beta site and dissolving their alliance with the SGC, M'zel announced that the Jaffa were doing the same, for different reasons. The Jaffa wanted a chance to form their own culture, under their own rule, and staying on the beta site meant taking orders from the SGC. (Death Knell)

He was the first to discover the dead Jaffa on P4S-161, a rebel base. When Teal'c arrived, he showed him the destruction, then returned with Teal'c to the (third) alpha site. (Endgame)

He received word shortly thereafter from some of his contacts that three Goa'uld worlds had gone under similar attack, with millions of Jaffa dead. He instantly assumed it was the Tok'ra, and was understandably enraged when he went to tell Teal'c and Colonel Pierce. Teal'c was right there with him until Pierce managed to make them both think for a minute -- the Tok'ra would have no reason to do this out of the blue, and it was suspiciously timed, coming immediately on the hells of the sudden lack of contact with Earth (Endgame)

When Teal'c decided that the only course of action was to go talk to the Tok'ra directly, M'zel invited himself along. They went to a Goa'uld garrison with an undercover Tok'ra (Zarin) in command, intending to be captured and brought before her so they could ask her what was going on. (Endgame)

M'zel held it together during the capture and when Zarin first started talking about how they'd put her in a bad position of having to choose between maintaining her cover or saving their lives, but lost it pretty quickly and literally started to throttle her with his bare hands. Teal'c didn't physically interfere, but talked him into stopping so they could get information out of her. (Endgame)

They confronted Zarin with their beliefs that the Tok'ra were responsible for the attacks, but before she could do more than deny it, emphatically, the garrison world came under attack by one of the Trust rockets. Zarin died first, but M'zel and the other symbiote-carrying Jaffa on the planet had no chance. He died with his symbiote, saying 'I die free.' (Endgame)

top | known Jaffa

Neith

(nb: rdanderson.com has this as 'Neath', but closed-captioning has it as 'Neith', and that's what I saw first, so that's what I went with.)

A priestess in Moloc's service, and one of Ishta's seconds in the temple, along with Mala. (Birthright)

Ishta saved her from death, but couldn't save the next two of her father's daughters -- he was a high-station Jaffa in the imperial guard. She swore that when she came of age, no more of her sisters would die. She became part of the temple, with Ishta and Mala. (Birthright)

As priestesses, they had access to the stargates on Moloc's worlds to attend to missionary matters, so had no real difficulty carrying out the smuggling of newborn girls who had been brought to the temple for the Ceremony of Fire, bringing them to a world called Hak'tyl ('Liberation') to create a society also called (the) Hak'tyl. (Birthright)

When her sister Nesa was born, she took her to save her, but her father discovered the ruse Neith and Ishta had used to keep Nesa away from the fire, and Neith had to kill him so they could escape. (Birthright)

She was a traditionalist, fiercely opposed to asking SG-1 or Earth for help, and to the idea of tretonin instead of symbiotes. She was furious that Daniel had spoken to Nesa about other options. (Birthright)

She was so opposed to the idea that she even challenged Ishta to joma secu. She lost, although Ishta chose not to kill her. (Birthright)

Almost immediately after, both she and her symbiote were badly wounded during a raid to procure a symbiote for Nesa, and she was brought back to the SGC. Ishta tried to talk her into accepting tretonin, but failed. Nesa, who had already started on tretonin, finally succeeded, and Neith started taking the drug. (Birthright)

top | known Jaffa

Nesa

Neith's younger sister. (Birthright)

When she reached puberty, she chose to try tretonin rather than cause another Jaffa's death to gain his symbiote, despite her sister's objections. While she was on Earth Neith was brought there, badly injured, and Nesa managed to talk her into trying tretonin as well. In the middle of all this, she managed to develop a crush on Daniel. (Birthright)

top | known Jaffa

Oshu

(NB: I'm guessing on the name, from the credits. I could be wrong.)

Yu's First Prime. (Homecoming)

He was intensely, and very personally, loyal to Yu, and it seemed to grieve him that Yu was slowly losing control of his faculties. (Homecoming)

When Yu mistakenly ruined the plans to ambush Anubis by becoming convinced Anubis was somewhere else, Oshu went to the confined Teal'c and explained the situation, then agreed to work with Teal'c to bring another System Lord into the deal, knowing that what mattered most to Yu was the destruction of Anubis. (Homecoming)

Yu's gradual decline was starting to convince Oshu that even the gods weren't immortal -- when Teal'c said the Goa'uld weren't gods, Oshu admitted that a few weeks earlier he would have struck him down for making such a statement, but that he no longer could. (Homecoming)

Teal'c got him to agree to go to Baal for help ambushing Anubis, to keep Lord Yu from being remembered as the fool who allowed Anubis to conquer everything. He wasn't happy about it, though, believing that no other System Lord could be trusted. Nevertheless, he was determined to do whatever was necessary to destroy Anubis, because he believed that to be in his master's best interest. (Homecoming)

Stuck firmly by Yu's side, even when Yu traveled to Earth to be part of a delegation negotiating with the Tau'ri for help against Baal. (New Order)

He did his best to keep his lord protected from exposure about his deteriorating condition. When Yu slipped up publicly, referring to Anubis as the current threat rather than Baal, and got (fairly gently) called on it by Daniel, Oshu tried to call for an adjournment so Yu could rest. Yu wouldn't allow it. (New Order)

He tried to keep Yu from being held captive by the SGC by protesting that Yu had not made the decision to send a ship to attack Earth in an attempt to test its defenses, but to no avail. They were taken prisoner, along with Camulus and Amaterasu. (New Order)

After Baal destroyed the ship en route and the other System Lords began capitulating, Oshu requested to speak with Weir. He asked that she release them, to fight against Baal or at least die with honor.

He told her that the fleet Anubis had sent against Earth was small, because he'd had to hold much of his fleet back to contend with the other System Lords  -- if Baal won his battles, he would truly rule the galaxy and be unstoppable by any weapons. (New Order)

When Yu and Amaterasu were heading through the stargate after Weir (and her superiors) released them, Oshu turned long enough to give Weir a specific bow of his head, in thanks. (New Order)

He attended Yu at a meeting of the much-reduced Council of System Lords, and was present when Baal's emissary demanded their surrender, right before Replicator-Sam arrived and ran Yu through, to Oshu's shock. (Reckoning part 1)

Oshu may be dead -- after Replicator-Sam ran Yu through, a Replicator ship approached the station where the council was being held, and it's unlikely that they left anyone alive. (Reckoning part 1)

top | known Jaffa

Rak'nor

His father, Delnor, had believed in Teal'c enough to have burned off Rak'nor's serpent tattoo on the assumption that soon all Jaffa would be free of their masters (Teal'c, while still First Prime, had spared Delnor's life, gaining lifelong loyalty in return, whether he knew it or not), but Rak'nor had watched the sparks of rebellion fail and had lost faith. (Serpent's Venom)

(Interestingly, Rak'nor's apparent age suggests he was definitely an adult when his father did this.)

Betrayed Teal'c to Heru'ur as a result. (Serpent's Venom)

When he saw that Teal'c wouldn't cave under torture, he began to change his mind again, and rescued Teal'c from Heru'ur and Apophis just in time to keep them from being destroyed in the minefield where they were meeting. (Serpent's Venom)

Later, he joined K'tano's rebel army, then after K'tano was killed and revealed as Imhotep on Cal Mah ('Sanctuary'), he rallied the rebel Jaffa to Teal'c. (The Warrior)

After Cal Mah was wiped out, he took refuge on the SGC's alpha site along with rest of K'tano/Imhotep's Jaffa army. Nearly co-instigated a bloodbath when he pushed the point of Artok having been killed by grabbing the Tok'ra leader, Malek's, arm, getting himself thrown off in the process, twin lines of Jaffa and Tok'ra pulled weapons on each other, clearly prepared to use them. Jack showed up to be the voice of reason a moment later. When everyone teamed up in tri-racial trios afterward to hunt the saboteur/assassin, Rak'nor went out with Sam and Jacob. (Allegiance)

Came to Earth to help figure out what Daniel was remembering about Rya'c and Bra'tac, and identified the planet in Daniel's sketch of his memory as Erebus, a hard-labor planet survivable only by Jaffa which Baal had recently taken over. He accompanied SG-1, SG-2, and SG-3 to Erebus to stage a rescue. (Orpheus)

He's the one who tossed a Jaffa shock grenade through the gate to take out the forces guarding it on the other side. (Orpheus)

With Teal'c, he infiltrated the camp once they got that far. They were both captured by Baal's Jaffa, and badly beaten/whipped. Rak'nor recovered more quickly than Teal'c (healed by his symbiote), and helped Rya'c spread the word among the prisoners to revolt when the time came (when SG-1 and SG-2 launched the next rescue attempt). (Orpheus)

He was the contact person for SG-1 and Bra'tac when they were coordinating surprise attacks against the System Lords. (Reckoning part 1)

One of the Jaffa apparently living on Dakara during the formation of the new government. Although he didn't sit on the council, he came and told Teal'c when the council was ready to re-convene. (Avalon part 1)

He was frustrated at how Gerak seemed to be gaining power by sheer force of numbers (of warriors). Rak'nor didn't want the free Jaffa to be ruled by a few power-hungry individuals after all the hard work and fighting that had gone into winning their freedom. He was also frustrated that Teal'c was spending so much time with the Tau'ri, instead of focusing on the council and the votes they needed. (Avalon part 2)

nb: The frustration with Teal'c's continued association with the Tau'ri is telling, since Rak'nor is one of the Jaffa who'd worked with the Tau'ri himself in the past, and had seemed to be okay with the alliance when it was stronger.

While Teal'c was away on Earth helping to deal with the Vala situation, Rak'nor voted for him in council as his proxy. (Avalon part 2)

top | known Jaffa

Ronac X

Teal'c's father, and First Prime to Cronus. Cronus sent him into an unwinnable battle, then when Ronac failed to win it, killed him by removing his symbiote. Teal'c and his mother were banished and had to flee to Chulak. (Fair Game, Crossroads)

top | known Jaffa

Ronan X

A Jaffa bearing Apophis's tattoo -- it's unknown who he served immediately after Apophis died. His father and Bra'tac had known each other. (Lost City, part 2)

He went to Bra'tac and Teal'c on Chulak when he heard they were seeking ships and warriors, and offered his ship -- on condition that he be allowed to go with them in their search for a great weapon to use against Anubis. They agreed, and the three of them joined the rest of SG-1 on the voyage to Praclarush Taonas. (Lost City, part 2)

When SG-1 called up from Praclarush to say they'd discovered that the Lost City (and its weapons) were on Earth, Bra'tac told Ronan to pilot the vessel back to the dome while he readied the transport rings to retrieve them. Ronan stabbed him in the belly with no warning, believing it to be a fatal blow. When Bra'tac said 'I am betrayed', Ronan sneered that Bra'tac was the betrayer, of his one true god, Anubis. (Lost City, part 2)

Bra'tac, with no symbiote to be fatally wounded by the stab, beat the shit out of Ronan and then killed him, much to Ronan's surprise. (Lost City, part 2)

top | known Jaffa

Rya'c

Son of Teal'c and Drey'auc. (Bloodlines)

As of mid-2004, Kar'yn's husband. (Sacrifices)

Effectively fatherless since Teal'c's decision to betray Apophis -- he and Drey'auc were left behind, without a word from Teal'c. Drey'auc even told him that Teal'c was dead, although Rya'c didn't believe her. (Bloodlines)

At about 12 years old he was due for his first prim'ta. He'd also developed scarlet fever, and was going to die without a symbiote. Teal'c tried to stop the implantation, but when he realized how ill Rya'c was he gave up his own symbiote so his son would live. (Bloodlines)

Teal'c left again, and Rya'c and Drey'auc moved in with Fro'tak. Apophis got hold of Rya'c and brainwashed him into publicly denouncing his father. SG-1 rescued him and brought him and Drey'auc back to SGC, where Teal'c eventually had to zat him to break Apophis's conditioning. Once free, he was overjoyed to see his father again. He and Drey'auc moved to the Land of Light to live, where they lived for some time, with occasional visits from Teal'c. (Family)

Grew into his teens under Bra'tac's tutelage, and had the makings of a fine warrior. He and his mother moved to a planet where refugees from Chulak (and other Jaffa?) had set up a refugee camp, to be with other Jaffa. Rya'c was very angry at Teal'c after Drey'auc died, and beat the crap out of him with a staff weapon. (Redemption, part 1)

Teal'c allowed him to go on the mission to save the Tau'ri from Anubis's attack on their stargate, then allowed him to ring down to the planet to help take out Anubis's weaponry. Rya'c took a staff hit to the back, but not a fatal one, and after Teal'c and Bra'tac were captured, he stole a glider and freed them via air attack, then destroyed Anubis's weapon. He chose to remain with Bra'tac and help with the Jaffa rebellion rather than spending time on Earth with Teal'c and the others. (Redemption, part 2)

Went with Bra'tac to recruit more rebel Jaffa. The planet they went to was a penal colony, Erebus, where Jaffa who refused to change gods (to Baal) after being defeated in battle were sent. Only the strong survived there -- the weak and disobedient were whipped to make them perform, and those who couldn't work hard enough even with that 'encouragement' were killed outright. Rya'c and Bra'tac were caught and forced into hard labor. (Orpheus)

Rya'c was whipped at least once, after dropping his end of a load he and Bra'tac were carrying. Bra'tac distracted the guard whipping Rya'c, and took Rya'c's punishment in his stead. (Orpheus)

Rya'c had a hard time believing rescue would come, but when it did, had the presence of mind to point out that the entire camp needed rescuing, not just him and Bra'tac. (Orpheus)

After Teal'c was captured and beaten to immobility, Rya'c had to deal with the fact that Teal'c wasn't the invulnerable hero he'd always thought. While Teal'c was recovering, Rya'c and Rak'nor spread the word among the prisoners to revolt when the time came (when SG-1 and SG-2 launched the next rescue attempt). He got caught being away from his work station, and was about to be executed for not working when Teal'c staggered up and insisted that he be taken in Rya'c's place. The rescue kept either of them from dying. (Orpheus)

On a trip to Hak'tyl with Teal'c and Bra'tac to try to talk the women into looking past their immediate plans to take out Moloc, in favor of joining the wider Jaffa rebellion in lying low until they could take out many System Lords at the same time, Rya'c met Kar'yn and fell in love, and decided to marry her. He was hurt by Teal'c's refusal to bless the union, but refused to cancel his plans. (Sacrifices)

Kar'yn was a budding feminist, and her reactions to things such as 'old-fashioned' words about their engagement kept stripping Rya'c up. He handled it well until the rehearsal wedding on the base, when he was completely taken aback when Kar'yn refused to kneel to him, saying she disgraced his name. When she told him, very upset at his reaction, that she may have chosen poorly for a husband, he retorted that he may have chosen poorly, as well. (Sacrifices)

While he was angrily working out with a wooden staff, Bra'tac showed up and gave him a bit of a talking to, about his attitude toward Teal'c and Teal'c's attitude toward the wedding. When Rya'c snapped that Kar'yn was a worthy warrior who deserved Teal'c's respect, Bra'tac snapped right back that she deserved Rya'c's, as well. That seemed to get him thinking, and he made up with Kar'yn (helped by the fact that she'd had a similar talk with Ishta), and the wedding went on as scheduled after Teal'c and Ishta returned from the newly scouted Hak'tyl homeworld. The kneeling appears to have been left out completely. So, as of mid-2004, Rya'c is a married man. (Sacrifices)

He picked the same world Teal'c had taken Drey'auc for his honeymoon, which pleased Teal'c. (Sacrifices)

When Teal'c said they needed to have a talk, Rya'c was quick to point out he knew about the 'ways between a man and a woman'. He was aghast to find out that what Teal'c meant wasn't that, but to remind Rya'c about the rite of onorac -- which has to be adult circumcision -- which tradition demanded take place on the first evening of a man's shim'roa, honeymoon. Teal'c's advice was that the knife be as sharp as possible. Rya'c decided that Kar'yn was right about starting to let go of certain traditions. (Sacrifices)

From his new position as happily married man, Rya'c suggested that Teal'c just admit that he and Ishta love each other, because it would make life easier for everyone. (Sacrifices)

As the free Jaffa struggled to agree on a form of government, Bra'tac and Rya'c went out to negotiate with coalitions who hadn't yet declared their allegiance to one faction or another. (Avalon part 2)

top | known Jaffa

Ryk'l X

In service to Moloc. He asked to meet with Teal'c to join with the rebellion, but was killed by troops loyal to Moloc he could do more than greet SG-1. (Birthright)

top | known Jaffa

Shak'l X

Warrior who served under Teal'c, and who succeeded him as First Prime to Apophis. He led the Jaffa hunting SG-1 on the Nox's world, was injured in a fight, and was healed by the Nox, later nearly killing Lya as he escaped. He spotted the Nox performing the Ritual of Life to save Lya (after Shak'l knifed her), and realized that the Nox were the real controllers of invisibility on the planet. He reported it to Apophis.(The Nox)

Functioned as First Prime to Apophis, and carried the gold mark, but apparently was not secure in that position yet when he found Teal'c on Cartago, he said Teal'c's death would assure his place as First Prime. Teal'c killed him ten seconds later. (Cor Ai)

top | known Jaffa

Shan'auc X

(of the Red Hills)

Priestess on Chulak, and old 'friends' with Teal'c. She came to believe that the Goa'uld were not gods, and began attempting to subvert her symbiote away from evil through communicating with it while in deep kelno'reem. When the symbiote was ready for implantation, Bra'tac sent her to Earth so she could ask for their help in giving her reformed symbiote to the Tok'ra, believing that it had renounced its race's ways. Teal'c was overjoyed to see her again, and they re-established their relationship at some level (personally, I don't think they had sex, not with her in that much constant pain, but there's no actual proof one way or the other). Eventually everyone agreed that she should see the Tok'ra, and SG-1 brought her to Vorash. The Tok'ra gave her symbiote to Hebron, who was aware of the dangers. The symbiote, Tanith, thanked Shan'auc for setting him free, then later in private killed her for daring to dictate to her god. Teal'c was not happy. (Crossroads)

top | known Jaffa

Syn'ac

Young Jaffa girl living in the renegade female camp led by Ishta. She nearly died when she reached puberty, until some of the warriors procured her a symbiote. (Birthright)

top | known Jaffa

Teal'c

See the full listing for Teal'c.

top | known Jaffa

Tolok

Originally one of Heru'ur's Jaffa, according to his forehead tattoo. (Reckoning part 1)

Clearly held a position of respect among the rebel Jaffa, with even Bra'tac singling him out to ask for support, despite the fact that Tolok had only a black tattoo. (Reckoning part 1)

It's possible that he was part of the priest-caste -- he wore (fairly simple) robes, not armor, and someone referred to him praying. (Reckoning parts 1 & 2)

top | known Jaffa

Trelak X

First Prime to Ares (whom he called 'the great lord Ares'). (It's Good to Be King)

He led the troop that went to the planet where Maybourne had been left, to take it back in Ares's name. He wasn't pleased with the level of resentment he found, and told 'King Arkhan' (Maybourne) repeatedly that any resistance would be met with death. He was less pleased when he heard Tau'ri weapons in the distance. He had his men start checking the locals, and they quickly discovered Daniel and Teal'c, wearing robes over their SG uniforms and vests. (It's Good to Be King)

He promised Teal'c that he would make him suffer for a long time, and scoffed when Teal'c replied that he promised that he would kill Trelak quickly. Later, in hand-to-hand combat, Trelak got the upper hand at first. Teal'c gained control, though, and managed to shove Trelak's double-pointed knife -- in Trelak's fist at the time -- into Trelak's symbiote pouch. (It's Good to Be King)

Trelak's dying words were 'You are a man of your word.' Teal'c shoved the knife in further and walked away as Trelak collapsed. (It's Good to Be King)

top | known Jaffa

Trofsky

Hathor's first prime. I think. (Out of Mind, Into the Fire)

(No tattoo or gold symbol on his head, so there's no proof he's a Jaffa, and there was no evidence that he was a Goa'uld, but he was clearly in charge of her Jaffa army.)

He pretended to be a two-star general to fool the captured SG-1 into believing that they'd been cryogenically frozen by unknown aliens for 77 years, in hopes of getting them to trust him enough (as their superior officer) to tell him everything they knew about existing races that could prove valuable allies to Hathor against the System Lords. Once the game was up, he reverted to more standard gear -- a leather-armor outfit with a Hathor symbol on the front, and a zat gun. He was taken down while attempting to defend the stargate against the small band of rescuers Teal'c, Hammond, and Bra'tac had brought, but it's not clear if he's dead or not. (Out of Mind, Into the Fire)

top | known Jaffa

Va'lar X

Friend of Teal'c's from his days serving Apophis. Va'lar didn't share Teal'c's doubts. He led a troop of warriors in a battle against Ra, but on seeing that they were hopelessly outnumbered, decided to retreat to get reinforcements. Apophis disapproved of this 'cowardice', and ordered Teal'c to take Va'lar down to the planet and kill him as an example. Teal'c set Va'lar free instead, warning him to never get caught. Va'lar was horrified that he'd do this, since Apophis would know and Teal'c would be killed. Teal'c wasn't so sure, and used this deception as a sort of test of Apophis's powers, becoming sure that the 'gods' weren't as all-powerful as they claimed when he succeeded in deceiving Apophis. Later, Teal'c was ordered to destroy the very village where he'd told Va'lar to hide out, so wound up killing him anyway. (Threshold)

top | known Jaffa

 

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