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- "Waytha ara quetha way. Waytha ara quetha way!"
- ―Teneniel Djo
Dathomiri was a language used by the culture of witches of the Outer Rim Territories planet Dathomir known as the Witches of Dathomir. Specifically, it was utilized alongside Galactic Basic Standard, by both the Human and Dathomirian members of the order. Historically, it had ties to the language of Dathomir's Paecian Empire. The Shaman Talzin and the Sisters of her coven, the Nightsisters, often used it during the time of the Clone Wars to perform incantations. Members of the Singing Mountain Clan were known to utilize the language frequently.
Description[]
Characteristics[]
- "Their language is not in my catalog. Some terms of their dialogue may be ancient Paecian, but I've never heard the term whuffa."
- ―C-3PO
The Witches of Dathomir (pictured) were the speakers of Dathomiri.
Dathomiri[2] was a language was utilized by the Witches of Dathomir, a culture of Human[1] and Dathomirian[3] witches native to[1] the Outer Rim Territories[4] planet Dathomir. It was similar to and potentially derived from Paecian, the language of the ancient Paecian Empire.[1]
Known words[]
- Jai — 'Jedi' (meaning most literally "a male witch from the stars")[1]
- Wooka — 'Wookiee' (the Dathomiri name for the species)[1]
- Whuffa — 'Whuffa worm' (the Dathomiri name for the species)[1]
Known Dathomiri incantations[]
Nightbrother warrior transformation spell[]
As recited by Mother Talzin:[5]
Geiss kan erde mak harden ob stein.
Geiss kan lewf mak krig ob blitz.
Geiss kan pire mak blud loge raga.
Geiss kan vass byn skol zum Asajj.
Erde-blitz-raga-byn erde-blitz raga byn.
Erde-blitz-raga-byn zum Asajj.
Chant of Resurrection[]
Choono slalem denni tay'lori olee-ay.
Lucheno vadem klavlane.
Blenay vedi nalem koreem.
Blenay vedi nalem koreem.
Villos susko kono lamal!
Vlemon tagoo!
Spell of Storm[]
As recited by Teneniel Djo:[1]
Waytha ara quetha way.
Waytha ara quetha way.
Waytha ara quetha way.
Waytha ara quetha way!
History[]
Origins[]
Sometime before 2992 BBY,[6] Humans from[4] the Outer Rim[7] planet Paecia founded the Paecian Empire.[4] The empire colonized Dathomir[8] where its members spoke the Paecian language.[1] Even after the empire collapsed around 2992 BBY,[6] the influence of the Paecians remained. The native women of the planet formed the language, Dathomiri, which contained many phrases and words similar to those of the Paecian language.[1] After the Jedi Knight Allya was exiled to Dathomir[4] in 600 BBY,[9] she taught the native women the ways of the Force and they eventually became the Witches of Dathomir.[1]
Use during the Era of the Republic[]
Prior to and during the time of the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Nightsister coven of the Witches of Dathomir spoke[10] and wrote[8] mainly in Galactic Basic Standard, but utilized Dathomiri during incantations and spells. The Nightsister Clan mother Talzin used the language in several notable instances.[11][5] In 21 BBY,[12] she spoke an incantation which transformed[5] her son[13][14] Savage Opress, a member of the Nightbrothers who were warriors subservient to the Nightsisters, into a hulking version of himself.[5] In 20 BBY,[15] she recited an incantation in Dathomiri to restore the mind of [11] another one of her sons,[14] the broken Sith Lord Maul.[11] During the Separatist invasion of Dathomir[3] in 20 BBY,[16] the eldest and wisest Nightsister Daka recited the Dathomiri Chant of Ressurection to raise dead Nightsisters to fight against the invasion force.[3]
Use during the Imperial Period[]
Charal kneeling before Terak after failing to activate a crystal oscillator using a Dathomiri chant
By the time of the Imperial Period, the Singing Mountain Clan obtained a preference for Basic as well.[17][18] In 3 ABY,[19] the Nightsister[20] Charal,[21] was stranded on[22] the Outer Rim[4] forest moon Endor. By this time, she had established an alliance with the Sanyassan king Terak who was on a quest to retrieve a crystal oscillator that was in possession of the Towani family. After Terak retrieved the oscillator and brought it back to his castle, Charal attempted to activate it using a Dathomiri spell to no avail.[21]
Use during and after the New Republic Era[]
By 8 ABY,[23] the Singing Mountain Clan returned to a more frequent use of Dathomiri.[1] In 8 ABY[23] during the New Republic Era, the New Republic members Han Solo, Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, and Chewbacca visited Dathomir. They encountered some of members of the Singing Mountain who began exclaiming the word "whuffa." The protocol droid C-3PO,[1] who was programmed for language recognition,[24] stated that their dialogue was not one he recognized, but was able to note its connection to Paecian. Throughout the group's stay, they befriended many members of the Singing Mountain Clan, including Teneniel Djo. During the Battle of Dathomir against the Nightsisters, Djo recited the Spell of Storm in Dathomiri.[1]
Eventually, Teneniel bore the Jedi Knight Tenel Ka Djo.[25] In 45 ABY,[26] during a vacation on the planet Luuhar, Tenel Ka's pet nexu ran off. Upon running after the feline, Tenel Ka sensed danger and yelled a Dathomiri war cry upon drawing her lightsaber.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
Dathomiri first appeared in Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (pictured).
The Dathomirian language first appeared, albeit through retroactive continuity, in the 1985 direct-to-video movie, Ewoks: The Battle for Endor.[21] After Charal was retconned to have been a member of the Nightsisters in the 1995 book, The Illustrated Star Wars Universe,[22] the cultural language she incanted was thus also retconned to one of the Witches of Dathomiri.[21] Prior to this retcon, the language made its first proper appearance in the 1994 novel The Courtship of Princess Leia, written by Dave Wolverton.[1] It was first identified as Dathomiri in "Good Hunting," a short story released in the one hundred fourty-second issue of the Star Wars Insider magazine series[2] on June 10, 2013.[27]
Several sources erroneously state that the Witches of Dathomir spoke Paecian.[28][29] However, The Courtship of Princess Leia, from which these claims are taken, states in actuality that the language the Dathomirians speak is a different, but similar language.[1]
Appearances[]
Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Monster"- Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Massacre"
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Revenge"
- Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (First appearance) (Retcon)
- The Courtship of Princess Leia
- The Courtship of Princess Leia abridged audiobook
- "Good Hunting" — Star Wars Insider 142 (First identified as Dathomiri)
Sources[]
- Cracken's Threat Dossier (Indirect mention only)
- "Massacre" – The Clone Wars Episode Guide on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars Annual 2013
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 The Courtship of Princess Leia
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2
"Good Hunting" — Star Wars Insider 142
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3
Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Massacre"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 The Essential Atlas
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Monster"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Courtship of Princess Leia establishes that the Paecian Empire, who had colonized Dathomir, collapsed around 3000 years prior to the events of the novel. The Essential Reader's Companion dates The Courtship of Princess Leia to 8 ABY, and thus the Paecian Empire must have collapsed around 2992 BBY and must have colonized Dathomir before that year.
- ↑ Star Wars: The Essential Atlas Online Companion on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side
- ↑ The New Essential Chronology
- ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Nightsisters"
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Revenge"
- ↑ The Official Star Wars Fact File Part 7 (KAT1–2, King Katuunko) dates "Senate Murders" to 21 BBY, while The Official Star Wars Fact File Part 59 (MOR1–2, Mortis) dates "Overlords" to 21 BBY. Since Star Wars: The Clone Wars Chronological Episode Order on StarWars.com (backup link) places "Monster" between those two episodes, it can be concluded that "Monster" also takes place in 21 BBY.
- ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Brothers"
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Darth Maul—Son of Dathomir 3
- ↑ The Official Star Wars Fact File Part 24 (MAU2, Darth Maul's Cybernetic Legs)
- ↑ The Official Star Wars Fact File Part 57 (DEN1–2, Dengar) dates "Bounty" to 20 BBY. Since "Massacre" takes place shortly before "Bounty," it can be concluded that "Massacre" also takes place in 20 BBY.
- ↑ The Last Jedi
- ↑ Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided — Quest: "Gethzerion" on Dathomir
- ↑ Star Wars: Behind the Magic
- ↑ The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 119 ("Charal")
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 The Illustrated Star Wars Universe
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 The New Essential Chronology dates The Courtship of Princess Leia to 8 ABY.
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
- ↑ The Essential Guide to Characters
- ↑ The table of contents for Star Wars Insider 142 states that the "Good Hunting" leads into the events of Crucible. Crucible dates itself to 45 years after Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. The New Essential Chronology dates the end of A New Hope to 0 ABY, thus Crucible and "Good Hunting" must take place in 45 ABY.
- ↑ Get the Inside Scoop on Star Wars Insider #142 on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ The Dark Side Sourcebook
- ↑ Rebellion Era Sourcebook
