Hi there folks, today I'm bringing you something a little different. I had originally intended for this piece to play an accompanying role to the “Tau Stylin' ” article I just wrote, but once the research began, there was just too much to not make into a subject of it's own. I feel the piece still accomplishes the intended role, hopefully getting you to think about the Tau through a new perspective, it's just a little grander than I had planned. It's a subject that has seen some resistance in the past, so if you don't buy it, don't feel bad, you're not alone. The fact of the matter is, where our last article dealt entirely with accredited truths nearly all of which came from source material provided by GW themselves, this topic requires a little bit of digging, and relies on the ability to draw your own conclusions as opposed to accept whats been laid out for you. So without further adieu, I present to you a set of comparisons between Tau and Egyptian themes.
An image of a Pharaoh, with his staff and Ankh in hand. |
They might not be spitting images of one another, but there's clearly a connection present. |
The Egyptian "Lock of Youth" |
Here's looking at you, kid. |
(***Amendment: The following paragraph isn't entirely accurate, however, discovery of alternate theories regarding the Tau emblem came late in the editing process. Look forward to the next article where this subject is discussed in more detail.***)
Another superficial comparison could be drawn between the Tau's emblem, and a scarab. It's a simple point, and one that doesn't bare much explanation, but it's there none the less, plain as day. Conversely, more could be said for the other emblematic icons of the other 40k races, as they typically harbor some meaning, the Aquila of the Imperium, an Eldar Glyph, Ork Tribal designs, they're all symbolic or otherwise reinforce a theme within the army. Yet throughout all of the Tau lore, no explanation is presented for the sigil of T'au. It could be merely coincidental though, as subsequent Tau septs have always used modified variants on the simple geometric patterns put forward by the primary Tau emblem, none of which have seemingly held any symbolic nature, and whose only explanation has been as basic pictograms of celestial bodies. Still, the comparison is a simple and obvious one, and when presented alongside an ever convincing argument, I can't help but wonder, maybe it is just that obvious.
Still not convinced? That's okay, I haven't even brought out the big guns yet. Lets talk about an excepted, often misunderstood, and frequently forgotten aspect of the Tau's physiology, their hoofs. Did you ever stop to think 'why hoofs?', I mean, it seems like an interesting choice, doesn't it? The design of the Tau foot is perhaps, a bit more complicated than a simple hoof, and going back to the Tau's original concept art and the accompanying notes, we see that the Tau are in fact resting on what the designers quoted as “camel feet”. These large, three toed camel-like hoofs, the design of which is reflected in the Crisis Suit's own three toed “foot”, eventually became armored in such a way that they take on the simplified silhouette of a more common cattle-like hoof, just as in the same way a standard boot masks the detail of our own individual toes. The explanation, along with a detailed diagram for this can be found in a book titled “Xenology”, which chronicles a rogue Inquisitors autopsy addiction. Specifically, Xenology tells us, the Tau have hooves because they've evolved from cloven-hoofed ruminants. If you don't know what ruminants are, I'll save you pulling out the dictionary – they're a family of quadrupedal, cud-chewing mammals, that include cattle, camels, and even llamas. Not the most epic of ancestors, this is of course the reasoning as far as the fluff is concerned. But what about the designer? What made the concept artist put hoofs on his work, where feet arguably would have made more sense. For the answer, we look to etymology, and the very history of the word “Tau” itself.
the Greek form for Tau |
the Tau Cross |
The astrological sign for Taurus. |
As my last point, I want to share one more theory of mine with you, one I was sadly unable to confirm, but perhaps would bare fruit for someone more knowledgeable in the subject than I. Taurus as a constellation is said to exist in our own spiral arm of the galaxy – the same is true of the Tau Empire. Furthermore, the area of the galaxy in which Taurus is said to reside contains more bright stars than any other, which I speculate could be due in part to the globular nature of the Tau system, as both share the characteristic of being a stellar nursery. Disappointingly, I wasn't able to find anything more concrete than that, as legitimate star maps have a tendency to leave things like the Eye of Terror, and the Eastern Fringe out – crazy, I know. I'd be interested to see if someone could further the theory, as in my opinion it would be the feather in the cap of the Apis connection.
Coming full circle. |
The Tau were created uniquely amongst the races of 40k. Where most are clear derivatives of their Fantasy counterparts, the Tau were the first to step out into uncharted waters. They exist, as many of GW's creations, as a melting pot of ideas and concepts from countless sources, are by no means the only faction to be touched by Egyptian themes. I don't speak purely of the Tomb Kings either, obviously the army most influenced influenced by Egyptian elements, think of Chaos, the Necrons, and the Space Marines themselves, there are examples everywhere. Chosen from a vast number of potential new races, the best ideas and concepts of those not destined to make it to the table top likely migrated to a new home within the Tau empire, further adding to their cosmopolitan origin. More than ever, one thing is clear to me, not only does GW have an army of people with liberal art degrees working for them, but they take great pride in manufacturing the smallest details as they build their universe. If only for the amusement of you and I, who would look past the surface. Going forward, what I think this does for us, is open ourselves to new possibilities. We can see the Tau from a new perspective, exploring the emerging details of a new codex, and examining the established fiction of the old. And for those of you, like me, who live to speculate, we can guide our musings with a new set of histories, enriching our predictions, and finding new ways to enjoy our favorite army. For most, I doubt it's a whole new world after reading this, but I'm hoping for some, it may gave gotten just a bit bigger.
I'd like to pay a special thank-you to a fellow poster on the Advanced Tau Tactica forums, O'ka'mesa – without your original post, I may have never been turned on to this subject, your initial work exists as the sole inspiration for this article. As always folks, thanks for reading!
It seems nothing I do will get the formatting for this post right - but it's much easier to read now than previously. A shame that such a favorite of mine will go marred by un-matching fonts, and mysteriously dark pictures. Regardless, I hope you've enjoyed it - I'm working on a new article, but things have gotten very busy in my life, and my blog as a priority can only be so high on the list. Thanks for sticking with me.
It seems nothing I do will get the formatting for this post right - but it's much easier to read now than previously. A shame that such a favorite of mine will go marred by un-matching fonts, and mysteriously dark pictures. Regardless, I hope you've enjoyed it - I'm working on a new article, but things have gotten very busy in my life, and my blog as a priority can only be so high on the list. Thanks for sticking with me.
5 comments:
Thank you for this fascinating exploration! Also, I'm glad to see you are still posting. I ran into your blog via an image search and was bummed when it seemed that you had put it on indefinite hiatus. I'm glad to see that you're still alive and kicking and have subscribed.
For the greater good.
There is no question that such influences from Egyptian culture are seen in the Tau (especially those old Ethereals!).
I can't remember where I read it, but I believe it was mentioned by the designers that the choice to go with hoofs and four fingers was to give the helmeted models a way to look alien. If they had the same number of digits and same feet as humans, they would look...well...human. So while I'm not saying the points about the bull and all that are wrong, there is a possibility that it may be more of a coincidence than a deliberate choice.
That's always a possibility, of course - while I'm fond of the connections I brought up I don't necessarily want to say I'm behind them 100%. Anytime you dig deep enough you can start to see patterns where none were meant to exist.
I did come across that article you're referring to, it's on pg. 16 of WD#261 - some of the earliest information on the Tau ever printed. Maybe it's snobbish of me to think that they offered the simplest of their reasons to explain a choice that might have been brought about by a list of reasons. The question remains, if only rephrased, why did they choose to use camel feet, and not say, paws or talons.
there are some grate observations in this piece. and you have some clear points when it comes to the ethireal styling.
but i would argue that Tau is derived from Taoism and the sept logo from the yig/yang symbol.
but the T with the red sun could hold significance with regard to farsight whos logo unlike the other septs is more than black and white
all the best
Russell
Really great stuff. I love your blog and hope you're able to come back to it. I'd like to see your theories now that the Sisters and Necrons have been released and the tau rumor mill is back into full swing.
"Maybe it's snobbish of me to think that they offered the simplest of their reasons to explain a choice that might have been brought about by a list of reasons. "
That isn't snobbish at all, marketing is generally targeted to the lowest common denominator and edited into sound bytes. While the concept artist most definitely drew inspiration from myriad sources, when it came to putting it into print you can bet money they would just say, "to make it look alien."
If you're still super busy, your fans don't need self contained posts. A paragraph or two every other week is enough to feed the beast. =)
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