They might just be the oldest
mystery in the Stargate universe. The Furlings are an advanced species who
long ago were members of an alliance of four great races in the galaxy, along with the
Asgard, the Nox, the Furlings, and the Ancients. Jack O'Neill first learned the
name of the Furlings all the way back in the second season of Stargate SG-1. "The Fifth Race" aired in January 1999, showing
us the grand scale of Stargate's mythology and the depth of its history — and also the astonishing
possibilities that lie ahead for Earth. But what about the Furlings?
Over the years we would come to learn plenty about the other three great races. What about this other advanced, presumably
powerful species that once walked our stars? Where are they? And why, over the course
of more than a decade of exploration, did SG-1 hardly ever come across
any evidence of their existence? In this video we're running down everything we know about the Furlings
from the in-canon universe. We'll also take a peek at some non-canonical
sources, and add a dose of speculation about why the Furlings have managed to
keep a low profile for so many years. Number 1: The Furlings Were
Part of An Ancient Alliance We first learned of their existence from the
Asgard. His brain overloaded with information from the Ancient repository of knowledge, Jack
O'Neill managed to gate to a distant alien colony in the Ida Galaxy, where the Asgard
could remove the data and save his life. Here Jack learned the names to go along
with that old alliance — a "United Nations of the stars" — first discovered
on the planet nicknamed Heliopolis. (That's in the first season
episode "The Torment of Tantalus.") We knew that four races had once gathered there,
utilizing the basic elements of the periodic table to build a universal language. We even had
samples of all four of their written languages, carved into the walls of
the Heliopolis meeting hall. Only now though, in Season 2's "The Fifth
Race," did we learn the name of the Furlings. SG-1 had already met the Nox and the Asgard, and
had already speculated that one of the other races (not the Goa'uld) had built the Stargate network. That alliance existed many thousands
of years ago (if not more), likely before the Goa'uld came to dominate the
Milky Way. We don't know what they did, but they probably shared knowledge — perhaps even helped
to cultivate the evolution of younger races. We know that the alliance eventually dissolved.
The Ancients moved on from this region of space — a reference either to their migration
to the Pegasus Galaxy millions of years ago (we saw that in "Rising," the Atlantis pilot) ...
or, maybe it's a reference to their ascension, which wasn't millions of years ago
but rather thousands of years ago. If it was the latter, then the
alliance wasn't all that long ago. So the Furlings have only been missing for
thousands of years, not millions of years. Number 2: The Furlings Lived On At
Least One Planet in the Milky Way Although no teams from Stargate Command have
ever encountered the Furlings face-to-face, SG-1 did locate a single planet with evidence
that the mysterious race once lived there. On the planet designated P5X-777 the team found
the well-preserved remains of an ancient temple. Inside was advanced technology, still in
working order. (More on that in a minute.) In the Season 6 episode "Paradise Lost," SG-1
finds that P5X-777 is no longer inhabited. Based on what the team found there,
it's reasonable to conclude that the Furlings were there hundreds of years
ago — maybe thousands of years ago. (Again, if it had been millions of years ago, it's likely the stone architecture
would have crumbled to dust.) So was this once the Furlings' home world? Or
perhaps only one of many colonies — just as the Ancients and their descendants populated many
different worlds throughout the Milky Way Galaxy? What's maybe most striking here is that this is the one and only planet where evidence
of Furling civilization was ever found. That's after a decade of two dozen S.G. teams
exploring hundreds of different planets. That sparsity seems conspicuous. It might suggest
that the Furlings originated on this planet and didn't spread out to other worlds.
Or, it might imply that they weren't even originally from this galaxy. 777 may have
served as their outpost in the Milky Way. Number 3: They Have Transportation Technology Any species that is reckoned among the "four
great races" of the galaxy is likely going to be technologically advanced, and to a significant
degree. It's not too far a stretch to suppose that the Furlings' advancement was roughly
on par with the others in the alliance. The Furlings might be space-faring, and would have
something to offer to the other member races. On P5X-777, SG-1 discovered the one and
only piece of Furling technology ever found: a large archway, which when activated can
transport people across great distances. In this case, the arch connected to the planet's
nearby moon — which was also inhabited long ago. While it's possible that that transportation
arch can go other places as well, we do know that the technology needs
a key in order to be activated. And it is not a simple On-Off switch:
the key activates a control panel, where certain symbols need to be
"dialed" in a particular order. It also was programmed to filter
out weapons made by the Goa'uld, preventing these weapons from
being brought into the colony. Curiously, one of these keys was discovered on Earth. It was buried in the
tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh. This historical nugget implies
some sort of connection to the Goa'uld — perhaps to Ra, the Supreme System Lord, who ruled Earth from Egypt (where the
Stargate was located) some five millennia ago. Did Ra take the key device from a
living Furling? Or did the Furlings themselves visit Earth and leave the key
there, under some unknown circumstances? Number 4: Some Furlings May
Have Pursued a Utopian Society On that moon orbiting P5X-777 a
particular community of people once dwelt. They lived a simple live, evidently out of doors
and with no evident technology to speak of. They also left invitations for
others to come and join them. And it was this that brought Harry Maybourne
to the moon in the episode "Paradise Lost." This colony apparently came to an end
when (as Jack hypothesizes) the Goa'uld brought an edible plant to the moon,
which drove everyone mad with paranoia. It should be said first that the people who lived
on the utopian moon may not have been Furlings themselves. Based on the skeletal remains at
least some of these colonists were humanoid. (The Furlings may, or may not, be humanoid.) Because the utopians apparently left instructions
on how to find them, it's entirely possible that members of many races lived there. Maybe that
skeleton did not belong to a Furling at all. Jack O'Neill also discovered evidence that
the utopia was infiltrated by the Goa'uld, who may have played a role in further
advancing the downfall of this utopian society. It seems reasonable to conclude
that the Furlings originally founded the utopian colony, even as
they opened it up to many other races. Or, they may not have lived there themselves —
only gifting their technology to the natives. The presence of Furling technology
here on this planet seems to provoke more questions than it answers. Number 5: They're (Probably) NOT Teddy Bears Contrary to popular belief (brought up on
screen by just about everybody who hears their name out loud), we have no reason to
believe that the Furlings are actually furry. They almost certainly do not resemble Ewoks
or oversized koala bears ... though the one time they were depicted on screen,
that's exactly what they looked like. The Furlings' appearance on Stargate SG-1's
200th episode depicts an incident that in fact never happened. It's a story being
"spun" in the conference room, as Martin Lloyd is looking to SG-1 for some inspiration
for his new Wormhole X-Treme! sci-fi movie. In truth SG-1 never found
a colony of furry Furlings. And that planet was never attacked by Goa'uld
ships or destroyed in a fiery explosion. It was a fun nod from the
writers to the show's fans, who had been pestering The Powers That
Be for eight years about the Furlings. Not only did we finally get to
"meet" the legendary race ... but, as it turns out, they really
are cute and fuzzy after all! And then they all get blown up. Now, a bit more speculation about
the Furlings from non-canon sources. Sources outside of Stargate's canon
occasionally make reference to the Furlings. The Stargate SG-1 Role-Playing Game was
published by Alderac Entertainment in 2003. The RPG suggests that the Furlings in fact
helped to seed the Madronans, hinting that the Touchstone weather-control device that the
Madronans possess might be Furling technology. Now the Furlings were to be more
further developed in the MMO-RPG game Stargate Worlds. That game was never completed,
but some of its story details have leaked out over the years. And GateWorld has gotten
indications from Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper that the intention was for Stargate
Worlds' story to be official canon. o, take that as you will. The game was
never finished; it was never published. But in Stargate Worlds the Furlings are said to
have created the Goa'uld (or perhaps helped in their evolution) in the hope of creating a
caretaker species for the Milky Way Galaxy. But the Goa'uld turned on them, corrupting
the Furlings and using their DNA to create an offshoot species called the Straegis.
The Straegis were to feature in the game. It's not canon, but it's a wild
and really interesting idea! So, finally: Where are the Furlings now? Well, there's three possibilities — and
the writers of future Stargate stories could certainly pick up on this loose thread. One possibility is that the Furlings are extinct. Like the Asgard, perhaps they faced some
biological problem of their own making. (For the Asgard, it was reproduction by
cloning.) Or maybe it was a disaster of a technological nature (again, like the Asgard,
who were nearly wiped out by the Replicators). If this theory is right, we haven't met
any Furlings ... because there aren't any. Second, it may be that the Furlings retreated
to their own corner of the galaxy and just have no interest in the affairs of others.
This was certainly the strategy of the Nox. Whether it is born from xenophobia or
just disinterest in the younger races, they might be out there — living
out their days on a distant planet not discovered by Earth. Maybe
it's one without a Stargate. Third and finally, when the Alliance
dissolved and faded into distant history, maybe the Furlings chose the path
of the Alterans (the Ancients). Maybe they just moved on from our region
of space, settling in a new galaxy (such as the Andromeda Galaxy, which hasn't
been explored in Stargate canon yet). As far as we know Earth has
never sent a ship that way, nor would a galaxy untouched by the
Ancients have any Stargates at all. Stargate Worlds reportedly also intended
to introduce the idea that the Furlings are extra-dimensional beings. Maybe
if they left our region of space, they also retreated from our dimension. In any case, the legend of
the Furlings lives on ... and presents a big opening for telling new stories. Will we have a chance to learn
more about the Furlings within the Stargate universe ... and maybe
even see them one day? Stick with GateWorld for our continuing coverage of
Stargate's past, present — and its future. Be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel,
and visit us online at GateWorld.net.
