As False Gods and Opposition
One of the most prominent pieces of Goa'uld society is their tendency to pose as gods to other, weaker races, mostly humans and Jaffa. Goa'uld are shown to do this because of the luxury and power it brings, and to have their followers mine naqahdah. They fool minor races into believing that they are gods by passing off their technology as magic. Examples of this include opening the Stargate, using hand devices, and their metallic masks, which give them an other-worldly appearance.
Masks are first seen in the original movie. They often are covered in decorative frills, and have glowing eye-beads. They are designed for show rather than functionality. Four versions of these have been seen: Pharaoh Mask (worn by Ra), Horus Mask (Ra's Horus Jaffa and Heru-ur's Jaffa), Jackal mask (Leader of Ra's Jaffa, originally Anubis), and Serpent Mask (Apophis and his Jaffa). Seth Masks (worn by Seth and his Jaffa) have been mentioned, though never shown.
The Tok'ra (meaning "against Ra") are a benevolent offshoot of the Goa'uld who oppose them philosophically and militarily. Spawned from the Queen Egeria, they only blend or join willing hosts, with whom they share the body equally and enjoy a truly symbiotic relationship. In Stargate SG-1, the Tok'ra become valuable allies of Earth and play a critical role in the eventual defeat of the Goa'uld.
Famous quotes containing the words false, gods and/or opposition:
“Cardinal Mazarin was a great knave, but no great man; much more cunning than able; scandalously false and dirtily greedy.”
—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)
“People invent gods to explain their suffering.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“Commitment, by its nature, frees us from ourselves and, while it stands us in opposition to some, it joins us with others similarly committed. Commitment moves us from the mirror trap of the self absorbed with the self to the freedom of a community of shared values.”
—Michael Lewis (late 20th century)