Vulcan Writing

[Attolia]

In all honesty, though I have enjoyed the Star Trek that I've seen, I haven't seen much of it.

Star Trek is very important to a dear friend of mine and I'd like to make wall hangings with "Live long and prosper" and "Peace and long life" on them in Vulcan script as a gift for her.

I've done a bit of googling to find a translation, but it seems that different people write it slightly differently, and also that Vulcan script has had several evolutions over the centuries.

I'm wondering if there's a generally accepted way of writing these phrases, or if there's a website that has comprehensive knowledge about Vulcan script that I can use to research.

(also, if anyone had any advice about Japanese or Chinese calligraphy, that'd be much appreciated. I think using equipment from those arts would suit the Vulcan script and culture well but haven't had any experience using them).

 

[loghaD]

There is no official and functional Vulcan language. However, there is an absolutely stunning one created by fans (created primarily by Mark R. Gardner), along with an equally stunning set of writing systems (created primarily by Britton Watkins).

The reason you're finding lots of different variants of the texts is likely because there are multiple Vulcan writing systems, and these writing systems can be written in different ways. There are also differences in how different people write particular symbols, as well as handwriting differences, as a lot of the Gen-Lis Vuhlkansu you'll encounter is handwritten.
You can read about these writing systems on Britton Watkins' website:
http://korsaya.org/writing-•-pa’kitaun/

Here is one version by T'Laina, a very talented Vulcan-speaker.
You'll find another version of the same text in the same writing system here, on the top left.

The text can be arranged in a single line, vertical or horizontal, or it can be arranged in a series of lines which stem from a single "margin" of sorts, and this text can also be vertical or horizontal. I'm afraid I don't know enough about Vulcan calligraphy to say how this is done, but Watkins' website is very comprehensive.

For trekkies interested in Japanese, there is a guy called @chaDQI who publishes calligraphy every day in both Klingon and Japanese. He does this under the hashtag #klingonshodo on Instagram.

 

[Cyfa]

This is fascinating (no pun intended)! I've always been interested in the Vulcan language, both spoken and written, but never really looked for it anywhere other than in Star Trek productions. So, thank you Attolia for asking, and loghaD for pointing out korsaya.org.

 

[Ronald Held]

I am disappointed that after asking more than once Marc Okrand declined to create a Vulcan language,

 

[2takesfrakes]

I was under the impression that either Bob Fletcher and/or Lee Cole made up the Vulcan writing we see in TMP and the rest we kind of saw after it was expanded upon by Mike Okuda. I don't know where I saw it, but I remember coming across an interview where Okuda's talking about the Vulcan text used in a book that a Romulan boy shows Spock in the TNG episode Unification.

He said something to the effect that what he'd seen of the writing - which was mostly on the Vulcan robes in TMP and on the shuttle that brings Spock to the Enterprise in that movie.- it had reminded him of musical notes. This "musical note" motif was, unfortunately, exaggerated in the ENT episode "K'Shira" I believe it's called. I know Okuda always got all this press and everything, but I'm not overly fond of his work, to be honest ...

 

[FormerLurker]

The boy in "Unification" shows Spock some dice, and Spock recognizes the symbols on the dice as "Vulcan language glyphs."

The ENT episode was "Kirshara".

 

[2takesfrakes]

Yes, there were Vulcan dice in Unification, with Vulcan symbols, but there was also an 'ancient' book, complete with hard cover and binding, which had pages of Vulcan writing that the boy shows Spock. This was during the scene in the café, where Spock & Picard are having lunch. Spock leafs through it, quickly, then the boy asks if Spock will tell more stories about Vulcan, before he's hurried off.

 

[Attolia]

Thanks very much. You guys, especially loghaD, have been very helpful!