We Are the Ghor!—Learn the Language of Andor

Marriott A706 at 2:30PM on Saturday was almost filled to capacity to the delight of Iro Paine, the presenter of the panel “Learn the Language of Andor’s The Ghor.” It quickly became obvious to all attendees that this hands-on workshop was going to be informative and fun, as Iro’s voice shone with the passion and joy she has for this language.

Not only does she teach this workshop, she also is the instructor for the Lang Belta workshop (from the TV series The Expanse). Having a background in music and languages, Iro has worked with Disney and other organizations as a consultant. This gifted teacher is patient and encouraging as she teaches participants how to speak various off-world languages. She loves what she does, and it reflects in her lessons.

The Ghor language brought the world of Andor to life, reminding us what is lost when a culture is crushed. It was so much fun as we learned some of the basics of the Ghor language. Not only is the wording emphasized, but the body language as well.

The planetary anthem we learned was so powerful and beautiful. The passion of this song was felt as we all did our best to master this piece. In that moment, we truly became part of this culture. Iro was so impressed she filmed it.

At the end of the panel, the audience performed this song in unison as we walked out of the room. It was inspiring to those out in the lobby. Not only did we do a great job, we were asked to do it again from the beginning, proving the power of language.

Author of the article

Award-winning author Amanda Faith may have been raised in Dayton, but her heart and home is in the South. With a lifelong love of teaching and writing, she had plenty of encouragement from teachers and friends along the way. Loving a good puzzle has always been a fascination, and writing gives her the outlet to put all the pieces together. Being adventurous and loving to try new things, it wasn’t long before her characters found themselves in unusual situations. She loves to put people from two different worlds into new situations and to see how they interact, taking them on journeys they would never have normally experienced. Her current adventure working as a high school English professor turned Media Specialist, writing, and doing paranormal investigations doesn’t slow her down from having a great time with a plethora of hobbies. Her published credits include several short stories, poetry, several journal articles, her doctoral dissertation, and her award-winning book Strength of Spirit. With multiple degrees, she has a passion for learning and exploring new venues. She is a staff writer for The Daily Dragon at Dragon Con. Check out her new website (www.amandafaith.net) or on Instagram (@dramandafaith)