Klingon Culture

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Comment by KMel_Tortelli on June 13, 2010 at 5:06pm

Feels like home in here already!

Comment by Ke'reth epetai Makura on September 17, 2009 at 6:45am

Klingons who follow the Way of the Warrior, the belief system developed by Kahless the Unforgettable, value honour above all else. Those who die with purpose and honour are said to join Kahless, who had been the first Klingon Emperor, and a kind of messianic figure to the Klingon people, there to serve in the Black Fleet in Sto-Vo-Kor, a Warrior's paradise where battle and feasting can eternally be shared and won.

The honoured dead are not mourned, but celebrated. This consists of opening the eyes of a dead warrior and all fellow Klingons present roar to chase away evil spirits called jat'lyn, and to tell the warriors in Sto-Vo-Kor that the warrior is joining them. The body of the dead warrior is viewed mainly as an empty shell to be disposed of; particularly well-respected warriors have their companions accompany the body for interment or disposal, "just" to keep away predators (though a privately held act of respect for the departed). Warriors who may have a question about whether they will be worthy to enter Sto-Vo-Kor, such as not having died in glorious battle, may have a dangerous quest held in their name by their surviving mate and his or her companions.

Klingon beliefs were recorded in a series of scrolls collectively referred to as the Paq'batlh, or Book of Honour. One prophecy, possibly taken from this book, was of the Kuvah'magh, a religious figure predicted to appear at some future time.

Gre'Thor (in Klingon, ghe'tor or 'ghe''or) is the Klingon afterlife where the dishonoured go when they die. It is the Klingon equivalent of hell and is guarded by a fearsome demon, Fek'lhr (roughly pronounced "Fek-Lar"; in Klingon, veqlargh). Those unfortunate Klingons who find themselves in Gre'Thor are faced with eternal torture by Fek'lhr and his demons; however, Klingon legend allows for souls to be saved from Gre'Thor, usually by heroic sacrifices performed by friends and family (Kahless, for example, once willingly journeyed to Gre'Thor to save his brother, Morath, and send him to Sto-Vo-Kor).

If a Klingon dies and is fated to journey to Gre'Thor, they will find themselves on the Barge of the Dead, which travels the 'river of blood' on its way to Gre'Thor. Klingon souls on the Barge are tempted by siren-like voices, masquerading as friends and family, who try to lure them off the edge and into the river. (As the Barge's pilot, Kortar, wryly points out, "There are things here much worse than death...")

Under normal circumstances it is difficult for the souls of dead Klingons to leave Gre'Thor, such as in the expression "I will surrender when spirits escape from Gre'Thor!" but the legend of Kahless does allow for such things.

Comment by Kroux Sutai Drexa son of Koraxx on September 16, 2009 at 3:23pm

Let the truth of the QuchHa' be spoken aloud and fill the Hall Of Warriors forever, do not let the powers that be silence us.

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Comment by Ke'reth epetai Makura on September 9, 2009 at 4:26pm

It's a little like Tai Chi exercise to watch, then it has a second faster more lethal combative form. With a training and practise a Klingon warrior can move from one form to another almost flawlessly.

Meditaion is used to control the breathing, and to understand, to focus and to direct the Energy or 'Chi' Some Klingons have taken to calling this energy 'Kai'