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Culture Basics
OF MYTH & LORE
by Barbara M. Paul
It was a clear night and the stars were shining in all their glory. The fire blazed hot as the young ones arrived for their evening of stories and lessons. Komrek was old, had seen many a battle, and carried the scars to prove it. Now in his declining years when his strength was leaving him he found his heart yearning for the Glory days when he would rush into the battle without fear yelling “Kai Kassai!”. His words striking fear into the enemy. He had one more battle left. How he would meet his death would determine his place in either Sto-Vo-Kor or Gre’Thor.
He sat on a log near the fire and stared into its flames as the young would-be warriors gathered around him. He could see the fire dancing in their eyes as his mind recalled his younger days when he would sit and listen to the old storyteller partake his songs and legends upon him and the others. Now it was his turn to pass on those tales of Glory and Honor to the new generation coming into age.
After a few moments, silence once again claimed the night. Only the crackling and roaring of the flames could be heard. He stood slowly steadying his legs and lifting his bat'leth high toward the naked stars that shown down on them he lifted his heart, closed his eyes and cried out “Kai Kassai!”.
The cry startled the young ones and they began to tremble. He opened his eyes, lowered his bat’leth, and looked at them. “Qam!” (Stand) he said firmly. They all did as he asked quickly and with purpose. “ Now, look up and tell me what you see?”
“I see the stars.” One of them said.
“Those stars will see everything you do or fail to do. A Klingon ballad-poem says:
‘And though I had slain a thousand foes less one,
The thousandth knife found my liver;
The thousandth enemy said to me,
‘Now you shall die, now none shall know’.
And the fool, looking only down, believed this,
Not seeing above his shoulder, the naked stars.
Each one remembering.’
“Tell me young warriors, how do you want to be remembered? Look up! Now tell me again, what do you see?”
“The eyes of our ancestors.” Another replied with a tone of pride and respect.
“MajQa’” He said as he sat back down. The others did the same.
“Tell us of qeylIS. Did he really form the Empire” One of them asked anxiously.
Komrek smiled slightly as he settled onto the log before the fire. The young ones gathered around him and sat on the ground, their eyes locked on his. He set his bat'leth beside him and drew in a deep breath.
The painting of Kahless the Unforgettable at Boreth (2369)
A clone of Kahless
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A Klingon portraying the mythical --- Fek'lhr's face
figure of Molor, on Maranga IV
“It was long ago when the tyrant Molor ruled the Klingon homeworld with an Iron Fist. Many feared him but qeylIS knew in his heart his rule had to end for the sake of the people and the future of the Klingon race so he went into the
Mountains, all the way to the Kri'stak Volcano. There he took some of his hair and thrust it into the molten rock which poured out from the volcano. His hair began to burn and he cast it into the lake of Lusor, and then twisted it into a sword. With the Sword, qeylIS slew Molor, conquered the Fek'lhr, and forged the first Empire. Kahless would also use the Sword to skin the serpent of Xol, to harvest his father's field, and to carve a statue for his beloved Lukara. We celebrate this great victory every year with the Kot'baval Festival.” He said as he began to sing an old Klingon Drinking song.
And the blood was ankle deep.
And the River Skral ran crimson red.
On the day above all days.
When qeylIS slew evil Molor dead.
The Sword of Kahless
“But it didn’t end there young warriors. QeylIS took the Lady Lukara as his mate and shortly after they were joined, five hundred warriors stormed the Great Hall at Qam-Chee and nearly killed them both but the great QeylIS and his mate stood their ground and defeated Molor’s troops, thus beginning the greatest romance in Klingon history. The wielding of Ma'Staka's, used to re-enact Kahless' and Lukara's battle at Qam-Chee, at the conclusion of a Klingon wedding is a continued tradition in our culture today. It is said that no one can stand against two Klingon hearts.
"With fire and steel did the gods forge the Klingon heart. So fiercely did it beat, so loud was the sound, that the gods cried out, 'On this day we have brought forth the strongest heart in all the heavens. None can stand before it without trembling at its strength.' But then the Klingon heart weakened, its steady rhythm faltered and the gods said, 'Why do you weaken so? We have made you the strongest in all of creation.'
And the heart said... 'I am alone.'
And the gods knew that they had erred. So they went back to their forge and brought forth another heart.
But the second heart beat stronger than the first, and the first was jealous of its power. Fortunately, the second heart was tempered by wisdom.
'If we join together, no force can stop us.'
And when the two hearts began to beat together, they filled the heavens with a terrible sound. For the first time, the gods knew fear. They tried to flee, but it was too late. The Klingon hearts destroyed the gods who created them and turned the heavens to ashes. To this very day, no one can oppose the beating of two Klingon hearts."
One day after QeylIS had united the people and gave them the laws of honor, he saw that his work was done. So one night he gathered his belongings and went to the edge of the city to say good-bye. The people wept, they did not want him to go. And QeylIS said, ‘You are Klingons. You need no one but yourselves. I will go now, to Sto-Vo-Kor. But I promise, one day I will return.’ Then QeylIS pointed to a star in the sky and said, "Look for me there, on that point of light.’"
“Did someone go there to find him?” The youngest of the group asked.
“Yes and what they found was wondrous. The Cleric says ‘Open your heart to QeylIS, ask him your questions, and let him speak to you with your mind unclouded by doubt or hesitation. Only then can you find what you are looking for.’ The three Warriors found the Sword of QeylIS in its shroud and it was a Glorious day. But the Sword that was believed to be the uniting force for the Empire only caused division so the Sword was once again hidden till a time when it would be used as it was intended, to unite the Empire as one Force, one People.”
Komrek saw the young ones were growing tired as the hour was getting late. He stood and had them all line up in a straight line before him. “One day you too will be able to wield this mighty weapon as I have. For now, be content to hold it proudly toward the sky as you shout the Battle cry heard so often on the battlefields “Kai Kassai!”. And one by one each of them lifted the heavy weapon skyward as they each shouted the ancient battle cry to then turn and return to their homes until the next lesson.
Worf and Jadzia Dax's wedding
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