[Tlhingan-hol] Kortar and the River of Blood

[André Müller]

Or maybe they mean "May you travel [yourself!] the River of Blood [into the
other direction, leading away from Gre'thor]!"

Greetings,
- André


2011/11/9 Steven Boozer <sboozer at uchicago.edu>

> Voragh:
> > We've actually seen a Klingon {bIQ Duj} in VOY "Barge of the Dead":
> > Kortar was captain of the mythical Barge of the Dead; he destroyed
> > the gods who created him and, as punishment, was condemned to ferry
> > the dishonored dead to Grethor.
>
> Brent:
> >> Maybe this is a silly question, but if he destroyed the gods, who
> >> punished him?
>
> Voragh:
> > jIHagh.  You know, I had the same thought as I copied that note into
> > my email!  Perhaps it was a parting shot from one of the dying gods.
> > Or maybe it's the same forces who operate Gre'thor and keep Fek'lhr at
> > his post!
>
> Apparently Kortar {qortar} appears in the ('u'} libretto and possibly in
> the paq'batlh.  Here's what little I have in my notes:
>
>  According to legend Kortar, the "first" Klingon, and his mate were
> created in a place called {QI'tu'}.  The two destroyed the gods who made
> them and turned the heavens into ashes.  This event is recounted in Klingon
> marriage ceremonies. (DS9 "You Are Cordially Invited...")
>
>  Kortar was the ferryman on the mythical Barge of the Dead who destroyed
> the gods who created him and as punishment, he was condemned to ferry the
> souls of the dishonored dead over the River of Blood to the gates of
> Gre'thor.  He's the Klingon equivalent of Charon. (VOY "Barge of the Dead")
>
> As I re-read these, it's possibly that "destroyed the gods who made
> him/them" may only refer to those specific gods who made them, not all the
> ancient Klingon gods collectively.  Thus there still would be other gods
> left who could have punished him.
>
> And another point... there may be two Rivers of Blood:  a physical one on
> Kronos and a mythical one in the Afterlife.
>
> The River Skral {SIqral bIQtIq} is the river on Kronos by Qam-chee where
> Kahless slew Molor.  In the "Way of the Warrior" captions the line
> /EJAHDAK-SO-TAS GHOS VA SKRAAL BYTEEK/ is translated in the novelization by
> Diane Carey as: "And the River Skral ran crimson red".  Is this the "River
> of Blood" ('Iw bIQtIq) referred to in the Age of Ascension Ritual?  Note
> the idiom {Doq bIQtIq bIQ" "The river water is red" in KGT:
>
> KGT 123:  The phrase can be traced back to an old drinking song that
> commemorates the slaying of the tyrant Molor by Kahless. On that day,
> according to the song, the River Skral ran red; that is, it was filled with
> the blood of Molor.
>
> Why would Klingon warriors say:
>
>  'Iw bIQtIqDaq bIlengjaj
>  May you travel the River of Blood! PK
>
>  'Iw bIQtIqDaq jIjaH
>  I travel the River of Blood. (
>
> if the River of Blood leads to Gre'thor, the afterlife for the dishonored
> dead?  Or could the Klingons - maybe Kahless himself? - have simply called
> the River Skral "the River of Blood" metaphorically, since Molor is the
> archetype of a dishonored warrior?
>
>
> --
> Voragh
> Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
>
>
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