• Windex007@lemmy.world
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    20 days ago

    Klingon death lore isn’t very consistent. In TNG they yell to warn the afterlife that a warrior is approaching… And then say the body is trash. Throw it out the airlock. All Frank Reynolds.

    Then in DS9 Worf is standing some silent vigil over someone who died saying it’s what Klingons do.

    Then we have discovery where they build giant ass ships for the dead.

    What am I missing

    • milkisklim@lemmy.world
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      20 days ago

      That Klingon culture isn’t a monolith over their entire history.

      I don’t see any inconsistency between the death yell and that the body is trash. The yell is to warm of the Warrior’s spirit’s assent to Grethor. The body no longer has the spirit and is just an empty meat shell.

      Other Klingons may acknowledge that the body is empty, but still don’t want the spirit of the dead to be dishonored by having its body eaten by slowly scavengers, something famously uncommon on starships. Just like how some humans believe in Sky Burials and others believe the body must go in a tomb the same day it died.

      Or, my pet theory, Worf Lied to make Miles feel better about Enrique’s death. It wouldn’t be the first time he made up a “super serious” Klingon ritual to prove his point.

      • Windex007@lemmy.world
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        20 days ago

        Oh yeah, the yell+trash bit is internally consistent. Just the trash vs something worth guarding vs worth permanently enshrining.

        But honestly that pet theory of yours is probably the simplest way to reconcile DS9. Then let discovery just have its Klingon reinvention and let it be it’s own thing and baby, you got a stew goin’

        • milkisklim@lemmy.world
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          19 days ago

          I think this would be a great topic to place in c/daystrominstitute if it’s still active. It’s been years since I’ve seen this debate online.