What Were The Klingon Gods?

Mythology tells that the Klingons slew their gods in battle ages ago, before the time of Kahless. But who were they and what led to their destruction?
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Star Trek Picard/Strange New Worlds/Lower Decks/Enterprise/Voyager/Deep Space Nine/Discovery and The Next Generation are all owned by Paramount Pictures/CBS and distributed by CBS.
This Video is for critical purposes with commentary.

[@DissociatedWomenIncorporated]

The one channel where “hear me out bro… _ancient aliens”_ is a reasonable hypothesis.

[@keithtorgersen9664]

I don't know if you've seen it but there's a hilarious meme that compares the ancient aliens guy with his crazy hair, to a Kazon.

[@DissociatedWomenIncorporated]

@@keithtorgersen9664 I’d not seen that but I’m not surprised 😄 he also kinda reminds me of the Centauri from Babylon 5

[@Enterprise-D666]

Kira: Part of me was hoping that the Prophets were behind it. That they were finally going to show themselves to the Bajoran people. Worf: I prefer Klingon beliefs. Kira: I suppose your gods aren't as cryptic as ours. Worf: Our gods are dead. Ancient Klingon warriors slew them a millennia ago. They were more trouble than they were worth. Kira: I don't think I'll ever understand Klingons. O'Brien: Don't worry about it, Major. Nobody does. That's the way they like it.

[@vic5015]

Still some of my favorite lines ever spoken by Worf. Especially when he bluntly states "They were more trouble than they were worth." I mean, Worf has never seemed like much of a philosopher.

[@Enterprise-D666]

@@vic5015 He’s even funnier in Picard season 3 when he claims that the reason the main characters couldn’t use the Enterprise E wasn’t his fault.

[@PeoplecallmeLucifer]

@@vic5015 my favorite line is a rebuttle to Q Q: "I'm mortal, I have no powers! What must I do to convince you?!" Worf: "Die"

[@vic5015]

​​​​​@@PeoplecallmeLuciferI remember that. Q: "Oh very good Worf. Eat any good books lately?" Though Guinan seemed pretty convinced after what she did to Q in 10 Forward. "Seems human to me."

[@PeoplecallmeLucifer]

best trek dialogue ever @@vic5015

[@amazedsatsuma]

*an excerpt from Klingon version of Ghostbusters* Klingons: Are you a god? Klingon's Gods: Yes! Klingons: Then Die! 😆

[@NimhLabs]

Ghostbusters is best watched in its original Klingon

[@vic5015]

Worf: "Kahless himself was not high-born." Martok: "Kahless was divine!"

[@CynUnion-ji9uj]

Federation in Star Trek Online: Things are very dangerous, Captain. A Borg invasion and Undine Sabotage right in the middle of our war with the klingons. We need you to get to the bottom of all of this Klingon Empire in STO: We are at war with the federation, but forget that for a moment, because demons are invading and you need to follow emperor Kahless into Hell itself and Kill The Devil..

[@jackphoton]

"We have no devil, Kirk. But we understand the habits of yours." -Kang.

[@jasonjimerson7046]

Me: "Then who is Fek'Lar then?"

[@jackphoton]

​@@jasonjimerson7046 Feklar, Feklar... Sounds like something someone made up after Gene had died and didn't know or care about previously established Trek lore, The names Moore and Bragga spring to mind. Indeed, Kang says he is the devil Kirk should fear and goes on to prove it. I'm with Kang.

[@Svevsky]

Fek'lar is the ferryman, not the devil.

[@JaelaOrdo]

I’ve always loved the Klingon creation myth, both romantic and violent.

[@KianaWolf]

Relationship goals.

[@volk551]

Aka Klingon

[@AnthonySmith-wc8ky]

I'd always interpreted it as a failed uplift story. They're far more "designed" as soldiers than just evolution would do. This suggests someone Hurq/Dominion/Iconian/Progenitor/etc wanted a race of soldiers and got more than they bargained for.

[@Josiahiswatching]

It does add some depth to them in a way. They are another fable of abused primitive races and what can happen when meddling selfishly can go array! But I think that is why the Kahless story is separate from the creation story. The first Klingon Heart is the birth of Klingon Spirit, Kahless is the birth of the Klingon Mind. Also the idea of 2 protoKlingon super warriors storming up an ancient Space elevator to destroy their alien ‘gods’ is super cool sounding

[@spartana1116]

Think trek online had it like that

[@Josiahiswatching]

@@spartana1116 yeah but I wanna SEE IT

[@thebaccathatchews]

Remember what Worf turned into when that virus devolved him? If Qo'nos is a deathworld, Klingons could more than likely evolve to their current state on their own.

[@Josiahiswatching]

@@thebaccathatchews a good base to further improve upon. This is all hypothetical after all but it’s fun to imagine… the possibilities

[@madklingon6529]

Its fun to see how much klingon mythology pulls from norse mythology irl. A cool storyline could explore a connection between ancient klingons and vikings in universe

[@fingerboxes]

You should read the Eddas in their original Klingon.

[@NikolaiManning]

I'm surprised you didn't comment on the fact that the Klingon afterlife seems to be an actual place you can visit.

[@Svevsky]

Meanwhile the human afterlife seems to either be the Q continuum or your soul being eaten by janeway's dad.

[@jessesloan864]

Isn't the two hearts allegory an explanation for Klingon redundant organs? In this case, the two hearts are both in the first created being, as all Klingons have two.

[@martykarr7058]

It's interesting that while Gene Roddenberry skirted religion in Star Trek, he did have messianic characters involved that radically changed their cultures, such a Surak and Kahless.

[@Qaianna]

Honestly, I don't know if Gene was the one who fleshed Kahless out. I know the first mention was in a TOS episode, but as a villain (then again, so was Genghis Khan). The episode where we meet another Kahless is sixth season TNG ...

[@martykarr7058]

@@Qaianna The same episode "The Savage Curtain" also introduces Surak, but neither character is fleshed out until later series.

[@keithtorgersen9664]

Compare this with the kind of annoying way that Voyager continually pushed Chakatoy’s spiritual beliefs.

[@maybetoby]

There was a comic by IDW last year (Star Trek: Klingons #1) where Kahless saw the "chariot" of their alien gods or something, but I didn't recognize the ship design at all.

[@kevinramsey417]

They were more trouble than they were worth.

[@Svid1701D]

Like my ex-wife

[@poil8351]

so much so they killed them

[@thebaccathatchews]

I always thought their myth was based on their overthrow of the hur'q, and the story got twisted and distorted over a millennium.

[@stankyyboi]

Romulan gods video would be cool, there's a bunch discussed in the novel "Last Best Hope"

[@keithtorgersen9664]

Somehow I don't think they are actually destroyed as the Klingons think of them. There still has to be some objective force or deity that determines which Klingons go to Sto'vo'kohr and which ones go to Grethor. Also, somehow Kortar is divinely punished for his actions yet technically there shouldn't be any klingon gods left to judge him by Worf's account. So it tells me that it's more complicated than we are led to believe.

[@ArtistryBranson]

This was indeed a fun episode, Ric. I appreciate it.

[@Marconius6]

I still think all of this is just mythogical development, somewhat based on real history. The fact the Hurk were expelled during the time of Kahless mainly suggests to me that the whole story of the 'gods' being slain just originated from this period. They weren't literal gods, but to Klingons looking back, it may have seemed like it. You could also imagine major societal changes would have happened at this point as well, which likely also meant new religions; the historical Khaless like at the center of much of this.

[@hfar_in_the_sky]

8:00 Another theory I'd like to put forward is that perhaps this is a historical mistranslation/misunderstanding, kind of how like modern interpretations of Adam and Eve have them as the first humans to ever exist, when in reality they were just the founding members of what would ultimately go on to be the House of Abraham and there were already people kicking around outside of Eden. So I could see Kortar and his mate perhaps not being the first actual klingons, but the "first" klingons in the sense that they founded a powerful dynasty that went on to become influential Qo'onos history. And that as time went by the myth became distorted and Kotar and his mate went from the first klingons of a seminial house to the first of all klingons and we're just not meant to pay attention to the contradictory bits

[@DFAMPODCAST]

Always look forward to your videos brother ! Another banger dude!

[@Aragorn7884]

Congrats on 150k subs ❤

[@andrewbutton2039]

That was an interesting video, kerplunk right back at you.

[@baystated]

If their gods had mastered the StarFleet two-fist-punch, they'd have won the day.

[@mathewweeks9069]

Your awesome dude and awesome video Happy Thanksgiving to you be safe out there

[@cryptohivemind205]

Ric my man from the port of Amsterdam another good video my lover ❤

[@killclock940]

Awsome video

[@PeoplecallmeLucifer]

There are couple of things I concluded from Klingon mythology are 1. The first heart grew weaker when it was alone. Meaning they are VERY social. I mean Even a Worf who is a total introvert loves having certain people around him 2. The female heart was STRONGER than the male heart. So you have a level of respect for women on the most basic level of their culture. and yes their society has some gender roles with Men leading houses but women can also rise high both in and out of military. Men lead their houses social affairs, women are the one organizing households although that is not set in stones and there are exceptions 3. The decide means that Klingons have faced and defeated not overwhelming but IMPOSSIBLE odds to get their freedom. Weather it's the Fekiri, the Hurk, or who knows what "Gods" created them ... This also explains WHY they even considered an alliance with the federation. Because even if their philosophies were seemingly incompatible and Klingons saw federation as weak THEY BEAT THEM! Just like they did to their gods and demons! 4. Khales the Unforettable was a fucking genious. He saw the klingon nature and it made NO SENSE to him. Violent, reckless,aggressive.... but you can't change it. Sollution? Embrace the Klingon nature, BUT DIRECT IT! Klingons love to fight? Cool Embrace it, BUT DON'T YOU DARE FIGHT DIRTY! Klingons think shields are dishonorable/charge in blindly because of Blood rage? Fair enough, let's give some distinct defensive capabilities to our weapon of choice and also make it challenging to wield properly so that they HAVE TO learn discipline! He was also aware of a futile enevour. (the story of the man defying the wind)

[@The_Keeper]

Humans; We freed our society from religion and superstition through science, and understanding the universe. How did you Klingons do it? Klingons; We killed our gods.

[@Svevsky]

Very nietzschean

[@jaxogaytor]

What were their gods? Target practice.

[@lordnorj]

Stargate Command approves.

[@hark5496]

extremely Norse inspired huh. a world tree? I luv Klingons they're such goobers Viking space goobers

[@3Rayfire]

Don't forget the samurai.

[@divineglitch9550]

i can totally get the idea that at some point Klingons had a eugenics war where gods were created and eventually defeated and that's why kalis is seen as the first Klingon.

[@roryrdmb6667]

Kortar and Shelka’s long lives may be the result of convoluted timelines and conflciting stories. There are many characters in the Greek myths with contradicting or confusing tales

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

I would like a video about the Gods and religions of Vulcans before the Time of Awakening.

[@vincentpuccio3689]

I really enjoyed this one. Klingons are cool.

[@feralprocessor9853]

Very fun

[@brianschroeder3336]

Can you do a video covering the last episode of the series Picard. I've watched it twice now and I'm still very confused are all the Borg wiped out? If so how did it happen did I miss something in the series somewhere?

[@keithtorgersen9664]

Seems unlikely as the Borg should potentially have a Gamma Quadrant presence, and that has been only very lightly explored.

[@flydragon07]

Klingon Gods sound like they're Goa'uld...

[@CristySFM1234]

Speaking of hur'q you should do a cultural or beasteary on the hur'q

[@seannemo8076]

No mention of Sto'vo'kor?

[@robstein1313]

I think it’s all true, we’ve seen the Q who are vastly superior to us (gods in a sense) and they enjoy meddling with us, and we’ve seen the original Greek Gods in the original series.

[@justsomeguywashwd_jbm821]

It would be interesting to see if Zora (Discovery's AI) & the data she has from the Sphere could shed any light on the issue, given that the data spans ~100,000 years.

[@harvest5218]

One of my least favorite parts of extended Trek is when it treats Klingon myths as if they're real.

[@vic5015]

Well, that's certainly an interesting punishment for the lover of the Klingon Charon.

[@ZappaBlues]

Ahhh,...Tuq'Mor.

[@robertweidner2480]

They were more trouble than they were worth. Not too complicated.

[@ericmadsen7470]

Will the next video be about the Romulan gods?

[@hanshawks5088]

They would be Vulcan gods

[@VulpisFoxfire]

Depending on which Romulan origin story you go with, they'd be the Vulcan ones, or if you, like a good chunk of STO's Romulan style go with Diane Duane's work, they cast off the gods along with the rest of Old Vulcan culture, instead leaning to the worship of the Elements.

[@baronghede2365]

I love my God's and Goddesses i couldn't imagine living without them, Blessed Be.

[@rushthezeppelin]

Qapla to you too - Quark

[@DisaStar258]

I love this channel but most point out...Kahless went into Grethor to retrieve his brother, not father. Im only pointing it out because Rick is always so thorough in his vids

[@CertifiablyIngame]

I do get some things wrong, but according to the script from "Birthright p.2" the Mok'bara was taught to Kahless' father in Gre'thor to help him remember his body and to live again. (This was not in the episode however but added to beta canon and covered in the Mok'Bara page on Memory Alpha). Thanks for watching, always happy to be corrected though!

[@Alverant]

More trouble than they are worth. Probably an inspiration for the God of War games.

[@VerbenaComfrey]

2:03 so, would you say this origin story could be called . . . Faith of the Heart?

[@MidKnightOTC]

Jurlak may have betrayed his crew but he died in battle. That wasn't enough to save him from Grethor?

[@Analog_Mind47]

I kinda want a Fantasy film/series about the life of Kahless

[@DoctorX17]

I'm wondering if maybe Klingons didn't age before they killed their gods -- and death by age was another curse upon the species, to dishonor them if they didn't die in glorious battle.

[@Desticia-Sisenna]

More trouble than they were worth. That's why ancient Klingons warriors slew them.

[@grahamturner1290]

🖖

[@MeNoOther]

Ever think of God being beyond the great barrier in the center of the Galaxy? The Toymaker said he gambled with God and made him into a Jack in the box. So, The Toymaker imprisoned God in the center of the Galaxy And the 11th Doctor once met the crew of TNG, so the worlds are connected

[@user-jf4uf9nh9c]

Tfw ur early enough for Wetherspoons Breakfast

[@marcusanark2541]

Targets.

[@Soguwe]

The Klingons are so damn old They were around long before homo sapiens even evolved No wonder their gods faded away

[@feralprocessor9853]

Such a mythical account

[@jtfbreedlove]

Not many people say they killed their own gods because they were too much trouble.

[@dannylesbile8592]

Stovacor=Valhalla Grethor=Hel Ka t u = Asgard Quatar=Charon

[@stevieturner9338]

Kaplah

[@terrylong8894]

The Klingons killed their gods because they were a pain in the ass. I love that.

[@koppadasao]

May the Klingon Gods be with you...

[@MeNoOther]

In reality, the Klingons just did whatthe Kazon did, vanquished their alien masters

[@theodoremccarthy4438]

Martok insisted “Khaless was divine”, so it maybe not be accurate to describe him as “mortal”.

[@EcclesiastesLiker-py5ts]

Julius Ceaser was also divine.

[@Svevsky]

A deified human hero is ususlly considered a different kind of god than the original ones.

[@hugoCastellnaos]

wait i thought Klingons have two heart ?

[@ZoeMalDoran]

Nope, still one heart, but it has 8 chambers compared to our 4

[@yodon6867]

Wharf is Kahless.

[@ckl9390]

So Kahless the Unforgettable, in the religious context, is more like a prophet.

[@adamofgrayskull7735]

🤘😆🤘

[@ThisIsMeAndNotYou]

56

[@poil8351]

they must have been pretty weak because they killed their gods.

[@zintosion]

QAPLA!

[@feralprocessor9853]

A tale of deicicde

[@johnsteiner3417]

So who punished Kotor?

[@highlordlaughterofcanada8685]

EA of course

[@enisra_bowman]

@@highlordlaughterofcanada8685 you mean the Thing they had no Hands in whatsoever? There is a reason it is called EA Hater Kiddo

[@highlordlaughterofcanada8685]

@@enisra_bowman Have you ever seen a joke before? Ever?

[@enisra_bowman]

@@highlordlaughterofcanada8685 you mean the Things that should be funny at the End?

[@3Rayfire]

I would imagine the Goddess of Destiny who survived. Fates are usually the pinnacle of power in pantheons.

[@beepboop204]

[@TheJackl317]

Ok question here if they killed their gods who was left to punish them 🤔😂

[@tooblackinto]

Our Toronto Line 2 trains built by Bombardier make the same noise. There is a lineage between our trains and yours through Alstom as everyone was buying each other out through the 90s... Maybe a connection? Technology swaps?

[@cordatusscire344]

What were the Klingon gods? DEFEATED!

[@hicknopunk]

I thought they were slaves to the Old Kings 🤔

[@Cdr2002]

I know a lot of the fandom likes to point out how thick headed they are but with the brick and mortar story, I’m tired of stories suggesting that Klingons can’t advance technologically on their own. It feels vaguely colonialist and un-Star Trek

[@danieltilson4053]

My Star Trek Adventures group addresses this by treating Klingon advancement as different, not lesser.

[@Cdr2002]

@@danieltilson4053 interesting! I like that

[@keithtorgersen9664]

Consider the Kazon, too. In Starfleet terms they are considered primitive, yet within a very short period of time they were able to grasp very sophisticated forms of interstellar travel. To me, it says that the definition that Starfleet has of what is considered a warp capable society is not completely accurate.

[@Cdr2002]

@@keithtorgersen9664 good point

[@Alexander-wx2ie]

Klimgons , so bad ass that they kill their own gods.

[@fishbaitx]

Qapla' ba'tlh je

[@JeanLucCaptain]

DA ONLY GODZ DAT MATTER IS GORK AN MORK! DYZ ALWAYS WIV DO BOYZ WEHN WE ARE KRUMPIN HUR HUR.

[@SeraphOfAsgard]

First! tlhIngan maH

[@ultramarinus2478]

It is strange, why does the afterlife barge have to have dildoes, instead of helm handles. Did anyone else noticed?

[@Jo-JoandTaffy]

I scrolled through 140 comments to find the first mention of the klingon grabbing dicks on the steering wheel.

[@Shimra8888]

I thought it’s in canon now that the “Klingon gods” were the Changling Founders of the Dominion? The Founders wanted a soldier slave race of Janissaries and tinkered with Klingon DNA but they didn’t develop the White yet to control them and also engineered Klingon females by mistake … the Klingons then revolted Planet of the Apes style and slaughtered many Changling scientists. The Founders of course tried again and eventually succeeded with the Jem’Hadar.

[@UCannotDefeatMyShmeat]

Wild to go across the galaxy just for another run of the mill warrior race to test. Could have gone half the distance and gotten hirogen

[@Shimra8888]

@@UCannotDefeatMyShmeat not with the Bajoran Wormhole.

[@RA10H56]

What's the source of that my brother? It sounds interesting, but daft. I would love to read it

[@Shimra8888]

@@RA10H56 my head canon, my imagination. Glad you like it!

[@RA10H56]

@@Shimra8888 nice! It's wacky but I like it!

[@John.S92]

No, it's "gork" and "mork". Well, klingons are almost as silly as the green-skins are..

[@pattyjay9999]

Klingons had right idea look where we are with gods, get rid of them!!!

[@Bum_Hip]

They were pretty much as ridiculous as today’s gods here on earth. Over the top nonsense holding a significant portion of society back.

[@leonrobinson8180]

Religion: Law and order. Family values. Absolute truth. Belief in a higher power. Secularism: Selfishness and degeneracy. Subjective truth. Nihilism.

[@Thuazabi]

​@@leonrobinson8180 history proves it's the exact opposite. But, we all know your ilk willfully embraces the lies and degeneracy of your Paleolithic fairy tales.

[@AgentBishop9000]

Mortals can't kill Deities. What the Klingons destroyed were their Avatars.

[@OrgusDin]

True, how can you kill a God? What a grand and intoxicating innocence. How could the Klingons be so naive?

[@oldladyutubesdickgivingitd0247]

Knrogar has claimed Earth as part of the Kilingon Empire & will not move from his new chill honor spot. Deal with that on his meditation pad.

[@jameshaney8468]

All gods are fiction