Kahless


Kahless the Unforgettable is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe. He is portrayed in ' by Robert Herron and in ' by Kevin Conway.

History of Kahless

Kahless is a messianic figure in Klingon history, who unified the Klingon people and became the first Klingon emperor. The Klingons' most important symbol of leadership, Kahless said that Klingons should fight not just to shed blood, but to enrich the spirit. The story of Kahless is a cornerstone of Klingon mythology and religion.
According to the Star Trek backstory in the ' episode "Rightful Heir |Rightful Heir", Kahless united the empire some 1,500 years ago after fighting and killing the tyrant Molor with the first bat'leth, or "Sword of Honor". He fashioned the sword with his own hands, by dropping a lock of his hair into the lava from the Kri'stak Volcano and twisting it into a blade. Another epic story relates how Kahless fought his brother, Morath, for twelve days and twelve nights because Morath had lied and brought shame to his family. Kahless is also said to have fought off an entire army single-handedly at Three Turn Bridge.
Despite the emphasis on his victories in battle, Kahless was not known as merely a great warrior, but also as a great lover. One day, five hundred warriors stormed the Great Hall at Qam-Chee. The garrison fled in terror. Only the Emperor Kahless and the Lady Lukara stood their ground. Together, they fought through the night and one by one the attacking warriors fell. Finally, after many hours, and with the Great Hall ankle-deep in blood, they emerged victorious, and made passionate love. So began the greatest romance in Klingon history.
In The Next Generation episode "Rightful Heir", set in the late 24th century, on the planet Boreth, ambitious caretakers created a clone of Kahless from dried blood from the ancient dagger of Molor in a bid for leadership. The ruse was scuttled by Worf, son of Mogh, who learned the truth and subsequently arranged for the new Kahless II to occupy a ceremonial position as a figurehead “emperor” in the Klingon Empire.
An image of Kahless was encountered in the ' episode "The Savage Curtain". In the Excalbian Yarnek's study of good versus evil, Kahless was one of the evil images alongside Zora, Colonel Phillip Green and Genghis Khan. Abraham Lincoln and Surak of Vulcan represented good and assisted Kirk and Spock. Played by actor Robert Herron, this Kahless also appeared as the typical smooth forehead Klingon. As the Excalbians were reading Kirk and Spock's thought patterns, Kahless's depiction here has been retconned by fans to be based solely on Kirk's limited and heavily biased knowledge of Klingon culture.

Religion

Klingon warriors will often pray to Kahless for guidance before going into battle. A popular Klingon prayer - often used during the time of - goes as follows:
The stories of Kahless are the origin myth of the Klingon people. Passed down from generation to generation, these stories remind the Klingon people of their origin and identity. Klingons study these stories for all of their lives; many find new truths in them every time. Many of these stories are held within the sacred texts, a few exclusively. Nevertheless, they remain an integral part of Klingon lore.
The following stories are portions and excerpts of song and lore surrounding the life of Kahless:
The story of the sword is known only by the High Clerics, because it was never written down in the sacred texts. This was so that if Kahless was ever to return, they could be sure it was him. When the Shroud of the Sword of Kahless was discovered, it was determined that the Sword of Kahless dated back at least 1,400 years.
Molor's defeat is celebrated yearly with the observance of the Kot'baval Festival.
The wielding of Ma'Staka's at the conclusion of a Klingon wedding is a continued tradition in Klingon culture.
Another story that mentions Kahless entering the afterlife said that he was there to rescue his brother from the Barge of the Dead and deliver him to Sto-Vo-Kor. According to the Eleventh Tome of Klavek, Kahless returned from the dead still bearing a wound from the afterlife.

The Story of the Promise

The story of "The Promise" indicated that Kahless was to reappear in the lava caves on the planet of Boreth. The Followers of Kahless, or "Guardians", waited there for his return. To Klingons, there was no more sacred place. For over 1,500 years, Klingons came to Boreth to ask questions. According to the Clerics, the only way a Klingon warrior could find the answers they sought was to: "Open your heart to Kahless, ask him your questions, let him speak to you with your mind unclouded by doubt or hesitation. Only then can you find what you are looking for."

Clone

The Clone of Kahless was created by a Klingon scientist named Gothmara, with the assistance and aid of materials provided by the Clerics, "The r'tak of Boreth".
By Lieutenant Worf's design and with the cooperation of Chancellor Gowron, the Clone of Kahless becomes emperor of the Klingon Empire in the episode "Rightful Heir". The emperor is a figurehead, with power residing with the Klingon High Council. Worf believes this to be the first step in a renaissance for the Klingon people. This idealism is seen to be unfounded when the Clone's opposition to the Klingon invasion of Cardassian space is unheeded by the High Council and their armies.

Novels and opera

The non-canon novel Kahless, written by Michael Jan Friedman, gives a different version of Kahless' history. In the novel, Kahless left for Sto-vo-kor with a scroll detailing how he really brought about the creation of the new Klingon Empire. The scroll says that Kahless was a loyal soldier of Molor who killed the son of the tyrant because he was acting in a dishonorable manner. Kahless fled with his company of soldiers and was then thought of as a sort of hero to the people. However, he did not think of himself a hero. It was Morath, who was not blood-related but was still considered a brother under Klingon custom, who forced Kahless to stick with his rebellion and slay the tyrant. While Molor was indeed a strong and capable warrior, when Kahless and Morath finally met him in battle, he was severely weakened by the plague happening at the time. Kahless gave Molor his d'k tahg to commit suicide. Instead, Molor threw it at Kahless, but Morath jumped in front of the blade, after which Kahless decapitated the tyrant. Thus, the blade contains the blood of Morath who sacrificed his life for his friend, not the blood of Kahless. Moreover, the book makes clear that the supposed clone of Kahless is a clone of Morath. The novel also describes the creation of the first bat'leth. Kahless had a vision of his dead mate in Sto-vo-kor telling him to do exactly what the myth says. Instead, he draws the image of the sword and gives it to a swordsmith. Despite the scroll being proven authentic, most Klingons still see their Emperor as a semi-divine figure.
Kahless is referred-to in the 1984 tie-in novel The Final Reflection by John M. Ford. Captain Krenn tells the story to Dr Tagore, of how the Klingons have one who is not forgotten. When his ship was dying, Kahless had his hand bound to the captain's chair, so none could say he left the bridge. The ship's crew could then abandon the ship, because Kahless had taken on the ship's fate. Krenn tells Tagore that's the source of the Klingon phrase Kahlesste kaase, Kahless' hand, a swear or curse that many of the Klingons in the book utter when impressed or awed.
Kahless is the subject of an opera in the Klingon language: ’u’, which debuted at The Hague in September 2010.

Other information

The character of Kahless was included as a part of Decipher, Inc.'s Star Trek Customizable Card Game Premiere Release Set of the First Edition. He also had two entries in the Energize expansion to the Second Edition. He is also a character in Bandai's Star Trek The Original Series Deck Building Game.