Klingon Dragons (and other Mythological beasts)

[TVala]

I have a question, I think here would be the right place.  Do Klingons have any Mythological beasts?  Maybe Durgath is one?  I was especially thinking Dragons.  If so, what would the beast look like, act like, etc....

[Kesvirit]

The only references I know of regarding Klingon mythological figures, aside from the Fek'lhr, the more generic {veqlargh}, and the ubiquitous Kahless, are Kinkuthanza and Nada from TAS ep "The Counter-Clock Incident" (Log Seven) and the trio from PAS.

The dragon motif has become popular amongst Earth-bound Klindom, particularly amongst House sigils and ships' crews. I have not been able to find reference to a Klingon equivalent. I suspect that their popularity among Klinfolk comes from exposure the to alien cultures and mythologies with whom they increasingly live side by side.

Durgath has some characteristics in common with some dragons. He is arbitrary, ferocious, lives in a lair, consists largely of claws and fangs, eats those who get in his way or otherwise annoy him, and serves as a (the?) god of war.  His image connotes qualities of deity to the Emporer and and pre-ordained authority to the holder of the throne.

But Terran dragons are a diverse and varied lot.  In Christian Europe they tend to be thought of as greedy, destructive, and generally evil.  Yet in the Chinese pantheon dragons are one of the Four Benevolent Animals, considered to be a powerful harbinger of good will and good fortune (until you cross one), and serve as the heavenly manifestation of the Emporer. In the wayang histories of Indonesia, the king of the dragons is also the king of the underworld and ruler of the dead. Mesoamarican dragons were harbingers of chaos and upheaval, for good or bad. The few characteristics shared by Terran dragons  throughout time and space are that all are huge flying reptiles with supernatural/magical powers. Flight is never mentioned in association with Durgath; aside from omnivory and predation, claws and fangs in and of themselves indicate very little about an animal. Durgath maybe a mammal, a reptile, or something altogether different.

When Czerny moves into Mara's former quarters aboard Kang's ship, she finds "...an exquisitely wrought statue of a lithe female form: Cymele, the goddess of the fields and forests...*** also the protectress of women."
Lacking any further description, this "lithe female form" suggests that Cymele is Klingonoid in appearance, and there is nothing particularly dragon-like about her.

Which leaves us with the jheens. These capricious, mischevious, sometimes viscious female spirits/demons live in woodlands and "wild places" and can only be controlled by Cymele. Perhaps they are her personal servants, agents, army, or some combination thereof.

Though Czerny is compared to them in name and behavior, the jheens are the only mythological creatures for whom I could find no physical description.  As long as you do not contradict what little has already been established and are consistant in your portrayals, you could flesh them out in all sorts of directions.  

Some things to think about while doing so: What do they look like in their native form? Can they change their shape and appearance? If so, under what circumstances?  And what do they do to pass the time when they are not carying out Cymele's orders? What rules does she impose on them? Are they highly similar to one another, or do they differ strongly in appearance, personality, abilities...?  If you are looking for a dragon-analog to use in a story, I think you would do better to build your own creature in a way that fits your story instead of borrowing a Human construct and painting a Klingon face on it. If you are looking for continuity in fannon, I think that the jheens would be a good place to start.

I am far from having seen every episode or read every book. Anyone with knowledge of or experience with such mythological beasts as TVala asks about is encouraged to speak up.

-=- Kesvirit

[k'Tar]

There is a klingon word for dragon - lung or loong.
It is also the word for lizard but as i haven't seen one i can't say what their habits and appearence would be.

[Klythe]

Discussion of the classificaion of non-mythical lung has been moved to its own thread in the Klingon Biology and Physiology discussion area.  

     I'll try to find more information about Durgath and other mythical beasts.  No promises that I will find anything worth posting...

As Kesv said,

If anyone else has any information on ... other mythological beasts, I ask that you add it to the thread. This is an interesting and original topic on which little has been discovered or extrapolated.

[TVala]

Hmmm...and mythological beliefs seem to vary from colony to colony.  I read left hand of destiny where the gofd of fate is discussed, and a muse showed up in one of the starfleet academy books.

As far as extrapolation goes, I experimented once with a big black bird type thing that swooped down and carried the souls of the dying to stovokor, or dropped them on the barge of the dead.  

Is there anything about what feklher looked like?  Is he Klingon or animal or both...

[Klythe]

How about a picture?

[Kesvirit]

quoth TVala As far as extrapolation goes, I experimented once with a big black bird type thing that swooped down and carried the souls of the dying to stovokor, or dropped them on the barge of the dead.

Be careful! Do not make the all-too-common mistake of equating Klingons with the Terran Norse. Vaklyries often took the form of ravens to carry the souls of the well-slain to Valhalla, where they party in perpetuity with Odin, the god of war.

I read left hand of destiny where the gofd of fate is discussed, and a muse showed up in one of the starfleet academy books.

I would look forward to hearing more about those, if the one has the time and the details. (Apparently the Klingons did not slay their gods after all. At least one survived...)

-=- Kesvirit

[SoplaHtaHwI']

The godess of Fate remains. Nobody defeats Fate.

[TVala]

I ummmm...It has been a bit since I read Left Hand of Destiny, nad there was a lot of small references to Fate in it...I am trying to get a hold of the books again to reread them though.

About the Muse though, I remeber there bring an arguement on a Klingon Human colony where a Klingon kept his neighbor up by serenading a musical muse every night.  Worf solved the problem by telling the man he was in fact waking the muse up by doing it at night and should do it in the afternoon.  

Cathy

[weslipuqlod]

Dragons and winged serpents...I believe that the Klingons had something similar and may have even given respect to such creatures.

I recall extensive research into the large silver amulet worn by Chancellor Gorkon in Star Trek VI and passed on to Azetbur when she took office.  We used to refer to it as the crest of office for Chancellor.

According to my notes and sketches, the lower portion of the crest or seal hanging from the chain is comprised of two winged dragon-like creatures with their necks entertwined.  My sketch was created from a study of a close up publicity photograph of David Warner.  I do not have access to that photo any longer but a similar image is available within the Star Trek Encyclopedia, expanded edition, page 175.