Rituals

The following compilation of rituals and ceremonies is, by no means, a complete one.  Some Klingon rituals are still not meant for outsiders to know about.  Still, this list should give you insights into the Klingon people.

nenghep (Age of Ascension)
A Klingon rite of passage, marking a new level of spiritual attainment for a Klingon warrior.  To celebrate nenghep, the nentay (Rite of Ascension) is performed.  The ritual is performed when the Klingon reaches 15 years of age.  It involves a recitation by the ascendee, proclaiming the following:

DaHjaj SuvwI'e' jIH
Today, I am a warrior.

tIgwIj Sa'angNIS
I must show you my heart.

Iw bIQtIqDaq jIjaH
I travel the river of blood.

As the warrior makes these proclamations, he/she strides between two rows of Klingon warriors, who subjects the ascendee to 'oy'naQmey (painstiks), while the warrior is expected to to express their most profound feelings while under this extreme duress.  Afterwards, once completing the Rite of Ascension, the warrior thanks those participating in this ceremony for allowing the warrior to take part.  The ceremony is generally attended by the warrior's closest friends.

baHDQul QaD (B'aht Qul Challenge)
A traditional Klingon game in which one contestant holds both arms forward, while the other places his/her arms between the first, wrist touching.  The first contestant attempts to press the arms together, while the second attempts to force them apart.

naDHa'ghach (Discommendation)
A Klingon ritual shaming.  An individual who receives naDHa'ghach is treated as nonexistent in the eyes of Klingon society.  The individual's family is also disgraced for seven generations.  As the adage is said:

batlhmey HeSmey ghap vavDaj jeslu' puqloD
A son shall share in the honors or crimes of his father.

Heghbat tay (Hegh'bat Ceremony)
Literally translated as "The Time to Die," the Heghbat tay was a Klingon ritualized suicide.  Klingon tradition held that when a Klingon was unable to stand and face his enemies, he should choose the Heghbat.  The rite called for the eldest son of the celebrant, or a trusted friend, to deliver a ritual knife to the warrior, who would impale himself in the chest.  The son or friend would then remove the knife and wipe it on his sleeve.

Heghtay (Klingon death ritual)
Not to be confused with the Heghbat tay, the Heghtay is a ceremony practiced by Klingons upon the death of a comrade.  The eyes of the fallen warrior are pried open, while other warriors gather around and let loose with a powerful howl that has been described not as a wail of the dead, but as an exhaltation of the victorious.   Klingon belief holds that the howl is a warning for the dead to beware, because a Klingon warrior is about to arrive.  Their belief is also that when the warrior dies, they travel to Sto-Vo-Kor, where the honorable dead find their resting place, to serve in the yo' qIj , or Black Fleet.`    

majQa tay (Rite of Maj'Qa)
A Klingon ritual involving deep meditation in the lava caves of No'Mat.   Prolonged exposure to the heat is believed to induce a hallucinatory effect.   Great significance is attached to any visions received during the majQa, and revelations of one's father are believed to be the most important.

meqba'
In the Klingon system of justice, the portion of a trial or appeal in which evidence was heard.  The meqba' had strict rules for the presentation of evidence and for the conduct of both the accuser and the accused.

moQbara'
A ritual Klingon martial-arts form, resembling Terran tai chi ch'uan.  The exercises are designed to enhance one's agility in hand-to-hand combat.

tlhIngan 'Ip (Klingon Oath)
A Klingon ritual of marriage, solemnizing the bond between husband and wife in the Klingon culture, normally practiced during times of war, as there was no time for the more traditional forms of mating.

qa'vaQ
Traditional Klingon game involving a half-metre hoop and a spear.  The hoop is rolled between various stakes planted into the ground, and the object is to throw the spear through the center of the hoop.  Upon successfully scoring in this manner, it is traditional to shout "qala!"  The game is intended to hone skills necessary for the traditional Klingon chon (hunt).

cho'tay (Rite of Succession)
A ritual performed to determine who would succeed the head of the Klingon High Council.  The first part of the rite is called the SonchIy ceremony.  This ceremony was performed to certify that the dead leader was indeed dead.  The word SonchIy literally means "he is dead."  The dead leader was jabbed with painstiks, while the verbal challenge, "Qab jIH nagIl" or "Face me if you dare," is uttered.  Following the confirmation of the death of the former leader of the Council, the cho''odwi' (Arbiter of Succession) was required to select the challengers for leadership of the Council.  The strongest challengers would then fight for the right to lead the Council.  There is an older form of this rite, the ja'chuq.  It essentially carried out the same task, although in this ancient variation of the rite, instead of the challengers fighting one another, they were required to state the battles they had won and the prizes they had taken in order to prove their worthiness to lead the Council.  The ja'chuq was a long and drawn-out ceremony, and is now considered obsolete.

ruStay (Bonding Ritual)
This ceremony is performed to bond two individuals together to become brothers or sisters.  The rite is resplendent in Klingon custom.  It is performed when a Klingon wishes to bond with another, whether it be as a result of the other losing a brother or family member, or as a vow between friends.  It involves the lighting of ceremonial candles, and the wearing of warrior's sashes, concluding with a Klingon intonation honoring their mothers.

Darghtay (Tea Ceremony)
This particular ritual is performed between two friends who share a poisoned tea served on a tray decorated with simple flowers.  The ceremony is a test of bravery, a chance to share with a friend a look at one's mortality, and a reminder death is an experience best shared - like the tea.

Klingon Mating Ritual
The exact Klingon designation for this ritual is not clear, nor are the specifics of the ritual itself...especially since only the two involved are present, and there are many different variations.  However, there is information available.  The ritual is traditionally initiated by the female, who crawls on her hands and knees like a large feline, growling and snarling.  The male has two choices:  he can stand, facing the female, with his arms at his sides, and legs slightly apart in a stance, demonstrating his acceptance...or he can stand with his arms crossed, and turns to the right, stating his non-acceptance.  generally, the female will accept this rejection, unless she is rather set upon this male.  Things may turn a bit nasty if the hint isn't taken...we'll leave that up to you to imagine.  However, if the male does accept, generally the Klingon Oath is taken between the two, and whatever goes from there is generally kept between the two involved.  It is not uncommon for the male to initiate the ritual...however, the male does not place himself in the same position as the female does.   Intelligence has also located the designation of another variation of this ritual, called the nalqaD or mate challenge.  However, this is not available for public domain.

tlhoghtay (Marriage Ceremony)
According to Imperial Intelligence, the details of this ceremony have never been made available before to the public.  But after the ceremony was performed for other races to observe on board Federation space station Deep Space Nine, this information has been made public domain.  The marriage ceremony has several parts to it.  For the female, she stays with the female of the House she will marry into for four days, and she must prove herself worthy to become included in that family line, through physical prowess during ritualistic feats, and by learning everything about the House.  The male undergoes a ritual called qalHaya or The Path of Clarity.  It is performed by the male and four of his friends for four days before the day of the wedding.  It consists of six trials:  fasting, blood, torture, sacrifice, anguish, and death.   The actual ceremony is steeped in Klingon history.  Here, for all to view and study, are the details of the ceremony.

The Celebrant enters the hall, which is decorated with a ceremonial banner hanging in the main hall, with varHama' weQmey (ritualistic greeting candles, made of three targs caught in the Hamar mountains, and sacrificed at dawn.  The targ shoulders are boiled into tallow and shaped into candles by hand) lighting the hall. Drums beat out ancient rhythms. The Celebrant then stands before those gathered, raises her right hand, and speaks, reciting the story of the forging of the Klingon heart:

With fire and steel did the Gods forge the Klingon heart.  So fiercely did it beat, So loud was the sound, that the Gods cried out 'On this day we have brought forth the strongest heart in all the Heavens.   None can stand before it, without trembling at its strength.'  But then, the Klingon heart weakened. Its steady rhythm faltered, and the Gods said  'Why have you weakened so? We have made you the strongest in all of creation.'  And the heart said:

The groom emerges and speaks:

I am alone.

The Celebrant continues:

And the gods knew that they erred, so they went back to their forge and brought forth another heart.

The bride emerges through the crowd to face the groom. They are both given betleH by the ta'wI'yan (The Klingon equivalent to a best man at a wedding, the ta'wI'yan holds the betleH used in the ceremony). Then the Celebrant continues:

For the second heart beat stronger than the first. The first was jealous of its power.

The groom, acting out the actions of the "first heart", initiates combat with the bride, who represents the "second heart". His moves are parried, and the betleH of the bride is brought to the neck of the Groom. The Celebrant continues:

Fortunately, the second heart was tempered by wisdom.

The bride then speaks:

If we join together, no force can stop us.

The bride then removes her betleH from his neck. The betleH are then given  back to the ta'wI'yan. The couple embrace each other, the Groom's hands on the Bride's hips, and the Bride's hands on the Groom's arms. The Celebrant continues:

And when the two hearts began to beat together, they filled the Heavens with a terrible sound. For the first time, the Gods knew fear. They tried to flee but it was too late. The Klingon hearts destroyed the Gods who created them, and turned the heavens to ashes. To this very day, no one can oppose the beating of two Klingon hearts.

The Celebrant then turns to the Groom, pronouncing his lineage:

Does your heart beat only for this woman?

The Groom replies

Yes.

And will you swear to join with her and stand with her against all who oppose you?

The Groom replies:

I swear.

The Celebrant then turns to the Bride, and repeats the vows.

Then let all present here today know that this man and this woman are married.

The groom and bride then kiss. The Groom and Bride then embrace the Celebrant in turn, and the Celebrant welcomes the Bride into the Groom's house. The Groom's party then attack the couple with ma'StaqaS(Ceremonial clubs, used to attack a couple after they have just been married.A symbolic attack only, non-lethal, the tradition dates back to the wedding of Kahless and L'Qar, who were nearly killed by Molor's troops, moments after they were married. Until the ceremony, the ma'StaqaS are to be kept with the bearers at all times).

mu'QaD veS (Curse Warfare)
More of a social tradition than a ritual, mu'QaD veS is a warrior's ability to "hold his own" when engaged in a trade-off of insults.  A Klingon who can out-curse another can move high on a social level than others.  And just as quickly, a Klingon can lose his standing in social circles if he loses a mu'QaD challenge.

bortaS DIb (Right of Vengeance)
This right is invoked due to the unjust death of another Klingon (such as a Klingon's mate or friend).  The person who killed that Klingon is followed, and then a battle ensues..a fight to the death.

betleH 'obe' (Order of the Bat'leth)
This is the highest honor that the government bestows on a Klingon.  The presiding official, usually the leader of the High Council, first reads a name from the naD tetlh (Commendation List), always calling out the inductee's name in the most formal way:   given name, plus father's name).  The inductee approaches, and the official says: 

pInaDqu' tuqlIj wInaDqu' je
Glory to you and your house.

There is a less majestic sort of ritual that occurs on a Klingon vessel when a new set of officers takes over and a mission is about to begin.  With the bridge crew assembled but the captain not yet present, the first officer states his/her name and then says:

DaH yaS wa'DIch vIgheS
I now take my place as first officer.

The first officer then requests the ship's may' ta (record of battle), which is presented by a crew member.  The first officer reviews it.  Soon the captain enters.  The first officer says:

beq may' ta vIlajpu'
I have accepted the crew's record of battle.

The first officer then pledges the crew's lives to the captain, and concludes by saying:

juDev 'ej Dujvam ra'wI DagheS 'e' vItlhob
I ask you to lead us as commander of this ship.

The captain replies:

ghopDu'wIjDaq yInmeyraj vIlaj
I accept your lives into my hands.

The captain then turns to the crew and says Delaq Do', which means something like "Take your stations," a phrase never heard in any other context.

'Iw 'Ip (Blood Oath)
This is a solemn promise made by a Klingon to hunt down and kill another who has wronged him/her.  The wronging is usually of a grave nature, usually invoked over the death of another.  The oath can be invoked among a group of Klingons, or as a personal promise.  If made amongst a group of Klingons, the one who swears the oath passes around a daqtagh, and each person who swears to uphold the oath cuts open the palm of his/her hand to add to the collective blood that builds upon the blade, creating what is referred to as a bortaS gho or circle of vengeance.  The oath is completed, and the circle of vengeance is closed only when the object of the oath, being the one who has wronged the swearer of the oath, is killed.