Novels and Opera
The non-canon novel Kahless, written by Michael Jan Friedman, gives a very 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 tagh 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 in fact 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 (make the sword from his hair and lava). Instead, he draws the image of the sword and gives it to a swordsmith. Despite the fact that the scroll is proven to be 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.
Read more about this topic: Kahless
Famous quotes containing the words novels and/or opera:
“The present era grabs everything that was ever written in order to transform it into films, TV programmes, or cartoons. What is essential in a novel is precisely what can only be expressed in a novel, and so every adaptation contains nothing but the non-essential. If a person is still crazy enough to write novels nowadays and wants to protect them, he has to write them in such a way that they cannot be adapted, in other words, in such a way that they cannot be retold.”
—Milan Kundera (b. 1929)
“The opera isn’t over till the fat lady sings.”
—Anonymous.
A modern proverb along the lines of “don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.” This form of words has no precise origin, though both Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations (16th ed., 1992)