Re: Klingon Question.

Marty Enslow wrote: > > On Wed, 08 Apr 1998 05:57:44 GMT, bothecat@hotmail.com (DB) wrote: > > >On Tue, 07 Apr 1998 15:57:05 GMT, Marty.Enslow@usa.net (Marty Enslow) > >wrote: > > > >>On Tue, 07 Apr 1998 11:51:59 -0400, "Art S. Kagel" > >><kagel@bloomberg.com> wrote: > >> > >>>Aby Normal wrote: > >>>> > >>>> The true story of the noted "change" in Klingon features is an embarrassing one few > >>>> Klingons like to talk about. > >>>> > >>>> It goes way back in time to the founding of the Klingon empire. > >>>> > >>>> As the Klingons expanded their empire numerous worlds inhabited by other humanoid > >>>> species were conquered and assimilated into the empire. > >>> > >>>A lovely story but it does not explain Kang, Koloth, and others who > >>>appeared in TOS with smooth human-like skulls and in TNG and DSN with > >>>ridged brows! > >>> > >>>Art S. Kagel > >> > >>Unless it was shown in an episode that they were actually klingon, > >>it does explain it. It just means that Kang, Kor & Kor were not really > >>Klingons but citizens of the klingin empire. Not the most interesting > >>explanation but plausible nonetheless. > > > >Well since Kor has been referred to as a Klingon I'd say you're wrong. > > I stand corrected then:) > -- Unless "Klingon" just means a member of the Klingon empire (ie: American means someone from America). In Star Trek species are usually named for their homeworld (ie:Vulcans, Romulans, Bajorans, Cardasceans) which also happens to be their nationality. By this standard, Klingons would be Chronan's as their homeworld is Chronos. Obviously in Star Trek, Klingons are reffered to as a species, but perhaps this is really a misnomer because the only Klingons federation personel have contact with anymore are the Chronan variety ( or "Imperial Klingons"). Clearly the Klingon "empire" consists of more than a single start system. That would mean that as the Empire expanded that they either: 1) Inhabitted only unpopulated worlds (this wouldn't be very much in keeping with the warlike nature of klingon's and a fairly wimpy way to build an empire). 2) Exterminated all inhabitants of these worlds. ( a fairly brutal proposition but not entirely unlikely given Klingon nature). or-- most likely 3) Conquered the inhabitants and incorporated them into their growing empire (as all historic empires on our own world have). So where are these non-Chronan citizens of the Klingons empire, and what would you call them if not "Klingons"? My suspicion is that the majority of Klingon citizens are in fact non-Chronan (or at least not full blooded), and that the Empire survives off the labor of these colonial worlds allowing the Imperials Klingons on the homeworld to follow such pursuits as Batliff tournaments, Klingon ritual, opera, combat and palace intrigue. (ever seen a Klingon scientist?) Lessor Klingon's don't seem to get around much, but perhaps the Imperial Klingons (who control the fleet) don't see a need to provide them with motility. This nearly led to disaster when the Klingon homeworld was threatened by a nova and the empire--despite its vastness, did not seem to have sufficient transport ships to evacuate the inhabitants and had to get help from the federation. --AN