RE: KLBC: Challenge?

[T'Anna Kirk <t_anna_kirk@yahoo.com>]

  Steven Boozer <sboozer@midway.uchicago.edu> wrote: >> For more information on this topic, read KGT p67-69 Duels and Challenges.
>
> I would look that up, but I don't have that book, sorry.
> Couldn't find it in the book store. I will definately order it.

Two extended quotes from KGT (Klingon for the Galactic Traveller):

"Dueling--that is, challenging someone to a fight, usually to the death, 
over a matter of honor--is a longstanding Klingon practice. The verb 
meaning "duel" is Hay', and it may be properly used in such constructions 
as Hay' chaH ("They duel"), Hay'chuq ("They duel one another"), or even 
'avwI' Hay' yaS ("The officer duels the guard). To "duel to the death" is 
Hay'chu' (literally, "duel perfectly"), and it may be used in the same 
contexts: Hay'chu' chaH ("They duel to the death"); Hay'chuqchu' ("They 
duel one another to the death").
"A duel is preceded by one party issuing a challenge to the other. This 
is expressed by using the phrase qabDaj 'ang (literally, "He/she shows 
his/her face," referring to the Klingon tenet that a warrior always shows 
his or her face in battle). To challenge someone to a duel, one will give 
the command qablIj HI'ang ("Show me your face!"), though this is often 
shortened to simply HI'ang ("Show me!"). When one does this, he or she is 
said to "demand" or "require" (poQ), a short way to say qab legh 'e' poQ 
("He/she demands to see a face").
"There is some nonlinguistic behavior that may occur along with or 
instead of the traditional phrases. To challenge one to a duel to the 
death, one hits one's adversary with the back of the hand (chap). If one is 
hitting someone for some other reason, such as simple enjoyment, one uses 
the fist (ro'). The challenged party may agree to the duel by answering 
vISo'be' ("I don't hide it") or the lengthier qabwIj vISo'be' ("I don't 
hide my face"). This person is said to 'angchu' ("show clearly"), the usual 
shorthand way of saying qabDaj 'angchu' ("He/she shows his/her face 
clearly"). One accepts a challenge (qab 'ang [literally, "shows face"]) in 
order to prove one's honor (quv tob [literally, "test honor conclusively"]).
"Though any perceived attack on one's honor may prompt one to issue a 
challenge, in one traditional form of duel, the goal is specifically for a 
man to "win the favor of a women" (vuv be' 'e' baj [literally, "earn that a 
woman respect him"]) by competing with another man.
"There are a number of weapons typically used for duels, the most common 
being the bat'leth. When the parties are ready, a third party, sort of a 
referee, says moq, the signal to begin. The verb moq literally means "beat" 
and it is a clipped form of, perhaps, vImoq ("I beat it") or even vImoqpu' 
("I have beaten it"). In times past, one would hit something (such as a 
drum) with a stick to indicated the start of the duel; today, one simply 
says the word "beat".
"A duel ends, normally, with death. It is often the case, however, that 
one of the combatants will have been outmaneuvered and will find himself in 
a position from which he clearly cannot recover. Should this occur, he will 
probably shout out baq, a clipped form of yIbaq ("Terminate it!"). It is 
not normal in this context for him to shout out something like HIHoH ("Kill 
me!"), even though this is what he means." (KGT 67ff)

"... the verb suffix {-chu'} (perfectly), when used with some verbs of 
fighting, implies that the fight results in death. From the Klingon point 
of view, {Suvchu'} (fight perfectly) is fight to the death. A similar 
construction is used for dueling ({Hay'chu'}, duel to the death)." (KGT 49)


> > Now I have another question. Is it right for a Klingon to
> > challenge someone, to make sure he is worthy of the lady's hand
> > in marriage? As a friend?
>
>It's certainly possible.

Here's the relevant paragraph from KGT (p.69):

"Though any perceived attack on one's honor may prompt one to issue a
challenge, in one traditional form of duel, the goal is specifically
for a man to "win the favor of a women" (vuv be' 'e' baj [literally,
"earn that a woman respect him"]) by competing with another man."



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
Thankyou, Voragh.  Though I must say I'm slightly confused.  This challenge os from our Klingon friend.  He is asking this officer to prove his right to the Female's hand.  Would he still challenge him 2 the death?  Basically he is saying,  "Vulcan prove you are worthy of this woman."  He is trying to prove a point.  We as a crew wish to keep this challenge as Klingon as possible.  We want it to seem real.  Any advice would be gladly accepted.  The Klingon does not wish to marry the female, he's just trying to push a the male to keep his promise.  The females parents had approached the Klingon friend.  With the female having full knowledge, but without approval.  Two more questions.  Would the female be present at this challenge?  Who would be the referee? Or should I say, who should be the referee?

Peace &  Long Life
yIn  tIq je roj
T'Anna Kirk


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