[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: qeylIS betleH

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon word: 	qeylIS betleH
Part of speech: 	noun
Definition: 	Sword of Kahless
Source: 	KGT
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qaStaHvIS wej rep pan qeylIS betleH 'ej jach molor 'etlh Hom 
And they battle, for three hours, Kahless's bat'leth sparks, and Molor's mighty sword roars. (PB)

ghIq QavwI'chaj DuQchu' qeylIS betleH chaHDaq SIStaHvIS negh 'Iw Then Kahless's bat'leth pierced the last of them, showered with the soldiers' blood. (PB)

(I assume these next examples refer to the Sword of Kahless):

pe'vIl mupmeH betleH Qach 
The Mighty Blow of the Bat'leth (PB; title)

betleHvo' qotar mInDu' mIghDaq boch 'otlh 
Light reflects off the bat'leth into Fek'lhr's evil eyes. (PB)
[sic! for {veqlargh mInDu'}]

wa'logh mup betleH 'ej 'uSDu' teqta' 
[bat’leths] Ripped open armor, And cut off legs in a single stroke. (PB)

N.B. Also called {qeylIS 'etlh} in Klingon Monopoly (MKE):

qeylIS 'etlh Datlhapqa' 'e' DaQapbe' 
Fail to retrieve the Sword of Kahless. (MKE )

CULTURAL NOTES:
(KCD):  the most revered item in Klingon tradition

  This is its name, like Arthur's sword "Excalibur" or Fafhrd's "Greywand" (Seqram)

  "According to Klingon legend, this sword of honor descends from the time of Kahless the Unforgettable." (S8)

  "According to Klingon tradition, the first bat'leth was forged by Kahless the Unforgettable, the founder of the Klingon Empire, from a lock of his hair dipped in molten lava. Kahless created the name {betleH}, meaning "sword of honor". The word {betleH} is actually an archaic form. In contemporary Klingon, sword of honor would be {batlh 'etlh}, though this phrase is used almost exclusively as a translation or explanation of the older word, {betleH}. … Because of the importance of the bat'leth in Klingon tradition, however, they have taken to calling the bat'leth {betleH quv}…" (KGT 59-60)

  "The first was forged by Kahless from a lock of his own hair which he placed in the lava from the Kri'stak volcano. He then plunged the burning lock into the lake of Lursor, twisted it into a blade and killed the evil tyrant Molor with it. ... The {betleH} wielded by the lord of a great house is called an Honor Blade and is considered the repository of the heart and soul of his or her entire clan." (KLS)

  "In paq'batlh, there's no talk of reclaiming his father's sword [which Molor had flung into the Kris'tak volcano], but it does pick up on the story of Kahless forging the first bat'leth from a strand of his hair, and that it guided his blood on his journey into the netherworld." (Felix Malmenbeck, 11/06/2012)

  "Kahless himself is said to have used his bat'leth, the original "Sword of Honor," to carve a statue for the woman he loved, presumably Lukara." (KGT 79-80)

  The bat'leth of Kahless was stolen by the Hur'q and is “more coveted than Sabak’s armor”.  Centuries later, recovered by Kor and Worf from the Gamma Quadrant in the 24th century, Kor dreamed of having his statue in the Hall of Heroes along with those of Kang and Koloth after presenting the rescued Sword to the Emperor (Kahless II). (DS9 “The Sword of Kahless”)

Photos of the Sword of Kahless can be seen in KGT (p.59 and 81).

--
Voragh, Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
    Please contribute relevant vocabulary or notes from the last 
    year or two. I’ve fallen woefully behind in updating my files.