Klingon death ritual


 * "... and as I watched Worf, it was like looking at a man I had never known."
 * - Captain Jean-Luc Picard,, 2364

The Klingon death ritual was a Klingon rite performed during, or directly following, the death of a warrior.

The Ritual involved opening and staring into the eyes of the dying individual, then bellowing loudly at the sky. The latter served as a warning to the dead (presumably in Sto-vo-kor): "Beware, a Klingon warrior is about to arrive".

Once the Ritual was completed, the body was unceremoniously discarded. It was considered to be "only an empty shell" which should be treated as such. 

Instances
It was extremely rare for non-Klingons to witness the Klingon death ritual. The first such case was believed to be in 2364 when Korris, Konmel, and Worf performed the rite, following the death of Kunivas. Soon after, Worf performed the Ritual for Korris. 

Worf performed the ritual again in 2367, following the death of his mate, K'Ehleyr, and in 2374 for his wife, Jadzia Dax. Though, in both cases, Worf did not open the eyes of the fallen warrior. 

Worf was last seen performing the ritual in 2375, after slaying Gowron in personal combat. In this instance, Worf opened the slain warrior's eyes. 

Other Klingon rituals concerning death
There is a Klingon mummification glyph, indicating that at some point in the past the Klingon mummified their dead. Spock identified this glyph during his mental retraining following his fal-tor-pan. 

Ak'voh, the act of watching over a fallen warrior's body, was an ancient Klingon tradition. 

R'uustai, or "The Bonding", is a rite of brotherhood sometimes performed after the death of an individual's parents. 

A funeral was held for Dax, son of Kang in 2290. At his young age, it is unclear if Dax completed the Rite of Ascension, becoming a Klingon Warrior. 

If an individual dies in a manner that does not ensure entry into Sto-vo-kor, his or her relatives may fight a great battle in the deceased's name; a victory will allow him or her to enter Sto-vo-kor. 

Apocrypha
In Klingon for the Galactic Traveler, the Klingon language translation of "death ritual" is given as "Heghtay".