Samurai and Klingons

[Kaiddin]

Originally posted by Phoenix
They converted the indigenous people to their standards, Noris simple moved in to be closer to the plunder so to speak.

Can't resist this one.... The most insidious of theNoris has to be Chuck Norris.


Yes, I noted your use of Scandinavian. I just go off a bit with assuming that Vikings were a nation. I'm sure that I have one or two in the family that never raided or plundered.

Good thing someone didn't say FREE GIFT or I might have to hunt them down....

[Turloigh]

Originally posted by Uruz
IMHO the Klingons started out as being the Red Menace (TOS), and once that societal concept became less a concern in society the TNG writers put a new spin on things.

In TOS, the Klingon Empire obviously had the same relationship to the Federation as the Soviet Union to the U.S. Early Klingons have been called "evil Space Mongols", which probably isn't far off the intention from the early scriptwrights.
In STVI, the similarities were driven over the top (Praxis= Chernobyl, Gorkon=Gorbachev etc).
However, I always thought it was the Romulans who were based on Japanese in the ST universe, or rather on 60's prejudice about them: Honorable to the point of suicidal; using stealth technology to deliver Pearl-Harbor-like sneak attacks...
Of course, both Klingons and Romulans have evolved a lot since then, as everything else has.
Just my 20% of a credit.

[Jem'hadar]

In TOS, I always thought the Romulans were supposed to be similar to communist China. Not as powerful or overtly aggressive as the Klingons, a/k/a Soviets, but stealthy, inscrutable and devious, which is how many Americans saw communist China in the 1950s and 60s.

Over time, the Romulans changed and now they are rather unique & I don't find them analogous to any real-world country.

[Turloigh]

Originally posted by Jem'hadar
In TOS, I always thought the Romulans were supposed to be similar to communist China. Not as powerful or overtly aggressive as the Klingons, a/k/a Soviets, but stealthy, inscrutable and devious, which is how many Americans saw communist China in the 1950s and 60s.

Interesting, I never heard that before!

[aelius]

According to the screenwriter who wrote the majority of Klingon eps (whose name escapes me at the moment) the Klingons are Samurai Vikings. The interview was a two part piece in the now defunct Star Trek: The Magazine. I'll look up the issues and get back.

[REG]

Originally posted by aelius

According to the screenwriter who wrote the majority of Klingon eps (whose name escapes me at the moment)...

Could it be Ron D. Moore? He's been dubbed the Klingon Loremaster.

[Eric R.]

The Romulans today resemble the Romans with little doubt. All four virtues are examplfied (Stoic, gravity, sense of duty, and honor) and how those are corrupted by polical/family infighting. The Romulan "Empire" is ruled by a Senate, Senators form fractions much like as what happen in the late Republic, there is a sense that the founding beliefs of the Empire have been perverted, Military force are loyal to there senator and not the Empire, The Romulans like the Romans will totally ingnore a border to attend to more urgent matters elesewhere, Everybody else not Romulan is viewed as Barbarians.

[aelius]

Originally posted by REG
Could it be Ron D. Moore? He's been dubbed the Klingon Loremaster.

That would be him. I still havn't had the chance to look that up
I'll get to it as soon as I can.

[Turloigh]

Originally posted by Eric R.
The Romulans today resemble the Romans with little doubt. ...

D'oh. Right. This is actually so obvious that we completely overlooked it. Good that you mentioned it, even though I feel a bit stupid...

[Kaiddin]

Originally posted by Uruz
the Klingons started out as being the Red Menace (TOS)

In one of the Making of Star Trek books, Gene Coon (or Roddenbury can't remember which) based the Klingons on the Mongols. IMO other than appearance, they were definately the Russians until NG when they took on a Norse-Japanese mixture.

One script for Star Trek II, series not movie, was supposed to show the Klingons being more Japanese when an Emperor is placed as a figure head while the Head of the Klingon council still held power. Wait a minute, sounds like a NG ep where they found Kahles.

"Kitumba" by John Meredith Lucas: The Enterprise is sent to the Klingon homeworld to help Ksia, the underage Klingon leader, stop his regent from making war on the Federation.

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