The Gates to Gre'thor
Gre'thor is the Klingon equivalent to the Terran "hell". It is where the souls of the dishonored go when they die after being ferried there on the Barge of the Dead in the waters inhabited by Kos'karii. The insignia of Gre'thor, and dishonored Klingons, is an upside-down emblem of the Empire.
In Klingon mythology, the gates of Gre'thor are guarded by the monster figure known as the Fek'lhr. (TNG: "Devil's Due")
In 2376, B'Elanna Torres experiences a near-death experience about her mother Miral almost being sent to Gre'thor because of her daughter's dishonor. However B'Elanna traded her life for her mother's, and she herself was sent to Gre'thor, which to her was interpreted as USS Voyager and its crew. (VOY: "Barge of the Dead")
Background information
Gre'thor seems to be modelled upon the mythological Greek Hades. The deceased are ferried to Hades on the river Styx by the ferryman Charon, equivalent of Kortar. Hades is guarded by the three-headed dog Cerberus, similar to Fek'lhr.
The inverted Klingon emblem that stands as the symbol for Gre'thor is a furthering of the parallel between it and the Christian Hell, as one of the main symbols of Satan is the inverted cross.
An early draft of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Soldiers of the Empire" had Worf, Martok and the crew of the Rotarran finding the entrance to Gre'thor on a Klingon planet. Martok and Worf would enter to save a friend of Martok and would encounter Worf's father Mogh. The idea was dropped as it was deemed too late in the season to tackle such a philosophical idea such as Klingon hell.
See also
- Sto-vo-kor, the Klingon afterlife for the honored dead.