Star Trek: 10 Production Secrets You Never Knew About Klingons
5. Kortar And Shelka Were The Klingons' Adam And Eve
When B'Elanna Torres has a near-death experience, she finds herself on the Klingon Barge of the Dead. There, she meets her mother, who has been condemned to Klingon Hell for her daughter's lack of honour. Guiding her there is the boatman, Kortar.
Kortar, and his mate Shelka, were the original two Klingons according to legend. They were akin to Adam and Eve of Christian mythology, though there was a twist. While Eve ate the Apple, convincing Adam to the same, this led to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Kortar and Shelka took a different route. They rose up against the gods and slew them all. As Worf later drily comments, the gods were 'more trouble than they were worth'.
This led to Kortar's punishment. He was sentenced to become the ferryman for the dead. His influence moved from Christian mythology to Greek, as he is now Charon, the ferryman of the River Styx. Charon would go on to be name-dropped in Star Trek: Discovery, with Emperor Georgiou's flagship bearing the name 'ISS Charon', in the Mirror Universe.
Despite his seemingly damned position in eternity, Klingon tradition held that at wedding ceremonies, the groom would play Kortar and the bride would play Shelka. This is best seen in You Are Cordially Invited, with Worf and Jadzia Dax playing the respective roles.