New Klingon Propagana Video Follow-up + Translation & more

On Sunday TrekMovie first reported on a new viral video titled "Klingon Propaganda" which contained clues leading to a Klingon website. The mysterious video has been sweeping around web since, and today there is a new video live-action video from the same source which shows the Klingon plot may be even more insidious. We have that below, plus a translation and more details on the first video.

 

Klingon Indoctrination
This evening a new video has appeared online from the same ‘Tanastvar’ YouTube account

So apparently the Klingon Propaganda is meant to indoctrinate our young, and it has already started.

Translation of  ‘Klingon Propaganda’
One of the great things about Star Trek is the power of the fandom. On this site and others, Trek fans have been analyzing the Propaganda video looking for clues as to its origins as well as translating it. TrekMovie.com asked one of our community members ‘qurgh’, also known as Chris Lipscombe, a member of the Klingon Language Institute, to translate. Although Chris quibbles with some of the grammar, here is what he calls a ‘liberal translation’ of the narration, trying to gleen the intended meaning:

We are members of the Klingon Empire!
We have argued with many dozen planets
and we expand to many more every day
Do you want to influence the planet?
But how?
Lets go, we are coming, join us!
Contribute to the enjoyment of Klingon planets
The Empire is good for everyone
The Civilization brings wealth, competitions and good food.
Our Klingon "yeni cheri" are brave, many and fair.
Take spoils from the invasions, and many solders join the Empire
The Empire powerfully protects the important planet from the influence and possible decaying that the dictator (brings.. .does something with…)
Put down your small weapons
Open your hearts
and join the Klingon Empire.
Get ready but conquer
Get justice now!

Although he may have some notes on the Klingon grammar, Lipscombe is impressed with the spirit of the video, saying:

It’s a beautifully crafted piece of work that just feels Klingons. It has everything a Klingon propaganda movie should have: warriors, battles, weapons, singing and good food.

The Turkish Connection
Artun Özsemerciyan, another one of the TrekMovie community members (Locutus), has noticed something interesting. According to Özsemerciyan the background children’s choir music is in Turkish, specifically children’s song about birds (birds of prey?). Could it be the Turks have already fallen prey to the Klingons. Watch this video from the 80s to decide yourself.

Video sparks speculation
Since TrekMovie has pointed out this video, it has appeared on many big websites (like io9 and SciFi Wire), with lots of speculation going on. Much of the speculation seems to be that this is related to Star Trek Online, however TrekMovie confirmed with Cryptic that they have nothing to do with it. Another theory is that this is related to the next Star Trek movie, but again this seems far-fetched as there isn’t even a script at this point and that film is at least 2 years away. TrekMovie has made inquires with all the potential suspects in the official Trek world (studios and licensees) and so far there has been no hints as to the origin. 

TrekMovie will continue to dig into this story, so look for more updates

And if you want to watch "Klingon Propaganda"  again, here it is

 

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Well done whatever it is.

Awww…. there’s nothing like a small horde of children carrying bat’leths. This year will be a good Halloween indeed.

I’m getting more and more curious about this…and more impressed every time I watch the video.

I think we’re leaving out one possibility…

It’s real! It’s all REAL! And the Klingons are coming!

If its not for Star Trek Online…then I think its for the DVD release of Star Trek ’09, since we will see the deleted scenes of the Klingons and Nero.

This has the potential to be a huge viral marketing campaign for whatever it’s for. I honestly hope, it’s something to whet fans’ appetites. Keep us going while there is a lull between movies.

All I can say is Wow who ever did that who ever created that video Cool Way Cool I think its a Star Trek Online prapaganda to get people choice the side of the Klingons insted of the Federation most likley

My guess is it’s for that new ST mmo.

Just like any other conspiracy, all you have to do is follow the money. That’ll lead you right to the answer.

It’s the Ferengi. You heard it here first!

=A=

I still want to know why they have TNG Klingon foreheads when they’re obviously meant to be TOS Klingons.

Perhaps ‘qurgh’, AKA Chris Lipscombe’s problem with the language translation has to do with it having been produced in a different Klingon dialect …one that he’s not particularly acquainted with, just as there are different dialects of Italian across various provinces in Italy, for instance.

My first wife was Turkish, and this explains everything about her and her family. LOL

im scared cause klingons are scery!!!!!!!

We should embrace our new masters.

#10, my guess would be they are supposed to be Klingons from just before TMP. That would explain why they still wear TOS uniforms, but have the TNG foreheads.

Is this Trek movie messing around again like they did with that Romulan stuff?

The art really reminds me of the 80’s style transformers/gi joe/hercules and thunder cats. The music is catchy and the choreography is lovely, whoever should step forward. I am sure there are lots of folks waiting to hear from the creator and offer them lucrative deals

#10, 15 – Enterprise explained this away in a reasonably-satisfactory manner. TOS-era Klingons can have either type or forehead. The fact that we only saw one type on the show (due to budget restrictions) doesn’t rule out seeing the other type.

I have a feeling this isn’t connected to anything, it’s just awesome work done by a Trek fan who wants to show their skill.

If nothing else, we can surmise that these Turkish children (cute as they are) were instructed by incompetent musical choreographers.

I still think it’s some kind of environmental or left-of-center organization thingy…

Hmmmm. The music in that first video had a Dharma-instruction video vibe to it…

Ferengi? most likely they are behind this

“Ahem Children, we twist our torsos in unison to the *left.* The direction Kahless looked toward when he pointed to The Star.”

And no mention of me :(
I translated the subtitles and what I heard and I am NOT a member of the KLI ;)

This is the best translation i could find of the Turkish song:

”tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut at the birds will cross.
tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut at the birds will cross.

is a brand new day salute
asks the birds of the world into
language is a language knows a jug
favorite things praise birds
merry birds birds
birds always smile

silent branches
tiny ornaments
slot nerdee
owners of the heavens forever free
My heart you.

tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut in the tut-tut ciiiiik are more birds.
tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut at the birds will cross.

where a visit to a number
birds know something is an
is a brand new day salute
No wonder the world has become birds
merry birds birds
birds always smile

sad heart,
hope sounds,
income but you.
owners of the heavens forever free
My heart you.”

Probably not much to go on :P

“yeni cheri” is also in Turkish. In fact it is Yeniçeri (otoman infantry)

This may be the second coming of Mahir…

Did one of them say “I KISS YOU” in Turkish?

So mysterious.

“Klingon Propaganda”

One of the best things I’ve seen of Trek in a long, long time.

Well done!

@11: No, it had nothing to do with being in a “different dialect”. The “different dialect” excuse is mainly used by Paramount because they are lazy and don’t want to do the translation work. This video actually tried to use tlhIngan Hol, but they obviously don’t have that much experience with the language.

Just to give you some background there are two “real” Klingon dialects. tlhIngan Hol, made by Okrand for Paramount to be used in the movies/TV show, and Klingonaase, made by John Ford for his books.

They both sound drastically different from each other, and this video clearly tried to use tlhIngan Hol.

I get it now!!! It all makes sense!!! This is a warning to all Americans that the Turks are going to dress up on Halloween like Klingons and invade the US looking for candy! That’s why the dude says it’s working, he getting all the little kids to want to dress up as Klingons so they can have all the candy in the world! So I guess we need to stock up on candy! Remember I thought a long time about this!

#10

For the love of God, man, the ridges were first seen in TMP not TNG. I thought you were a Purist?

Anyway, the best reason one could offer (other than because it’s a cartoon) is that this was shortly befor TMP so the ridges were coming back into vogue, fashion, regrowing after the smooth foreheaded Enterprise variant explanation what-have-you.

#25 Your translation was better in a number of ways. I agree.

And to #27, the Turkish Yeniçeri is in English “Janissary”. And those weren’t Ottoman Turks in the infantry, they were “non-Turk” infantry units.

That distinction is HUGELY important here. This suggests that “Klingon Janissaries” would include humans and other races willing to serve the Empire.

That’s the point of indoctrination, right? After all, there were many people with Slavic ancestry marching along in the Wehrmacht… and the American military even allows for non-citizens to join.

The idea of a Klingon Foreign Legion is rather cool, and zany fun.

10: So that they don’t look like cheap 70’s porn actors?

#33 Purist apparently regards Star Trek made between 1975 and 1987, which would be TMP, TWOK, TSFS and TFF not to be part of the approved corpus of TOS. Probably also rejects the third season, and certain segments of other episodes, too.

The old FASA argument, that the Klingons put those without forehead ridges on the front lines with the Federation, in order to create “calm” makes some sense.

Even ties in with the video nicely… .because if you think about it, wouldn’t the Restored Ridgey Klingon Empire circa 2269-2270 with ridges being regained now quickly be PROUD and rush to expand again after years of skirmishing and politics? Sure.

I’m not as pleased by the second video from them though. As cute as the concept is of having kids being indoctrinated… we don’t actually have to follow through with it. Okay, so she’s a “young actress”… but let’s not do too much more of that you guys…

And get some dental floss and a good cleaning by a hygienist! Yuck!

the first clue that this (these) are not from any official source is that there are no copyright markers.

Anything a licensee would produce to promote their prodcut (movie, DVD, game) would have the copyright stamp on it somewhere.

I am so sick and tired of the discussions about ridges…
Let’s go for the Roddenberry’s way: “Klingons always had ridges, even if in TOS we don’t see them because of the low budget”. Full stop :)

I don’t know, the cheap looking goateed-mouth saying “it’s working” has amateur written all over it. The statement also seems to be suggesting the viral buzz is taking off, not that the Klingon’s propaganda is taking effect.

Then again Galaxy Quest took a very similar tack in its marketing with a very amatuerish-looking fan website. Either way, it is having the desired effect and creating quite a buzz. It would be shame if this is nothing more than the equivalent of a chain e-mail.

ENOUGH with the f**kin’ forehead ridges blather. Let it go. I agree with Paulaner. They just always had ridges. Enough. Who freakin’ cares?

What matters is, I still think this video is a precursor to the next film. It doesn’t MATTER if the script isn’t even started yet–all they would have had to decide is that the next film is centered around a struggle with the Klingons. That’s all you need. And then Abrams would have directed that the viral videos begin. And this was the first salvo. Who knows? Maybe he and his team didn’t even have a say in the look of it—it wouldn’t have mattered. The point would have been to remind us what the Klingons of TOS used to be about, what they were meant to represent—and to introduce new Star Trek fans to the concept. Period.

And that’s exactly what this video accomplishes. We now have it set in our minds—the Klingons as stand-ins for the old communist societies. It’s brilliant, it’s retro, it’s TOS, it’s everything we could want and hope for. I love it. I hope it’s true—I want to see FUN, interesting Klingon villains in the next film that Kirk and co. get to spar with—that’d be a RIOT. No more dark, revenge-obsessed madmen for villains. I want to see Kirk’s first meeting with Koloth, Kang and Kor (it was CLEAR in TOS that he had met the first two previously—they knew each other on sight—and while this is not so with Kor, screw it—this is a new universe).

This would be awesome and FUN, and that’s what the next movie needs to be.

37: Agreed. The crazy notion that “canon” includes not only general plot development and characterization, but also strict adherence to purely “visual continuity” is infuriating. As effects, makeup, and budgets expand, OF COURSE we want to see those taken advantage of. Complaining that TOS First Season Klingons look nothing like 24th Century Klingons just fails to consider reality on so many levels.

Personally, I would have been much happier if the so-called “mystery” of why the Klingons used to look different had never even been acknowledged on-screen, let alone “explained.” (Though the bit where Worf stated that they do not talk about it on the DS9 Tribbles episode was the perfect bit of meta-commentary on the whole thing.)

Has anyone thought of a new Star Trek series based on the old Klingon Empire from their perspective?

Very funny.

What if: Klingons without ridges was part of the old timeline and Klingons WITH ridges is a part of the new alternate timeline brought about by the events of the last movie?

@42

Imposible! I told you all it was a Haloween candy hoarding campaign! Better stock up on candy!

Interesting how a 2min flash version of Klingons out did everything TMP and TNG every portrayed about the Klingons.

Has anyone noticed a video response posted to the Klingon Propaganda video? It was posted by “UFPTruthers” today and appears to use the same style of characters as in the Klingon video…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbsv49jcZtQ

I think the constitution class ship is the same in both Tanastvar’s and UFPTruther’s videos too. Both use thin black lines just behind the bussard collectors to represent the screw attachment details on the original 11 foot model. Both are also “Cage” era connies.

Well as a Turk I’m confused by all this, I can’t decide whether I should be proud, happy, angry or sad. I have a feeling there is some kind of a turkish star trek fan behind this because the reference to “Yeniçeri’s” and the song is quite obvious in the background.

apart from using the turkish song and “Yeniçeri” lines there is also one part where a Klingon actually says “Merhaba Efendim” in turkish which means something like “hello sir”. I don’t know maybe the guy wants to compare the Turks with the Klingons.