Darmok and Jalad at the Mushroom Kingdom

(Image: CBS)

"Darmok" is an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It has a truly original and innovative story and is, consequently, among the most popular episodes in the series.

In "Darmok," the crew of the Enterprise makes first contact with a species known as the Tamarians. They discover that the Tamarians speak a language that is untranslatable. When the Tamarians speak, the computer translators render their words as references to unknown people and places, such as:

  • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra.
  • Temba, his arms wide. 
  • Shaka, when the walls fell.
  • The river Temarc in winter.
  • Mirab, his sails unfurled.

These phrases are references to Tamarian literature, lore, and history. To express thoughts, Tamarians refer to a vast cultural repository of narratives.

Which brings us to this funny hashtag going around Twitter:#nintendarmok. It shows Tamarian references to Nintendo games. Here are a few examples.

-via Richard Eisenbeis


Their children have to be thoroughly versed in history and literature before they can even speak? And then you have to wonder what language the Tamarian literature, lore, and history is written -or spoken- in!
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It is one of my favorite episodes in all of StarTrek (next to "Mr Spock and the Planet of Brain-stealing Bimbos") It attempts to show the difficulties of contact with a very alien type of mind and culture, which must have been quite a challenge for the writers. Science Fiction is mostly a way to look at ourselves through an unfamiliar mirror, but this story points in a different direction.
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