A fundamental element of the Bajoran religion were its numerous prophecies: foretelling of future events which are usually the result of encounters with Orbs. Other prophecies have come from apparent direct contact from the Bajoran Prophets. Many prophecies have been transcribed in the Bajoran ancient texts. Although these ancient texts are extremely convoluted and difficult to understand, many of the prophecies have a certain way of coming true.
In 2374, Captain Benjamin Sisko perused Bajoran prophecies on the eve of the launch of Operation Return. When Admiral William Ross asked him whether he had gained any insights, Sisko replied that he was a long way from making any sense of them. (DS9: "Favor the Bold")
Eighth Prophecy[]
In 2370, Vedek Bareil Antos gave a speech on this prophecy at the shrine on Deep Space 9. Kira Nerys liked the speech, but not the content. She disagreed with his interpretation of the prophecy. She felt infuriated by his ability of taking a prophecy and showing that it could mean exactly the opposite of the accepted interpretation. (DS9: "Shadowplay")
Horran's Seventh Prophecy[]
Opening Lines: "He will come to the palace, carrying a chalice, bearing no malice, overflowing with sweet spring wine."
It is unclear what exactly the prophecy refers to. Rom, prior to his marriage to Leeta undertook a study of Bajoran prophecies and quoted this as his favorite. (DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs")
Shabren's Fifth Prophecy[]
Excerpt: "Bajor will be reborn."
This prophecy, written by Shabren, refers to the Reckoning, an epic battle between a Prophet and Kosst Amojan, a Pah-wraith. According to the prophecy, if Kosst Amojan is destroyed, it will herald Bajor's Golden Age: a thousand years of peace where the Prophets and the people will be as one. However, the prophecy does not predict who emerges victorious in the battle. The prophecy was set in motion in 2374 with the discovery of an ancient stone tablet, but was not completed due to interference from Kai Winn Adami. (DS9: "The Reckoning")
Talnot's Prophecy of the Final Days[]
Excerpt: "And the land shall be poisoned by a great evil... The poison must be purged away, so the land can be reborn"
This prophecy may refer to the final victory of the Prophets over the Pah-wraiths, in which the Emissary of the Prophets will destroy the Book of the Kosst Amojan and seal the Pah-wraiths into the Fire Caves for all eternity. It may just as easily refer to another event in the distant future. In 2375, Kai Winn erroneously interpreted the arrival of Anjohl Tennan as a part of Talnot's prophecy, where in fact Anjohl was Gul Dukat in disguise, working for the Pah-wraiths. (DS9: "'Til Death Do Us Part"). Sisko fulfilled this particular prophecy in his last official act, as both the commander of Deep Space 9 and the Emissary of the Prophets. (DS9: "What You Leave Behind")
Trakor's Third Prophecy[]
Excerpt: "When the river wakes, stirred once more to Janir's side, three vipers will return to their nest in the sky. When the vipers try to peer through the temple gates, a sword of stars will appear in the heavens. The temple will burn, and its gates shall be cast open."
Trakor's Third Prophecy was the third of a series of texts written by the Bajoran spiritual writer Trakor, approximately three thousand years ago, following an encounter with the Orb of Change. It was fulfilled in 2371, when three comet fragments containing large amounts of silithium passed through the Bajoran wormhole, effectively casting open the gates of the celestial temple to subspace communication.
Trakor foresaw a series of events that would endanger the Bajoran wormhole. Benjamin Sisko led a joint Federation-Bajoran-Cardassian science mission with the goal of establishing a Wormhole relay station. The mission was complicated by the appearance of a rogue comet infused with silithium that would collapse the wormhole. The comet was on an unalterable course to enter the wormhole. Sisko used a shuttlepod from the USS Defiant to generate a subspace shell that would prevent the silithium from the comet from destroying the wormhole.
In light of those events, Trakor's words could be interpreted as follows: The Qui'al Dam was rebuilt to return fresh water to the city of Janir, indicating the coming fulfillment of the prophecy. The three "vipers" were either the three comet fragments, or the three Cardassian scientists attached to the mission; the "vipers' nest in the sky" was either the wormhole itself, or Deep Space 9, respectively. The "Sword of Stars" refers either to the comet's silithium tail or the starfleet shuttlepod that Sisko used to protect the wormhole from the silithium, and the temple gates directly refer to the Celestial Temple; the burning of the Temple can only be the damage from the leaked silithium. Finally, the casting open of the gates was the small gap and trail of silithium left by the comet fragments allowing the establishment of the communications link to the Gamma Quadrant through the wormhole. (DS9: "Destiny")
Trakor's Fourth Prophecy[]
Excerpt (paraphrased): "The Emissary will face a fiery trial, and he will be forced to choose…"
Trakor's Fourth Prophecy was the fourth of a series of texts written by the Bajoran spiritual writer Trakor, approximately three thousand years ago, following an encounter with the Orb of Change. These prphecies were in large part about the coming Emissary of the Prophets. The Fourth Prophecy involved the Emissary facing a fiery trial.
According to former Vedek Yarka, there were signs in 2371 that this prophecy would soon come to pass. It may very well have, given what transpired in the following years. It may also refer to the battle between Benjamin Sisko and Gul Dukat in the Bajoran Fire Caves. (DS9: "Destiny")
Zocal's Third Prophecy[]
Excerpt (paraphrased): "Only someone touched by the Prophets can find the lost city of B'hala."
This prophecy, written by Zocal, was fulfilled in 2373, when Captain Benjamin Sisko, the Emissary of the Prophets, discovered the ruins of B'hala deep beneath the surface of Bajor. He succeeded in a few days where Bajoran archaeologists had failed for 10,000 years. Sisko apparently accomplished this feat after experiencing a series of pagh'tem'far, or sacred visions. (DS9: "Rapture")
The Emissary's Prophecies[]
- Main article: The Emissary of the Prophets
"But then a shadow blocked out the sun. We looked up and saw a cloud filling the sky. It was a swarm of locusts. Billions of them. They hovered over the city, the noise was deafening… but just as quickly as they came, they moved on."
Sisko made this prophecy in "Rapture", scuttling the plans for Bajor to join the Federation. He explained that the locusts were going to Cardassia, a prophecy which came to pass in "By Inferno's Light", when Cardassia joined the Dominion and swarms of "locusts" (Dominion ships) moved through the Bajoran system to Cardassian space. Sisko further warned that Bajor would be destroyed unless it stands alone, foreseeing the events of "Call to Arms", where Bajor, having not joined the Federation due to Sisko's warnings, signed a non-aggression pact with the Dominion and thereby managed to stay out of the fighting during the war.
The predictions made by Sisko in "Rapture" were thoroughly planned out. "We pretty much knew what those prophecies were going to be [....] We don't work everything out in advance, but that was something we knew about," remarked Robert Hewitt Wolfe. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, pp. 46 & 47)
External links[]
- Prophecy at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Literature
- https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Bajor_religion