Pon farr
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Pon farr is a condition in the fictional Star Trek universe that induces the desire to mate in an adult Vulcan. The concept debuted in the 1967 episode "Amok Time", written by Theodore Sturgeon.
Although Vulcans live strictly by the dictates of logic, their veneer of civilization is ripped away from them during pon farr, every seven years (for males; an undisclosed interval for females) of their adult life. Once triggered, Vulcans must have sexual contact with someone, preferably their mate, or else face insanity and death. Vulcans are, however, also capable of engaging in sexual relations at any time they wish; it is only during pon farr that they must mate (or die).
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[edit] Symptoms
During pon farr (mating cycle), the brain is thrown into a neurochemical imbalance and loss of logic and emotional control. The individual may stop eating and sleeping. As the condition progresses, the Vulcan undergoes the plak tow, or blood fever, and becomes unable to speak or think clearly - thoughts of mating overwhelm them. The pon farr cycle begins when a Vulcan becomes an adult. A mate is chosen by the parents of the affected Vulcan, allowing the Vulcan to become bonded and to satisfy his or her urges.
Although the "Amok Time" episode suggests that an overpowering urge to return to the planet Vulcan is one of the symptoms of pon farr, this occurred to such a lesser degrees during the (much later portrayed) pon farrs of T'Pol, Tuvok, and Vorik, that they were able to overcome the urge to return home.
Pon farr can be also triggered by infection, as seen in Star Trek: Enterprise Episode 2.25, "Bounty".
[edit] Treatment
The Vulcan telepathic mating bond draws mated couples irresistibly together. When he experienced pon farr in the Delta Quadrant, Tuvok of Voyager made use of a holodeck simulation of his wife to relieve his condition. T'Pol's pon farr was alleviated using medication; even though medical intervention is usually unsuccessful, the fact her condition was brought about by a virus rather than natural timing suggests an exception to the rule.
[edit] Kalifee
Besides taking a mate, one may challenge another to a fight to the death. This is known as the kunat kalifee - 'marriage or challenge'. Should the challenge, or Kalifee, be chosen as an alternative, the female chooses a champion to fight against the challenger. Generally, the two challengers are the men with whom she has an interest in mating, however, there have been exceptions. In the mating ritual between Spock and T'Pring, T'Pring called for a Kalifee in a surprise move, and in a further surprise chose James T. Kirk instead of Stonn to fight Spock to the death. When Vorik, put off by B'Elanna Torres' rejection of his advances, called for the Kalifee, Torres opted to accept Vorik's challenge herself, having been driven to violent urges by her own Klingon arousal.
[edit] Cases
[edit] T'Pol
T'Pol is the first and (to date) only female Vulcan to be portrayed explicitly experiencing pon farr, in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode, "Bounty". Prior to this, it was not known for certain whether females experienced the condition, as T'Pring (Spock's mate) showed no outward symptoms. Additionally, in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Saavik says that "Vulcan males must endure it every seventh year of their adult life", which causes many to assume that Vulcan women do not ordinarily experience pon farr. The statement however does not logically deny the existence of a female pon farr. For example, it may also imply that females experience pon farr on a cycle other than every seven years, or that only certain female Vulcans experience pon farr.
T'Pol experienced a premature pon farr when an alien infection triggered it, causing her to lose emotional control and nearly kill Dr. Phlox in her efforts to find a mate—Vulcan or otherwise. Her condition was ultimately brought under control via medication and the pon farr subsided as the virus passed through T'Pol's system.
The T'Pol incident raises the question as to when Vulcans experience their first pon farr. Spock was rather young when he experienced his (in his 30s); T'Pol is in her mid-60s, and says that she has never experienced the condition before.
It should be noted that some Star Trek fans do not consider Star Trek: Enterprise to be truly canonical, due to its apparent divergence in spirit and continuity from the other seria. If one were to disregard the evidence presented by the case of T'Pol, the only suggestion that female Vulcans can even experience pon farr would be the case of Vorik and B'Elanna Torres, which is detailed at the end of this article.
[edit] Spock
Spock underwent pon farr in 2267, when he returned to Vulcan, only to be spurned by his betrothed, T'Pring. Spock again experienced pon farr when his regenerated body was undergoing hyperaccelerated growth on the Genesis Planet in 2285. He endured the condition through the presence of Saavik, a Vulcan female.
When Spock experienced pon farr in "Amok Time", it was made clear that only contact with his mate T'Pring would be sufficient for him to survive the condition. However, soon after returning to Vulcan, T'Pring insisted (under the ancient rite of kunat kalifee) that Spock fight his friend and captain, James T. Kirk, for the privilege of winning T'Pring. Spock's pon farr condition evaporated after he supposedly killed Kirk, and T'Pring announced her intention to wed another man. The emotional shock which Spock underwent, upon thinking that he had killed his captain, was sufficient to end Spock's pon farr. This story has been parodied in a number of movies and television shows. See the "Amok Time" article for a partial list.
The concept of Pon farr in Spock was parodied before in a "Star Trek VII: Really Last Voyage" sketch on FOX's In Living Color where everyone on the ship is elderly (in a comedic way):
Partial Transcript
- (After "Spock" tells Jim that several starships are honking and cursing behind them)
- Kirk (Jim Carrey): Well, tell them to GO AROUND!!!
- Spock (unknown actor at this time): Well, by the way, Jim, I must remind you, that as a Vulcan I must mate every 7 years to survive. I've only got 2 days left and, well, sir, you're starting to look good to me.
(Heavy audience laughter)
- Kirk: Careful, Spock, that's how I broke my hip in the first place!
(Audience laughter)
There is no canonical indication that Spock ever again experienced pon farr.
[edit] Vorik and B'Elanna Torres
Ensign Vorik, another Vulcan crewmember on the starship Voyager, also experienced pon farr some time into the ship's mission. Vorik selected B'Elanna Torres as his mate, and gave her the kunat so'lik, the ritual Vulcan marriage proposal. When B'Elanna rejected Vorik, he became unstable and used a telepathic mating bond to force B'Elanna into pon farr herself. B'Elanna, however, while down on the planet containing the Sakari colony, chose Tom Paris instead as a mate. Paris was willing to mate with her to save her life (though he was reluctant at first, fearing she would later regret it), but this became unnecessary. Instead, Vorik transported to the planet's surface and challenged Paris to a ritual battle to decide who would become B'Elanna's mate. B'Elanna responded by saying that she would fight Vorik herself and ended up winning the fight. As a result, the pon farr of both B'Elanna and Vorik ended.
