The Bajorans are a deeply spiritual people and I’ve already done videos on the wider
aspects of their views and faith before, but this one is a little more specific. What is
the Bajoran earring, what does it represent and why is it worn as part of the Prophet’s
religion? Hi, Ric here with a smaller lore-entrée. The Earring is worn by almost every Bajoran
we see on screen to the point where even Starfleet eventually allows it to be worn as part of
the uniform with the increase in Bajoran Starfleet officers and the application of the species
into the united Federation of Planets. Prior to this, Bajoran officers would often attempt
to wear their earring until pulled up in front of a superior for violating dress code. So
it’s clearly important to them as a symbol of their faith.
The earring itself can be made from a variety of materials with no strict rules on what
has to be used; they don’t have to be crafted from gold, or precious metals. In fact, Kira
Nerys’ was crafted from the wreckage of a Cardassian transport that was destroyed
in her first successful campaign. The earrings tended to be very personal possessions with
each customised to the individuals preference and given meaning by sentiment. The earring
was routinely worn on the right hand ear, but some did wear it on the left ear, such
as Ro Laren. Although there seems to be no correct ear to adorn, the majority of Bajoran’s
choosing the right ear seems to paint Ensign Ro at odds to some degree with religious authority.
Or perhaps there’s actual significance to the positioning. Or the Trek team hadn’t
fianlized the lore yet The earring has two clasps, one attached to
the earlobe and the other to the upper edge which I believe is called the Helix. These
are connected by one or two light chains. The family crest is often applied to the earring
at some point usually on the larger lobe clasp. Originally however, the earring was not a
signifier of faith, but a marker of the wearer’s caste.
Bajor used to operate a strict caste system that dictated a person’s place in society
based on their birth and the earring was an indicator of their lot in life. Since then,
this system was abandoned and the earrings became a symbol of the faith itself.
As to the reason it was an earring and not any other pendant, like a necklace or ring
seems to be tied into the “Pagh”. The Pagh, being essentially a spirit or soul,
was believed to reside in every living being and could be measured by a Vedek, a priest,
grasping the ear and feeling its flow. This seems to suggest that the Pagh was present
in the ear, perhaps akin to blood’s pulse so the earring resided over this important
point. Only one ear would have been covered by the earring, allowing the other to be measured
by touch. This link is solidified by the Bajoran name
of the earring being a D’ja Pagh. I couldn’t find a reference to the earring being based
upon a specific icon, such as a Christian cross being the crucifix or a Shinto Shrine
representing a transitional gateway. However, the location of the lobe clasp paired with
the arc of the chain sort of resembles the Bajoran Emblem itself. Which in turn was based
upon the celestial temple, or the wormhole. The short-lived cult of the Pah-Wraiths also
wore earrings, but in contrast to those of the Prophet’s faith, they were uniform in
their red design and worn on the left ear. A new earring was also gifted during a wedding
ceremony to replace the older one from Groom to Bride. As the family crest is applied to
the earring, its replacement could be to symbolise the inclusion into a new family, with a new
crest. An individual seemed to also be allowed to wear the earring alongside any other adornment
they wished on the ear so it’s not as if the only earring allowed was the one of the
Bajoran faith. So in summary, the earing appears to be tied
to numerous parts of Bajoran history, an indicator of caste and class, an adornment on a spiritual-pulse
of the body and maybe in some way inspired by the iconography of Bajor itself.
Thanks for listening to this small factoid on one of the icons of Bajoran faith and if
you want more on Bajor, there are a couple more videos on the channel that I’ll link
here to explore. Until next time, thanks again and goodbye!