How are Sisko and Winn viewed by the (religious) Bajorans post-DS9 ?

[at Quark's]

Is he considered a Prophet by them now ? Or still as a human (allbeit an 'ascended' one ) ?

For that matter, how would they look back on Winn's , erm, Kainate ? Would it become public knowledge she sided with the pah-wraiths at the end? If so would she be seen as merely deluded or as their willing instrument, knowing well what she did? Or would all that be covered up ?

 

[bolak]

Re: How are Sisko and Winn viewed by the (religious) Bajorans post-DS9

I assume that since no-one actually witnessed what happened in the Fire Caves, the Bajoran 'establishment' could concoct whatever story they saw fit to explain the disappearance of Winn and Sisko.

In fact, did anyone even know they went there?

Perhaps they'd just say that Winn and the Emissary had ascended to the Celestial Temple and a new era had arrived, now please pay your tithe and smile - the new Kai is watching.

No point alarming gret masses with talk of Pah-Wraiths after all.

 

[at Quark's]

Re: How are Sisko and Winn viewed by the (religious) Bajorans post-DS9

In fact, did anyone even know they went there?

Sisko told Kasidy he had to go to the fire caves, and they found his shuttle in orbit so they know he probably perished there. Also, he visited Kasidy afterwards in a vision telling that he was with the prophets now.

How much of that is accepted by the bajoran religious community remains to be seen, though I expect Kira to believe it and also that she would have some influence, since she worked closely with the Emissary for seven years.

Would it even become known to the Bajorans that the pagh-wraiths had been defeated ?

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Re: How are Sisko and Winn viewed by the (religious) Bajorans post-DS9

The Bajorans probably know that Sisko went to the fire caves, and Cassidy probably told them about his appearance to her. It's unclear how much they know about Winn. With some investigation they could probably find out that she took the Kostimogen. They probably could have connected the dots that her new friend was Dukat, I think more than the murdered old man saw the two together.

The disappearance of the Kostimogen combined with a trip to the fire caves where the Kai and the Emissary disappeared at the same times was probably prophecy-adjacent enough for the Bajorans to come to a conclusion.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: How are Sisko and Winn viewed by the (religious) Bajorans post-DS9

Is he considered a Prophet by them now ? Or still as a human (allbeit an 'ascended' one ) ?

Before Sisko's return, I'm sure the Bajorans would consider him a supernatural being, just like the Prophets. After he returns, I don't know how they'd treat him. They'd probably think he "still had work to do".

As for Winn: IIRC, she was never that popular on Bajor, not as a vedek, the kai, or even First Minister. Most Bajorans are probably happy she's gone - they won't care when or even if she ever sided with the pah-wraiths.

 

[bbjeg]

Re: How are Sisko and Winn viewed by the (religious) Bajorans post-DS9

I'm sure the people would eventually hear how Sisko sacrificed himself to save the galaxy. He'll probably be treated as a saint or something.

 

[MacLeod]

Re: How are Sisko and Winn viewed by the (religious) Bajorans post-DS9

No doubt there was some prophecy about Sisko, Dukat and perhaps the Kai. Something along the lines of

"In the caves of fire the emissary will face the messenger of the pah-wraths, with the Kai forced to choose their path good or evil."

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Re: How are Sisko and Winn viewed by the (religious) Bajorans post-DS9

Winn was never that popular, but if she was an unpopular Kai who disappeared mysteriously she gets named honorably on the historical list of Kais and gets all the funeral honors a Kai is entitled to, and if she was a traitor who joined with the Pagh-Wraiths she's remembered as a pawn of the devil.

 

[Horizons96]

Re: How are Sisko and Winn viewed by the (religious) Bajorans post-DS9

I also suppose Winn's descent further into darkness is somewhat of a statement/commentary on religious icons in general. I agree with bolak, the Bajoran establishment may have represented it however they chose, possibly to keep the status quo, rather than admitting they weren't aware. I'm not sure if Bajor's impending membership with the Federation would change anything.

It's also possible another Vedek (or even the subsequent Kai) may have received a vision, Orb-related or not, where the truth about Winn was revealed. It may have been the wish of the Prophets/Wormhole entities or even Sisko himself that this be known, for Bajor's sake.

 

[at Quark's]

Re: How are Sisko and Winn viewed by the (religious) Bajorans post-DS9

I also suppose Winn's descent further into darkness is somewhat of a statement/commentary on religious icons in general.

I can see how it can be viewed that way. For myself, I've never seen Winn as just a commentary on icons of orthodox religion itself, but more as a warning that within circles of orthodox religion, there is a greater danger of less scrupulous people popping up and misusing power to their own ends while uttering pious language and such. I'm not really sure though if DS9 also portrays some very orthodox Vedeks who are nevertheless utterly sincere in their beliefs. Are there any ?

I agree with bolak, the Bajoran establishment may have represented it however they chose, possibly to keep the status quo, rather than admitting they weren't aware. I'm not sure if Bajor's impending membership with the Federation would change anything.

It's also possible another Vedek (or even the subsequent Kai) may have received a vision, Orb-related or not, where the truth about Winn was revealed. It may have been the wish of the Prophets/Wormhole entities or even Sisko himself that this be known, for Bajor's sake.

Come to think about it, as far as I know, an important part of the Bajoran religion revolves around the concept of the age-long struggle between the prophets and the pagh-wraiths. So, the final victory of the Prophets would be a most pivotal event in Bajoran religion-- or wouldn't it ? So, now I am also wondering how Bajoran religion would change if the event became known publicly ...

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Re: How are Sisko and Winn viewed by the (religious) Bajorans post-DS9

What's his name the extremist Vedek who was played by the guy who played Chare's father in Stargate referred to a list of prophecies about the Emissary. One of them was probably close enough to what happened.

Winn was more like a politician who uses religion to scare people into supporting her. There's some pretty obvious real world parallels to that.

 

[Mister Spock]

Re: How are Sisko and Winn viewed by the (religious) Bajorans post-DS9

Chances are that the Bajoran government would swap notes with the staff of Deep Space Nine and work out roughly what happened - Sisko went to confront Dukat on Bajor, Kai Winn was there and all three disappeared.

To avoid controversy, I can see them putting out a few white lies as a cover story - maybe that the fugitive war criminal Dukat took the Kai hostage, Captain Sisko went to rescue her and he perished trying to save her life in the Fire Caves.

They'd pay lip service to her term as Kai, having a period of mourning and a token state funeral/wake, but the Bajorans were never particularly fond of her, so it probably wouldn't last too long.

Sisko would probably be declared missing - much like Captain Decker and Lieutenant Ilia after the V'Ger Incident - but I'm sure the Bajorans would quietly accept it into their mythology and expect him to return.