The Koon-ut-kal-if-fee is a mating ritual conducted by the Vulcan people and has been part of their culture since before the time of Surak. (TOS novel: Vulcan's Soul)

The ritual means "marriage or challenge" and is essentially a part of the marriage ceremony. In most cases, if the female accepts the proposal made by the male's parents, and there are no other challengers the marriage ceremony will proceed without the need for combat. However, if two Vulcans desire the same mate during the Pon farr, or if the female mate rejects the male's proposal (which was made during childhood by the parents), this will lead to combat. In this case the Kal-if-fee is a fight of passion in which Vulcans fight over another's mate. These fights can be deadly as they can lead to the death of one of the parties and outsiders are not permitted to interfere during the ritual. As part of the ritual, the female can choose a defender to fight for her which can include either herself, another male or even an alien. (TOS episode: "Amok Time", VOY episode: "Blood Fever")

External linksEdit

• Koon-ut-kal-if-fee article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.