Mating (2024)

The Na'vi are monogamous creatures who mate (Na'vi name: muntxa simeaning "mate with, marry")^[1] for life. The mechanics of their reproduction are similar to that of humans and other Terran mammals. However, their unique physiology creates an experience fundamentally different from that of humans.

Choosing a mate[]

Traditionally, once a young Na'vi has passed their clan's rites of passage and are accepted as an adult, they are allowed to choose a mate. Though it is typical for male Na'vi to choose a female mate, and vice versa, same-sex pairings are not uncommon and do not appear to be stigmatized in Na'vi culture.^[2] The process of selecting a mate can take many years, though arranged marriages also occur in Na'vi culture, such as between the future Tsahìk and Olo'eyktan of a clan.

Mating rituals[]

After an appropriate mate has been selected, the Na'vi couple will mate before Eywa, often at a sacred site such as the Tree of Voices. During the mating, the couple will connect queues in an act called tsaheylu. This creates a state of unified body consciousness, in which both parties access the physical sensations of the other. A single instance of this act will create a powerful emotional bond that lasts a lifetime.

The intertwining of queues is both highly erotic and profoundly spiritual, but is not the actual act of sexual reproduction.^[3] The Na'vi have their own version of genitals.^[4] Instead, it is merely a part of mating. The tsaheylu bond between Na'vi during mating should also not be confused with the non-erotic tsaheylu bonds Na'vi make with animals and plants, like the "mental reining" that Na'vi use to control animals or the use of the queue to access the Pandoran Neural Network. The actual reproductive act, which resembles human intercourse, follows the bonding ritual, and the partners remain in a “linked state” during and for some time after the sex act itself.

The couple will remain bonded until the next day, when they return to their clan as lifelong mates. If a Na'vi's mate leaves them or passes away, it is unknown whether their partner can or will choose another mate.

Sexual activity outside of the bonded pair is not uncommon, but is almost always associated with fertility rituals and other rites, and has never been reported to lead to a disruption of the pair bond.

Trivia[]

• The tsaheylu bond itself is often misinterpreted by viewers as being an inherently sexual act, although this is not the case.
• Jake and Neytiri's mating scene in the first film has created a Mandela effect with viewers, especially those who watched the 2022 remaster, who believed they saw the two connect their queues upon seeing the film in 2009. However, the original theatrical release only has them embracing, while the connecting only appears in the Avatar: Extended Collector's Edition.^[5]

References[]