"Eta smiled. She pointed to her brand. 'Kan-lara,'
she said."
(Book 11: Slave Girl of Gor, page 80)
‘Kan-lara’ means quite simply ‘brand.’
In the books there are a variety of brands that exist on Gor. These various
types can be separated into regional brands, including the common kef brand
that is found throughout the whole of Gor, and custom brands. The regional
brands, of course, include those of the Wagon Peoples, Port Kar brand, Treve
brand as well as presumably those of other major cities, those which are
common to a locale or people. The custom brands are those brands that have
been designed by a particular slaver house or merchant and placed only upon
specific girls, thereby creating a form of diversity and adding to the
girl’s value because of the rarity of the brand itself. It should be
noted that in certain instances even regional brands may be a rarity in distant
regions and therefore more highly valued in that particular area. In any
event, a market for collectors of various brands was created, whereby the
girls may be purchased as much for the rarity of their brand as for the beauty
or accomplishments of the slave. Gorean men choose the type of brand to be
applied to female flesh with the same careful consideration they pay to all
other aspects of slave ownership.
Every brand has a flowing beauty of its own, and, although used to mark the
girl as slave to all men, also adds a certain beauty and grace to the girl.
There are also some brands, such as the brand found on the thieves in Port
Kar, which are indicative of caste. Just as the Romans and Greeks used brands
to identify thieves and other lawbreakers, there are also small penalty brands
on Gor.
While it is not common for a girl to have more than one brand, there are
instances where a personal or custom brand may be also added to a more common
kef brand upon a girl’s flesh. Slaves can also be branded with less
desirable brands, or with penalty brands, if the girl is found
displeasing.
KEF The most common of brands found
gracing the bodies of sleek slaves, the kef is the first Gorean letter of
the word ‘kajira’ or ‘slave girl’ and is, therefore,
a most fitting of brands to be placed upon slave flesh. It is approximately
one-and-one-half to two-inches in height and a half-inch wide. The vertical
bar is straight and somewhat strict, possibly indicative of the male dominance,
while the two curling, frond-like extensions are feminine in style and placed
near its base, as if in submission to the dominant bar.
"I had now been branded, a small, graceful mark burned into my left thigh,
high, under the hip. It had a vertical bar, a rather strict one, with two
curling, frondlike extensions, rather near its base, as though in submission
to it. It looked a little like a 'K.' That was mine. There were variations
on this theme. Some of the other girls had similar brands, but, in one respect
or another, somewhat different. There were other sorts of brands, too, but
the 'K-type' brand was the most common."
Dancer of Gor, page 66
DINA The dina flower is a small, many
petaled flower found on slopes of hills in northern temperate areas of Gor.
It is short-stemmed, blooms in a turf of green leaves and resembles in some
manner the rose. The dina is often called the ‘slave flower.’ It
is a prized brand in the southern parts of Gor beneath the equator, where
the dina flower is a rarity.
"My own brand was the 'Dina;' the dina is a small lovely, multiple petaled
flower, short-stemmed, and blooming in a turf of green leaves, usually on
the slopes of hills, in the northern temperate zones of Gor; in its budding,
though in few other ways, it resembles a rose; it is and exotic, alien flower;
it is also spoken of, in the north, where it grows most frequently, as the
slave flower; it was burned into my flesh; in the south, below the Gorean
equator, where the flower is much more rare, it is prized more highly." (Book
11: Slave Girl of Gor, page 61)
BOND_MAID BRAND Found frequently in
the north, the brand used on bond-maids consists of a half circle with, at
its right tip, a steep diagonal line adjoining the circle. The half circle
is approximately an inch and a quarter in width; the diagonal line adjoining
the half circle is about an inch and a quarter in height. Since a bond-maid
in the north is sometimes referred to as a woman whose belly lies beneath
the sword, this brand, like many others, is very symbolic.
"The brand used by Forkbeard is not uncommon in the north, though there is
less uniformity in Torvaldsland on these matters than in the south, where
the merchant caste, with its recommendations for standardization, is more
powerful. All over Gor, of course, the slave girl is a familiar commodity.
The brand used by the Forkbeard, found rather frequently in the north, consisted
of a half circle, with, at its right tip, adjoining it, a steep, diagonal
line. The half circle is about an inch and a quarter in width, and the diagonal
line about an inch and a quarter in height. The brand is, like many, symbolic.
In the north, the bond-maid is sometimes referred to as a woman whose belly
lies beneath the sword.” (Book 9: Marauders of Gor, page 87)
BRANDS OF THE NOMADS Each of the nomadic
tribes uses a brand TUCHUK The brand of the Tuchuk tribe is approximately
an inch high. The sign of the four bosk horns, set in a manner which resembles
an ‘H’ is used to mark both the Tuchuk slave girl and the bosk,
although the brand for the bosk is much larger, being roughly six-inches
square. ”…the brand of the Tuchuk slave, incidentally, is not the
same as that used in the cities, which, for girls, is the first letter of
the expression Kajira in cursive script, but the sign of the four bosk horns,
set in such a manner as to somewhat resemble the letter ‘H,’ is
only about an inch high; the common Gorean brand, on the other hand is usually
an inch and a half to two inches high; the brand of the four bosk horns,
of course, is also used to mark the bosk of the Tuchuks, but there, of course,
is much larger, forming roughly a six-inch square…”
(Book 4: Nomads of Gor, page 62)
KASSARS The bola, so efficiently utilized
by the Kassars and a part of their standard, is used to mark both their slaves
and bosk. The brand symbolizing the bola consists of three circles joined
at the center by lines.
"The standard of the Kassars is that of a scarlet, three-weighted bola, which
hangs from a lance; the symbolic representation of a bola, three circles
joined at the center by lines, is used to mark both their bosk and slaves."
(Book 4: Nomads of Gor, page 106)
KATAII The brand used by the Kataii
on their animals and slaves is that of a bow, facing to the left.
"The standard of the Kataii is a yellow bow, bound across a black lance;
their brand is also that of a bow, facing to the left." (Book 4: Nomads of
Gor, page 106)
PARAVACI Symbolic of a bosk head, the
Paravaci brand is a semicircle resting on an inverted isosceles triangle.
"The Paravaci standard is a large banner of jewels beaded on golden wires,
forming the head and horns of a bosk its value is incalculable; the Paravaci
brand is a symbolic representation of a bosk head, a semicircle resting on
an inverted isosceles triangle." (Book 4: Nomads of Gor, page 106)
TAHARIC KEF By the description, the
Taharic Kef brand is very similar to the common Kef brand. A graceful script
written language, there is little difference between the printed and cursive
script and no distinction between the capital and lower-case letters, being
very floral in appearance. The Taharic brand is the initial letter of the
expression ‘Kajira.’
"Taharic is a very graceful script. It makes no distinctions between capital
and small letters, and little distinction between printed and cursive script.
Anyone who can read printed Taharic will have no difficulty in following
cursive Taharic. The men of the Tahari are content to form their letters
carefully and beautifully, being fond of them. To scribble Taharic is generally
regarded not as proving oneself a swift, efficient fellow, but something
of a boor, insensible to beauty. The initial printed letter of 'Kajira,'
rather than the cursive letter, as generally, is used as the common brand
for women in the Tahari. Both the cursive letter in common Gorean and the
printed letter in Taharic are rather lovely, both being somewhat floral in
appearance." (Book 10: Tribesman Of Gor, Page 148-149)
MARK OF TREVE Those of the City of Treve
sometimes mark their slaves with the first letter, in cursive script, of
the name of the city of Treve. Described as beautifully insolent and startling,
this mark would be used on those slaves that the men of the Home Stone of
Treve would wish to have declared as having been enslaved by those of Treve.
"'I have never seen a brand of Treve,' I said. 'It is rare,' said Ena, proudly.
'May I see your brand?' I asked. I was curious. 'Of course," said Ena, and
she stood up and, extending her left leg, drew her long, lovely white garment
to her hip, revealing her limb. I gasped. "Incised deeply, precisely, in
that slim, lovely, now-bared thigh was a startling mark, beautiful, insolent,
dramatically marking that beautiful thigh as that which it now could only
be, that of a female slave. 'It is beautiful,' I whispered. Eta pulled away
the clasp at the left shoulder of her garment, dropping it to her ankles.
She was incredibly beautiful. ‘Can you read?’ she asked.
‘No,’ I said. She regarded the brand. 'It is the first letter,
in cursive script,' she said, 'of the name of the city of Treve.' ‘It
is a beautiful mark,’ I said." (Book 7: Captive of Gor, page 277)
BRANDS NOT NORMALLY FOUND ON GOR
"Incidentially, there are many brands on Gor. Two that almost never occur
on Gor, by the way, are those of the moons and collar, and of the chain and
claw. The first of these commonly occurs in certain of the Gorean enclaves
on Earth, which serve as headquarters for agents of the Priest-Kings; the
second tends to occur in the lairs of the Kurii agents on Earth; the first
brand consists of a locked collar and, ascending diagonally above it, extending
to the right, three quarter moons; this brand indicates the girl is subject
to Gorean discipline; the chain-and-claw brand signifies, of course, slavery
and subjection to the compass of the Kur yoke." (Book 13: Explorers of Gor,
page 12)
PRIEST KINGS Surprisingly, this brand
can be found on slaves of Gorean agents of the Priest-Kings on Earth and
is not normally found on Gor itself. The brand consists of a locked collar,
with three quarter moons ascending in a diagonal line to the right above
it. KURII The chain and claw brand of the Kurii signifies that the slave
is subject to the compass of the Kur yoke.
KNIFE BRAND OF SCHENDI While most brands
on Gor are burned into silken flesh by hot iron, those brands common to the
jungles of Schendi are applied very differently. A knife blade cuts a specific
design into the flesh; a powder is then added to color the mark, much like
a tattoo, though the cutting process is more similar to scarification.
"From the box he then took a small, curved knife and a tiny, cylindrical
leather flask. I gritted my teeth, but made no sound. With the small knife
he gashed my left thigh, making upon it a small, strange design. He then
took a powder, orange in color, from the flask and rubbed it into the wound."
(Book 13: Explorers of Gor, page 330)
PORT KAR While mentioned, this brand
is not described and could either be the brand of the city or possibly the
brand of the Caste of Thieves of Port Kar.
"I have five brands," said the metal worker, "the common Kajira brand, the
Dina, the Palm, the mark of Treve, the mark of Port Kar." (Book 13: Explorers
of Gor, page 70)
CASTE OF THIEVES This brand is mentioned
several times throughout the books and not described, other than the placement
of this small brand is on the right cheek, over the cheekbone, on those members
of the Caste of Thieves of Port Kar. “
On his right cheek, over the cheekbone was the Thief brand of the Caste of
Thieves of Port Kar, who use the small brand to identify their members.”
(Book 5: Assassin of Gor, page 96)
PENALTY BRANDS Tiny letters used to designate
the bearer as ‘thief,’ ‘liar,’ ‘traitor’ were
applied as punishment for wrongdoings, much in the manner of the ancient
Greeks and Romans who also marked their lawbreakers. While a harsh judgment,
it is, perhaps, more lenient than many of the other punishments on Gor. Four
men held me, naked, near the brazier. I could feel the heat blazing from
the cannister. The sky was very blue, the clouds were white.
"Please, no!" I wept. I saw Rask, with a heavy glove, draw forth one of the
irons from the fire. It terminated in a tiny letter, not more than a quarter
of an inch high. The letter was white hot. "This is a penalty brand," he
said. "It marks you as a liar." "Please, Master!" I wept. "I no longer have
patience with you," he said. "Be marked as what you are." I screamed
uncontrollably as he pressed in the iron, holding it firmly into my leg.
Then after some two to four ihn, he removed it. I could not stop screaming
with pain. I smelled the odor of burning flesh, my own. I began to whimper.
I could not breath. I gasped for breath. Still the men held me. "This penalty
brand," said Rask of Treve, lifting another iron from the brazier, again
with a tiny letter at it's termination, "marks you also as what you are,
as a thief." "Please, no Master!" I wept. I could not move a muscle of my
left leg. It might as well have been locked in a vise. It must wait for the
iron. I screamed uncontrollably. I had been branded as a thief. "This third
iron," said Rask of Treve, "is to, a penalty iron. I mark you with this not
for myself, but for Ute." Through raging tears I saw, white hot, the tiny
letter. "It marks you as a traitress," said Rask of Treve. He looked at me
with fury. "Be marked as a traitress," he said. Then he pressed the third
iron into my flesh. As it entered my flesh, biting and searing, I saw Ute
watching, her face betraying no emotion. I screamed, and wept, and screamed.
Still the men did not release me. Rask of Treve lifted the last iron from
the fire. It was much larger, the letter at it's termination some one and
a half inches high. It, too, was white hot. I knew the brand. I had seen
it on Ena's thigh. It was the mark of Treve. Rask of Treve had decided that
my flesh should bare that mark. "No, Master, please!" I begged him. "Yes,
worthless slave," he said, "You will wear in your flesh the mark of the city
of Treve." "Please," I begged. "When men ask you," he said, "who it was that
marked you as a liar and a thief, and traitress, point to this brand, and
say, I was marked by one of Treve, who was displeased with me." (Book 7:
Captive of Gor, page 310)
