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The Counter-Earth and its culture. About Gor an Essay - G o r - The Gor Book Series by John Norman And From Tarl Cabot who sent it to Earth for publishing. |
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Consider, if you will, ancient cultures from the Greeks, Romans, Vikings, Eskimos, Africans, and peoples from various parts of Earth from the ancient ages transplanted to a world fierce and primal in its animals and flora. Only the strong will survive. Next take the knowledge that this world sits in direct opposite orbit of Earth itself. Hidden by the single sun. The only way for people to have come here was to be brought here by highly technological intelligent beings. The Priest-Kings The Priest-Kings, perhaps thought of as gods, mysterious enough and powerful enough to control the cultural growths of the planet and inhibit certain technological advancements. Such as claiming it to be forbidden knowledge and quelching its development of war machines of mass destruction with a killing swiftness of a blue fire, they inhabit a range of black mountains called the Sardar in the east of the northern hemisphere. Interestingly enough it might be noted that the compass is drawn not to the polar north but to the Sardar. Are the Priest-Kings gods, men, aliens that hold the ultimate rule over the planet? This is Gor. Savage. Exacting. Beautiful. Primal. Gor in gorean, and any of the minor barbaric languages on Gor, means the Home Stone. A fierce primal world. A savage land tamed in places with the sheer strength of will by determined men who would make it so. The culture surrounds itself on the strength of men, beauty, truth of the biological natural order of men to beautiful women free and owned, and the harsh justice to its enemies. That which people rally together for is the Home Stone "... there is a saying on Gor, ... that one who speaks of the Home Stones should stand, for matters of honor are here involved, and honor is respected in the barbaric codes of Gor." "These stones," said my father, "are various, of different colour, shapes, and sizes, and many of them are intricately carved. Some of the largest cities have small, rather insignificant Home Stones, but of incredible antiquity, dating back to the time when the city was a village or only a mounted pride of warriors with no settled abode." Tarnsman of Gor pg. 27. The word for stranger is the same as the word for enemy. Caste A cultural Caste system exists, the Initiates, Scribes, Builders, Physicians and Warriors , are the Five "high castes" and usually most well educated of the population with the second knowledge. There are other castes as well filling the roles of profession and trade. Knowledge The First Knowledge being what is expected to know about the planet with its myths and mysteries of its creation and the strong belief in the Priest-Kings as godlike beings with supernatural powers. The Second Knowledge is known perhaps as a more scientific view of the existence of Gor, that there are other planets and other beings of intelligence, those of Earth are thought of as fit chattel to serve on Gor. (Some know of the Others, the Kurii that threaten the planet and some know too what and who the Priest-Kings are, those that serve in the Sardar itself. Yet this additional topic is not up for general information to the populace even those of the second knowledge.) The second knowledge is not freely spoken of nor is it assumed that those of lower castes would understand the disillusionment of what is fact from their reality. Gorean For the most part the Gorean is a mentally and physically healthy dominant strong willed individual holding honor, integrity and respect high in their value system. There are those too that are free and those that serve, hired into the services of others for pay, not mentally dominant to lead yet confident in their position in life, and there are those that serve abjectly as male or female slaves. A kajira - slave girl, mostly the beautiful females that are placed at the feet of strong men. There are a few male slaves that are bred to serve free women in a capacity of abject obedience as well, commonly thought of as silk slaves for their passion abilities, yet they are few. A woman who has a true man at her feet might be well advised to keep him securely chained and away from her. He would soon reverse the status of both and escape with her as his prize. The world Gor The world Gor is slightly smaller than earth thus it has a little less gravity than earth. To look up at the night sky the stars would appear nearly the same, yet until the three moons of the planet rose above the horizon in their orbits you might have had difficulty deciding if you truly were on another planet. Also another indication would be seeing the animal life a majority of its chattel are reptilian beasts tamed to some extent. The Men and Women are humans that inhabit the planet and some have seen in distant wilds the beasts called the Kur. A common yet vicious animal is the sleen, a predator with fur over it's skin ranges from small perhaps 12 kg to over a ton of the sea-sleen which might inhabit the great ocean Thassa, think of a sleen as a six legged furred kamodo dragon with the suppleness and cunning of weasels. Horses do not exist on this planet nor do dogs, some felines such as the huge larl, part of the larl species a white larl resembles in build and ferocity that of the saber tooth tiger, and there are panthers in the forests. The plains have giant ox like cattle called bosks. There is a large boarlike creature called a tarsk, equally dangerous as all the wild animals of Gor are. There are intelligent arachnids with translator devices in the forest near a marshy area some pasangs from Ar. All the animals, from the small urt, a rodent like creature, to the giant thalarian appear to be either indigenous life forms or imported from pervious voyages of acquisition. The extensive beauty and variety of vegetation of the planet can be vicious (a leech vine) and deadly (the kanda root). Thus living in cities and protective bands is important and men being physically stronger protect their cities from the wild life with walls, weapons, and brute force, and from attacking enemies with swords, spears, vats of oil, arrows and catapults that shoot stones or burning bales of oiled cloth. The technologies of the world remain low tech requiring a labor force of free men to build cities, and the use of strong male slaves for road work, quarry work, salt mining to mention a few. Guarded Caravans travel the roads between cities carrying goods and escorting free women and families hoping to not fall prey to raiders and bandits. Yet not all of the world is that low tech there are energy globes and a few other ingenious items said to be gifts from the Priest-Kings. Also before the age of 25 all free men and women are said to be required to make the journey to the feet of the Sardar Mountains to gaze upon them and to give honor to the Priest-Kings, these pilgrims are usually robed in white. This pilgrimage is advocated by the Initiates of the Priest-Kings and is an integral part of the Gorean Culture. Often times those women going to the Sardar to pay homage find the caravan they're in attacked and they themselves enslaved and when they reach the Sardar it is not as a free person but as a slave kneeling upon the platform viewing the mountains while their new Master gives thanks and praise to the Priest-Kings. Cities and outside cities, architectural designs, sociology The home stone is of great significance to the citizen of Gor for it is his identity and culture. Each city is a sovereign state into itself and governs thusly behind its walls and perhaps spreads out to a few surrounding small villages that may owe their allegiance to the city for it's protection. In Tarnsman of Gor the chief objective of the Priest-Kings is made clear, that is to prevent a unification of the cities one such attempt is being made by Marlenus of Ar, known as the Ubar of Ubars, for years he has gathered allegiances from smaller cities surrounding Ar, the year is 10,110 Contasta Ar, from the founding of Ar, when something interesting happens. Chronology Ar is one of the oldest cities on the planet, the 25th book in the series dates the events up to 10,131 Contasta Ar, dating in this manner is globally recognized term for keeping records yet each city or village also has its own founding event for dating. Ar is a city perhaps over 2 to 3 million people of various castes and status. Ar is nestled at the foot hills of the great Voltai Mountain range. It may be assumed to consider now that the date of Ar could be 10,152. Each community be it city village, settlement when its home stone is created or when a new administration begins dates itself for the year of the name of the event that took place. Such as in year 7 of the Sovereignty of the Council of Captains, in Port Kar as the ruling control and its creation of it's home stone of that port city. The general building design of the most common cities is that of large round cylinder towers that rise up several hundred feet into the sky and have spans of bridges as walkways between them, and common rectangular buildings of wood or stone. Artistry, and beauty are an intense part of the Gorean culture and this is reflected in the architecture. Individual great Houses will have a wall around them, with various craftsmen working in there own buildings on the site with perhaps a central tower as the main quarters of the opulent owner of such estates with a city. Most all food is grown outside the cities in the fields, orchards and ranches that may surround it for pasangs, a pasang near equivalent to 1.23 kilometers or 7 tenths of a mile. The fields outside the cities and most are farmed by the free peasants, who might live in thatch huts or clay and mud homes also to it might not be impossible that they live in wood built houses. The Peasants live as they want, free and owners of each their own home stone. The caste of Merchants, wanting to be counted as the sixth highest caste but is not and is not included in the five high castes, range from city to city and meet several times annually at the four Sardar Fairs held at the equinox's and solstices and between which help govern the economic standards of the planet. The most important Sardar Fair is that of En'Kara which takes place in the springtime. Each city produces its own coins in gold, silver, copper, the largest denomination is a double weight golden tarn disk, a common mans fortune for life, and the smallest is a copper tarsk bit, the weight of the coin as well as the purity can determine the value which may differ slightly from city to city, some larger coins can be broken and used in bits, like the copper tarsk. Each coin in itself is hand created with the seals and images of the city that authorizes them. Free citizens Most of the peoples on the planet are free citizens with caste status who go about their daily lives secure in their cities, raising families, full of city pride, (which may or may not create a disdain for an enemy city but normally would). It is common to have rival enemy cities for a young warrior needs someone to go steal a woman from to make his slave best that the victory of doing so is from ones enemy. Children on Gor are well cared for and cherished, taught respect and discipline, educated within their caste, treated without degradation and shaming of their physical selves and their spirits which creates a strong person. When at the right age in their mid to late teens they begin their life's destiny by becoming a caste member or placed in the caste that they have aptitude for. It is possible for a high caste such as a scribe son to become a builder or even a metal worker though that would greatly reduce the sons caste for himself. Women learn at this age certain prostration's, such as the act of submission in case she may some day fall slave to enemies of city she may choose slavery over dying an honorable death as a free woman. Each city is sovereign unto itself held together by the common bond of the cities home stone. Differences in opinion and likes and dislike range from one person to the next of the same city, noted though racial characteristics are ignored, yet caste status, allegiance and perhaps points of view are not. When there is a call to arms in defense of the city, personal grievances will be set aside and each will do their best in their home cities defense. Caste If the aptitude is there a person may change caste by rising in caste or if not then the person may be lowered in caste. Perhaps it would be difficult for someone of a high caste to find they are suited for one of the craft or trade castes. There is a caste called the players, those men that play the game, Kaissa, a game of strategy similar to chess but on a hundred square red and yellow field. No slave is allowed to play the game and it is said that no player may be enslaved. Women are not forbidden to learn the game but few have been mentioned in playing the game. There are also theater performers and they though may be the property of wealthy producers of theatrical performances. Being of one caste is the citizens identity along with their home stone and regions culture. Criminal activity does exist, it is dishonorable, and thieves caught are often punished with enslavement and sent to work off their crime if they are so lucky, and punishments also vary from city to city. Outlaws caught are enslaved, or hamstrung, or impaled, they are those that have been expelled or left their city and caste and go about undesignated living their lives outside city walls as best they can. Some quite profitably. Women caught in criminal activity are often sentenced to slavery immediately upon the second offense if she has not learned her lesson from the first offenses punishment, some may not be given the choice on being caught legally for their first offense but simply be enslaved. It is not unusual to impale criminals of other cities or even the citizens of enemy cities if caught within the walls, men as well as women. Cities do war with each other over many things, pride, land, the offense of one high individual to another, economics, lust for a beautiful woman and such as they have through the ages for they are human. The men of enemy cities are usually put to death by the victor or enslaved for work crews, the women are almost always enslaved if they are found pleasing enough if not they too are killed. Property is taken as victory spoils, property includes even the free women and of course former slaves of the losers. Free Men Are not ashamed of their emotions and at times when they may even shed tears unabashedly. Men enjoy many things, they do not find music or theater or poetry and song as anything silly but a part of their culture and many men are poets and musicians and singers. They do as they please within the laws of their city and of their Castes and their hearts. They make their own friendships and associations are not restricted to the same Caste but generally it appears that they socialize with their own caste members. (Initiates may be restricted in this manner it is not quite known how they form their circles of confidences or compatriots.) Men hold the free woman in respect for the common thought is that she be someone's companion or she is a mother and most often deferentially treat them. Yet their patience with a woman can be worn thin, even a free woman as a companion can wear her companions patience too thin and find trouble that way. (Some men have secretly arranged for the abduction of a woman and her enslavement more so for political reasons then just to get her out of their hair). A curt rebuff is usually enough from a man to set a familiar free woman of his caste or lower caste to behave more intelligently. To a woman of higher caste though he would, being of lower caste, defer to her. Yet other men of her caste if about may decide to speak to her to settle down for her behavior might not be lady like. Men insist that women behave gracefully, sometimes they have little control over the attitudes of a free woman but they will demand grace and beauty from their collared girls. Men have little to no patience for a slave, quick to cuff if the slave is lax or even dares to speak with imperatives. Each free man considers himself a master as do each free woman considers herself a mistress to any that are slave. Though some may still require some education in their Caste or decide to change castes and even become outlaw they are still free. Not all free men can afford to own a luscious slave but can if they desire visit the local tavern establishments that offer drink and a girl at the price of a cup. They are prideful and arrogant yet not disrespectful to the honest laws of the city. Goreans love beauty and love to have beauty around them and this shows in their gardens, music, art, buildings and their clothing, also in the live stock that they own or the orchards that they grow. Even in the demands upon their women of their households to be graceful and beautiful. A masters slave girl who has somehow offended a free woman is in much danger, her master commanding the slave to the mistresses feet to beg for forgiveness. He may then if he chooses to ask the Lady if she desires that he destroy the slave. The results more often then not recorded in the series shows that the Lady does not have the slave destroyed but accepts in its place that the slave be punished seeing the ultimate fate of the slave in her hand and the hardness of the slaves owners eyes. Free Women in cities and on Gor, (in the books.) The sensitivities of free women are often taken into consideration and out of respect for them by most men when they are in mixed company, the slave girls serving behave totally with deference and obediently. Once the free woman or women have departed from the gathering, the men relax and behave as they will and command the slave girls present then to return to behaving as the sensual beasts that they are. A woman may be of any Caste except that of the Initiates of the Priest-Kings include also Assassins and Players. Free women do not go unattended outside the city walls. Often too unless of low caste free women do not go unattended from their own family homes. They wear extensive concealing garments, robes of concealment, and the layered veils in the cities. Lower caste women may afford to only veil themselves with a common veil cloth and wear simple long and concealing garments. They have their own rights to their opinions and their attitudes about life and culture. They are free to speak their mind as well when they choose and give voice to grievances, as well the legal recourses to do business etc. they are free. They may even if need be go to the courts over legal matters. Commonly a single free woman seeking the free companionship (fc) of a man will wait upon the man to approach her father and mother and ask for her. Or if she is independent enough to arrange for the companionship herself. With her dowry, a one year contractual agreement is drawn up and signed, extensively more so if the woman is of wealth and family before the free companion ceremony. The ceremony of drinking from the same goblet of wine with interlocked arms binds the two as companions. Its like a marriage, yet if either falls victim to slavery the contract is nullified. Or if not renewed yearly on the anniversary of the initial companionship the companionship ends and the contract is nullified. In large households of wealth the free woman's father may arrange for a free companionship for his daughter regardless of whether or not she desires the man in question as a companion. Sometimes a woman has run away from home because of this and if lucky did not end up in a collar by some enterprising man seeing a woman alone and unprotected. Free women own slaves commonly female and occasionally male. The view of the slave as an intelligent animal servant and worker is culturally common. Thus the free woman believing she is different and could not have animal needs or the conditions of a slave views herself far superior, and rightly so to any slave. The free women in a family, sisters to brothers, are very eager and delighted when he brings home a slave girl of his is own, they, his sisters, would no longer be required to perform servile tasks for him, cleaning of his quarters, laundry and serving him as any free woman would chastely. The free woman relative remains respectful to any man of the household in which she lives and her duties may then follow more of her mothers directions to some important management tasks, or the dictates of the education that her father or guardian when she is underage requires. If she remains in the household single and a free citizen of the city she is still under the guidance and directives of her father or former guardian as it is his house and not hers. At the coming of Age a free woman is robed elegantly and taken to the city council there to swear her oaths as citizen to the cities home stone. It is possible for a free woman to live by herself in her own compartments if she is rich enough to do so with her own body of servants both free and bonded. Even in the cities it's hard for a free woman to live by herself especially if she is without family and sufficient funds, and if she has not a free companion prospect she may opt to be a kept woman, to live with a man of her choice being he is agreeable to keep her. There as a kept woman and not an fc, she tends to household duties, sometimes not even skilled herself in housekeeping and she would be there alone for if he owned slave he more than likely wouldn't have let her come live with him. She works under the directions that he has given her. She is quite free to speak her mind yet mindful that if she becomes too naggy or difficult she may be put out on the street by him or if he desires enslaved by him. You cannot enslave your FC at will. She must violate a city law and then only the courts can enslave her. (This one wishes to thank Ubar Luther for this point of clarification so that men may remember the accuracy’s of the law.) Most free women are high spirited, proud, arrogant and often haughty yet respectful to the ultimate order of Men. (Those that are not become outlaw running off to the famed northern forests to join bands of outlaw females called Panther Girls, or have escaped south into the jungles beyond Schendi along the Ua and are called Talunas.) A Free woman may be regal enough and intelligent enough to be the ruler of a city through family lines, she being the Tatrix, highly honored and obeyed as any Queen would be so obeyed. There has not been recorded in the books of Gor of a woman being voted into the position of Administrator beyond the former Tatrix of Tharna, Lara who ruled as the Cities Administrator, thus generally it would not appear for the time being that an Administratorship be a viable public regency occupation for a woman. In the books by John Norman an allegory of human behavior and conditions is displayed, (we wish to thank a recent post by Mistress Sophia DeeR for her analysis of the allegory). Thus the free woman having control of her physical self and her passions does not display nor scandalize herself or family by wanton sexual behaviors that are often commanded of kajira owned by men. If a free woman owns kajirae, slave girls, then she is more likely to clothe them in longer sleeveless garmenture and forbid them the touch of Masters or the display of needs of a Master and if the slave does so may find herself swiftly disciplined and harshly so. Also she may use her girls in capacities of forcing them to learn information from guards or men by having them sent to them for their pleasures. But more often then not the free woman sees only that the slave girl is an animal, legally, and must be controlled, she also it appears in the books has a high disdain for slave girls and often is harsher and crueler to them than being sympathetic to the slave. A freewoman would not object terribly to have her nose pierced but would never willingly have her ears pierced as this is a degradation to her and signifies culturally that she is a slave. She would not wear bracelets on her left wrist nor upon her left ankle and never a necklace close about her throat. She would avoid crossing her wrists when reclining casually back in reflection or even cross her ankles as those are considered symptoms of asking to made a slave as well. She may dream of being Mastered but may never express so to anyone for fear that she find her self awaking one morning not in her chambers but in a slavers cage. Free Women not of the cities such as those of the wagon people, the inuit, some southern tribes and those outlaws the panther girls, do not go about veiled or in heavy robes of concealment. They do though behave as free women and treat slaves as what slaves are, slaves. Power is held in the cities by the Five High Castes The cities under normal conditions are ruled by an administrator who wears the brown robes of office and the council, being those of the Initiates, Scribes, Builders, Physicians and Warriors. During times of War an Ubar, a skilled leader of men and most usually of the Warriors, will rule until the time for civil order has returned and then the Ubar steps down from his purple robes and either becomes the Administrator of the city by popular ascent of the council and citizens or another is elected to be the Administrator of the city, the former Ubar returns to commanding the Warriors and the troupes of the city. That is politics, much has not changed in that region, wealth does play a strong part in who is ruling the city, village, or town, at a time, and of course the contest of wills and wealth will determine who rules and who is to be ruled. The Initiates the Highest Caste, are said to have contact with the Priest-Kings themselves and many have had, (some being implanted ones and controlled directly by the mystical Priest-Kings of the Sardar Mountains). Also quite unique to the Initiates is their manner of dress and grooming, they shave their heads, wear white long robes and monitor the population of their cities psychological spiritual health. But being men they sometimes fault under the power, those in the culture that oppose them, or the said will of the Priest-Kings may suffer the flame death, blue flame like a bolt of lightning from the sky, or may find someday an assassins knife at their back if the initiate in power has not been able to convince the popular thought against one. Also no female may be an initiate and initiates do not eat meat or beans and appear to have a life of celibacy. Thus a man may enter the caste of initiates if found suitable by the particular branch of Initiates in each city or sector of a large city. The icon symbol of the Priest-Kings is a golden circle, gold is predominant in the shrines and altars to the Priest-Kings. The Scribes Second highest Caste, are educated astute men and women who cherish the written document, even if they can not read the letters written upon them. Their reverence for documentation brings them each year into keeping the language up to date and events in the calligraphic and block Gorean script of the histories of Gor, of cities, events, census, contracts, letters, writings of stories and accounting. The caste colour is blue, a deep azure blue robe, much like that of Masters of Education, they are teachers, recorders, owning slaves that use a shorthand form in dictation's, compiling books and scrolls, copying works to the letter. Scribes are not known for their physical strength but that does not mean they are weak men or women. Skilled in creating inks, papers, parchments, tanning writing skins, wax and sand tablets, utensils for writing. Thus keeping their Caste fluent and up to date as humanly possible. The scribes mind is keen and sharp in recalling events from memory and having the documentation to back up what they know. The Builders Third highest Caste, are educated men who know the technologies involved in making buildings, bridges, roads, aqueducts, canals, ships, etc. that will stand the test of time. There are many fields of expertise in the Builders caste. They have special skills that are caste related and without Builders there would be no city with fortified walls and strongholds, also they are very inventive and creative with the forms of architecture that they use. The caste colour of the Builders is Yellow. They know glass, and have created the glass of the builders, with its lenses which is a telescope used by ship captains. not much in particular is written about the builders themselves in the books that this one has read yet their evidence of ingenuity and cleverness is written of in the books. They do not allow slaves to build the foundations and buildings of a city. Slaves are for the hauling of supplies the crude rudimentary work that does not require trust, and for the other labor intensive works. The only city reportedly to have used slave labor in the building of its walls and structures is Port Kar; a dangerous city with a council of Privateer Captains and Slavers. A place where Outlaws can go and join a city, a dangerous city indeed. The Physicians Fourth highest Caste, well versed in medical sciences that reach perhaps to special training and knowledge sent by the Priest-Kings themselves perhaps. The caste colour is green. There are many fields of expertise as well in the Physicians. Research being one where the stabilization serums, (perhaps a product of knowledge sent down by the Priest-Kings), which can for the majority of the population prolong the longevity and youthfulness of the human body. Disease is swiftly dealt with, some still, like the Bazi plague, a disease with outbreaks of high fever and skin eruptions and pustules that physicians maybe researching a cure for yet not forbidden to be treated like Darcosis, the one disease which the Initiates claim to be a curse of the Priest-Kings for some hidden sin. (Most Physicians disagree with this pronouncement of the Initiates believing that all disease is treatable), the Darcosis, (similar to the leprosy disease on earth). Those afflicted with Darcosis wear a covering of grundgy yellow robes and wrappings of rags. Either vocally or by the tapping of sticks together the afflicted warn others to stay away. Health and diet and preventive treatments are encouraged for the local populace in various forms by their cities health care professionals. The treatment of men and women is done honorably, though there may be some exceptions as there are in all cases of human beings. Women as well as Men may be Physicians and trained by Physicians to be Physicians or even Nurses, for the various tasks that medically may be needed done. In treating slaves medical needs a Physician does so as that of a Master to any slave silently and efficiently and reporting only to the slaves Master the care for the health of the slave. The Physician sees the slave as what the slave is property and an animal and does not deign to be overly gentle nor cruel. Physicians may also prescribe special diets for slaves at their Masters request. The Warriors Fifth highest Caste. The caste colour is Red. There are Warrior Codes that are stricter and harsher then the codes of the other Castes. For instance, Honor and integrity and allegiance to the warriors Home Stone. A warrior is specially trained, his senses keen and skillful in his deadly art. Usually from his Homes City Council's approval, after his training and being spoken for as being trained by qualified and respected warriors of the city, may he earn the red of the Caste fully. It is a lot different then just being hired on as a mercenary guard. Women are never trained to be warriors. Any man can be trained to fight, not all are Warriors. There is a skill and subtle danger to the warrior who is uncompromising in his lust and his battles. A warrior would rather slay a woman who submitted at his feet then refuse her bondage if he found her displeasing to his eye then to send her back humiliated to her family for the act of submitting as a slave to him. He also may not desire to kill her, so he takes her into bondage and at the first opportunity sell her to another immediately if he finds he does not wish to be burdened with her after her use as a slave. A warrior would rather die than to submit to slavery. A warrior can be taken prisoner, often given an honorable death if not simply slain on the battle field, or taken prisoner and forced into slavery but he will never accept it nor beg for it, to do so is to break his codes and the oaths he gave; effectively dishonoring his city and himself, proving to himself that he is only fit to be a slave if he does. Warriors own slaves, and find that they are most desirable kept in their abject life as what they are. A warrior may if in traveling alone for several days and his need is upon him, and if he comes across a woman's entourage ask her for the use of one of her slave girls. Warriors needs seem to be more intense then those of other men. (Beasts of Gor). If he comes across a woman alone she will surely be put to proper use, if free paid for such use or if free and found desirable enslaved and his. Such appears to be one of the rights in the Caste of Warriors that is recognized on Gor. They are more than mercenaries, who perhaps were warriors of a city at one time. The Merchants Caste not of the five High Castes, though they think they should be included as the sixth caste, they tend to be aptly able to control the economics of the city and the standards for prices can be set for various products and services throughout the planet when they meet a the Sardar Fairs. The caste colours are White and gold. They can control the flow of trade goods between cities even. (It is good to be wary of some merchants.) Bankers also are a member of the Merchants as they tender the moneys and form investments along with the employ of scribes for various endeavors. Each city usually has a street of coins where money matters are dealt with. Markets Merchants do handle the various economic markets in the cities, even to the approving of small shops by certain caste members and disapproving if they find the caste member in some form of disfavor, within the Merchant Castes as in other Castes are levels of glory, education, and skill. One could be a simple peddler and still be proud to be of the Caste of Merchants. Slavers Legally a subcaste of the Merchants with more of its own rules and techniques special to their Caste. The caste colours are blue and yellow. Slavery is a legal trade on the planet. They are adapt at the acquisition and training of slaves both male and female. Some Slavers own extensive training houses and some just caravans and tents. A skilled Slaver can identify a woman hiding in the robes of concealment that is truly a slave by having her perform a simple demonstration such as the pouring of liquid into a cup for a Man. Or in the way that the woman walks and carries herself. Other Castes not knowing which of the lower castes follow which in rank steps except that of the Peasant on whose back the world exists upon appears to be the lowest, yet the peasants are among the most proudest. There are the Players, Metal Workers, the Leather Workers, the Weavers, the Bakers, the Perfumers, Musicians, Singers, etc. one suspects that any profession or skilled trade would be its own caste and will have their own style of clothing design, patches or caste colour group, and caste rules and secrets. There are sleen traders, those skilled at the raising of hunting sleen, Animal Husbandry and veterinary Caste? Perhaps, the World is quite large. The Kajira and the Kajirus Female and Male Slaves. It is often the female of ones enemy that will be at the feet of a warrior as his slave. Due to the planets population, though, there are actually only approximately 2 to 3% that wear collars publicly and serve the masters and mistresses of the world of Gor, and only 10% of that number are male slaves. It may be assumed that of these percentages the slave force is taken from the population itself. Some 10 maybe 15% of the 2 to 3% are imported barbarians. Of this import, the majority being beautiful females, come from the planet Earth. Those free that are involved with the planetary politics know that it is not the Priest-Kings that are importing the lovely bondmaids to Gor over the last years, at least a spare few know that it is the Kurii that are doing so. People that do not speak Gorean are considered by Goreans to be Barbarians and worth the collar of slavery. Those of the first knowledge assume such barbarians are from distant outlying lands of the continent. Those of the second knowledge from where these lovely chattel are brought from. For over ten thousand years the population of Gor has had human inhabitation with this cultural base due to the ways of the Mysterious Priest-Kings of Gor. Nothing in the way of the legal and political status of the slave has changed in those times, they are slaves and thus at the total mercy of their owners. People who live long and can, maintain to influence the wills of the culture to keep Gor as a low tech manageable and pristine fierce world. Slavers will bred slaves for qualities in their own great Houses or even for exotics for some particular characteristic for collectors. They also acquire slaves either those of enemy cities or while traveling outside city walls. Politically and culturally there is generally no opposition to slavery and owning slaves. If a female slave births a boy child after being mated it is possible that the child would be raised as any other and educated in the house hold, and it is even possible that the male child would be raised and kept free. All female births of a mated slave are considered of course to increase the slavers stock. It is more common to mark a kajira with one of the many brands then it is to mark with the common brand the kajirus, though males do get branded, but not always as immediately as a female. Any owner can decide to breed his slave girl with any male slave of his choice, or if with a free man there is usually some form of compensational payment made for such. Thus culturally the institution of slavery has been active since the beginning, men can often be enslaved and then freed, most are used as laborers and those duties pertained to a low tech world where brute labor is required to do the work that man of earth has created machines for. The higher technologies being reserved for the use of the rulers or guardians of the Planet, the Priest-Kings. Female slaves hold many positions of servitude in the culture, never as caretakers of free children nor as educators of free, a slave may not instruct a free person, but they can teach other slaves at the orders of their owners to do so and many slave girls do, explicitly and with quick discipline for errors. Some duties and drudgeries are perhaps kettle slave, a cleaning woman, cooks, laundresses, weeders of fields, herders of grazing animals, collectors of dung, tavern wenches, paga slaves, pot and mat girls, pleasure slaves, if they are found beautiful enough, some as lofty as living flowers of a rich mans pleasure gardens. Being as a humans sexuality is not degraded on the planet most men find slave girls quite a treasure to own. Hardly ever is a female slave freed, but it has happened. A couple of common sayings about female slaves is only a fool frees a slave and only a fool buys a woman clothed. Unlike the likely hood of a male slave who may be granted freedom or if strong enough simply take it back, female slaves are kept exactly where they belong. If they are displeasing they are disciplined, often just the glance of displeasure is enough for a trained kajira to beg forgiveness and beg to be pleasing. If the training of a kajira is taking long or the kajira becomes displeasing it's highly possible she will be killed or thrown alive to the Masters pet sleen for food. The very existence and life of a kajira depends upon the will of her owner. Sometimes though only the threat of death implied by the showing of the sleen or even disfigurement is enough to bring a recalcitrant slave back in line. Slave pregnancy is controlled by drinking a bitter fluid called slave wine. When a Master wishes to bred a slave for her physical qualities he will take her off the wine for a month or two to insure fertility and then have her hooded and bred with the male slave of choice for his qualities. There are many cultural sayings that have formed around the resulting culture regarding slavery, many a Gorean believes that inside each woman is a natural slave to serve at the feet of men. As well as that weak men deserve to be slaves also. It is degrading to a female slave to be given for the use of male slaves as if they were free men where she must obey them. Yet they are men and stronger then her and she will learn to obey them for the amount of time she has been tossed to them. A woman with pierced ears is considered automatically a slave and one perhaps of deep passion. In most cases, but not all, in the saga's of Tarl Cabot on Gor, the free woman is seen as a frigid, proud woman, disdainful of the animal female known as kajirae, the slave girls. Men see them thusly and sometimes wonder about them, didn't the free women realize that it could be she herself as a slave? Point of interest to know is the difference between free women and kajirae is generally one is in a collar the other is not. Most cities require their free women to be veiled and ornately robed in fine garments, but of course economics may prevent this for only the wealthy to have opulent attire, a peasant woman may simply wear a simple long garment with headscarf and veil of the common rep cloth decorated by her own hand stitching and woven upon her own cloth loom. A cultural distinction has been placed upon the differences between a free woman and that of a slave woman, the free woman would not wear skimpy clad clothing, she does defer to men, yet she does not serve them abjectly like the slave who must obey promptly. Little or no cultural distinction is placed upon the male slave once freed. He is a man after all. Training of female slaves is most extensive and some of these insights will be listed in another document that might be helpful for Masters who wish to know how to handle their kajirae. Or for kajirae who may wish to compare their knowledge with what a girl can contribute. * The saga's of Tarl Cabot on the Planet Gor are a science fictional work. Yet like many fictional works that are very well done there begins a following of those who agree to form similar ideals as in the books and also, it appears, that those who oppose such possibilities as becoming realities follow closely upon the other. In the realms of Virtual Reality you may find "Gor" and exist there for a while, or longer if you are strong. |
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