Post by adreannaTal{fb} on Nov 21, 2010 8:11:58 GMT -5
Common City Laws
1. The Laws of the City have no power outside the walls of the city However, a city does exert a zone of influence, referred to as an "ambit" which might encompass nearby villages and towns and it can be assumed that a city exerts a certain amount of control over the laws of those districts:
“There is a saying on Gor that the laws of a city extend no further than its walls.” pg 50, Outlaw of Gor
"Yet there is a hierarchy of Home Stones, one might say, and two soldiers who would cut one another down with their steel blades for an acre of fertile ground will fight side by side to the death for the Home Stone of their village or of the city within whose ambit their village lies." pg. 27, Tarnsman of Gor.
"The city-state," said my father, speaking to me one afternoon, "is the basic political division on Gor - hostile cities controlling what territory they can in their environs, surrounded by a no-man's land of open ground on every side." pg. 42, Tarnsman of Gor.
2. The laws of citizenship vary by city, but generally, a free person is a citizen of a given city only if he can reach it in one day's march. There may be certain other requirements, such as swearing to the Home Stone, attending public ceremonies and assemblies, and the annual taking of auspices. This gives some idea of what the ambit of a city might be, and reinforces the notion that the laws of a city might, indeed, in some fashion, extend beyond its walls, though this does not excuse trying to claim a woman by the laws of Port Kar while you're in Thentis, for instance, or apply Ar's Couching Laws in Port Cos. pp. 302-303, Dancer of Gor.
3. It is illegal to take out of the city a map of the city due to the dangers that it will fall into enemy hands and be used to guide invading forces through the Home Stone's streets
It is illegal in many cities, incidentally, to take maps of the city out of the city. More than one fellow, too, has put himself in the quarries or on the bench of a galley for having been caught with such a map in his possession. pg. 388, Magicians of Gor.
4. It is a misdemeanor to interfere with the duties of a state-owned slave.
"That fellow," I said, indicating the free fellow with whom I had held brief converse but a moment or so ago, "interfered with the progress of a state slave." "Go away!" she said. "They will wish to ascertain what person ordered slaves to attack a free man, an innocent fellow merely engaged in reporting a misdemeanor." pp. 384-385, Magicians of Gor.
5. It is illegal to practice your livelihood or alter your status without the consent of the Council of High Castes:
A man who refused to practice his livelihood or strove to alter status without the consent of the Council of High Castes was, by definition, an outlaw and subject to impalement. pg. 46, Tarnsman of Gor.
6. Those of the Entertainers and Players Castes may generally not be enslaved within the confines of the city. This is a matter of custom, and in some cases, legal ordinance. They may be arrested, tortured, imprisoned and executed, however. (An exception to this is that the Entertainers Caste is outlawed in the city of Tharna pp. 65-70, Outlaw of Gor.)
In most cities it is regarded, incidentally, as a criminal offense to enslave one of the caste of players. A similar decree, in most cities, stands against the enslavement of one who is of the caste of musicians. pg 44, Beasts of Gor.
Musicians on Gor, that is, members of the caste of musicians, are seldom, if ever, enslaved. Their immunity from bondage, or practical immunity from bondage, is a matter of custom. There is a saying to the effect that he who makes music must, like the tarn and the Vosk gull, be free. This is a saying, however, which I suspect was invented by the caste of musicians, to protect itself from bondage. pp. 297-298, Kajira of Gor.
The only other caste on Gor which is generally considered, for most practical purposes, as immune from bondage is the caste of players...The general affection and respect which Goreans feel for the game of Kaissa is probably the explanation for the practical immunity from bondage commonly accorded the members of the caste of players. pg. 298, Kajira of Gor.
7. No person may enter the city without permission except as noted below: The penalty for violation of this law is impalement above the city gates as a warning to others.
As was wise I avoided cities in my long journey, though I passed several, for to enter a city without permission or without satisfactory reason is tantamount to a capital crime, and the punishment is usually a swift and brutal impalement. Pikes on the walls of Gorean cities are often surmounted with the remains of unwelcome guests. pg. 49, Outlaw of Gor.
Those being granted permission are given pieces of pottery called "ostraka" to identify themselves. "As we do have the yellow ostraka and our permits do not permit us to remain in the city after dark," said Marcus, "I think we should venture now to the sun gate." Marcus was the sort of fellow who was concerned about such things, being arrested, impaled, and such. pg. 9, Magicians of Gor
8. Heralds and ambassadors may freely enter a city
"I claim ," I said, "the immunity of the herald." pg. 175, Raiders of Gor.
9. Assassins bearing the mark of the black dagger on their forehead are permitted entrance into a city without interference.
Kurrus, of the Caste of Assassins, entered the great gate of Ar. Guardsmen did not detain him, for he wore on his forehead the mark of the black dagger...When he of the Caste of Assassins has been paid his gold and has received his charge he affixes on his forehead that sign, and he may enter whatever city he pleases, and none may interfere with his work. pp. 6-7, Assassin of Gor
10. The penalty for treason is impalement or hanging for a man, sometimes enslavement for a woman.
"You have been found guilty of treason against your city and are under the sentence of impalement," said Aemilianus. pg. 379, Renegades of Gor
Her mother, before her capture, I had gathered, had been important, having been the confirmation treasurer of one of Torcadino's commercial councils, the Spice Council. She had also, in her position, I had gathered, and doubtless by her influence and acts, supported the cause of Cos. ...however, aside from all such considerations, was a citizeness of Torcadino, and Torcadino had been sworn to the cause of Ar. She had, it seemed, for whatever reason, presumably opportunism or greed, betrayed the pledge of her Home Stone. In the case of a man this can be a capital offense. She was not a man, however but a female. It was thus, doubtless, that she had not been placed on a proscription list, but only on a seizure list. It was her sex which had saved her. Had she been a man she would have been hung. pg. 141 Mercenaries of Gor.
11. The penalty for murder is impalement, even if the murder is committed in a place other than the murderer's Home Stone.
"Menicius!" he cried. It was he who slew the Warrior of Thentis. Not I!" "It was you who gave the order," I said. "...."Well," said I, "will it be my steel or the impaling spear of Ar's Justice?" pp. 382-383, Assassin of Gor
12. The penalty for desertion from the army is death by impalement.
"Surely you are a brigand," said the woman to me. "No," I said. "Then you are a deserter," she said. "It would be death for you to be found." "No," I said. "I am not a deserter." pg. 18 Mercenaries of Gor.
Beside the road, on the right, a human figure, head and legs dangling downward, on each side, was fixed on an impaling stake. The stake was some ten feet in height, and some four inches in diameter. It had been wedged between rocks and braced with stones. Its point was roughly sharpened, probably with an adz. This point had been entered in the victim's back and thrust through with great force. It emerged from the belly, and protruded some two feet above the body. "Perhaps that is a spy," I said. "More likely it is a straggler or a deserter," said the driver. pg. 40, Mercenaries of Gor.
Property Laws
1. Theft of a Home Stone is punishable by death, general impalement preceded by lengthy torture, or the tarn death, in which the victim is bound hand and foot to two tarns, lifted 100 feet in the air, and at a prearranged signal, torn apart as the birds fly in opposite directions. pp. 154-160, Tarnsman of Gor.
2. Theft of another's property is a crime. Punishment for the first offense is generally notching of the ear. Second offense depends on the sex of the offender...a male loses his left hand and both feet, a female is generally enslaved (for instance, in Lydius, pp. 47-52 Hunters of Gor).
"Her ear," I said. "Her ear was notched." Rim and Thurnock laughed. "A thief," said Thurnock....I suddenly recognized the girl. It was she who had cut my purse earlier in the day, the sensuous little wench, whose ear had been notched...I well knew what the punishment was for a Gorean female, following her second conviction for theft. pp. 47-49, Hunters of Gor
3. A thief in Port Kar, who is not a member of the thieves guild, is more fortunate: he is banished, and told that if he is found in the city after dark, he will be impaled.
"Turgus of Port Kar," said the praetor, "in virtue of what we have here today established, and in virtue of the general warrant outstanding upon you, you are sentenced to banishment. If you are found within the limits of the city after sunset this day you will be impaled." pg. 58, Explorers of Gor.
4. It is illegal to sell a slave that does not belong to you.
"For a man," said Peggy, "such an offense is punishable by exile. For a woman, remanded to a praetor, the penalty is that she commonly that she herself will then wear the collar." pg. 146, Rogue of Gor
5. It is illegal for a locksmith to make unauthorized copies of keys.
It is a capital offense for a locksmith, normally a member of the Metal Workers, to make an unauthorized copy of a key, either to keep for himself or for another. pg. 52, Assassin of Gor
6. It is a felony to falsify slave data. The penalties can range from banishment to impalement:
Some female slaves, incidentally, have a pedigreed lineage going back through several generations of slave matings, and their masters hold the papers to prove this. It is a felony in Gorean law to forge or falsify such papers. pg. 69, Savages of Gor.
Vart, once Publius Quintus of Ar, banished from that city, and nearly impaled, for falsifying slave data. He had advertised a girl as a trained pleasure slave who, as it turned out, did not even know the eleven kisses. pg. 36, Explorers of Gor.
7. The penalty for debt is enslavement, for male or female.
Male slaves are usually debtors or criminals. pg. 236, Beasts of Gor.
Also, a female debtor, in many cities, is subject to judicial enslavement, she then coming rightlessly and cateGorically, identically with any other slave, into the ownership of the creditor. pg. 275, Magicians of Gor.
8. The penalty for brigandage varies, and the penalty is harsher than for mere theft, undoubtedly because of the number of offenses the criminal is being punished for. The penalty is generally death. The form execution takes varies. It includes being hung in iron collars, in which death might take as long as two or three days, chaining to the boards, in which the victim is fastened on upright boards mounted on posts, which is often used in port cities, impalement is often the punishment in the country, with the pole being set up near a crossroads, where it will be readily seen, trampled or torn apart by tharlarion. If the criminal shares a Home Stone with the victim, a more humane punishment is inflicted: the criminal is stripped, tied to a post, beaten with rods, then beheaded.
"Men would find us with the loot about, and impale us!" said the leader. That was not improbable. Thieves are often dealt with harshly on Gor. pg. 11, Renegades of Gor.
"Chain them and hang them in collars at the inn!" said a fellow..."Chain them on the boards," cried another..."Let them be trampled by tharlarion," said a fellow..."No, let them be torn apart by them," said another...If one shares a Home Stone with the victim, of course, the punishment is often more humane. A common punishment where this mitigating feature obtains is to strip the victim, tie him to a post, beat him with rods and then behead him. This, like the hanging in chains, the exposure on boards, and such, is a very ancient modality of execution. pp. 14-15, Renegades of Gor.
9. Because of financial considerations, some cities will enforce Merchant Law even when it hurts their citizens.
The Gorean cities will, within their own walls, enforce the Merchant Law when pertinent, even against their own citizens. If they did not, of course, the fairs would be closed to the citizens of that city. pg. 11, Priest Kings of Gor.
10. Merchant Law prohibits the enslavement of any at the fairs.
Although no one may be enslaved at the fair, slaves may be bought and sold within its precincts. pg. 12, Priest Kings of Gor.
11. By the laws of Port Kar, the property of a man killed goes to the man who killed him:
By the laws of Port Kar, the ships, properties and chattles of Surbus, he having been vanquished in fair combat and permitted the death of blood and sea, became mine; his men stood ready to obey me; his ships became mine to command; his hall became my h all; his riches mine, his slaves mine. It was thus that I had become a captain in Port Kar, jewel of gleaming Thassa. pg. 2, Marauders of Gor.
Free Women Laws
1. The penalty for attempted kidnapping or collaring of a free woman of the city is mutilation and impalement.
Few seem to object to the institution of capture, not even the women who might seem to be its victims. On the contrary, incredibly enough, their vanity is terribly outraged if they are not regarded as worth the risks, usually mutilation and impalement. pg. 51, Outlaw of Gor.
2. It is generally against the law to face-strip a free woman against her will unless she has violated some other law.
Face-stripping a free woman, against her will, can be a serious crime on Gor. pg. 183, Kajira of Gor.
In most Gorean cities it is illegal to offer an unbranded woman in a public sale. This is presumably in deference to the delicacies and sensibilities of free women. pg. 101, Savages of Gor.
3. A Free Woman who addresses a male as "Master" may be enslaved.
"If and when a free woman should utter this, in the Gorean culture, of course, this sort of thing is very significant. Indeed, in some cities such things as kneeling before a man, or addressing him as "Master" effects legal imbondment on the female, being interpreted as a gesture of submission." pg 139 Players of Gor
HOWEVER, a woman is not necessarily legally imbonded for uttering these words. As the above citation shows, it varies by locale as the following example demonstrates:
"I called you Master!" she (Phoebe) cried. "Am I yet legally free?" "Yes," I said, "but I think it will be well for you to accustom yourself to calling free men Master." "Yes!" I decided that I would not yet grant her the collar, ripe for it though she might be. She was a free woman. I would make her wait longer, in frustration, for it. pg. 147, Renegades of Gor.
4. A free woman who says pronounces publicaly that she is a slave is made legally a slave by those words:
"Pronounce yourself slave," said Samos..."I am a slave," she said, pronouncing herself slave...There was now a new slave on Gor...The words had been spoken. They could not now be unspoken. She was now rightless, only a nameless animal, incapable of doing anything whatsoever to qualify or alter her status. pg. 17, Players of Gor.
5. A free woman who is enslaved, loses her caste and citizenship and becomes, legally, an animal:
"When a girl is enslaved, she loses caste, of course, as well as citizenship, rights and personhood, When she is enslaved, she becomes an animal, subject to the whips and wills of Master's." pg. 430, Slave Girl of Gor
6. A free woman who partakes of sensual dance in public may be enslaved, again depending upon locale. Note the possibility in the citation below that other than a slave might perform sensuous dance.
The principle he had alluded to pertains to conduct in a free woman which is taken as sufficient to warrant her reduction to slavery...Indulgence in sensual dance is another case. Sensuous dance is almost always performed by slaves on Gor. A free woman who performs such dancing publicly is almost begging for the collar. In some cities the sentence of bondage is mandatory for such a woman. pg 372 Renegades Of Gor.
Certainly, however, not all women are legal slaves. Many women are free , legally, whether it is in their best interest or not. Such dances then, "slave dances," at least on Gor, are not for such women. If a "free woman," that is, one legally free, were to publicaly perform such a dance on Gor she would probably find herself in a master's chains by morning. Her "legal freedom," we may speculate, would prove quite fleeting. pg. 172 Dancer of Gor
No free woman, for example, would dare place herself in such a position before Gorean free men, unless perhaps, weary of her misery and frustration, she was begging them, almost explicitly, to put her in a collar. There are many stories of Gorean free women, sometimes of high caste, who, as a lark or in a spirit of bold play, dared to dance in a paga tavern. Often, perhaps to their horror, they found themselves that very night hooded and gagged, locked in close chains, lying on their back, their legs drawn up, fastened in a wagon, chained by the neck and ankles, their small bodies bruised on the rough boards as they, helpless beneath a rough tarn blanket, are carried through the gates of their city. pg. 342, Explorers of Gor.
7. A free woman who wears slave beads, even in private, if she is discovered, may be enslaved for showing slave-like behaviors.
I had left some slave beads in recompense, of course, pretty beads of cheap wood, such as are cast about in festivals, sometimes even being seized up secretly by free women who put them on before their mirrors, in secret, as though they might be slaves. In many cities, incidentally, a woman who is discovered doing such a thing may be remanded to magistrates for impressment into bondage. pg. 69, Vagabonds of Gor.
8. Falsely accusing a free woman of slavery carries with it the penalty of impalement:
Once, in Ko-ro-ba, I saw a slaver, before a magistrate, distinguish such a girl, not even one of his own, from eleven free women. Each, in turn, was asked to pour him a cup of wine, and then withdraw, nothing more. At the end, the slaver rose to his feet and pointed to one of the women. “No!” she had cried. “I am free!” officers of the court, by order of the magistrate, removed her garments. If she were free, the slaver would be impaled. pg. 156, Hunters of Gor.
9. A free woman who is guilty of theft on a second offense will be reduced to slavery (for instance, in Lydius, pp. 47-52 Hunters of Gor) This is referred to as a Judicial Enslavement. (p. 48, Hunters of Gor)
The principle he had alluded to pertains to conduct in a free woman which is taken as sufficient to warrant her reduction to slavery. The most common application of this principle occurs in areas such as fraud or theft. pg 372 Renegades Of Gor .
"Her ear," I said. "Her ear was notched." Rim and Thurnock laughed. "A thief," said Thurnock....I suddenly recognized the girl. It was she who had cut my purse earlier in the day, the sensuous little wench, whose ear had been notched...I well knew what the punishment was for a Gorean female, following her second conviction for theft. pp. 47-49 Hunters of Gor
Too, in Port Kar, a free woman for her second offense might be sentenced to a penal brothel.
"The Lady Sasi, of Port Kar," said the praetor, "in virtue of what we have here today established, and in virtue of the general warrant outstanding upon her, must come under sentence." "Please, my officer," she begged. "Please sentence me only to a penal brothel!" "The penal brothel is too good for you," said the praetor. pg. 58, Explorers of Gor.
The law is harsher in Tor:
A female thief in Tor, even on a first offense, is immediately reduced to slavery. pg. 52, Tribesmen of Gor.
10. A free woman who is guilty of vagrancy and indigence will generally be reduced to slavery. This is referred to as a Judicial Enslavement. (p. 48, Hunters of Gor)
The principle he had alluded to pertains to conduct in a free woman which is taken as sufficient to warrant her reduction to slavery. The most common application of this principle occurs in areas such as fraud or theft. Other applications may occur, for example, in cases of indigence and vagrancy. pg 372, Renegades Of Gor
Vagrant free women are sometimes referred to as "she-urts" or "strays.".
I saw some girls rummaging through a garbage can. They wore short tunics but they were not slaves. Goreans sometimes refer to such women as "strays." They are civic nuisances. They are occasionally rounded up, guardsmen appearing at opposite ends of an alley, trapping them, and collared. pg. 139, Kajira of Gor
I might try to live by begging and scavenging garbage for a time as do those vagrant free women sometimes called she-urts...Once or twice a year, particularly when there are complaints, or they are becoming nuisances, many of them will be rounded up and taken before a praetor. Their sentence is almost invariably slavery. pg. 316, Kajira of Gor.
11. Free women are not always required by law to wear veils. Rather, it is customary. While free women are not necessarily enslaved if they are in public without veils, it may reflect badly upon their reputation. Of course, laws, as noted earlier, will vary from city to city.
The veil, it might be noted, is not legally imperative for a free woman; it is rather a matter of modesty and custom. Some low-class, uncompanioned, free girls do not wear veils. Similarly certain bold free women neglect the veil. Neglect of the veil is not a crime in Gorean cities, though in some it is deemed a brazen and scandalous omission. Slave girls may or may not be veiled, this depending on the will of their master. Most slave girls are not permitted to veil themselves. Indeed, not only are they refused the dignity of the veil, but commonly they are placed in brief, exciting slave livery and may not even bind their hair. pg 106, Slave Girl of Gor
certain bold free women neglect the veil. Neglect of the veil is not a crime in Gorean cities, though in some it is deemed a brazen and scandalous omission." pg 107, Slave Girl of Gor
For instance, the shocked Tarl tells Aphris of Turia,
"In my city," I said, "free women would not permit themselves to be seen unveiled before strangers." pg. 96, Nomads of Gor.
Free women, drinking, commonly lift their veil, or veils, with the left hand. Low-caste free women, if veiled, usually do the same. Sometimes, however, particularly if they are in public, they will drink through their veil, or veils. Sometimes, of course, free women will drink unveiled, even with guests. Much depends upon how well the individuals are known, and who is present. In their homes, of course, with only the members of their families present, or servants and slaves, most free women do not veil themselves, even those of high caste. pg 276, Fighting Slave of Gor
however, this is not true in all cities...for instance:
In some cities an unveiled free woman is susceptible to being taken into custody by guardsmen, veiled, by force if necessary, and publicly conducted back to her home. Indeed, in some cities she is marched back to her home stripped, except for the face veil, which has been put on her. In these cases a crowd usually follows, to see what home it is that she is to be returned. Repeated offenses in such a city usually result in the enslavement of the female. Such serious measures, of course, are seldom required to protect such familiar Gorean proprieties. Custom, by itself, normally suffices. pg 125, Players of Gor
She was veiled, as is common for Gorean women in the high cities, particularly those of station. In some cities the veil is prescribed by law for free women, as well as by custom and etiquette....pg. 106, Vagabonds of Gor.
However, also note the following:
In some cities, and among some groups and tribes, it might be mentioned, though this is not common, veils may be, for most practical purposes unknown, even among free women.
The cities of Gor are numerous and pluralistic. Each has its own history, customs and traditions. pg. 108, Slave Girl of Gor.
12. A free woman who appears naked in public may be enslaved.
For example, they may not appear naked in the streets, as may slaves. Indeed, a free woman who appears in public in violation of these standards of decorum, for example, with her arms or legs too much bared, may be made a slave. pp. 367-368 Renegades of Gor
Contrariwise, almost no free woman would bare her legs. They would not dare to do so. They would be horrified even to think of it. The scandal of such an act could ruin a reputation. It is said on Gor, any woman who bares her legs is a slave. Indeed, in some cities a free woman who might be found with bare legs is taken in hand by magistrates, tried and sentenced to bondage. After the judge's decision has been enacted, its effect carried out upon her, reducing her to the status of goods, sometimes publicly, that she may be suitably disgraced, sometimes privately, by a contract slaver, that the sensitivities of free women in the city not be offended, she is hooded and transported, stripped and chained, freshly branded and collared, a property female, slave cargo, to a distant market where, once sold, she will begin her life anew, fearfully, as a purchased girl, tremulously as the helpless and lowly slave she now is. pg. 69, Mercenary of Gor.
These rules are relaxed for lower caste free women.
'I wore but a single layer and my calves, ankles and feet were bared...Surely many low-caste girls go about with only as much, or even less,' she said. pg. 368, Renegades of Gor.
"Consider," said Aemilianus, "the exciting costume in which the prisoner appears before us, the baring of so much of the arms, the baring of the calves, the ankles, the feet, the cling of it, indicating it conceals no undergarments but only female, how closely it resembles in many ways that of some simple, humble, impoverished, low-caste maid..." pg. 377, Renegades of Gor.
13. Free women will not be collared for speaking their minds.
"And, of course," he said (speaking to a slave being charged with impersonating a free woman) "there are several associated considerations, such as arrogant speech, speaking without permission, and failure to use the proper forms of address." pg. 374, Renegades of Gor
(It stands to reason that if these are crimes for a slave impersonating a free woman, they are not therefore crimes for a free woman) AND The demeaning of men, whereas it is permitted to, and not unknown among, free women, is not permitted to female slaves. Such, on their part, can be a capital offense. Pg. 227, Magicians of Gor,
“Did you strike me because I challenged your manhood?” she asked. “I did not really mean it. It is only that I was terribly angry. I did not think.” “You were not struck for such an absurd reason,” I said. “You are after all, a free woman, and free women are entitled to insult, and to attempt to demean and destroy men. It is one of their freedoms, unless men of course, should decide to take it from them. You were struck, rather, because you were attempting to manipulate me.” pg. 422, Mercenaries of Gor.
"Now, she said. "Answer mine!" "Do not court an alteration in your condition, unless you are prepared to accept it, in its full consequences," I said. She shuddered. She lowered her eyes. "It is said that there is in every woman that which I sense so fearfully, yet longingly, in myself.""I wonder if that is true," I said. "I do not know," she said, "but I know that it is in me, passionately, strongly, irresistibly." "You are bold," I said. "A free woman may be bold," she said. "True," I granted her. pg. 8, Mercenaries of Gor.
14. A free woman may decline to follow instructions given by a free man with whom she has no formal association by marriage or by house, as the following example shows:
"These are difficult and dark times," I told her. "I tell you nothing you do not know when I tell you that. Too, I now inform you that where I go, it will be dangerous." She looked up at me. "Remain in the city," I said. "There you will be safe, there you will be secure." "No," she said. "No?" I asked. "No," she said, firmly. "I am not yours. I do not need to obey you." pg. 9 Mercenaries of Gor.
15. At the same time, a free woman has the right to not speak to a free man who addresses her. Her refusal to do so does not warrant a collar. In fact, not only is it NOT a sign of disrespect to the unknown male, it is considered proper for her to ignore him:
One may usually hire a lad from the district to direct one to particular points. Similarly, of course, one may make inquiries of fellows in the area. In such inquiries, the male will normally speak to a male, and the female to a female. This has to do not only with matters of propriety, enshrined in Gorean custom, but also with common-sense security measures. For example, a woman would not wish to seem forward, nor, in effect, to be calling herself to the attention of a strange male, which can be dangerous on Gor, and a woman, a free woman, might well be advised not to respond to the accostings of a strange male. pg 108, Magicians of Gor
16. Free women are not banned from all paga dens. This varies by city and by den, depending upon their level, presumably, of disrepute.
"In most paga taverns," he said, "free women are not permitted. In some they are." pg. 122, Kajira of Gor. Women are on the whole are not permitted in paga taverns, unless, of course, they wear collars. pg 197 Dancer of GOR
This was not much different, incidentally, than what was the case in even the most prestigious paga taverns. In such places, free women were generally not permitted. In them, usually, the only women to be found would be collared slaves...pg. 245, Dancer of Gor.
While free women may enter some paga dens, they evidently do it seldom, for obvious reasons. The risks are too great: "I have never been in one of these places before,' she said. 'I now understand why it is that free women never enter Paga taverns." pg 22 Assassins of GOR
However, see below for the penalties for entering restricted dens:
17. A free woman who spies on the doings of Masters and slaves in paga dens and other private forums, may be collared, for this is classified as conduct indicating suitability for a collar.
For example, sometimes free women attempt, sometimes even disguising themselves, to spy on the doings of masters and slaves. For example, they might attempt, disguised as lads, to gain entrance to paga taverns. And often such entrance in granted them but later, to their horror, they may find themselves thrown naked to the dancing sand and forced to perform under whips. Similarly if they attempt to enter such establishments as pretended slaves they may find themselves leaving them by the back entrance, soon to become true slaves. In many cities, such actions, attempting to spy on masters and slaves, disguising oneself as a slave, garbing oneself as a slave, even in the supposed secrecy of one's own compartments, lingering about slave shelves and markets, even exhibiting an interest in, or fascination with, bondage, can result in reduction to bondage. The theory is apparently that such actions and interests are those of a slave, and that the female who exhibits them should, accordingly, be imbonded. pg 50, Magicians of Gor
However, such interest does not automatically lead to a collar, and in no way obligates a free man to collar the free woman, as the following example shows, where just such a woman escapes with a mere reprimand:
There were now some ten to fifteen slaves in the circle..."How disgusting!" said a free woman, nearby. I had not noticed her standing there until now. "Begone, slut!" said a peasant. The free woman gasped and hurried away. Peasants are not always tolerant of free women...I noted now that the free female had gone a bit about the outside of the circle, and now she stood there, back a bit from the circle...From that position of vantage she continued to watch the dancers. This puzzled me...how strange that she, a free woman, would even linger in this place. Perhaps free women are incomprehensible. A Gorean saying came to mind, that the free woman is a riddle, the answer to which is the collar. "Away!" called a fellow, who had turned about and seen the free woman. He waved his arm angrily. "Away!" he said. The free woman then turned about and left the vicinity of the circle, hurriedly. pp. 49-50, Magicians of Gor.
18. A free woman, while legally free to couch her own slave, may not couch the property of another. As noted, in the strictest interpretation of the law, "couching" does not have to include the act of intercourse itself to fall under the legal definition of couching:
Any free woman who couches with another's slave or readies for such, becomes , by law, herself a slave and the property of said slaves owner...."Think of it in this fashion, if you wish," he said. "You have given yourself to Milo, but Milo is mine, and can own nothing, and thus you have given yourself to me. An analogy is the coin given by a free person to a street girl, which coin, of course, does not then belong to the girl but to her master. What is given to the slave is given to the Master." pg. 7, Magicians of Gor
19. Free women may or may not be free to walk about the city unescorted if their house permits it. While there are city ordnances against this in many cities, there are not in others, for instance, Ko-ro-ba.
In certain cities, as had been the case in Ko-ro-ba, women were permitted status within the caste system and had a relatively unrestricted existence. Indeed, in Ko-ro-ba, a woman might even leave her quarters without first obtaining the permission of a male relative or the Free Companion, a freedom which was unusual on Gor. The women of Ko-ro-ba might even be found sitting unattended in the theater or at the reading of epics. pp. 49-50, Outlaw of Gor.
20. A free woman who cannot pay her debts will be enslaved. A free man may pay her debts and thus own her. If no one redeems her after thirty days, she will be sold to slavers.
Women such as these, those at the wall, would be surrendered by the management of the inn for the equivalent of their unpaid bills. They would then be in the power of their "redeemers," any who might make good their debts. Lacking such a "redemption" they might then expect to find themselves, sooner or later, sold as slaves....particularly beautiful specimens are sometimes kept by the inn itself, as inn slaves. pg. 42, Renegades of Gor.
Also, a female debtor, in many cities, is subject to judicial enslavement, she then coming rightlessly and categorically, identically with any other slave, into the ownership of the creditor. pg. 275, Magicians of Gor.
The fate of such a woman can vary:
The mills, incidentally, like certain other low slaveries, such as those of the fields, the kitchens and laundries, serve an almost penal function on Gor. For example, a free woman, sentenced to slavery for, say, crimes or debts, may find herself, once enslaved, by direction of the court, sold for a pittance into such a slavery. Such slaveries also provide a place to utilize women who are thought to be good for little else. pg. 265, Kajira of Gor.
21. A free woman may sell herself into slavery for a period of time, ranging from one night to one year. The contract will set forth the limitations of that slavery, including resale, theft of the slave, death, etc. The contract, once entered upon, may not be cancelled by the FW. pg. 101, Blood Brothers of Gor.
22. A free woman who places a slave collar upon her own neck legally enslaves herself:
Sometimes a free woman, seeking to save her life, even at the expense of a slave, will remove the slave's collar and put it on her own throat, thinking thereby to pass for a slave....what the woman in her collar seldom understands is that she, herself, is now also, genuinely, a female slave. She, by her own action, in locking the collar on her own neck, as much as if she had spoken a formula of enslavement, is now also a slave. pp. 70-71, Vagabonds of Gor.
23. A free woman may at any time submit herself to a free man as a slave.
In most cities, on the other hand, a free woman may, with legal tolerance, submit herself as a slave to a specific man. If he refuses her, she is then still free. If he accepts her, she is then, categorically, a slave, and he may do with her what he pleases, even selling her or giving her away, or slaying her, if he wishes. Here we may note a distinction between laws and codes. In the codes of the warriors, if a warrior accepts a woman as a slave, it is prescribed that, at least for a time, an amount of time up to his discretion, she be spared. If she should be the least displeasing, of course, or should prove recalcitrant in even a tiny way, she may be immediately disposed of. It should be noted that this does place a legal obligation on the warrior. It has to do, rather, with the proprieties of the codes. pg 21, Players of Gor
'You understand, do you not,' I asked the girl, 'the meaning of this?' 'Yes,' she said. 'You may freely enter into the state of bondage,' I told her, 'but you may not freely leave it. This thing, once it is done to you, is, one your part, irreversible. It is not then within your power to break, alter or amend it in any way. You will then, you see, no longer be a free person, but only a slave.' 'I understand,' she said. She then turned to the young man, 'I am ready,' she said, 'Make me a slave. pg 298, Blood Brothers of Gor.
“Is it true that she begged bondage,” asked Boabissia, “that she chose slavery of her own free will?” “Yes,” I said. “What a fool,” said Boabissia. “Perhaps,” I said. To be sure, such a decision should not be made lightly. Such a decision may be made of one’s own free will, but it cannot be revoked by one’s own free will, for, after it is made, one is then helpless to alter or influence one’s new condition in any way. pg. 234, Mercenaries of Gor. (also pg. 416 Mercenaries of Gor)
They had declared themselves slaves. The slave herself, of course, once the declaration has been made, cannot revoke it. That would be impossible, for she is then only a slave. The slave can only be freed by one who is at the time her master, or, if it should be the case, her mistress. pg. 409, Explorers of Gor.
The procedure of submission is for the free woman to kneel before the man, and speak a "formula of enslavement" (pg. 71, Vagabonds of Gor) with words such as the following: "I ___________ of (Home Stone) submit myself to ___________ of (homestone), as a slave, completely, his to do with as he pleases." pg. 183, Beasts of Gor Or, "I declare myself a slave, and I submit myself to you as my master." (used in the case of two Taluna who obviously had no Home Stone to declare) pg. 409, Explorers of Gor In civilized surroundings, there might be certain legal details to be observed: “Various things might then happen. He might have you sign a slave document, in the presence of witnesses. As soon as your signature is on the document, of course, you are a slave. On the other hand, he might proceed even more simply. He might merely have you utter a formula of enslavement, though, again, doubtless in the presence of witnesses, who might sign a paper certifying their witnessing of your declaration. Let us suppose you utter such a formula. The simplest is perhaps, ‘I am a slave.’ You are then a slave. He will perhaps then say, ‘You are my slave.’ This claims you. You are then his slave. pg. 417, Mercenaries of Gor.
24. In Port Kar, because free women have less status in a pirate society, a House Master may collar free women of his house without trial or reason:
Luma fell back before me, her hand before her mouth. I saw that her eyes were deep, and very beautiful. She was frightened. "Precede me to my couch," I said. "I am free," she whispered. "Collar her," I said to Thurnock, "and send her to my couch." His hand closed on the arm of the thin blond scribe. "Clitus," I said, "send Sandra, the dancer, to my couch as well." "You freed her, Captain," smiled Clitus. "Collar her,:" I told him. pg. 23, Marauders of Gor.
25. The fate of free women when a city is captured can vary. In any case, before an invading force, a free woman has no legal rights:
Sometimes, however, the free woman in a captured city is not, say, simply stripped, thrown down and tied, later to be turned over to an iron master for the searing kiss of his white hot metal. sometimes, rather, she stripped, and presented before officers, is offered the choice between swift, honorable decapitation and slavery. If she chooses slavery, she may be expected to step onto a submission mat, and kneel there, head down, enter a slave pen of her own accord, or, say, fully acknowledging herself a slave, belly to an officer, kissing his feet. The question is sometimes put to her in somewhat the following fashion. "If you are a free woman, speak your freedom and advance, now, to the headman's block, or, if you are truly a slave, and have only been masquerading until now as a free woman, step now, if you wish, upon the mat of submission and kneel there, in this act becoming at last, explicitly, a legal slave." She is then expected, sometimes, kneeling to lick the feet of a soldier, who then rapes her on the mat. It is commonly regarded as an acceptable introduction for a woman to her explicit and legal slavery. pg 337, Blood Brothers of Gor. And, "We were put on the racks as free women," she said, "that we, the women of the enemy, be properly humiliated. Too is it not a rich joke for the men of Ar that more than a thousand of the free women of Vonda adorn their pleasure racks, fastened down like slave girls, their use available for a tarsk bit to the passers-by?" pg. 27, Rogue of Gor.
Sometimes, slaves who were originally from the Home Stone of the victorious army are freed, sometimes kept as slaves:
Sometimes, in the fall of a city, girls who have been enslaved, girls formerly of the now victorious city, will be freed. Technically, according to Merchant Law, which serves as the arbiter in such intermunicipal matters, the girls become briefly the property of their rescuers, else how could they be freed? Further, according to Merchant Law, the rescuer has no obligation to free the girl. In having been enslaved she has lost all claim to her former Home Stone. She has become an animal. If, too, she is sufficiently desirable, it is almost certain she will not be freed....Too, as often as not, city pride enters into such matters. Such girls, with other slave girls, both of various cities and with the former free women of the conquered city, now collared slaves, will often be marched naked in chains in the loot processions of the conquering cities. It is claimed they have shamed their former cities by having fallen slave, and if they were good enough to be only slaves in the conquered city then surely they should be no more within the walls of the victorious city. Such girls usually are marched in a special position in the loot procession, behind and before banners which proclaim their shame. The people much abuse them and lash them as they pass. pp. 409-410, Explorers of Gor.
1. The Laws of the City have no power outside the walls of the city However, a city does exert a zone of influence, referred to as an "ambit" which might encompass nearby villages and towns and it can be assumed that a city exerts a certain amount of control over the laws of those districts:
“There is a saying on Gor that the laws of a city extend no further than its walls.” pg 50, Outlaw of Gor
"Yet there is a hierarchy of Home Stones, one might say, and two soldiers who would cut one another down with their steel blades for an acre of fertile ground will fight side by side to the death for the Home Stone of their village or of the city within whose ambit their village lies." pg. 27, Tarnsman of Gor.
"The city-state," said my father, speaking to me one afternoon, "is the basic political division on Gor - hostile cities controlling what territory they can in their environs, surrounded by a no-man's land of open ground on every side." pg. 42, Tarnsman of Gor.
2. The laws of citizenship vary by city, but generally, a free person is a citizen of a given city only if he can reach it in one day's march. There may be certain other requirements, such as swearing to the Home Stone, attending public ceremonies and assemblies, and the annual taking of auspices. This gives some idea of what the ambit of a city might be, and reinforces the notion that the laws of a city might, indeed, in some fashion, extend beyond its walls, though this does not excuse trying to claim a woman by the laws of Port Kar while you're in Thentis, for instance, or apply Ar's Couching Laws in Port Cos. pp. 302-303, Dancer of Gor.
3. It is illegal to take out of the city a map of the city due to the dangers that it will fall into enemy hands and be used to guide invading forces through the Home Stone's streets
It is illegal in many cities, incidentally, to take maps of the city out of the city. More than one fellow, too, has put himself in the quarries or on the bench of a galley for having been caught with such a map in his possession. pg. 388, Magicians of Gor.
4. It is a misdemeanor to interfere with the duties of a state-owned slave.
"That fellow," I said, indicating the free fellow with whom I had held brief converse but a moment or so ago, "interfered with the progress of a state slave." "Go away!" she said. "They will wish to ascertain what person ordered slaves to attack a free man, an innocent fellow merely engaged in reporting a misdemeanor." pp. 384-385, Magicians of Gor.
5. It is illegal to practice your livelihood or alter your status without the consent of the Council of High Castes:
A man who refused to practice his livelihood or strove to alter status without the consent of the Council of High Castes was, by definition, an outlaw and subject to impalement. pg. 46, Tarnsman of Gor.
6. Those of the Entertainers and Players Castes may generally not be enslaved within the confines of the city. This is a matter of custom, and in some cases, legal ordinance. They may be arrested, tortured, imprisoned and executed, however. (An exception to this is that the Entertainers Caste is outlawed in the city of Tharna pp. 65-70, Outlaw of Gor.)
In most cities it is regarded, incidentally, as a criminal offense to enslave one of the caste of players. A similar decree, in most cities, stands against the enslavement of one who is of the caste of musicians. pg 44, Beasts of Gor.
Musicians on Gor, that is, members of the caste of musicians, are seldom, if ever, enslaved. Their immunity from bondage, or practical immunity from bondage, is a matter of custom. There is a saying to the effect that he who makes music must, like the tarn and the Vosk gull, be free. This is a saying, however, which I suspect was invented by the caste of musicians, to protect itself from bondage. pp. 297-298, Kajira of Gor.
The only other caste on Gor which is generally considered, for most practical purposes, as immune from bondage is the caste of players...The general affection and respect which Goreans feel for the game of Kaissa is probably the explanation for the practical immunity from bondage commonly accorded the members of the caste of players. pg. 298, Kajira of Gor.
7. No person may enter the city without permission except as noted below: The penalty for violation of this law is impalement above the city gates as a warning to others.
As was wise I avoided cities in my long journey, though I passed several, for to enter a city without permission or without satisfactory reason is tantamount to a capital crime, and the punishment is usually a swift and brutal impalement. Pikes on the walls of Gorean cities are often surmounted with the remains of unwelcome guests. pg. 49, Outlaw of Gor.
Those being granted permission are given pieces of pottery called "ostraka" to identify themselves. "As we do have the yellow ostraka and our permits do not permit us to remain in the city after dark," said Marcus, "I think we should venture now to the sun gate." Marcus was the sort of fellow who was concerned about such things, being arrested, impaled, and such. pg. 9, Magicians of Gor
8. Heralds and ambassadors may freely enter a city
"I claim ," I said, "the immunity of the herald." pg. 175, Raiders of Gor.
9. Assassins bearing the mark of the black dagger on their forehead are permitted entrance into a city without interference.
Kurrus, of the Caste of Assassins, entered the great gate of Ar. Guardsmen did not detain him, for he wore on his forehead the mark of the black dagger...When he of the Caste of Assassins has been paid his gold and has received his charge he affixes on his forehead that sign, and he may enter whatever city he pleases, and none may interfere with his work. pp. 6-7, Assassin of Gor
10. The penalty for treason is impalement or hanging for a man, sometimes enslavement for a woman.
"You have been found guilty of treason against your city and are under the sentence of impalement," said Aemilianus. pg. 379, Renegades of Gor
Her mother, before her capture, I had gathered, had been important, having been the confirmation treasurer of one of Torcadino's commercial councils, the Spice Council. She had also, in her position, I had gathered, and doubtless by her influence and acts, supported the cause of Cos. ...however, aside from all such considerations, was a citizeness of Torcadino, and Torcadino had been sworn to the cause of Ar. She had, it seemed, for whatever reason, presumably opportunism or greed, betrayed the pledge of her Home Stone. In the case of a man this can be a capital offense. She was not a man, however but a female. It was thus, doubtless, that she had not been placed on a proscription list, but only on a seizure list. It was her sex which had saved her. Had she been a man she would have been hung. pg. 141 Mercenaries of Gor.
11. The penalty for murder is impalement, even if the murder is committed in a place other than the murderer's Home Stone.
"Menicius!" he cried. It was he who slew the Warrior of Thentis. Not I!" "It was you who gave the order," I said. "...."Well," said I, "will it be my steel or the impaling spear of Ar's Justice?" pp. 382-383, Assassin of Gor
12. The penalty for desertion from the army is death by impalement.
"Surely you are a brigand," said the woman to me. "No," I said. "Then you are a deserter," she said. "It would be death for you to be found." "No," I said. "I am not a deserter." pg. 18 Mercenaries of Gor.
Beside the road, on the right, a human figure, head and legs dangling downward, on each side, was fixed on an impaling stake. The stake was some ten feet in height, and some four inches in diameter. It had been wedged between rocks and braced with stones. Its point was roughly sharpened, probably with an adz. This point had been entered in the victim's back and thrust through with great force. It emerged from the belly, and protruded some two feet above the body. "Perhaps that is a spy," I said. "More likely it is a straggler or a deserter," said the driver. pg. 40, Mercenaries of Gor.
Property Laws
1. Theft of a Home Stone is punishable by death, general impalement preceded by lengthy torture, or the tarn death, in which the victim is bound hand and foot to two tarns, lifted 100 feet in the air, and at a prearranged signal, torn apart as the birds fly in opposite directions. pp. 154-160, Tarnsman of Gor.
2. Theft of another's property is a crime. Punishment for the first offense is generally notching of the ear. Second offense depends on the sex of the offender...a male loses his left hand and both feet, a female is generally enslaved (for instance, in Lydius, pp. 47-52 Hunters of Gor).
"Her ear," I said. "Her ear was notched." Rim and Thurnock laughed. "A thief," said Thurnock....I suddenly recognized the girl. It was she who had cut my purse earlier in the day, the sensuous little wench, whose ear had been notched...I well knew what the punishment was for a Gorean female, following her second conviction for theft. pp. 47-49, Hunters of Gor
3. A thief in Port Kar, who is not a member of the thieves guild, is more fortunate: he is banished, and told that if he is found in the city after dark, he will be impaled.
"Turgus of Port Kar," said the praetor, "in virtue of what we have here today established, and in virtue of the general warrant outstanding upon you, you are sentenced to banishment. If you are found within the limits of the city after sunset this day you will be impaled." pg. 58, Explorers of Gor.
4. It is illegal to sell a slave that does not belong to you.
"For a man," said Peggy, "such an offense is punishable by exile. For a woman, remanded to a praetor, the penalty is that she commonly that she herself will then wear the collar." pg. 146, Rogue of Gor
5. It is illegal for a locksmith to make unauthorized copies of keys.
It is a capital offense for a locksmith, normally a member of the Metal Workers, to make an unauthorized copy of a key, either to keep for himself or for another. pg. 52, Assassin of Gor
6. It is a felony to falsify slave data. The penalties can range from banishment to impalement:
Some female slaves, incidentally, have a pedigreed lineage going back through several generations of slave matings, and their masters hold the papers to prove this. It is a felony in Gorean law to forge or falsify such papers. pg. 69, Savages of Gor.
Vart, once Publius Quintus of Ar, banished from that city, and nearly impaled, for falsifying slave data. He had advertised a girl as a trained pleasure slave who, as it turned out, did not even know the eleven kisses. pg. 36, Explorers of Gor.
7. The penalty for debt is enslavement, for male or female.
Male slaves are usually debtors or criminals. pg. 236, Beasts of Gor.
Also, a female debtor, in many cities, is subject to judicial enslavement, she then coming rightlessly and cateGorically, identically with any other slave, into the ownership of the creditor. pg. 275, Magicians of Gor.
8. The penalty for brigandage varies, and the penalty is harsher than for mere theft, undoubtedly because of the number of offenses the criminal is being punished for. The penalty is generally death. The form execution takes varies. It includes being hung in iron collars, in which death might take as long as two or three days, chaining to the boards, in which the victim is fastened on upright boards mounted on posts, which is often used in port cities, impalement is often the punishment in the country, with the pole being set up near a crossroads, where it will be readily seen, trampled or torn apart by tharlarion. If the criminal shares a Home Stone with the victim, a more humane punishment is inflicted: the criminal is stripped, tied to a post, beaten with rods, then beheaded.
"Men would find us with the loot about, and impale us!" said the leader. That was not improbable. Thieves are often dealt with harshly on Gor. pg. 11, Renegades of Gor.
"Chain them and hang them in collars at the inn!" said a fellow..."Chain them on the boards," cried another..."Let them be trampled by tharlarion," said a fellow..."No, let them be torn apart by them," said another...If one shares a Home Stone with the victim, of course, the punishment is often more humane. A common punishment where this mitigating feature obtains is to strip the victim, tie him to a post, beat him with rods and then behead him. This, like the hanging in chains, the exposure on boards, and such, is a very ancient modality of execution. pp. 14-15, Renegades of Gor.
9. Because of financial considerations, some cities will enforce Merchant Law even when it hurts their citizens.
The Gorean cities will, within their own walls, enforce the Merchant Law when pertinent, even against their own citizens. If they did not, of course, the fairs would be closed to the citizens of that city. pg. 11, Priest Kings of Gor.
10. Merchant Law prohibits the enslavement of any at the fairs.
Although no one may be enslaved at the fair, slaves may be bought and sold within its precincts. pg. 12, Priest Kings of Gor.
11. By the laws of Port Kar, the property of a man killed goes to the man who killed him:
By the laws of Port Kar, the ships, properties and chattles of Surbus, he having been vanquished in fair combat and permitted the death of blood and sea, became mine; his men stood ready to obey me; his ships became mine to command; his hall became my h all; his riches mine, his slaves mine. It was thus that I had become a captain in Port Kar, jewel of gleaming Thassa. pg. 2, Marauders of Gor.
Free Women Laws
1. The penalty for attempted kidnapping or collaring of a free woman of the city is mutilation and impalement.
Few seem to object to the institution of capture, not even the women who might seem to be its victims. On the contrary, incredibly enough, their vanity is terribly outraged if they are not regarded as worth the risks, usually mutilation and impalement. pg. 51, Outlaw of Gor.
2. It is generally against the law to face-strip a free woman against her will unless she has violated some other law.
Face-stripping a free woman, against her will, can be a serious crime on Gor. pg. 183, Kajira of Gor.
In most Gorean cities it is illegal to offer an unbranded woman in a public sale. This is presumably in deference to the delicacies and sensibilities of free women. pg. 101, Savages of Gor.
3. A Free Woman who addresses a male as "Master" may be enslaved.
"If and when a free woman should utter this, in the Gorean culture, of course, this sort of thing is very significant. Indeed, in some cities such things as kneeling before a man, or addressing him as "Master" effects legal imbondment on the female, being interpreted as a gesture of submission." pg 139 Players of Gor
HOWEVER, a woman is not necessarily legally imbonded for uttering these words. As the above citation shows, it varies by locale as the following example demonstrates:
"I called you Master!" she (Phoebe) cried. "Am I yet legally free?" "Yes," I said, "but I think it will be well for you to accustom yourself to calling free men Master." "Yes!" I decided that I would not yet grant her the collar, ripe for it though she might be. She was a free woman. I would make her wait longer, in frustration, for it. pg. 147, Renegades of Gor.
4. A free woman who says pronounces publicaly that she is a slave is made legally a slave by those words:
"Pronounce yourself slave," said Samos..."I am a slave," she said, pronouncing herself slave...There was now a new slave on Gor...The words had been spoken. They could not now be unspoken. She was now rightless, only a nameless animal, incapable of doing anything whatsoever to qualify or alter her status. pg. 17, Players of Gor.
5. A free woman who is enslaved, loses her caste and citizenship and becomes, legally, an animal:
"When a girl is enslaved, she loses caste, of course, as well as citizenship, rights and personhood, When she is enslaved, she becomes an animal, subject to the whips and wills of Master's." pg. 430, Slave Girl of Gor
6. A free woman who partakes of sensual dance in public may be enslaved, again depending upon locale. Note the possibility in the citation below that other than a slave might perform sensuous dance.
The principle he had alluded to pertains to conduct in a free woman which is taken as sufficient to warrant her reduction to slavery...Indulgence in sensual dance is another case. Sensuous dance is almost always performed by slaves on Gor. A free woman who performs such dancing publicly is almost begging for the collar. In some cities the sentence of bondage is mandatory for such a woman. pg 372 Renegades Of Gor.
Certainly, however, not all women are legal slaves. Many women are free , legally, whether it is in their best interest or not. Such dances then, "slave dances," at least on Gor, are not for such women. If a "free woman," that is, one legally free, were to publicaly perform such a dance on Gor she would probably find herself in a master's chains by morning. Her "legal freedom," we may speculate, would prove quite fleeting. pg. 172 Dancer of Gor
No free woman, for example, would dare place herself in such a position before Gorean free men, unless perhaps, weary of her misery and frustration, she was begging them, almost explicitly, to put her in a collar. There are many stories of Gorean free women, sometimes of high caste, who, as a lark or in a spirit of bold play, dared to dance in a paga tavern. Often, perhaps to their horror, they found themselves that very night hooded and gagged, locked in close chains, lying on their back, their legs drawn up, fastened in a wagon, chained by the neck and ankles, their small bodies bruised on the rough boards as they, helpless beneath a rough tarn blanket, are carried through the gates of their city. pg. 342, Explorers of Gor.
7. A free woman who wears slave beads, even in private, if she is discovered, may be enslaved for showing slave-like behaviors.
I had left some slave beads in recompense, of course, pretty beads of cheap wood, such as are cast about in festivals, sometimes even being seized up secretly by free women who put them on before their mirrors, in secret, as though they might be slaves. In many cities, incidentally, a woman who is discovered doing such a thing may be remanded to magistrates for impressment into bondage. pg. 69, Vagabonds of Gor.
8. Falsely accusing a free woman of slavery carries with it the penalty of impalement:
Once, in Ko-ro-ba, I saw a slaver, before a magistrate, distinguish such a girl, not even one of his own, from eleven free women. Each, in turn, was asked to pour him a cup of wine, and then withdraw, nothing more. At the end, the slaver rose to his feet and pointed to one of the women. “No!” she had cried. “I am free!” officers of the court, by order of the magistrate, removed her garments. If she were free, the slaver would be impaled. pg. 156, Hunters of Gor.
9. A free woman who is guilty of theft on a second offense will be reduced to slavery (for instance, in Lydius, pp. 47-52 Hunters of Gor) This is referred to as a Judicial Enslavement. (p. 48, Hunters of Gor)
The principle he had alluded to pertains to conduct in a free woman which is taken as sufficient to warrant her reduction to slavery. The most common application of this principle occurs in areas such as fraud or theft. pg 372 Renegades Of Gor .
"Her ear," I said. "Her ear was notched." Rim and Thurnock laughed. "A thief," said Thurnock....I suddenly recognized the girl. It was she who had cut my purse earlier in the day, the sensuous little wench, whose ear had been notched...I well knew what the punishment was for a Gorean female, following her second conviction for theft. pp. 47-49 Hunters of Gor
Too, in Port Kar, a free woman for her second offense might be sentenced to a penal brothel.
"The Lady Sasi, of Port Kar," said the praetor, "in virtue of what we have here today established, and in virtue of the general warrant outstanding upon her, must come under sentence." "Please, my officer," she begged. "Please sentence me only to a penal brothel!" "The penal brothel is too good for you," said the praetor. pg. 58, Explorers of Gor.
The law is harsher in Tor:
A female thief in Tor, even on a first offense, is immediately reduced to slavery. pg. 52, Tribesmen of Gor.
10. A free woman who is guilty of vagrancy and indigence will generally be reduced to slavery. This is referred to as a Judicial Enslavement. (p. 48, Hunters of Gor)
The principle he had alluded to pertains to conduct in a free woman which is taken as sufficient to warrant her reduction to slavery. The most common application of this principle occurs in areas such as fraud or theft. Other applications may occur, for example, in cases of indigence and vagrancy. pg 372, Renegades Of Gor
Vagrant free women are sometimes referred to as "she-urts" or "strays.".
I saw some girls rummaging through a garbage can. They wore short tunics but they were not slaves. Goreans sometimes refer to such women as "strays." They are civic nuisances. They are occasionally rounded up, guardsmen appearing at opposite ends of an alley, trapping them, and collared. pg. 139, Kajira of Gor
I might try to live by begging and scavenging garbage for a time as do those vagrant free women sometimes called she-urts...Once or twice a year, particularly when there are complaints, or they are becoming nuisances, many of them will be rounded up and taken before a praetor. Their sentence is almost invariably slavery. pg. 316, Kajira of Gor.
11. Free women are not always required by law to wear veils. Rather, it is customary. While free women are not necessarily enslaved if they are in public without veils, it may reflect badly upon their reputation. Of course, laws, as noted earlier, will vary from city to city.
The veil, it might be noted, is not legally imperative for a free woman; it is rather a matter of modesty and custom. Some low-class, uncompanioned, free girls do not wear veils. Similarly certain bold free women neglect the veil. Neglect of the veil is not a crime in Gorean cities, though in some it is deemed a brazen and scandalous omission. Slave girls may or may not be veiled, this depending on the will of their master. Most slave girls are not permitted to veil themselves. Indeed, not only are they refused the dignity of the veil, but commonly they are placed in brief, exciting slave livery and may not even bind their hair. pg 106, Slave Girl of Gor
certain bold free women neglect the veil. Neglect of the veil is not a crime in Gorean cities, though in some it is deemed a brazen and scandalous omission." pg 107, Slave Girl of Gor
For instance, the shocked Tarl tells Aphris of Turia,
"In my city," I said, "free women would not permit themselves to be seen unveiled before strangers." pg. 96, Nomads of Gor.
Free women, drinking, commonly lift their veil, or veils, with the left hand. Low-caste free women, if veiled, usually do the same. Sometimes, however, particularly if they are in public, they will drink through their veil, or veils. Sometimes, of course, free women will drink unveiled, even with guests. Much depends upon how well the individuals are known, and who is present. In their homes, of course, with only the members of their families present, or servants and slaves, most free women do not veil themselves, even those of high caste. pg 276, Fighting Slave of Gor
however, this is not true in all cities...for instance:
In some cities an unveiled free woman is susceptible to being taken into custody by guardsmen, veiled, by force if necessary, and publicly conducted back to her home. Indeed, in some cities she is marched back to her home stripped, except for the face veil, which has been put on her. In these cases a crowd usually follows, to see what home it is that she is to be returned. Repeated offenses in such a city usually result in the enslavement of the female. Such serious measures, of course, are seldom required to protect such familiar Gorean proprieties. Custom, by itself, normally suffices. pg 125, Players of Gor
She was veiled, as is common for Gorean women in the high cities, particularly those of station. In some cities the veil is prescribed by law for free women, as well as by custom and etiquette....pg. 106, Vagabonds of Gor.
However, also note the following:
In some cities, and among some groups and tribes, it might be mentioned, though this is not common, veils may be, for most practical purposes unknown, even among free women.
The cities of Gor are numerous and pluralistic. Each has its own history, customs and traditions. pg. 108, Slave Girl of Gor.
12. A free woman who appears naked in public may be enslaved.
For example, they may not appear naked in the streets, as may slaves. Indeed, a free woman who appears in public in violation of these standards of decorum, for example, with her arms or legs too much bared, may be made a slave. pp. 367-368 Renegades of Gor
Contrariwise, almost no free woman would bare her legs. They would not dare to do so. They would be horrified even to think of it. The scandal of such an act could ruin a reputation. It is said on Gor, any woman who bares her legs is a slave. Indeed, in some cities a free woman who might be found with bare legs is taken in hand by magistrates, tried and sentenced to bondage. After the judge's decision has been enacted, its effect carried out upon her, reducing her to the status of goods, sometimes publicly, that she may be suitably disgraced, sometimes privately, by a contract slaver, that the sensitivities of free women in the city not be offended, she is hooded and transported, stripped and chained, freshly branded and collared, a property female, slave cargo, to a distant market where, once sold, she will begin her life anew, fearfully, as a purchased girl, tremulously as the helpless and lowly slave she now is. pg. 69, Mercenary of Gor.
These rules are relaxed for lower caste free women.
'I wore but a single layer and my calves, ankles and feet were bared...Surely many low-caste girls go about with only as much, or even less,' she said. pg. 368, Renegades of Gor.
"Consider," said Aemilianus, "the exciting costume in which the prisoner appears before us, the baring of so much of the arms, the baring of the calves, the ankles, the feet, the cling of it, indicating it conceals no undergarments but only female, how closely it resembles in many ways that of some simple, humble, impoverished, low-caste maid..." pg. 377, Renegades of Gor.
13. Free women will not be collared for speaking their minds.
"And, of course," he said (speaking to a slave being charged with impersonating a free woman) "there are several associated considerations, such as arrogant speech, speaking without permission, and failure to use the proper forms of address." pg. 374, Renegades of Gor
(It stands to reason that if these are crimes for a slave impersonating a free woman, they are not therefore crimes for a free woman) AND The demeaning of men, whereas it is permitted to, and not unknown among, free women, is not permitted to female slaves. Such, on their part, can be a capital offense. Pg. 227, Magicians of Gor,
“Did you strike me because I challenged your manhood?” she asked. “I did not really mean it. It is only that I was terribly angry. I did not think.” “You were not struck for such an absurd reason,” I said. “You are after all, a free woman, and free women are entitled to insult, and to attempt to demean and destroy men. It is one of their freedoms, unless men of course, should decide to take it from them. You were struck, rather, because you were attempting to manipulate me.” pg. 422, Mercenaries of Gor.
"Now, she said. "Answer mine!" "Do not court an alteration in your condition, unless you are prepared to accept it, in its full consequences," I said. She shuddered. She lowered her eyes. "It is said that there is in every woman that which I sense so fearfully, yet longingly, in myself.""I wonder if that is true," I said. "I do not know," she said, "but I know that it is in me, passionately, strongly, irresistibly." "You are bold," I said. "A free woman may be bold," she said. "True," I granted her. pg. 8, Mercenaries of Gor.
14. A free woman may decline to follow instructions given by a free man with whom she has no formal association by marriage or by house, as the following example shows:
"These are difficult and dark times," I told her. "I tell you nothing you do not know when I tell you that. Too, I now inform you that where I go, it will be dangerous." She looked up at me. "Remain in the city," I said. "There you will be safe, there you will be secure." "No," she said. "No?" I asked. "No," she said, firmly. "I am not yours. I do not need to obey you." pg. 9 Mercenaries of Gor.
15. At the same time, a free woman has the right to not speak to a free man who addresses her. Her refusal to do so does not warrant a collar. In fact, not only is it NOT a sign of disrespect to the unknown male, it is considered proper for her to ignore him:
One may usually hire a lad from the district to direct one to particular points. Similarly, of course, one may make inquiries of fellows in the area. In such inquiries, the male will normally speak to a male, and the female to a female. This has to do not only with matters of propriety, enshrined in Gorean custom, but also with common-sense security measures. For example, a woman would not wish to seem forward, nor, in effect, to be calling herself to the attention of a strange male, which can be dangerous on Gor, and a woman, a free woman, might well be advised not to respond to the accostings of a strange male. pg 108, Magicians of Gor
16. Free women are not banned from all paga dens. This varies by city and by den, depending upon their level, presumably, of disrepute.
"In most paga taverns," he said, "free women are not permitted. In some they are." pg. 122, Kajira of Gor. Women are on the whole are not permitted in paga taverns, unless, of course, they wear collars. pg 197 Dancer of GOR
This was not much different, incidentally, than what was the case in even the most prestigious paga taverns. In such places, free women were generally not permitted. In them, usually, the only women to be found would be collared slaves...pg. 245, Dancer of Gor.
While free women may enter some paga dens, they evidently do it seldom, for obvious reasons. The risks are too great: "I have never been in one of these places before,' she said. 'I now understand why it is that free women never enter Paga taverns." pg 22 Assassins of GOR
However, see below for the penalties for entering restricted dens:
17. A free woman who spies on the doings of Masters and slaves in paga dens and other private forums, may be collared, for this is classified as conduct indicating suitability for a collar.
For example, sometimes free women attempt, sometimes even disguising themselves, to spy on the doings of masters and slaves. For example, they might attempt, disguised as lads, to gain entrance to paga taverns. And often such entrance in granted them but later, to their horror, they may find themselves thrown naked to the dancing sand and forced to perform under whips. Similarly if they attempt to enter such establishments as pretended slaves they may find themselves leaving them by the back entrance, soon to become true slaves. In many cities, such actions, attempting to spy on masters and slaves, disguising oneself as a slave, garbing oneself as a slave, even in the supposed secrecy of one's own compartments, lingering about slave shelves and markets, even exhibiting an interest in, or fascination with, bondage, can result in reduction to bondage. The theory is apparently that such actions and interests are those of a slave, and that the female who exhibits them should, accordingly, be imbonded. pg 50, Magicians of Gor
However, such interest does not automatically lead to a collar, and in no way obligates a free man to collar the free woman, as the following example shows, where just such a woman escapes with a mere reprimand:
There were now some ten to fifteen slaves in the circle..."How disgusting!" said a free woman, nearby. I had not noticed her standing there until now. "Begone, slut!" said a peasant. The free woman gasped and hurried away. Peasants are not always tolerant of free women...I noted now that the free female had gone a bit about the outside of the circle, and now she stood there, back a bit from the circle...From that position of vantage she continued to watch the dancers. This puzzled me...how strange that she, a free woman, would even linger in this place. Perhaps free women are incomprehensible. A Gorean saying came to mind, that the free woman is a riddle, the answer to which is the collar. "Away!" called a fellow, who had turned about and seen the free woman. He waved his arm angrily. "Away!" he said. The free woman then turned about and left the vicinity of the circle, hurriedly. pp. 49-50, Magicians of Gor.
18. A free woman, while legally free to couch her own slave, may not couch the property of another. As noted, in the strictest interpretation of the law, "couching" does not have to include the act of intercourse itself to fall under the legal definition of couching:
Any free woman who couches with another's slave or readies for such, becomes , by law, herself a slave and the property of said slaves owner...."Think of it in this fashion, if you wish," he said. "You have given yourself to Milo, but Milo is mine, and can own nothing, and thus you have given yourself to me. An analogy is the coin given by a free person to a street girl, which coin, of course, does not then belong to the girl but to her master. What is given to the slave is given to the Master." pg. 7, Magicians of Gor
19. Free women may or may not be free to walk about the city unescorted if their house permits it. While there are city ordnances against this in many cities, there are not in others, for instance, Ko-ro-ba.
In certain cities, as had been the case in Ko-ro-ba, women were permitted status within the caste system and had a relatively unrestricted existence. Indeed, in Ko-ro-ba, a woman might even leave her quarters without first obtaining the permission of a male relative or the Free Companion, a freedom which was unusual on Gor. The women of Ko-ro-ba might even be found sitting unattended in the theater or at the reading of epics. pp. 49-50, Outlaw of Gor.
20. A free woman who cannot pay her debts will be enslaved. A free man may pay her debts and thus own her. If no one redeems her after thirty days, she will be sold to slavers.
Women such as these, those at the wall, would be surrendered by the management of the inn for the equivalent of their unpaid bills. They would then be in the power of their "redeemers," any who might make good their debts. Lacking such a "redemption" they might then expect to find themselves, sooner or later, sold as slaves....particularly beautiful specimens are sometimes kept by the inn itself, as inn slaves. pg. 42, Renegades of Gor.
Also, a female debtor, in many cities, is subject to judicial enslavement, she then coming rightlessly and categorically, identically with any other slave, into the ownership of the creditor. pg. 275, Magicians of Gor.
The fate of such a woman can vary:
The mills, incidentally, like certain other low slaveries, such as those of the fields, the kitchens and laundries, serve an almost penal function on Gor. For example, a free woman, sentenced to slavery for, say, crimes or debts, may find herself, once enslaved, by direction of the court, sold for a pittance into such a slavery. Such slaveries also provide a place to utilize women who are thought to be good for little else. pg. 265, Kajira of Gor.
21. A free woman may sell herself into slavery for a period of time, ranging from one night to one year. The contract will set forth the limitations of that slavery, including resale, theft of the slave, death, etc. The contract, once entered upon, may not be cancelled by the FW. pg. 101, Blood Brothers of Gor.
22. A free woman who places a slave collar upon her own neck legally enslaves herself:
Sometimes a free woman, seeking to save her life, even at the expense of a slave, will remove the slave's collar and put it on her own throat, thinking thereby to pass for a slave....what the woman in her collar seldom understands is that she, herself, is now also, genuinely, a female slave. She, by her own action, in locking the collar on her own neck, as much as if she had spoken a formula of enslavement, is now also a slave. pp. 70-71, Vagabonds of Gor.
23. A free woman may at any time submit herself to a free man as a slave.
In most cities, on the other hand, a free woman may, with legal tolerance, submit herself as a slave to a specific man. If he refuses her, she is then still free. If he accepts her, she is then, categorically, a slave, and he may do with her what he pleases, even selling her or giving her away, or slaying her, if he wishes. Here we may note a distinction between laws and codes. In the codes of the warriors, if a warrior accepts a woman as a slave, it is prescribed that, at least for a time, an amount of time up to his discretion, she be spared. If she should be the least displeasing, of course, or should prove recalcitrant in even a tiny way, she may be immediately disposed of. It should be noted that this does place a legal obligation on the warrior. It has to do, rather, with the proprieties of the codes. pg 21, Players of Gor
'You understand, do you not,' I asked the girl, 'the meaning of this?' 'Yes,' she said. 'You may freely enter into the state of bondage,' I told her, 'but you may not freely leave it. This thing, once it is done to you, is, one your part, irreversible. It is not then within your power to break, alter or amend it in any way. You will then, you see, no longer be a free person, but only a slave.' 'I understand,' she said. She then turned to the young man, 'I am ready,' she said, 'Make me a slave. pg 298, Blood Brothers of Gor.
“Is it true that she begged bondage,” asked Boabissia, “that she chose slavery of her own free will?” “Yes,” I said. “What a fool,” said Boabissia. “Perhaps,” I said. To be sure, such a decision should not be made lightly. Such a decision may be made of one’s own free will, but it cannot be revoked by one’s own free will, for, after it is made, one is then helpless to alter or influence one’s new condition in any way. pg. 234, Mercenaries of Gor. (also pg. 416 Mercenaries of Gor)
They had declared themselves slaves. The slave herself, of course, once the declaration has been made, cannot revoke it. That would be impossible, for she is then only a slave. The slave can only be freed by one who is at the time her master, or, if it should be the case, her mistress. pg. 409, Explorers of Gor.
The procedure of submission is for the free woman to kneel before the man, and speak a "formula of enslavement" (pg. 71, Vagabonds of Gor) with words such as the following: "I ___________ of (Home Stone) submit myself to ___________ of (homestone), as a slave, completely, his to do with as he pleases." pg. 183, Beasts of Gor Or, "I declare myself a slave, and I submit myself to you as my master." (used in the case of two Taluna who obviously had no Home Stone to declare) pg. 409, Explorers of Gor In civilized surroundings, there might be certain legal details to be observed: “Various things might then happen. He might have you sign a slave document, in the presence of witnesses. As soon as your signature is on the document, of course, you are a slave. On the other hand, he might proceed even more simply. He might merely have you utter a formula of enslavement, though, again, doubtless in the presence of witnesses, who might sign a paper certifying their witnessing of your declaration. Let us suppose you utter such a formula. The simplest is perhaps, ‘I am a slave.’ You are then a slave. He will perhaps then say, ‘You are my slave.’ This claims you. You are then his slave. pg. 417, Mercenaries of Gor.
24. In Port Kar, because free women have less status in a pirate society, a House Master may collar free women of his house without trial or reason:
Luma fell back before me, her hand before her mouth. I saw that her eyes were deep, and very beautiful. She was frightened. "Precede me to my couch," I said. "I am free," she whispered. "Collar her," I said to Thurnock, "and send her to my couch." His hand closed on the arm of the thin blond scribe. "Clitus," I said, "send Sandra, the dancer, to my couch as well." "You freed her, Captain," smiled Clitus. "Collar her,:" I told him. pg. 23, Marauders of Gor.
25. The fate of free women when a city is captured can vary. In any case, before an invading force, a free woman has no legal rights:
Sometimes, however, the free woman in a captured city is not, say, simply stripped, thrown down and tied, later to be turned over to an iron master for the searing kiss of his white hot metal. sometimes, rather, she stripped, and presented before officers, is offered the choice between swift, honorable decapitation and slavery. If she chooses slavery, she may be expected to step onto a submission mat, and kneel there, head down, enter a slave pen of her own accord, or, say, fully acknowledging herself a slave, belly to an officer, kissing his feet. The question is sometimes put to her in somewhat the following fashion. "If you are a free woman, speak your freedom and advance, now, to the headman's block, or, if you are truly a slave, and have only been masquerading until now as a free woman, step now, if you wish, upon the mat of submission and kneel there, in this act becoming at last, explicitly, a legal slave." She is then expected, sometimes, kneeling to lick the feet of a soldier, who then rapes her on the mat. It is commonly regarded as an acceptable introduction for a woman to her explicit and legal slavery. pg 337, Blood Brothers of Gor. And, "We were put on the racks as free women," she said, "that we, the women of the enemy, be properly humiliated. Too is it not a rich joke for the men of Ar that more than a thousand of the free women of Vonda adorn their pleasure racks, fastened down like slave girls, their use available for a tarsk bit to the passers-by?" pg. 27, Rogue of Gor.
Sometimes, slaves who were originally from the Home Stone of the victorious army are freed, sometimes kept as slaves:
Sometimes, in the fall of a city, girls who have been enslaved, girls formerly of the now victorious city, will be freed. Technically, according to Merchant Law, which serves as the arbiter in such intermunicipal matters, the girls become briefly the property of their rescuers, else how could they be freed? Further, according to Merchant Law, the rescuer has no obligation to free the girl. In having been enslaved she has lost all claim to her former Home Stone. She has become an animal. If, too, she is sufficiently desirable, it is almost certain she will not be freed....Too, as often as not, city pride enters into such matters. Such girls, with other slave girls, both of various cities and with the former free women of the conquered city, now collared slaves, will often be marched naked in chains in the loot processions of the conquering cities. It is claimed they have shamed their former cities by having fallen slave, and if they were good enough to be only slaves in the conquered city then surely they should be no more within the walls of the victorious city. Such girls usually are marched in a special position in the loot procession, behind and before banners which proclaim their shame. The people much abuse them and lash them as they pass. pp. 409-410, Explorers of Gor.