| By: Arius of Treve |
"'Did you know that Hendow is thinking about putting restrictions on your use?' he asked.The placing of restrictions by an owner on his property's use does occur on Gor, but many factors go into how these are applied and how they are responded to - The situation itself... How well the owner is respected... How much he is feared... Who his friends are... What others want and how well the owner can enforce his wishes in response to this... The strength of your sword versus the strength of theirs... The type of community and its codes... Who you are and who the other person is. All slaves technically have some form of restrictions placed on their use - The use of a paga slave within a tavern is reserved to those that buy a cup of paga... The use of a coin girl is reserved to those that put a coin in her box. If a man owns his property, which the words "his property" would seem to indicate he does, then he has full say over what can and will be done with said property... this is part of his "property rights." But that does not mean other men will always listen, or for that matter even know that any restrictions have been placed, thus acting less out of offense than ignorance. An iron belt does not even really matter, because that only protects one possible way a girl may be sexually used. It makes it clear to the other that the owner may well not want the girl touched in that way, but it does not necessarily stop some form of use from occurring anyway. If you send your hot little slave out into the big bad world all by her lonesome, and all people she can possibly come into contact with are not somehow well aware and accepting of what you wish, then you have only yourself to blame for what may occur... if you even care. And that also depends on if they even care, even if they know your wishes.
'Why would he do that?' I asked.
'I think he is fond of you,' he said."- DANCER OF GOR, Pg. 234
"'I do not think it would be good for your discipline,' he said.But sometimes men do place such restrictions out of their own fondness for the girl, or their wish to train her to her sexuality with their own bodies, both of which are totally within their rights and are practices which do occur. Others might violate this out of ignorance, offense, or perhaps even out of some notion of service to the man, making the girl aware of what she is through the act of usage, while at the same time possibly even seeking to remind the owner that she is just a slave, however possibly offensive that might be seen to be. Respect, hospitality and courtesy often come into play here. A man might well use a passing girl if he wants, and such very often happens on Gor. He might not if he knows the girl is reserved, as in the case of men of the same house or community who respect each other. He might anyway if he does not care about what the owner thinks, and does not care if he insults him by ignoring his wishes and doing so anyway. Then again he still might not violate the owner's rights if he knows the other can kill him. Sometimes simply asking will be responded to with hospitality, thus avoiding any possible repercussions. Likewise, sometimes certain communities and locations necessitate certain "codes..."
'I understand,' I said. In relationships between men and women, it is a common observation that the relationship tends to be improved considerably when the woman is subject to his usage. When she knows that a fellow may, if he wishes, simply hurl her to his feet and put her to woman uses, she is likely to behave rather differently toward him than toward one who does not have this power over her."- DANCER OF GOR, Pg. 234
"'Neither a plow, not a bosk, nor a girl may one man take from another, saving with the owner's saying of it,' quoted Thurnus (from the Peasant Codes)."Again, a lot also depends on what the intention of the act is. Simple, temporary use with no offense meant, or the actual "taking from" another person, as in knowingly using something he does not want used. The above quotes reflect common practice in a Peasant community, a part of their Codes that exist to help ensure the community's survival, being the "wall" between man and the beasts, but its wider application can also be seen in other cases. Violate this and face certain consequences at the hands of the perhaps offended owner. Then again that is if he can actually enact those consequences, even if he has the full right and desire to seek them. Sometimes also, the restriction on use is actually a form of punishment, and for another to violate this is for the punishment to end, thus offending the owner, opposing his wishes, and interfering with the girl's training.- SLAVE GIRL OF GOR, Pg. 226"'Had you asked of me my permission, Bran Loort, willingly and without thought, gladly, would I have given you temporary master rights over her.'"- SLAVE GIRL OF GOR, Pg. 227"'Taking from', in the sense of the codes, implies the feature of being done against the presumed will of the master, of infringing his rights, more significantly, of offending his honor. In what Bran Loort had done, insult had been intended. The Gorean peasant, like Goreans in general, has a fierce sense of honor. Bran Loort had known exactly what he had been doing."- SLAVE GIRL OF GOR, Pg. 228"What Bran Loort and his fellows had done exceeded the normal rights of custom, the leniencies and tacit permissions of a peasant community; commonly the codes are invisible; they exist not to control human life, but to make it possible."- SLAVE GIRL OF GOR, Pg. 228
"'Sometimes female slaves,' she said, 'after their slave fires have been ignited, after the poor things have begun to learn their collar, after they have become sexually helpless, are deprived of sexual experience,' she said. 'Did you know that?'So sometimes a man will not use the slave of another, because he does not know what discipline or training the owner has imposed on his property.
'I have heard so,' he said. 'Perhaps as a cruelty, to teach them the master's power or that they are slaves, or as a punishment, or to ready them for a successful performance on the block, such things.'"- MAGICIANS OF GOR, Pg. 449
"'Please, Master,' she said, 'take pity on me. Take pity on the miserable needs of a girl.'Notice some others things in the above passage. Though the girl is walking the streets alone and obviously in need, Tarl responds that he does not own the girl, and thus will not use her. She is not his. He further thinks of how he has no wish to possibly dishonor her owner by contradicting what may be his wishes and taking from him. This feeling is the product of a strong level of mutual respect that is an aspect of Gorean culture, and is a large part of why, even though one's limits are somewhat "set by the swords of others," civilization and relative peace can still exist within a given community. This does not mean the girl thinks herself above the possibility of "slave rape" by one she does not know, obviously not, but that some men, even many, respect the property rights and possible wishes of others. Also, just because a girl is walking around unescorted, does not mean Gorean men have no control over their bodies, and must automatically run to grab and have her... not that they might not if they want to. It is just that this implied courtesy is not abused. Some Gorean man won't mind if their girl's are "slave raped." Such a thing keeps her condition fresh in her mind, and keeps her constantly and fully aware of the men that always surround her, and just what the depths of those looks they give her mean.
'You are not mine,' I told her. 'You are a pretty little thing, but I do not own you.'
'Please,' she said.
'Your master,' I said, 'if he chooses, will satisfy your needs. If he does not, he will not.' For all I knew she might be under the discipline of deprivation. If that were so, I had no wish to impair the effectiveness of her master's control over her. Besides I did not know him. I did not wish to do him dishonor, whoever he might be.'"- BEASTS OF GOR, Pg. 49
"Some masters enjoy having their girls raped occasionally; it serves to remind them that they are slaves."Some, maybe even many, but not necessarily all. In this way, some might consider it to be implied that one may sexually use the common slave girl that is seen walking the streets. Though the use of this girl may not be directly authorized, as in verbal permission given, it is implied, for many Gorean masters do not care about a simple piece of flesh being sexually used and in passing, so long as she returns home and in one piece... in fact many feel such things improve the girl. But this does not mean that men never care about such things, do not want such things to happen, or do not keep some girl's to themselves...- SLAVE GIRL OF GOR, Pg. 227
"Friends of her master will often bring their own girls with them, in visiting, and with these, after the men have been served, she may make friends, perhaps in chatting in the kitchen. These girls may be exchanged among the men, but commonly they are not. Most Masters are rather possessive about their slaves, particularly if they are fond of them."If an owner does not want unauthorized use to occur he has certain options - keeping her under guard, keeping her at home or with him, or applying the "iron belt" - are a few (though again an iron belt will protect only so much). This is much the same as with any piece of property - don't leave your toys unattended if you don't want someone else playing with them. Likewise, a Gorean man normally won't mind if another person whips his girl in his absence. Such a thing also keeps her condition fresh in her mind, insuring that the girl knows discipline does not end when she is out of her owner's sight. This is not an insult to the owner, but is actually a courtesy, for the other is actually being of service in correcting the girl and furthering the depths of her condition as imprinted on both body and mind.- GUARDSMAN OF GOR, Pg. 209
"You cannot punish me!' she cried. 'You are not my masters!' 'Any free person can punish an errant slave girl,' I said. 'Surely you do not think that her behavior fails to be subject to supervision and correction as soon as she is out of her Master's sight?'"As for the extent of discipline by another...- MAGICIANS OF GOR, Pg. 225
"'She is a slave,' I said. 'Anything could be done with her.'It is kept clearly in mind by the other that he does not have the right to destroy property he does not own. It is not his property and most will very much respect this. Such is the right only of the actual owner, hence another part of what ownership truly is - absolute. Should the slave so offend, or situation somehow warrant this response, the other is expected to pay for what he has destroyed as matter of recompense.
'By her master,' he said. 'Not just anyone.'
'True,' I said. One did not have the right, for example, to kill or maim the slave of another, any more than any other domestic animal which might belong to someone else. In this sense the slave is accorded some protection from free persons who do not own her in virtue of certain general considerations of property law. The power of the master over the slave, on the other hand, is absolute. He can do whatever he wishes with her. She belongs to him, completely."- MAGICIANS OF GOR, Pg. 225
"Any free man may discipline an insolent or errant slave,' I said, 'even one who is the least bit displeasing, even one he might merely feel like disciplining. If she is killed, or injured, he need only pay compensation to her master, and that only if the master can be located within a specific amount of time and requests such compensation.' In virtue of such customs and statutes the perfect discipline under which Gorean slaves are kept is maintained and guaranteed even when they are not within the direct purview of their masters or their appointed agents."This is not to say that sometimes, when in training a new girl, the owner will not also reserve the punishment of the slave to himself. In doing so he may well be trying to forge a clear image of himself and his ownership in the girl's mind, a bond initially that is built directly between himself and her. Usually such a thing would be done in conjunction with her movements being limited, and thus the owner always in reasonably close proximity, and her possible potential for angering a wide assortment of others thus lessened. This would not mean that she would not be punished for transgressions witnessed by others, only that the owner will have made it known that if she is in any way displeasing, inform him so that he may punish her directly, and in the process be made aware of her failings, helping him to adjust her training accordingly, while she is likewise made aware of his knowledge and displeasure in her mistakes.- PLAYERS OF GOR, Pg. 235
"'In courtesy,' said Clitus Vitellius, 'I grant you and your men slave rights upon this woman. But beyond this, I reserve her to myself. If you wish her beyond my permissions, we must do contest.'But this is not done normally as a routine and consistent condition. Such a thing would be applied for limited times and circumstances, dependent on situation. Girls who have grown more to their collars and who have wider freedoms of movement will not have these restrictions placed on them, for obviously it would be foolish to think they would be acknowledged or followed under broader and less controllable conditions. And this again also does not necessarily mean the others will even abide by the master's wishes, something the owner himself will know - "If you wish her beyond my permissions, we must do contest." Also, Gorean men don't normally beat the slave of another as an act against the owner. If it is the owner they do not like, they take the issue up with him, not the slave. Restrictions on discipline would not be placed to avoid such attacks by enemies, because such a thing would not commonly occur. Gorean men seek their own vengeance directly, not through the beating of another's animal. Restrictions can and do exist, but we cannot say the entirety of the act is an all or nothing proposal, as in an absolute and all applicable rule, automatically followed as if infallible, or automatically ignored as if something must be proved. Each event has its own reasoning, just like the multitude of events that can happen in life. Laws and customs of both the societal and personal kind do exist, but so do jails and vengeance because not all people abide by them. Also, there is always that big difference between what "could" be done and what "would" be done. Many things could happen, but would they in all situations? What's the reasoning and does that particular train of thought fit the mindset of the culture involved? What's the context of the situation? The variables are as many as there are people. If these things are not all the same in all cases, they are not contradictions, but are in keeping with the many varied events that can happen in a world.
'You wish to keep her for your discipline?' asked the man.
'Yes,' said Clitus Vitellius."- SLAVE GIRL OF GOR, Pg. 377-378
- Arius of Treve
© 1998, 2001 All Rights Reserved
© 1998, 2001 All Rights Reserved
