Common
Women
| I wondered what she might look like in a collar. I knew, of course,
what she looked like naked, for I was her silk slave. Free women think
as little of concealing their bodies from their silks slaves as the women
of Earth would before their pet dogs." Fighting Slave of Gor page 180 |
| Her Robes of concealment were splattered with mud and marsh water,
and in several places the heavy brocade had stiffened and cracked....The
Robes of Concealment, in function, resemble the garments of Muslim women
on my own planet, though they are undoubtedly more intricate and cumbersome.
Normally, of men, only a father and a husband may look upon the woman unveiled."
Tarnsman of Gor page 87. |
| She slipped softly from her slippers....Her hands went to the stiff,
high brocaded collar of her robes, the robes of concealment, to the numerous
eyes and hooks there, holding it tightly, protectively, about her throat,
up high under her chin..... In a few moments she had parted her robes,
and slipped them, first the street robe, that stiff, ornate fabric, and
then the house robe, scarcely less inflexible and forbidding, from her
small, soft shoulders. Clad now only in a silken sliplike undergarment,
she then looked at me. " Mercenaries of Gor page 9 |
Eta, from behind me, pinned the first of five veils about my face.
It was light, and shimmering, of white silk, almost transparent. Then,
one after the other, she added the freedom veil, or veil of the citizeness,
the pride veil, the house veil, and street veil. Each of these is heavier
and more opaque than the one which lies within. the street veil, worn publicly,
is extremely bulky, quite heavy and completely opaque; not even the lineaments
of the nose and cheeks are discernible when it is worn; the house veil
is worn indoors when there are those present who are not of the household,
as in conversing with or entertaining associates of one's companion. Veils
are worn in various numbers and combinations by Gorean free women, this
tending to vary by preference and caste. Many low class Gorean women
own only a single veil which must do for all purposes. Not all high-caste
women wear a large number of veils. A free woman, publicly, will commonly
wear, one or two veils; a frequent combination is the light veil, or last
veil, and the house or street veil. Rich, vain women of high caste may
wear ostentatiously as many as nine or ten veils. In certain cities, in
connection with the free companionship, the betrothed or pledged beauty
may wear eight veils, several of which are ritualistically removed during
various phases of the ceremony of companionship; the final veils, and robes,
of course, are removed in private by the male who, following their removal,
arms interlocked with the girl, drinks with her the wine of the companionship,
after which he completes the ceremony. This sort, of thing, however, varies
considerably from city to city. In some cities the girl is unveiled,
though not disrobed, of course, during the public ceremony. The friends
of the male may then express their pleasure and joy in her beauty, and
their celebration of the good fortunes of their friend. 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." Slave Girl of Gor pages 106-7 |
| I rejoiced that in at least one city on Gor the free women were not
expected to wear the Robes of Concealment, confine their activities largely
to their own quarters, and speak only to their blood relatives and, eventually,
the Free Companion." Outlaw of Gor page 49 |
Haik
| The haik, black, covers the woman from head to toe. At the eyes, there
is a tiny bit of black lace, through which she may see. On her feet were
soft, black, nonheeled slippers, with curled toes; They were decorated
with a line of silver thread." Tribesmen of Gor page 44 |
| 'I can still see your hair,' said Drusus Renclus. I drew the hood angrily
even more closely about my features. Little more now could be seen of me,
as is common with the robes of concealment, but a bit of the bridge of
my nose and my eyes." Kajira of Gor page 99 |
Jewelry
..beads of chap wood, such as are cast about in festivals and carnivals,
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 maybe remanded
to magistrates for impressment into bondage. There will be nothing inappropriate,
even from the legal point of view, in their wearing such ornaments, assuming
that they have their master's permission."
Vagabonds of Gor page 69 |
Covering
of Legs
| 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 that any woman who bares
her legs is a slave. Indeed, in some cities, a free woman who might be
found with bared legs is taken in hand by magistrates, tried and sentenced
to bondage." Mercenaries of Gor page 69 |
| 'In Ar's Station,' he said, `as in Ar, robes of concealment, precisely,
are not legally obligatory for free women, no more than the veil. Such
things are a matter of custom. On the other hand, as you know, there are
statutes prescribing certain standards of decorum for free women. 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.'"
Renegades of Gor pages 367-8 |
Wearing
of Silk
| "..free women, incidentally, among the Wagon People are not permitted
to wear silk; it is claimed by those of the Wagons, delightfully I think,
that any woman who likes the feel of silk on her body is, in the secrecy
of her heart and blood, a slave girl, whether or not some master has yet
forced her to don the collar." Nomads of Gor page 58 |
Strays
| 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. " Kajira of Gor page 139 |
Women
of Torvaldsland
| The free woman was a tall woman, large. She wore a great cape of fur,
of white sea-sleen, thrown back to reveal the whiteness of her arms. Her
kirtle was of the finest wool of Ar, dyed scarlet, with black trimmings.
She wore two broaches, both carved of the horn of a kaiiliauk, mounted
in gold. At her waist she wore a jeweled scabbard, protruding from which
I saw the ornamented, twisted blade of a Turian dagger; free women of Torvaldsland
commonly carry a knife; at her belt too, hung her scissors, and a ring
of many keys, indicating that her hall contained many chests or doors;
her hair was worn high, wrapped about a comb, matching the broaches, of
the horn of kaiiliauk ; the fact that her hair was worn dressed indicated
that she stood in companionship; the number of her keys, together with
the scissors, indicated that she was mistress of a great house. She had
gray eyes; her hair was dark; her face was cold and harsh." Marauders of
Gor page 156. |
Veils
| "..Freewomen, drinking, commonly lift their veil, or veils with the
left hand. Low-caste free women, if veiled, usually do the same. Sometimes,
however, particularly in the public, they will drink through their veil
or veils. Sometimes, of course, free women drink unveiled, even with guests.
Much depends on how well the individuals are known and who is present.
In their homes, of course, with only members of their families present,
or servants and slaves, most free women do not veil themselves, even those
of high caste." Fighting Slave of Gor page 276. |
| Veils are worn in various numbers and combinations by Gorean free women,
this tending to vary by preference and caste. Many low class Gorean women
own only a single veil which must do for all purposes. Not all high-caste
women wear a large number of veils. A free woman, publicly, will commonly
wear, one or two veils; a frequent combination is the light veil, or last
veil, and the house or street veil. Rich, vain women of high caste may
wear ostentatiously as many as nine or ten veils. In certain cities, the
connection with the free companionship, the betrothed or pledged beauty
may wear eight veils, several of which are ritualistically removed during
various phases of the ceremony of companionship; the final veils, and robes,
of course, are removed in private by the male who, following their removal,
arms interlocked with the girl, drinks with her the wine of companionship,
after which he completes the ceremony." Slave Girl of Gor page 106 |
| In the northern villages, and in the forest towns, and northward on
the coast, the women do not veil themselves, as is common in the cities
of the south." Marauders of Gor page 25 |
| Many low-class Gorean women own only a single veil which must do for
all purposes. 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 Girl
of Gor page 107 |
| 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... Repeated offenses in such a city usually
result in the enslavement of the female. " Players of Gor page 125 |
Wagon
Women
| Tuchuk women, unveiled, in their long leather dresses, long hair bound
in braids, tended cooking pots hung on tem-wood tri-pods over dung fires.
These women were unscarred, but like the bosk themselves, each wore a nose
ring. That of the animals is heavy and of gold, that of the women also
of gold but tiny and fine, not unlike the wedding rings of my old world."
Nomads of Gor page 27 |
| It was apparently a free woman of the Alars, only she was not dressed
as were the other women of the camp, in their coarse, heavy, ankle-length
woolen dresses. She wore rather the garmenture of a male, the furs and
leather. At her belt there was even a knife." Mercenaries of Gor page 53 |
| Free women , incidentally, among the Wagon Peoples are not permitted
to wear silk: it is claimed by those of the Wagons, delightfully I think,
that any women who loves the feel of silk on her body is, in the secrecy
of her heart and blood , a slave girl, whether or not some master has yet
forced her to don the collar." Nomads of Gor page 58 |
| She refused to wear the cumbersome Robes of Concealment traditionally
expected of the free woman. She still wore the brief, exciting leather
of a Tuchuk wagon girl and, when striding the high bridges, her hair in
the wind, she attracted much attention, not only, obviously, from the men,
but from women, both slave and free." Assassins of Gor page 74 |
| Tuchuk women, unveiled, in their long leather dresses, long hair bound
in braids, tended cooking pots hung on tem-wood tripods over dung fires.
These women were unscarred, but like the bosk themselves, each wore a nose
ring." Nomads of Gor page 27 |
Wealthy
Women
| Many Gorean women, in their haughtiness and pride, do not choose to
have their features exposed to the common view. They are too fine and noble
to be looked upon by the casual rabble. Similarly the robes of concealment
worn by many Gorean women are doubtless dictated by the same sentiments.
On the other hand veiling is not an impractical modesty in a culture where
capture, and the chain, and the whip are not unknown. One not regarded
as inconsiderable, is that it is supposed to provide something of a protection
against abduction and predation. Who would wish to risk his life, it is
said, to carry off a woman who might, when roped to a tree and stripped,
turn out to be as ugly as a thalarion?" Rogue of Gor page 41 |
She wore black and silver, a full, ankle-length gown of rich, black
velvet, with silver belts, or straps, that crossed over her breasts, and
tied about her waist. From it, by strings, hung a silver purse, that seemed
weighty. Her blond hair was lifted from the sides and back of her head
by a comb of bone and leather, like an inverted isosceles triangle, the
comb fastened by a tiny black
ribbon about her neck, and another such ribbon about her forehead.
Her cloak, of black fur, from the black sea sleen, glossy and deep, swirled
to her ankles. It was fastened at the left shoulder by a large circular
brooch of silver, probably from Tharna." Marauders of Gor page 35 |
| She wore a full, beige skirt, the hem of which fell to within some
six inches of the ground, and slim, high, black-leather boots, a beige
blouse, and a beige jacket, belted, which fell to her thighs; too, she
wore a loose hood, attached to the jacket by hooks, of matching beige material,
and an opaque veil, also of beige material. Such garments, far less
formal than the common attire of the Gorean free woman, are sometimes worn
by rich women in the supervision and inspection of certain sorts of holdings,
such as orchards, fields, ranches and vineyards. They constitute, for such
women, so to speak, a habit for work." Fighting Slave of Gor page 232 |
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