"I dream of madder music, and I call for stronger wine;

But when the moons are swollen and my questing heart seeks more

The veil parts and draws me forth beyond my Earthly door

To trace your footfalls, Cabot! For the world I seek is thine.

And Enemies surround me, but my spirit will not bow

Nor falter like the weak who came before;

And I will follow, Cabot! In the best way I know how,

And keep alive the wonder that is Gor."

     Tal, Goreans!

     I have collected a few choice bits of info for you this week, plus several readers have sent in their own quotable quotes, each of which demonstrates a different aspect of the fictional world of Gor. I add that I am quite pleased that this column seems to have revived flagging interest in the vast amount of knowledge contained in the source books themselves... indeed, I have seen more John Norman quotes in Gorean channels and on Gorean websites during the past few days than I had ever seen before. If nothing else, maybe people are paying more attention to what they read and how it might apply to Gorean IRC.

     That said, let's just get right to the heart of the matter; namely, this week's collection of quotations and commentary.

GOR according to Norman

     I'll start out by revisiting a matter I discussed in my column of 11/06/97; namely, whether or not slaves were allowed to say "Tal." In that column I mentioned that I had found a reference which seemed to suggest that usage of the word "Tal" was reserved to freepersons. Below I have updated that statement:

UPDATE: _MARCUS_ PUTS FOOT IN MOUTH, DEVOURS WHOLE SANDAL! BLEAAH!

     This week I was sent this little gem of info from a fellow Gorean:

  "The girls stood straight, proud under the gaze of a warrior.

  `Tal, Master,' said many of them, as I rode slowly by."

--p.344, Tribesmen of Gor

(submitted by Mastiff)

And I myself found this one:

  "`Tal, Master,' they said to me.

  `Tal, Slave Girls,' I said to them."

--p.345, Tribesmen of Gor

     Yikes. The context and content of the sentences around these references leave no doubt that the females, or girls, in question, are tethered slaves. And Tarl shows no sign of beating them for using the word "Tal."

     The score now stands at "Slaves say Tal"=2, "Slaves don't say Tal"=1.

PRETTY RIBBONS OF RED & WHITE SILK

     Of all the misuses of Gorean terms online, this one remains the ultimate pet peeve of many Goreans. Although the terms "red-silk" and "white-silk" are quite Gorean in origin, their definition remains in question in many IRC channels. I have heard it argued that these terms refer only to physical virginity, that there are no colored ribbons attached to collars, and that there is only one acceptible definition for those terms as described in the books. While this statement is basically true, there is more to the matter than meets the eye.

      Since this matter is the source of much debate, I will start by listing what I consider to be the "grandaddy of all red-silk/white-silk quotes," the long and rather confusing "glana/falarina" speech:

"The buyers were also informed that I was `glana' or a virgin. The correlated term is `metaglana,' used to designate the state to which the glana state looks forward, or that which it is regarded as anticipating. Though the word was not used of me I was also `profalarina', which term term designates the state preceding, and anticipating, that of `falarina,' the state Goreans seem to think of as that of being a full woman, or, at least, as those of Earth might think of it, one who certainly is no longer a virgin. In both terms, `glana' and `profalarina,' incidentally, it seems that the states they designate are regarded as immature or transitory, state to be succeeded by more fully developed, superior states, those of `metaglana' or `falarina.' Among slaves, not free women, these things are sometimes spoken of along the lines as to whether or not the girl as been `opened' for the uses of men. Other common terms, used generally of slaves, are `white silk' and `red silk', for girls who have not yet been opened, or have been opened, for the uses of men, respectively."

--p.128, Dancer of Gor

[The above quote is classic, mid-1980's John Norman. A more convoluted paragraph has never been written.]

[Translation for the Norman impaired: The word "glana" means "virgin," the word "metaglana" means "not a virgin." The word "profalarina" means "virgin," the word "falarina" means "not a virgin." Goreans believe that a woman is not complete until she has lost her virginity. Women who are "glana" and "profalarina" (virgins) are considered to be immature and somewhat inferior to women who are no longer virgins. "Not yet opened for the uses of men" means "virgin," while "opened for the uses of men" means "no longer a virgin." The common slave terms for these two conditions are "white silk" (virgin) and "red silk" (no longer a virgin).]

     Here is another quote which seems to indicate the meaning of "white-silk girl":

  "She trembled. I kissed her upon the lips. Her body, that of a white-silk girl, fresh to the collar, was terribly frightened."

--p.95, Hunters of Gor

     Hmmm. Sounds like a virgin to me. And to remove any doubt, here's another:

  "`I am a virgin,' she said.

  `You are white-silk,' I said.

  `Please do not use that vulgar expression of me,' she begged.

  `Do not fear,' I said, `it will soon be inappropriate.'"

--120, Beasts of Gor

     While I have dozens of such references which indicate that red/white silk are used to refer to a slave's state of physical virginity, I have found only two references which indicate that the terms red-silk and white-silk are ever used in any other way. The first, shown below, merely implies it, using the words "tends to be" and "usually" rather than "is always" and "invariably."

"Similarly, the expression `red-silk,' in Gorean, tends to be used as a category in slaving, and also, outside of the slaving context, as an expression in vulgar discourse, indicating that the woman is no longer a virgin, or, as the Goreans say, at least vulgarly of slaves, that her body has been opened by men. Its contrasting term is `white-silk,' usually used of slaves who are still virgins, or, equivalently, slaves whose bodies have not yet been opened by men. Needless to say, slaves seldom spend a great deal of time in the `white-silk' category. It is common not to dally in initiating a slave into the realities of her condition."

--p.472, Blood Brothers of Gor

     The other reference describes a deliberate misuse of the term as a joke, used to punish an errant slavegirl:

  "`Tela, when captured,' he said, indicating a blonde, `begged to be kept in white silk.' He laughed. `After throwing her to a crew, for their pleasure, we put her, as she had asked, in white silk.'

  `Amusing,' I said.

  `She now often begs for red silk,' he said.

--p.197, Rogue of Gor

     As to the matter of "collar-ribbons," such things are certainly in use upon Gor. They may be used to indicate a slave's state of virginity, or anything else which her Master wishes to indicate. It seems to be an effective way of keeping track of certain things in regards to a naked slave, without relying on a grease pencil to mark her body or an ear-tag similar to those used in Treve to mark capture girls. The quote below illustrates their existence quite clearly:

"Then I felt him... remove the white-silk ribbon from my collar. In a moment he had fastened something else there, in its place, doubtless another ribbon, doubtless the red-silk ribbon which had been given to him earlier by Mirus. He jerked it down on the collar, snugly."

--p.209, Dancer of Gor

     So that's it, in a nutshell. White-silk means "virgin" and red-silk means "other." The term is only used differently in very rare circumstances, either as a joke or to dupe someone into believing that the slave in question is something other than she is. You can, of course, dress a slave in any color of silk which suits your fancy... but if a female slave is said to be "white-silk" on Gor, then she had better be an honest-to-goodness virgin, since lying about such matters in regards to slaves is tantamount to fraud. On the other hand, one may designate a red-silk girl as white-silk to deprive her of sexual contact with men, who will not bother to use her when there are willing red-silk slaves about. But this is a punishment to her, not an indication of her actual status

THE RITE OF SUBMISSION

     Lately I have seen it set forth on several websites that, when a female seeks to be collared by a certain male, that she may assume the position of submission and submit herself to him. Then, supposedly, if he does not want her he is required to slay her. This is partially true; however, the books are quite clear in specifying that the only time the "keep me or slay me" rule is in effect is when the woman who submits herself is a freewoman and the male to whom she submits is a member of the caste of Warriors. The excerpts below are quite clear on this matter:

"Then, to my astonishment, the daughter of the Ubar Marlenus, daughter of the Ubar of Ar, knelt before me, a simple warrior of Ko-ro-ba, and lowered her head, lifting and extending her arms, wrists crossed. It was... the submission of the captive female. Without raising her eyes from the ground, the daughter of the Ubar said in a clear, distinct voice: `I submit myself.'
...I was speechless for a moment, but then, remembering that harsh Gorean custom required me either to accept the submission or slay the captive, I took her wrists in my hands and said, `I accept your submission.'"

--p.93-94, Tarnsman of Gor

  "`I can force you to take me,' she said.

  `How?' I asked.

  `Like this,' she responded, kneeling before me, lowering her head and lifting her arms, the wrists crossed. She laughed. `Now you must take me with you or slay me.'

  I cursed her, for she took unfair advantage of the Warrior Codes of Gor."

--p.109, Tarnsman of Gor

  "And then, angrily, loftily, she walked to the deck before me and then, movement by movement, to my fury, knelt before me, back on her heels, head down, arms extended, wrists crossed, as though for binding.

  `You are a fool!' I told her.

  She lifted her head, and smiled. `You may simply leave me here if you wish,' she said.

  `It is not in the codes,' I said.

  `I thought,' said she, `that you no longer kept the codes.'

  ...`I do not want you!' I said.

  `Then slay me,' she said.'"

--p.97-98, Raiders of Gor

"...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."

--p.21, Players of Gor

     For more detailed information regarding the freewoman's Rite of Submission, visit the "Role of the Freewoman of Gor" webpage at the following URL:

http://www2.1starnet.com/mharris/tavern/tavern/freewomn.html

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q: Some Gorean taverns on IRC seem to have chairs, but in others the Masters sit on furs and cushions on the floor. Which is correct? Are there no chairs on Gor?

(submitted by jiliana{Bli})

A: There are chairs on Gor, though they are quite rare and usually serve special purposes. A Ubar or Administrator might have a throne-like chair, for instance, or the members of a High Council have chairs in their Meeting Hall. Much depends upon the context. This is illustrated in the quotations below:

"On Gor, incidentally, chairs have special significance, and do not often occur in private dwellings. They tend to be reserved for significant personages, such as administrators and judges. Moreover, although you may find this hard to understand, they are not thought to be comfortable."

--p.45-46, Priest Kings of Gor

"The Gorean male, at ease, usually sits cross-legged and the female kneels, resting back on her heels."

--p.46, Priest Kings of Gor

     Since one would probably find it difficult either to sit cross-legged in most chairs, or to kneel in one, it is a safe assumption that, since Gorean males usually sit cross-legged and Gorean females usually kneel, they are usually not residing in a chair.

QUOTES OF INTEREST

Below I have again included a few quotes which my fellow Goreans might find interesting:

  "The fools of Earth, confused by the rhetoric of law and morality, shielding short-sighted greed and madness, had stood aside, permitting the poisoning of the air they breathe, the water they drink, the food they ate. That the poisoners will die with the poisoned will perhaps yield them some comfort."

--p.362-363, Tribesmen of Gor

(submitted by JaKil)

  "`Masculinity and femininity are complementary properties,' I told her. `If a man wishes a woman to be more feminine, he must be more masculine. If a woman wishes a man to be more masculine, she must be more feminine.'"

--p.205, Explorers of Gor

(submitted by JaKil)

  "`Did you strike me because I challenged your manhood?' she asked...

  `You were not struck for such an absurd reason,' I said... `You were struck, rather, because you were attempting to manipulate me.'"

--p.422, Mercenaries of Gor

  "`Are most Gorean women slaves?' she asked.

  `No,' I said. `Indeed, statistically, in those parts of Gor with which I am familiar, very few. Commonly only one woman in say, forty or fifty is a slave. This varies somewhat, of course, from city to city.The major exception to these ratios is the city of Tharna, in which almost every woman is a slave... there are special historical reasons for that.'"

--p.246, Beasts of Gor

My Quote for the Week:

"It is seldom wise, incidentally, to impugn, or attempt to manipulate, the honor of a Gorean."

--Tarl Cabot, p.297, Mercenaries of Gor

     I received an e-mail this week in which the writer, who shall remain unnamed (I myself had never heard of him before) informed me at great length precisely how stupid it is for any of us to be concerned with what he called "the endless boring trivia found in the Gor books themselves." Gor, he informed me, is to be found in the heart, and having a working knowledge of how that planet functions is unimportant. He also informed me that what we have created on IRC owes little or nothing to the works of John Norman, and he added that he himself has never even read a Gor book, but considered himself to be just as Gorean as myself, or anyone else, for that matter.

     While this latter might be true, since I do not classify "how Gorean someone is" according to how many books they have read either, the fact remains: this person honestly believes that the existence of our Gorean channels owes nothing to the Gor books themselves. This belief is, in my opinion, simply too idiotic to argue against. But I will include my personal feelings on the matter below, in answer to that fellow's statement:

     Without the Gor books, there is no Gor. Period. Anyone who would argue this fact seems to me to be a complete moron. Anyone who would dispute that their own IRC inventions and customs are "more Gorean" than those created by Gor's creator, John Norman, proves themself to be a total idiot.

     Ignorance is excusable. Apathy is not. If you read the references on this page and say, "I did not know," then you are one of us, and strive to know more about your "adopted world." If you read these references and say "I do not care," then you prove yourself a person of Earth, unconcerned with the truth about the world of Gor, unconcerned with anything other than your own little corner of cyberspace and your control over it.

     Many will tell you we must make sweeping changes to Norman's Gor in order to adapt it to the environment of IRC. That is, in my opinion, rather shaky logic. In truth we should strive to makes as few changes as possible to it in order to adapt it and recreate it on IRC.

     My version of Gor is no better than yours, because I do not have a version of Gor. There is only one version of Gor, and it belongs to its author. We should all try to share in his version with him, and be travellers and visitors to his world, rather than trespassers.

I wish you well!

_Marcus_

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? If you have any of the above, have queries regarding the source books, or have a quote or brief passage from the books which you would share here, feel free to e-mail me through the link below.

Send e-mail to: By The Book

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