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Tal, Goreans! This week I have a few nifty tibits which I think might shake up Gorean IRC a bit. Not that shaking up our online society isn't a good thing, by the way... after all, learning about the fictional planet of Gor and its varied customs is pretty much an ongoing effort, at least on my part. It is important to remember, when dealing with others upon IRC, that many of those who frequent Gorean channels simply do not have access to any of the original source books, and are sort of "winging it" as it were, following the strictures and explanations set forth on various Gorean-themed websites across the Internet. Also, we are all prone to the occasional lapse of our Gorean knowledge and from time to time even the most learned are compelled by circumstances beyond their control to figure it out as they go. Norman certainly doesn't cover ALL the possible topics for conversation in his novels, and eventually one simply encounters a phrase or concept for which there is no specific Gorean expression. I think it is rather enjoyable to apply Gorean terms to such things, however... you may not be able to discuss, say, a recent football game in a "proper" Gorean manner, but you can certainly tell your friends "the faction I support in the Stadium of Games is doing rather well this week." For the record, the arena faction I support is that of the black and gold, those of the caste of Steelworkers. If you're from Pittsburgh you know who I'm talking about. GOR according to Norman I will kick off this week's column by displaying a quotation which is quite useful in maintaining our perception of the Gorean community. It was supplied by JaKil, who keeps sending me cool quotes. My thanks, Warrior!
Well, there you have it, straight from the kailla's mouth. Tarl personally tells us that plastic is both known and used on Gor, outside of the Sardar Mountains. Whereas the usage of such high tech substances is rather common within the Nest Hive of the Priest Kings, it seems that Goreans have the means and wherewithal to produce such items as well. This makes sense in relation to the assorted high-tech items in use by the Gorean populace, such as Translators and Bed-Chilling Alarm Clocks. While such items might not be common, they are certainly available for those with the wealth and opportunity to possess them. When you read in later books about such items as "drinking flasks" and "canteens," as well as assorted tools and vessels for serving and storing foodstuffs, it might be wise to keep in mind that such items might be made of something other than bosk hide and hammered bronze. Plastic, for example. The Goreans are nothing if not practical. CONSENSUAL SLAVERY ON GOR Recently there has been much debate that the actual state of Gorean slavery is impossible to practice upon IRC due to the fact that Gorean slavery is never consensual, and IRC is by necessity totally consensual. Indeed, our Gorean channels get a bad rap just for using the word "slavery." So did Norman when he wrote the books. However, in the later novels, the author seemed to get away from the overall concept that all slavery must be forced upon an unwilling victim. While he maintained the totality of the slave's status, he began to deal more with the existence, and the emotional needs, of the "consensual slave," one who realizes they want to be enslaved and who enters willingly into the state. In that respect these "consensual Gorean slaves" are not that different from the slaves on IRC, except that in the books, their owners possess much more effective ways by which to compel obedience. The following quotes make mention of the occurance of such "voluntary slavery":
LOVE AND SLAVERY Every now and then our IRC channels are visited by a person, or persons, who take it upon themselves to inform us that the practice of slavery is a brutal and wicked thing, and that it is at its heart a loveless and sadistic practice. While true that slavery in any form, per se, can be brutal and often cruel, I would suggest that how sadistic it might be depends upon whether or not sadists are involved. As to the existence of love within the institution of Gorean slavery, I give you the quotes below.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
A: While there is no specific rule precluding the use of a certain Master's name alone, rather than prefixing it with the title of "Master," it would be well to remember that often slaves are not given permission to speak a Master's name and are punished if they do so. But in casual conversation, typically among themselves, or when relating information to free persons, slaves can and do get away with such things, according to the Gor books. This is illustrated in the quotations below, which kyra{MAR} herself provided:
As shown above, a good example of this would be a slave saying "I am the slave of Rask of Treve" rather than saying "I am the slave of Master Rask of Treve." But I suppose it would depend upon the particular context in which it were used, and the preference of the Master involved. QUOTES OF INTEREST
Got another interesting e-mail this week, from someone who took offense at my expounding on the white-silk/red-silk terminology within the books. The fellow informed me that by publishing such information on the web, I was insulting his favorite IRC channel wherein different usages of those terms are in effect. I replied to him that no insult was intended and I don't care what he does in his channel (which I don't), since I am mainly interested in what the books say about the planet Gor. They say nothing about IRC channels of Earth, I might add, or how to behave there. In addition someone asked me how I felt regarding an essay which appeared in the Times a few weeks ago concerning those who insist that "if it does not appear in the Gor books, it is not allowable on Gorean IRC." The author listed the example of Tarl eating a can of chili while still on Earth in the first chapter of the first book and asked if chili was therefore to be found in Gorean channels, since the word chili appears in the books. I would say no, since the books are quite specific in saying that when Tarl ate that chili, he was on Earth. It was Earth chili. Not Gorean chili. John Norman uses a lot of words in the books, and mentions a lot of things in the Gor books which do not actually appear on Gor. But when he says that "such and such is Gorean" or that "Goreans tend to do so-and-so" then we can be sure that he is describing Gor, and take that information as fact (as far as Gor goes, anyhow.) I add that I completely agree with the rest of the article I mention above, and there is certainly a danger in being too literal, reading more into the writings of John Norman than he himself intended. This is the Shakespeare analogy... that, like some overzealous scholars who have interpreted and re-interpreted the works of Shakespeare, if you look at something long enough, you can twist it to mean almost anything. That is the one thing I do not want to do. I want to understand Gor as Norman intended it to be understood, not warp it into a religion. Norman is, at best, an armchair philosopher; his works are entertaining and contain much which is hidden from those who browse them casually or halfheartedly; but he is certainly not a deity, nor are his Gor books a cry for revolution. The revolution he offers us is the revolution within; Norman does not seek to change the world, he merely offers us a chance to alter our perceptions of it. It is we who must change our world, based upon those perceptions.
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.
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