Thoughts about the Gorean Collar

     A few weeks ago, a girl wandered into one of the very few channels on Austnet that I attend, new to Gor, and very curious. After a bit of talk, it seemed to me that she was genuinely interested in what we do here and who we are. A few days later, this girl contacted me under a new name, with a collar on her IRC neck, very distressed and saddened by what she had done. After a few questions, it came to light that she had been looking around the "Gorean" channels, and it seems she was finally suckered into take a collar offered to her by a "Gorean" camp. Having realized the error of her unfortunately uninformed ways, she asked if there was anything she could do about it. I asked her how the collaring had come about, and she proceeded to tell me that this camp's collar was offered to her in message, under the guise of a training collar. Sounds a lot like a diaper, and a bit disturbing considering it comes from one of the supposedly true Gorean channels. She was then told she must beg for the camp's collar in open channel. How realistic. Now it seems to me, if a girl must be told she has to beg for a collar, then this girl is far from ready to even have a collar. Towards the end of our conversation, the girl mentioned to me that ours was the only channel she had been to that didn't offer her a collar! Why am I not surprised? It seems that with all these supposedly "True Gor" channels around here, she would not have been offered so many collars. It makes me wonder just how true "True Gor" is. If this is "True Gor", then you can keep it. Small wonder I do not feel the need to get out much anymore. If a slave wishes a collar, or a home, let her beg for it. Who knows, she might actually keep it for more than a week.

     The situation described above, is one that is obviously far too common here, a bit gamey smelling, and un-Gorean. It seems as if these new girls, perhaps only seeking to learn of the ways of Gor, are being preyed upon in their lack of knowledge. Why are they told that they need a collar to be here? Why are they told they need a collar to learn? Why are so many offered? Now, I am sure you will correct me if I am wrong, since I admit I have not read all of the books of Gor, but I do not expect that I will be reading anything about a girl being swooped down upon by a raiding tarnsman, and being offered a collar! Did Rask offer Elinor a collar? Did Tarl offer Talena a collar? I could go on and on, but hopefully the point is made. There were, of course, many instances where a slavegirl did beg a collar, either out of love for a man, or because she wanted to be purchased and owned. This brings me to another point: It seems that there is this very lame custom on IRC that if a girl begs a collar, and it is refused, that the person she begged it from can kill her. Stupid, people, very stupid indeed! What a fun game this must be to those of you who play it. A pitiful bunch you are who actually think this way. Show me some examples in the books of Norman where this has occurred! Better yet, try actually reading a few of the books instead of just claiming you have. Stop letting the blind lead you. I think that in Tarl's travels he would have ended up killing a lot of slaves if he had killed all the girls who begged his collar, and were refused.

     Perhaps you are asking yourself now "If it is un-Gorean to offer a collar, and a slave should beg to be collared, how do we aquire any slaves or Masters?". Not an easy task, but there is an answer. In the case of channel collars, if a slave finds herself liking to be in a particular channel a lot, then perhaps in time she will ask for the channel's collar. In the more private instance of a Master and a slavegirl, I think that with much conversation, they will both realize that this is what they want, without a collar actually being offered. The end results will be that the girl will beg the collar, and will be accepted. Is it too time consuming for you? Then take your damned games somewhere else! There is a slight chance that the person you are playing with has very real feelings and needs. It is these fools games, having devalued the meaning of the collar, that makes it so easy for many to shuck them, both personal, and channel collars.

     For those of you who are new, or perhaps not so new, and interested in the truth, take your time, learn the meaning and the required commitment of a collar before you beg one, or seek to put one on someone's neck. If you find yourself being offered collars, move on in your travels, and perhaps in time you will find, real men and women, who know, and greatly value, the Gorean collar.

I wish you well

Danath