Kneeling
As with so many other aspects of Gor, even the kneeling of the kajirae before the Free has meaning and significance. It is customary for a kneeling kajirae to kneel a few feet back from the Free. The kneeling itself expresses the kajirae's servitude and submission. The distance serves three primary purposes.
"It
is customary in the kneeling position to remain back a few feet from the Male.
The kneeling position, itself, expresses the servitude of the slave, and her
submission,. the distance serves three major purposes. It symbolizes in the
distance, as well as in the differential in height, the social inferiority
of the slave to the Master. It puts the slave in a position where all of her,
for the Master's delight, can be seen, A kneeling woman is incredibly beautiful.
It also puts enough space between the slave and the free Male so that the
releasing of his rapacity is then likely to require a decision, and is less
likely to be simply, reflexively, triggered. This is regarded as being particularly
important when the slave is in the presence of a Male who is not her Master.
The kneeling position, thus interestingly, can occasionally provide a measure
of security, if somewhat tenuous one, for the slave, tending to reduce the
some extent the frequency with which, in a culture with such interpersonal
proximities, she might otherwise be subjected to unauthorized rape. This same
tiny measure of protection, of course, puts her in much greater danger from
her real Master, for He, observant of her, seeing her kneeling beautifully
before Him, can also delay in His considerations as to her suitable exploitation.
How shall He use her? What shall He
have her do, and so on. To be sure, sometimes He simply takes her and when
He wants her and almost by reflexive whim. she is His. The main reason why
a slave kneels, of course, aside from such subtle and complex considerations,
is simply that she is a slave, and that that position, accordingly, is appropriate
for her."
~Dancer of Gor, pages 156-157~
The distance a slave places between themself and the Free, also, may be symbolic of the needs the slave wishes to convey.
"The Gorean slave, girl, incidentally, will space herself from her Master quite differently in different situations. For example, is she is somewhat farther away, it is easier for her to display herself in all her beauty; if she wishes to wheedle for His caress she may approach quite closely; if she is receiving instructions she may kneel a few feet away; is she is begging to serve His pleasure she may kneel at His feet, perhaps kissing them, and holding His ankles; obviously too, a girl who fears she is to be disciplined will commonly hang back; sometimes too, a girl will fear to approach too closely until the Master, by an expression or small sign, indicates that she is not in obvious disfavor and may do so." ~Explorers of Gor, page 201~