GREAT POLITICAL HOUSE OF FORSTANDER
One of the most beautiful wonders of Sl Gor....
the ONLINISMS!....Yes! *sarcasm alert*
We must all remember that when diving into Gor and its philosophy, every person will interpret things in their own way. And sometimes ignore the novels themselves, with the excuse that John Norman was a "terrible writer." Bullshit.
Patience is the key when discussing anything Gorean, pushing your point does nothing if you don't have the time to listen to anyone else. Here we cater you with lots of examples commonly seen online. You'll probably find yourself digging for more. The Gorean Cave is a great source, among other sites.
SL GOR ONLINISMS & CYBERISMS IN BRIEF
1. There is no red sugar mentioned in any of the books, only white and yellow.
2. The word "servery" does NOT exist in the books, but kitchen is.
3. Slaves speaking in third-person DID occur in the books.
4. In the books, girls are trained to nadu with both palms up and palms down. The "palms up" position can be interpreted as a silent plea to be used.
5. In the books, slaves did not travel from tavern to tavern and did not beg entrance. There is also no reference to any position known as "karta".
6. There is no such thing as a "Bazi Tea Ceremony".
7. There are only red and white silk girls in the books. The colors do not describe what the slave is wearing (or any type of "status"), but rather the girl's condition.
8. There is no such thing as a "seven-step serve" and 3 heartbeats and prayers in any of the books.
9. In the books, restriction/permission of a kind did exist and these restrictions were honored in most parts, though that is not to say they will always be honored.
SL GOR ONLINISMS & CYBERISMS IN DETAIL
1. The proper way for a "Gorean Warrior" to say "farewell" is to say "Winds and Steel" or just "Winds."
False - This is a complete cyberism with no example in the books to back it up. There is not a single instance where the word "winds" is used as a farewell, not even in combination with any other words.
2. There are many different colored sugars on Gor, red included.
FALSE - There is no red sugar mentioned in any of the books, only white and yellow.
"She carried a tray, on which were various spoons and sugars. She knelt, placing her tray on the table. With a tiny spoon, its tip no more than a tenth of a hort in diameter, she placed four measures of white sugar, and six of yellow, in the cup; with two stirring spoons, one for the white sugar, another for the yellow, she stirred the beverage after each measure." Tribesmen of Gor, page 89
3. There are red, white, pink, purple, green, black and rainbow-silked girls on Gor, depending on their training and/or status.
FALSE - There are only red and white silk girls in the books. The colors do not describe what the slave is wearing (or any type of "status"), but rather the girl's condition.
"The expression "red silk," in Gorean, tends to be used as a category in slaving, and also, outside 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." Blood Brothers of Gor, page 472
4. Unowned/uncollared girls wearing silks.
FALSE - A slave is unable to own any property, she cannot be in the posession of clothing, bells, silks, etc. She may own nothing, period.
"Surely you are aware," said Saphrar, "that a slave cannot own property --- any more than a kaiila, a tharlarion or sleen." Nomads of Gor, page 132
5. Bazi tea is always served as part of a long drawn-out ceremony (online, that means 8-10 posts).
FALSE - There is no such thing as a "Bazi Tea Ceremony". According to the books, it looked like this:
"'Make me tea,' I said. 'Is it ready?' I asked. I looked at the tiny copper kettle on the small stand. A tiny kaiila-dung fire burned under it. A small, heavy, curved glass was nearby, on a flat box, which would hold some two ounces of the tea. Bazi tea is drunk in tiny glasses, usually three at a time, carefully measured. She did not make herself tea, of course. She lifted the kettle from the fire and, carefully, poured me a tiny glass of tea. I took the glass." Tribesmen of Gor, page 139
6. Kajira must always beg entrance in the position of karta before entering taverns.
FALSE - In the books, slaves did not travel from tavern to tavern and did not beg entrance. There is also no reference to any position known as "karta".
"`Slaves can enter taverns, can they not?' I asked. `If on an errand, or in the company of a free person,' he said..." Kajira of Gor, page 122
7. The word *rask* refers to a slave's buttocks.
FALSE - Nowhere in any of the books is this word used in such a manner. The only reference to *rask*, is Rask of Treve in Captive of Gor.
8. The correct way to nadu is always with "palms up."
FALSE - In the books, girls are trained to nadu with both palms up and palms down. The "palms up" position can be interpretted as a silent plea to be used.
"Then, delicately, in a graceful gesture, she turned her hands, putting their backs to the floor, exposing her palms, and the soft flesh of her palms, to him, indicating her surrender, her submission, her vulnerability and her readiness." Rogue of Gor, page 196
"I had stopped near her and she had, immediately, knelt, for she was in the presence of a free man.....she had, suddenly, dropped her eyes. I saw a tiny movement in her hands, on her thighs, as though she would turn them, exposing the palms to me, but then she pressed them down on her thighs, hard." Explorers of Gor, page 81
"Come now, my pretty slaves" said Ginger. "kneel straight. Back straight, heads up. Back on your heels there!. Spread those pretty knees. Yes, that is the way men like it. Put your hands, palms down, on your thighs. Good. Good. Excellent!" Savages of Gor, page 155
9. A free woman may be addressed how she wishes.
Although this is true, the original source text tells us again and again how free women are to be addressed. This is in almost every book.
"The Gorean slave girl addresses all free men as 'Master' and all free women as 'Mistress.'" Assassins of Gor, page 215
10. Slaves in the books always spoke in first-person. Making slaves speak in third-person is just an online thing.
FALSE - Slaves speaking in third-person DID occur in the books.
"Who!" she demanded. "I did," I cried. "I did!" "Speak as a slave!" demanded Ute. "El-in-or betrayed Ute!" I cried. "El-in-nor betrayed Ute!" Captive of Gor, page 287
11. Any slave even *touching* a weapon will be put to death.
FALSE - There are many instances throughout the books where a slave touches weapons. The difference being the *intent*, when touching.
"I recalled how a guard had once given me his spear, and it had been so heavy, I could throw it only a few feet. He had then taken it from me and hurled it into a block of wood, head deep, more then a hundred feet away. He then sent me to fetch it for him and I had scarcely been able to work it free of the wood." Captive of Gor, page 106
"Take the quiva," said Kamchak. The girl shook with fear. "Take it," ordered Kamchak. She did so. "Now," he said, "replace it." Trembling, she did so. Nomads of Gor, page 142
"Wasnapohdi thrust her knife in behind the neck, to make the first slash, from which the skin would begin to be folded back, to expose the forequarters on each side. Subsequently the hide, in the normal fashion, can be cut down the middle." Blood Brothers of Gor, page 57
12. There is no such thing as forgiving a slave. Slaves must always beg for mercy, never for forgiveness.
FALSE - There are many instances where a slave begged to be forgiven.
"Forgive me, Mistress," I begged. "Did you lie?" she asked. "Yes, Mistress," I said. "I lied! I lied! Forgive me, Mistress. Please, forgive me!" Fighting Slave of Gor, page 67
"Do you bargain?" I asked. "No, Master," she cried. "No, Master! Forgive me, Master! Please forgive me, Master!" Fighting Slave of Gor, page 97
13. The word for "collar" is spelled ko-lar (or kollar).
FALSE - The spelling "ko-lar" occurs ONE time to show how the word "collar" is pronounced.
"Ko-lar," she said, indicating her collar. "It is the same word in English," I cried. She did not understand my outburst. Gorean, as I would learn, is rich in words borrowed from Earth languages; how rich it is I am not a skilled enough philologist to conjecture. It may well be that almost all Gorean expressions may be traced to one or another Earth language. Yet, the language is fluid, rich and expressive. Slave Girl of Gor, page 80
Note: The word "Urth" is also not found in the books.
14. Every tavern has a "servery".
FALSE - The word "servery" does NOT exist in the books at all.
15. All slaves must taste the drink before serving it to the free person.
FALSE -
He extended his goblet to me. "Drink," he said, offering me the cup. I looked at the rim of the cup. I shook with terror. "A slave girl dares not touch with her lips the rim of that cup which has been touched with the lips of her master," I whispered. Captive of Gor, page 302
When I had served him wine he gave me, too, to drink of the cup. This was, in its way, a great honor, and a token of his recognition as to how I stood to him. I still, of course, did not dare to drink from the same edge of the cup as he, the master. Slave Girl of Gor, page 442
One of the men lifted his cup and I hurried to him. I took the cup and filled it...then I pressed my lips to his cup as I must, as a slave girl, and handed it to him. Slave Girl of Gor, page 89
`Why do you not drink? I asked her. `A girl does not drink before her master,' she said. `I see that you are not totally stupid,' I said. `Thank you, Master,' she said. Guardsmen of Gor, page 296
16. All slaves must learn how to do a "seven-step serve" including:
Taking "three steps back" before leaving a Master's feet.
How to "sweeten" a drink.
Holding the vessel against the "slave's heart for three beats".
17. Saying a prayer for the Master's safety.
FALSE - There is no such thing as a "seven-step serve" and NONE of the above occur in any of the books.
18. If you "really want to be Gorean" you must learn the "Kassar language".
FALSE - Although a few words of Kassar are in the books there is really no basis for a complete "language". It is usually only seen in online RP rooms.
19. Home Stone or Homestone?
In every instance of the term Home Stone being used in the books, it is shown as two words.
Laziness has taken over online Gor it seems. Here are just two examples.
'Gor,' he said, 'is the name of this world. In all the languages of this planet, the word means Home Stone.'
He paused, noting my lack of comprehension. 'Home Stone,' he repeated. 'Simply that.' Tarnsman of Gor
The love of their city tends to become invested in a stone which is known as the Home Stone, and which is normally kept in the highest cylinder in the city. In the Home Stone - sometimes little more than a crude piece of carved rock, dating back perhaps several hundred generations to when the city was only a cluster of huts by the bank of a river, sometimes a magnificent and impressively wrought, jewel-encrusted cube of marble or granite - the city finds its symbol. Yet to speak of a symbol is to fall short of the mark. It is almost as if the city itself were identified with the Home Stone, as if it were to the city what life is to man. The myths of these matters have it that while the Home Stone survives, so, too, must the city. But not only is it the case that each city has its Home Stone. The simplest and humblest village, and even the most primitive hut in that village, perhaps only a cone of straw, will contain its own Home Stone, as will the fantastically appointed chambers of the Administrator of so great a city as Ar. Outlaw of Gor
20. Urth
Earth is mentioned numerous times in every book, though there is no instance of it being shown as "Urth".
"Nonsense," he said. "She is only a slave." "Perhaps Samos has found a love slave," I said. "An Earth girl?" laughed Samos. "Perhaps," I said. "Perposterous," said Samos.
"She is only a slave, only a thing to serve, and to beat and abuse, if it should please me." Explorers of Gor
"She was gentle, not understanding, naive, in her way foolish--a girl of Earth but not on Earth --not a woman of Gor female on her own barbaric world--she would always be of Earth--..." Nomads of Gor
21. Kassar Language
Although there are instances of many varied dialects on Gor, there is no specific "language" called Kassar referred to. This is not to say there is not a language of that nature on Gor, but again, until John Norman prints a "Kassar Dictionary" it cannot be seen to be true to His writings.
There are, of course, many languages spoken on Gor, but that language I have called Gorean, in its various dialects, is the lingua franca of the planet. It is spoken most everywhere, except in remote areas. One of these remote areas, of course, is the equatorial interior.
The dialects of the Ushindi region I will usually refer to as the inland dialects.
To some extent, of course, this is a misnomer, as there are many languages which are spoken in the equatorial interior which would not be intelligible to a native speaker of the Ushindi area. It is useful, however, to have some convenient way of referring to the linguistic modalities of the Ushindi area.
Gorean, incidentally, is spoken generally in Schendi. The word Schendi, as nearly as I can determine, has no obvious, direct meaning in itself. It is generally speculated, however, that it is a phonetic corruption of the inland word Ushindi, which, long ago, was apparently used to refer to this general area. In that sense, I suppose, one might think of Schendi, though it has no real meaning of its own, as having an etiological relationship to a word meaning ‘Victory’. The Gorean word for victory is "Nykus," which expression seems clearly influenced by "Nike," or "Victory," in classical Greek.
Shaba usually named his discoveries, incidentally, in one or another of the inland dialects. He speaks several fluently, though his native tongue is Gorean, which is spoken standardly in Anango, his island. The inland language, or, better, one of its dialects, is, of course, the language of the court of Bila Huruma, Shaba’s patron and supporter. Explorers of Gor
22. Servery
The term servery was not used within the books anywhere. There were many places one could grab a bite from.
"..together we had eaten some dried bosk meat and drank water, from one of the commissary wagons attached to one of Hundreds in the city. As commanders we could eat where we chose."Nomads of Gor
There was the odor of food in the kitchen, and of spilled drink. There were several yards of sausages hung on hooks... Assassin of Gor
"The slave boy, Fish, had emerged from the kitchen, holding over his head on a large silver platter a whole roasted tarsk, steaming and crisped, basted, shining under the torch light, a larma in its mouth, garnished with suls and Tur-Pah."Raiders of Gor
23. Proving
Everywhere you travel you are faced with the question, to prove or not to prove.
It is not up to a slave to decide whether or not a Free Person wants a drink tested, nor is it their place to question. If a Free wants their drink tested, they shall tell you to do so.
Here are a few varied passages on slaves drinking from a Frees vessel and tasting in general.
"Bring two bowls." I said.
"Two?" asked the girl.
"The slave," I said, indicating Elizabeth, "will taste it first."
"Of course, Master," said the girl. Assassin of Gor
He extended his goblet to me. "Drink," he said, offering me the cup.
I looked at the rim of the cup. I shook with terror.
"A slave girl dares not touch with her lips the rim of that cup which has been touched with the lips of her Master," I whispered. Captive of Gor
When I had served him wine he gave me, too, to drink of the cup.
This was, in its way, a great honor, and a token of his recognition as to how I stood to him.
I still, of course, did not dare to drink from the same edge of the cup as he, the Master. Slave Girl of Gor
"Why do you not drink?" I asked her. "A girl does not drink before her master," she said.
"I see that you are not totally stupid," I said. "Thank you, Master," she said. Guardsman of Gor
24. On "Use"
Many who venture to online Gor, take it as a given that any and all slaves can be used regardless of their Owners restrictions. In the books, restriction/permission of a kind did exist and these restrictions were honored in most parts, though that is not to say they will always be honored. To say there is absolutely no restrictions on Gor is impossible, as are not White Silk Girls often restricted until sold?
Would you let just anyone walk into your Home and take your property? If someone takes property of yours without permission, such as your Car, is that not theft?
We may follow aspects of Gor in our everyday lives, but we do live in a society of harmful humans. There are real people behind each monitor, and real pain. Here are a few passages which I found interesting. View them as you may, remembering everyone's perspective is their own.
Keep in mind all are better advised to separate IC and OOC. You can ask the owner of a slave to use their property in RP, gain proper permissions.
I heard the miserable cries of two girls. A man was coming from the cook shack, where Thimble and Thistle had hidden themselves. He now dragged them before us, bent over, a hand in the hair of each. "What have we here!" cried a man cheerfully."Slaves!" cried others.
"Hold," said I. "We are honest men, and are not thieves. Release them."
The man loosed the hair of the girls. Swiftly they knelt, frightened.
"These girls," said I, "belong to Imnak."
"He is a red hunter," said a man. "He is one with us," I said. There was an angry cry. I drew my blade.
"None may use them without his permission," I said.
"I shall maintain discipline, if need be, my comrades, by the blade." Beasts of Gor
In a large house, with various slave girls, it is thought only an act of courtesy on the part of a host to permit a guest the use of one of the girls for the evening. Each of the girls considered eligible for this service, at one time or another during the evening, will approach the guest and offer him wine. His choice is indicated by the one from whom he accepts wine. I looked at the girl. Her eyes met mine, softly.
Her lips were slightly parted. "Wine, Master?" she asked.
"Yes," I said, "I will have wine." She poured the diluted wine into my cup, bowed her head and with a shy smile, backed gracefully down the stairs behind me, then turned and hurried away. .
"Of course," said Ho-Tu, "you may not have her tonight, for she is White Silk."
"I understand," I said. Assassin of Gor
25. Using Tal
Online Tal is most often reserved only for the use of the free and this has lead to the belief that slaves never used it at all. This is also a myth, slaves were known to use Tal on occasion.
The girls stood straight, proud under the gaze of a warrior. "Tal, Master," said many of them, as I rode slowly by.
"Tal, Master," they said to me. "Tal, Slave Girls," I said to them. Tribesmen of Gor
26. Choices
Recently there seems to be an abundance of slaves who believe they can pick and choose when, where and how they will serve. While common sense is understood, many of these girls now use it as a shield for their own laziness. In Gor a slave has two choices, to succeed or to fail.
"Do I have a choice, Master?" she asked. "No," I said, "absolutely not."
"Yes, Master," she said.
"Would you prefer your pretty flesh to be lashed from your bones?" I asked.
"No, Master!" she said.
"And as the evening progresses, and as men might desire you," I said, "you will please them, and fully."
"Yes, Master," she said.
"You are a slave, an absolute and total slave," I reminded her.
"Yes, Master," she said. Mercenaries of Gor
The slave, of course, must obey. She has no choice. Mercenaries of Gor
"You must be patient," I said.
"Yes, Master," she moaned, pressing more closely against me. She would be patient.
She had no choice in the matter. She was a slave. Players of Gor
27. Ka-La-na - Poison in Silver
Many girls travelling through online Gor come across different training methods and fallacies, one of which is the fallacy of Ka-la-na turning to poison if served in silver. Here is just one example of Ka-la-na being served as such with no ill effects.
"I do not wish to come home with you now," she said lightly,
a bit of Ka-la-na spilling from the silver goblet she held.
At a gesture from Kliomenes, who sat cross-legged beside her, a half naked paga slave, whose left ankle was belled, refilled Miss Hendersons cup. Rogue of Gor
28. Order of Nature
"It is hard to be a man," I said, "until one stands in a relation to a woman. And, I suppose, it is hard to be a woman until one stands in a relation to a man."
"What relation," she asked, "Master?"
"That of the natural order of nature," I said.
"Yes, Master," she said.
I looked at her. "I cannot know well the nature of your feelings," I said, "but I know, and well, that women are deep as well as beautiful."
"We are so different from you," she said. "I fear you will never understand us."
"It is doubtless easier to put you on your knees and push the whip to your teeth than it is to understand you," I said.
"The man who truly understands us," she laughed,
"is the first to put us on our knees and make us kiss the whip." Explorers of Gor
29. There is no chillery, it is a cooling room as there is no ice here. We are nowhere near ice to have it and ice is rare to have on gor, drinks and items can’t be kept in barrels of water to keep cooler or in the river they can be kept in the water tied to a tether line or they are put into holes on a lower level of the floor.
"My house, incidentally, like most Gorean houses, had no ice chest. There is little cold storage on Gor. Generally, food is preserved by being dried or salted. Some cold storage, of course, does exist. Ice is cut from ponds in the winter, and then stored in ice houses, under sawdust. One may go to the ice houses for it, or have it delivered in ice wagons. Most Goreans, of course, cannot afford the luxury of ice in the summer." -Guardsman of Gor, page 295
30. Mead is NOT served cold, it is made of honey and would be cristalized, we have no chemical things to add to it and keep it liquid. It is kept next to the fires, it can also be served hot. If asked for it cold, bring a spoon along. Also do not try to put the horn on a tray, it doesn't stands. And do not try to carry it in one hand only, it is big.
"Bera went to the next man, to fill his cup with the mead, from the heavy hot tankard, gripped with cloth, which she carried". Marauders of Gor, p 78
"In the north generally, mead, a drink made with fermented honey and water, and often spices and such, tends to be favored over paga." Vagabonds of Gor pg 16
"I held up the large drinking horn of the north. 'There is no way for this to stand upright,' I said to him, puzzled. He threw back his head again and roared once more with laughter. 'If you cannot drain it,' he said, 'give it to another!' I threw back my head and drained the horn." Marauders of Gor pg 89
31. There is no reference to mugs, use a cup. However, if the free asks for a mug cause they do, well find a mug then, but never of your own will.
32. Do not ask permission to enter the Hall. Do not ask permission to approach to serve. Just do it. If the free are in deep conversation they will ignore you. Simple.
33. Slaves don't use mops.
"In their right hands, grasped, were deck stones, soft, white stones, rounded, which are used to smooth and sand the boards of the deck. Earlier they had scrubbed and rinsed and, with rags, on their hands and knees, dried the deck. Later, when finished with the deck stones, they would again rinse and again, on their hands and knees, with rags dry the deck. Had sailors been doing these things they, of course, would have dried the deck by simply mopping it down. This was not permitted to the girls, of course. They were slaves." Explorers of Gor
34. The fruit offered to show need doesn't really needs to be a larma, though it usually is.
"Another device, common in Port Kar, is for the girl to kneel before the master and put her head down and lift her arms, offering him fruit, usually a larma, or a yellow Gorean peach, ripe and fresh. These devices, incidentally, may be used even by a slave girl who hates her master but whose body, trained to love, cannot endure the absence of the masculine caress" --Tribesmen of Gor, 1:27
35. There is no testing of the drink, a slave never drinks before the Free unless told to do so by a Free, then You do not drink from the vessel itself ever.
"They called for more wine and paga and Eta, and I, too, hastened to serve them. We, two, moved among them. I, too, now served then in the firelight. I would pour paga, which I carried, into a goblet, kiss it, as was expected, and give it to the man." Slave Girl of Gor
"Why do you not drink?" I asked her. "A girl does not drink before her master," she said. "I see that you are not totally stupid," I said. "Thank you, Master", she said." Guardsmen of Gor
"He extended his goblet to me. "Drink", he said, offering me the cup. I looked at the rim of the cup. I shook with terror. "A slave girl dares not touch with her lips the rim of that cup which has been touched with the lips of her master," I whispered." Captive of Gor
"When I had served him wine he gave me, too, to drink of the cup. This was, in its way, a great honor, and a token of his recognition as to how I stood to him. I still, of course, did not dare to drink from the same edge of the cup as he, the master." Slave Girl of Gor
36. There are no 3 footed bowls. The kantharos actually has a pedestal or one foot, however you prefer to see it, IF having a foot at all. Some have wings.
37. Panthers are called Mistress. I noticed the girls reticent about it when they were about.
"I was not interested in the purchase of men, but I was interested in whatever information I might be able to gather from panther girls. And these girls were free. Who knew what they might know?
“Wine, Slave,” said Sheera.
“Yes, Mistress,” whispered Cara, and filled her cup.
Sheera regarded her with contempt. Head down, Cara crept back.
Panther girls are arrogant. They live by themselves in the northern forests, by hunting, and slaving and outlawry. They have little respect for anyone, or anything, saving themselves and, undeniably, the beasts they hunt, the tawny forest panthers, the swift, sinuous sleen." -- Hunters of Gor Book 8 Page
38. Goblets are kept on a rack.
"Temione had now filled her paga vessel. She picked up a goblet from a rack near the vat. The shelving on the rack was of narrow wooden rods. The goblets are kept upside down on the rods. In this way, washed, they can drain, and dry. This also affords them some protection from dust. I watched her carefully wipe the goblet. Woe to the slave who would dare to serve paga or wine in a dirty goblet!" -- Vagabonds of Gor Book 23 Page 20
39. There is no instance in the books in which the name of a slave is written with low caps. They are capitalized as any other name should be. What happens in that the online BDSM communities started this lowering of name caps to represent that the slave is less than the Dom/Domme. Not by the books at all.
40. Paga taverns usually serve just one thing: paga. Some, however, do serve food like The Green Tarn Tavern, in Ar. And some also DO allow Free Women to enter escorted, such as Chatka & Curla, in Telnus.
"I knelt before the table on the second balcony, placing the tray on the floor and quickly, deferentially, placing its contents on the table, the assorted meats and cheese, the sauces and fruits, and wines and nuts.
"Do Masters desire more from Yata, their slave?" I asked.
"Leave, Slave Girl," said the woman’s voice, that of a free woman, kneeling in her robes and veil at the table with her escorts, who sat behind it, cross-legged. Free women came sometimes, escorted, to the Chatka and Curla".
41. Slave Girl
I am pretty sure you have all seen people make slave names lower case, like, gavel or cynda. Its Gavel or Cynda, or Topaz. The way you write it will not make the more submissive or any lesser.... they are slaves already.