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Children
But a vital function
of the free women of Gor is to reproduce, to provide
children to give longevity to their family and Caste.
The child of a slave is most often legally considered a
slave. Few free men will thus have children with their
slaves. That is considered a privilege of free women. In
general, it is free women who care for and teach the
children in their crucial beginning years of
development. Slaves are not permitted to teach free
people so they could not teach even children. Slaves are
limited to lesser roles with children, more a playmate
than much else. Children will thus learn a lot from
their free mothers so it is the obligation of their
mothers to ensure they learn the proper information. It
is likely they are the ones that begin to teach children
about the Caste Codes, their proper modes of behavior.
Goreans are fond of children and rarely would cause them
harm or suffering. Even slave children are seldom
abused. Slave children may not even realize they are
slaves until they are in their teenage years. Despite
this general love of children, there is also a dichotomy
involved as well. Some free women sell their infant
children into slavery, mostly their daughters. Some
women even do this on a regular basis. The standard
price for an infant girl is about two tarsk bits, a very
low value. Some infants, if they appear sickly or too
weak, may be left out to die, exposed to the elements.
Some children are left in the Voltai Mountains, a wooden
skewer through their heels. Goreans do not consider this
to be cruelty.
Female children learn many ways to please men, including
such matters as the preparation of exotic dishes, the
arts of walking, standing and being beautiful, the care
of a man's equipment, and certain dances. These dances
may include the love dances of their city and the
stately dances of free maidens. These stately ones might
be performed to honor and welcome visiting dignitaries.
It is a slow and graceful dance, very modest. Female
children must also learn how to submit to a man as they
never know when that might save their life one day. The
threat of enslavement is a very real danger for all
women. Thus, they want to be prepared as most women
would prefer slavery to death.
Laws Concerning Free Women
Within the books, there are basically two types of laws
that deal with free women. There are laws that protect
free women and there are laws that state when a free
woman may be legally enslaved. In addition, there are
certain universal conventions that exist dealing with
the enslavement of free women. Though these do not have
the power of law, honor often dictates that the
conventions will be followed if appropriate. An
important point to consider is that it is generally
illegal to collar a free woman, within the city of her
Home Stone, on your own. Even if a free woman violates
one of the city laws where the punishment is slavery,
the legal process must still be followed. Either
magistrates or a court will decide if the woman's
actions warrant her judicial enslavement. Men will act
to protect women of their Home Stone from being
illegally enslaved.
Please also remember that the following list of laws may
not apply in all Gorean cities. This is simply a list
derived from the books. Each city will have their own
laws and may or may not follow one of the laws listed
here. Other laws, that are not listed here, will also
exist.
Laws
It is illegal to touch pleasure silk to the skin of a
free woman. It is considered too sensuous a material for
them.
Face stripping, removing the veils of a free woman
against her will, is considered a serious crime.
A free woman may engage in a form of limited
self-contracting where she legally becomes a slave for a
specific time period, commonly ranging from one night to
one year. She cannot end this contract earlier than the
specified time period. Once the contract takes effect,
she becomes a slave with no legal powers at all. This
curious contractual arrangement is not described in
great detail. It raises numerous legal dilemmas that can
only be speculated about. The books do not state that
the contract does or does not cover any contingencies or
limits the slavery in any way. The woman does becomes an
actual slave. That would seem to mean she could be
freely killed. What would happen if she was sold? Does
the contract prevent that? Would the time period still
apply if she was sold? What would happen if she was
stolen? This passage seems to raise far more questions
than it answers.
The Couching Law states: "Any free woman who couches
with another's slave, or readies herself to couch with
another's slave, becomes herself a slave, and the slave
of the slave's master." (Magicians of Gor, p.7) This
basically means that a free woman cannot have sex with a
male slave she does not own. It does not prevent her
from having sex with a slave she does own. It also means
that she only has to prepare to have sex with someone
else's slave to be in violation. Actual sex is not a
requirement. Special seduction slaves are used by some
owners to trap free women. Milo, from Magicians of Gor,
is a prime example of a seduction slave. Tarl Cabot uses
him to entrap Talena and enslave her by this law. The
Couching Law exists in Ar and may have been adopted by
other cities. There are other cities though like Vonda
that clearly do not have such a law because free women
there may freely give their male slaves to a female
guest.
Debt can lead to a free woman's enslavement in either of
two ways. First, if a father cannot pay his own debts,
then his daughter may become the property of the state.
She would then be publicly auctioned and her sale price
would be used equitably to pay off her father's debts.
The books do not state that sons are also susceptible to
this law though it would seem unlikely that would be the
case. Second, a free woman who cannot pay her own debts
may be enslaved. There are redemption laws whereby
another person can pay off the woman's debt and thus
gain ownership of that woman. If no one chooses to pay
off her debts within a specified time period then she
will be sold to a Slaver, the proceeds used to pay off
her debt. The books do not specify the exact length of
time before she would be sold to a Slaver. This law is
sometimes used by unscrupulous people to entrap free
women. They may purchase a woman's debt from another and
then request that the woman make good on the debt
immediately. If the woman cannot do so, she will be
enslaved.
A free woman can sell herself into slavery but once the
transaction is completed, it is too late for her to
revoke it.
If a free woman willingly submits to be a slave to a
specific man, the city laws vary on what can happen.
Some cities state that the woman becomes a slave
automatically even if that particular man does not
accept her submission. It seems probable she would thus
become a state slave at that point. Other cities state
that the woman remains free if that particular man does
not accept her submission.
If a free woman kneels before a man or addresses him as
Master, this is sufficient to make her a slave. Her
actions are interpreted as a gesture of submission.
There is no law in the books that states a free woman
may be legally enslaved for being insolent, insulting,
ridiculing or demeaning a man.
Some city laws require women to wear Robes of
Concealment and veils. Repeated offenses of failure to
wear them can lead to enslavement. Even in cities where
the Robes and veils are not mandatory, a free woman can
still be enslaved for baring too much skin, especially
her legs.
There is an important legal principle concerning free
women and "conduct indicating suitability for the
collar." It deals with overt conduct that shows a
predisposition to slavery, behavior that is considered
sufficient grounds to legally enslave a woman. It will
be judges or magistrates who make the decision on
whether a particular woman's behavior warrants such a
penalty. There would sometimes be a hearing with a
presentation of evidence. Some of the behaviors known to
warrant such a sanction include fraud, theft, indigency,
vagrancy, prostitution, and performing sensuous dance.
In addition, free woman who show an inordinate amount of
interest in slavery may also be found to suitable for
this sanction. If a woman tries to spy on men and their
slaves, if they disguise themselves as a slave, or
linger around slave markets, then they might find
themselves being judicially enslaved. These cases will
not always be clear cut and could entail a lengthy
hearing
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Conventions
Here
are two important conventions dealing with
enslavement and free women. They do not have
the effect of law but honor often dictates
these conventions will be followed. These
conventions are part of the Gorean tradition
and thus are accorded much respect.
The institution of capture is practiced by
nearly every, if not every, city on Gor. If
you capture women from another city, your
own city will recognize the legality of that
capture and your rightful possession of the
new slave. Remember that those women must
belong to another city. You cannot legally
raid your own city to obtain women to be
your slaves. The city you are raiding will
defend its woman but they also understand
that captures are a part of life.
If a man saves the life of a woman,
convention states that he has the option to
enslave her. In essence, the man has won the
right to the woman's life by saving it.
Though this is not a law, few people would
refuse a man this right. Even a woman's own
family would be likely to honor this
convention. It would be considered to be the
honorable course of action.
Restrictions
Free woman have a number of freedoms and
restrictions within different cities, not
all that reach the level of an actual law.
They are much more based on tradition and
Goreans are very supportive of tradition.
The general freedom of a free woman is
closely tied to each particular city.
Ko-ro-ba may be the Gorean city that accords
the most personal freedom to free women and
Tharna, after its revolution, may be the
most repressive. For example, in Tharna,
free women who visit must temporarily wear a
collar, slave tunic and leash. The other
cities of Gor fall somewhere in between this
spectrum.
In some cities, free women are not permitted
to leave their homes without the permission
of a male relative or their Free Companion.
In addition, some cities permit their women
only to speak to blood relatives.
Women commonly travel outside the cities
only accompanied by a sufficient group of
armed guards. They do not commonly travel
with only a single guard. It can be very
dangerous for women outside the cities. Even
within the cities, some women will travel
with guards though they are more apt to only
travel with a single guard. This would apply
more for women of High Caste or high station
who can afford such protection. The average
Peasant women would not walk around Ar
protected by an armed rarius.
There are no known laws limiting the type of
weapons that women may carry but
practicality commonly limits their choices
to daggers and/or poisoned needles. Poison
is considered to be a woman's weapon, not a
weapon of Warriors or Assassins. Women will
carry their weapons concealed, hoping to
rely on surprise if they ever need to
actually defend themselves. Without the
element of surprise, most men could easily
disarm a woman.
Some free women engage in the sport of
hunting and are skilled in the use of the
crossbow or small bow. They may even dress
in hunting leathers, ride a tharlarion and
hunt on their own, though that is dangerous.
When sitting, free women kneel in what would
be considered almost a tower slave position.
Their hands though lie on their thighs,
palms down. Free women maintain good posture
while kneeling. Free women do not sit
cross-legged as that is only for men. It is
considered an insult to men for women to sit
cross-legged.
Free women may enter a house first, rather
than behind a man like a slave.
Free women commonly drink delicately and eat
in small bites. A free woman might eat
larger bites, though that is most often done
to arouse a man she desires.
Free women are rarely permitted to observe
slave dances that are erotic or especially
sensuous. This is not because they might be
offended but it is for their own protection.
It is thought that such sights might inflame
the slave desires within a free women.
Most free women dislike the theater,
especially its more vulgar and ribald minor
forms. If anything, they will attend
performances incognito so others can not
identify them. It is only the more serious
and major forms of theater that free women
feel comfortable attending.
The Twelfth Passage Hand, just before the
solemn Waiting Hand, is often a time of
great festivities, a Carnival. Carnival is
also a time for people to don masks and
bizarre costumes, allowing an opportunity
for jokes and pranks. They also permit
incognito assignations between free people.
Some free women even go as far as to
masquerade as slaves and run naked through
the cities. Another common game during the
Carnival is called Favors. In the basic
version, free women are given ten scarves,
each set unique to each woman. The free
women then pass out the scarves to men and
receive a kiss in return. The first woman
who passes out all of her scarves and
returns to the starting point wins. This
gives free women a valid way to flirt during
this specific time.
Frigidity
In general free women are seen as frigid and
sexually repressed. Many know little about
sex and see it more as a duty and a chore
rather than as a matter of mutual pleasure.
This frigidity is considered acceptable for
free woman though slaves are not permitted
that quality. Men are commonly disappointed
by this frigidity, especially if they have
experienced the wanton sexuality of a slave.
It generally takes from a third to a quarter
of an Ahn, 18 to 24 minutes, to arouse a
free woman to orgasm. Some free women are
proud of their frigidity. They consider it
important to show how different they are
from slaves. Other free women seek to change
that aspect of themselves and learn how to
be more sexually responsive. Physicians
commonly tell free women who seek advice on
changing their frigidity to learn slave
dancing. Most consider it appropriate though
that free women remain ignorant of the
sexuality of the slave.
"An unowned girl, a free woman, thus, can
never experience her full sexuality…Passion,
it is thought, deprives the free woman to
some extent of her freedom and important
self-control; it is frowned upon because it
makes her behave, to some extent, like a
degraded female slave; free women, thus, to
protect their honor and dignity, their
freedom and personhood, their individuality,
must fight passion;… the free woman must
remain cool and in control of herself, even
in the arms of her companion, to avoid being
truly 'had,'…" (Tribesman of Gor, p.17)
Slaves
Free women may own slaves, both male and
female. There are no legal restrictions on
their ownership rights concerning slaves.
Silk slaves are special male slaves trained
to please women. You can find more
information on them in the Education Scroll
#6, Kajirus Basics.
In the presence of free women, slave are
commonly required to be more modest. This
applies mostly in public places though it
may apply elsewhere as well depending on the
circumstances. On city streets though,
kajirae are rarely punished for a lack of
modesty. Free women must tolerate almost any
type of slave behavior that occurs there. A
free man can walk his kajira naked through
the streets if he so desires and the free
women would just avert their eyes. But, men
are often solicitous of free women so they
would rarely walk their slaves naked except
maybe as a form of discipline. Men generally
do not openly flaunt the sexuality of their
slaves in front of free women. They often
try to respect the sensitive feelings of the
free women.
In general, free women despise kajirae,
treating them with cruelty and viciousness.
If a slave is especially attractive, a free
woman will treat her even worse. This is
motivated in part by envy and jealousy. Free
women know that men often prefer the company
of slave girls. This resentment is thus
taken out on the slaves and not the men.
Free women also envy the slave's freedom to
be sexual beings, especially of those slaves
that seem the happiest. Some free women also
despise slaves in a denial of their own
feelings and desires to be a slave. The
consequence is that most kajirae fear free
women. They understand the power free women
have over them and they do not want to
irritate free women any further. They dread
the possibility of being owned by a free
woman. And as most men do not interfere when
a free woman punishes a slave, a slave knows
she has little recourse except to be as
pleasing as possible to free women.
Rhetoric
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