I read on a message board in a Gorean realm far, far away, where a slave had posted that she felt that the slaves in books had a choice in whether or not they were slaves. This was relevent to her because she had, by choice, become a slave in the real world and was searching (desperately it seemed to me) to validate her decision by using the books as reference.
But did they really have a choice?
That can be debated in various directions.
First my disclaimer that this is my opinion, and is not meant to upset or discourage or look down upon those who do practice real-life M/s relationships … I’m just offering my views. Opinion is simply that: opinion. Refer to my Disclaimer page.
First, let’s look at various factors that make up the Gorean civilization, all not only legal, but often are culturally encouraged.
- mass slavery of women and some men complete with branding, collaring, et al
- sexual slavery if you go bankrupt
- economies based on slave labor
- mass executions of prisoners captured from neighboring countries
- women from neighboring countries being given the choice of execution or slavery
- license to abduct women from neighboring countries to keep them as sex slaves
- the legal right to rape, torture or murder your slaves
- unwanted babies being thrown out into the wilderness to die
- parents selling their children into slavery
- torture and mutilation of criminals
- a caste of murderers for hire
These are the harsh realities of Gor, though certainly the above situations happen in today’s modern civilizations, however they are absolutely illegal and are considered a violation of basic human rights. I did an extensive study of the sociology of slavery, which can be found on my website. While I won’t recreate it here, I will use notes from my page.
Now, let’s look at slavery, and the meaning thereof, as found in Merriam-Webster:
1. Slave
Etymology: Middle English sclave, from Anglo-French or Medieval Latin; Anglo-French esclave, from Medieval Latin sclavus, from Sclavus Slavic; from the frequent enslavement of Slavs in central Europe during the early Middle Ages
Date: 14th century
1: a person held in servitude as the chattel of another; 2: one that is completely subservient to a dominating influence.
2. Slavery
Date: 1551
1: drudgery, toil; 2: submission to a dominating influence; 3a: the state of a person who is a chattel of another; b: the practice of slaveholding.
3. White Slave
Date: 1882
a woman or girl held unwillingly for purposes of commercial prostitution.
4. White Slavery
Date: 1857
enforced prostitution.
5. Slave State
Date: 1809
1: a state of the United States in which slavery was legal until the Civil War; 2: a nation subjected to totalitarian rule.
6. Wage Slave
Date: 1882
a person dependent on wages or a salary for a livelihood.
Well, now I have to admit that I really am a slave after all mdash; a Wage Slave, which is true for unfortunately almost every person. I saw it and had to throw it in for the smile factor.
Merriam-Webster tells us then, according to definition #1 and 2, that a person can be a slave in the physical sense, or emotionally. Therefore, I will refer to them as the physical slave and the emotional slave.
To compare the choice of slavery of Gor with the choice of slavery that is discussed and professed among those of Gor, is like comparing apples to oranges.
In the fictional world of Gor itself, women were culturally and legally enslaved in the physical sense; the emotional sense was mostly afterthought, or in the case whena woman felt her true nature and submitted. Slavery was legal; it was culturally encouraged and expected. Slavery on Gor is based not upon some philosophical guru that decided to make it an Arthurian romance, but rather, it’s well based in the ugly truths of slavery that is historic on earth because the people of Gor all arrived from earth, and it was these cultures that were cultivated to create Gor. By the time several generations had come to be, the “philosophy” and culture of Gor was the absolute truth of things, and those few entitled to the knowledges that allowed them to know of earth were aghast at such a world, as much as we of modern earth are aghast that such practices would not only be legal, but accepted. Thrown in that mix then, John Norman added his particular fantasy, and his conjecture on the Natural Order, which thusly became the “philosophy,” that which Goreans reveal that men believe all women are slaves within themselves; it’s up to each to reach that conclusion.
Note that black slavery (or rather, white slavery) wasn’t considered black slavery on Gor, because slavery is a legal convention, and the rights of capture applauded, whether it be from free women of enemy cities … or women abducted from earth. White slavery was not typical in the concept of Gor until much later, when the agents of the Kur decided to add more supply of slaves and thusly allowing even a poorer, average man to be able to afford owning one. Enter more women of earth, many of which were forced to serve as whores in a tavern. Do you think they had a choice? Ah, but they did; a choice to hurry up and find those philosophical fires and become pleasing, or become the next meal for a sleen. Women from earth embraced slavery on Gor because they learned they could be the whores they wanted to be in secret that earth society denied them, and too, saved them from a lifetime of the stigma of being a librarian, or clacking away on a typewriter, or being the unloved rich spoiled daughter of some Wall Street executive.
Free women of Gor are raised with lessons that one day they could fall slave. They learn to dance, to serve, all the necessary basics, so that when that day comes to make a choice between accepting a collar or remaining free, albeit wedged onto a sharpened post to writhe and die a slow torturous death. What a choice, but ah, yes a choice. However, those women who meet with those choices turn all girlie and cry and throw themselves to the ground declaring themselves slave worthy. Not one woman in the books had a backbone and accepted death; had there been such an instance, there would go the philosophy out the window, I expect. However, we know from women of earth that there has been women who have not submitted to the prescriptions of man, but rather accepted death, even torturous death. Joan of Arc comes to mind.
Regardless of their choice, be it slavery or death, they still much choose between one of two options deemed by men as the only choices. So really, then, is it a true choice?
A choice, then. The free woman comes to terms with her true nature and submits voluntarily; she has chosen to do so, not forced. Does that in itself make her a slave?
Under Gorean law, no. However, if she were to utter the words in her submission, “I am a slave” in most cities this is regarded then as legally binding, and the woman no longer owns her life. She cannot take the words back. She might try, as we were shown an instance or two of such, perhaps even offering to purchase her freedom back, which, is laughable, as once she uttered the words that she is a slave, she no longer had any coin with which to purchase her freedom.
So, now she is a slave. By choice. But, the ultimate decision, or choice if you will, then is not hers, but that of the man whom she submitted to. Many cities retain laws in which [b]the man[/b] had the choice to either: kill her, enslave and sell her off, enslave and keep her.
Of course, again, rules made by men, because Gor is the domination of men over all women. Oh, there were instances where women made the laws… they were short-lived.
The Tatrix of Tharna had declared female slavery illegal, although men were forced into slavery and unwilling participants in her gladitorial type games, or served in the mines. Not a very popular person, undermined on the outward by a woman, but truthfully by the men using Dorna as their puppet to get their ultimate goal; control of Tharna by men. Though it didn’t happen their way, it ultimately ended with female slavery again legalized, men controlling her council though the figurehead was still the Tatrix, until she finally stepped down.
The Tatrix of Corcyrus, Sheila, so despised for her cruelties that the man who loved her conspired with other men to kidnap a woman of earth to be her body double and impaled in her place, and then the ultimate control would fall to their (the men’s) hands. Of course, it didn’t happen exactly as they planned, though the result was that no longer was there a Tatrix, but rather a very male Administrator.
Tarna of the Tahari, who controlled quite a fortress which included a seraglio of men dominated by women. Of course, when the time came for her to die at the hands of her accusers, she willingly became legally enslaved.
While it’s quite true that there are instances of women who found their love Master, and manipulated themselves into that position; or even those who simply wanted to manipulate a man to own her.
This statement made by the person who posted her belief that slaves in the books chose their slavery says it all, however:
…there are several instances in the books where a woman wanted a certain Master, one she considered her love Master, and through her own efforts, or the Master’s efforts, became his slave. Some may say the slaves were manipulative or conniving in order to get what they wanted, but in the end, if the Master didn’t agree, it wouldn’t have happened.
The man’s choice.
The slave perhaps chose the man to target to be her master, but it was the man who allowed the choice to come to fruition. I wouldn’t exactly say there were “several” instances; those instances we were shown in the books were vital to the progression of the storyline, and thusly they were pointed out. I would speculate that there would be far less “happy ending” instances due to the fact of those laws earlier stated where the ownership is right of the man. There would be no laws if there were no instances requiring them.
The life of the love slave was not a particularly pleasant or easy slavery either; in fact, it was generally much harsher. Often such slaves were sold, or at the very least, made as low girl on a chain; Gorean men felt love weakened them, and while they may have loved their slave, to hold them in such harsh contempt and low status, not only reminded the woman she was still a slave, but likely, to keep her from being yet more manipulative. Women’s wiles and all…
One such woman who manipulated to get her way, and sometimes believed she did, though ultimately discovered that a Gorean man does not always acquiesce to such manipulations is Vella/Elizabeth. Another example of a woman who found her love master and thusly was sold off because he recognized what she meant to him, was Elinor. Of course, Rask did evenutally get her back sometime later, but not from any manipulation on Elinor’s part.
The question that then comes to mind, these women who manipulated to become owned by a particular man, then did not fully embrace their slavery, or rather that philosophical part of their slavery, did they? They didn’t allow the full control of their lives fall to the hands of men, but rather utilized their wiles to get what they wanted! Oops.
The slave who prompted this post included in her statement the following:
There were examples of women who chose to run rather than be collared, or ran from the collar, and those were the Panthers.
Not all women who became panther girls were running from a collar. Most were free women who were consigned to Companionships that they didn’t want. Their choice, however, took them out of an easy life, to one of outlawry, a horrific offense to the Gorean. Such a choice in life came with a price upon their capture; death, hamstringing, and slavery. But yes, they had a choice, although one that bore no respect or honor to the Gorean. Instead of becoming Companioned, they became free in their eyes, but remained still a “slave” to Gorean law. More on slaves and panther girls shortly.
Companionship. A choice for a free woman? Not usually. In fact, Companionships were almost culturally universal through out Gor to be something which was contracted through their families. In those cultures where Companionships were not fraught with ceremony, such as the Wagon Peoples, we saw how Kamchak simply announced that Aphris was now his Companion. His choice. We are told of village girls who might fling a fish across a fellow’s face in the market in a most flirtatious manner, and learn later that she had caught his eye and he and his family then negotiated with hers to be his Companion. Her choice? Not ultimately.
Companionship on Gor is not like marriage on earth insofar as that such is most often a contract that ensures the family name of the man continues. It is that on Gor which allows for such couples to sell their female babies, or abandon them in the wilderness, or fail to feed them that they will not thrive, because such children offer nothing to the family name; male children being the most valuable then. Already, as an infant, a female on Gor looses her choice in life.
Hm, I read mention of slaves on Gor choosing to run. Maybe a very small handful. But um, WHERE would they run? In a world that in its entirety embraced a legal slave system? To be a panther girl! Okay. Let’s not forget that panther girls looked down on slave women with such an intensity of hatred they often abused them, and in some cases, made such women hate men. It was very extreme few slaves who made it to the level of being a panther girl. Essentially, slaves who ran were caught, and slaves who were caught often fell victim to such horrific things as hamstringing if they were unlucky. Since it was inevitable that they would be caught, and the repercussions of what would happen to them upon their capture, served as a very powerful deterrent.
Slavery on Gor fell into both concepts, as I have mentioned; the physical and the philosophically emotional. The condition of slavery was evidenced by a collar and brand, or other accourtements that denoted the legality of slavery, while the emotional evidence is described as the fires in her belly and slave heat. What Gorean philosophy does say, is that of the conjectured Natural Order, where men are dominant, and are the true owners of the world, women are naturally submissive to them. In the readings of other philosophers of earth, the natural order is the moral source from which natural law seeks to derive its authority. It encompasses the natural relations of beings to one another, in the absence of law, which natural law attempts to reinforce. Just as a sidenote here, Vivirtual-timean, an American gnostic philosopher and master (as in the sense of “teacher”) defined and developed the School of the Natural Order; it is clearly nothing as the Natural Order described by John Norman. There are several instances of other philosophers and their perceiving of this Natural Order; the Natural Order itself is quite notably, a philosophical exercise, rather than a statement of facts. John Norman goes deeper than this base philosophical question and draws out those points of a woman’s burning desire to serve men, to be submissive to their desires, and that the sexual factor is the core of the Gorean slave.
The fact of slavery on Gor, however, is not based on anything unheard of before in the history of earth, but was embellished by the fantasy that John Norman cultivated. The physical sense of slavery on earth is just as cruel and diverse as its Gorean counterparts, as we learn throughout history. In fact, you can find types of slaves that John Norman himself placed on Gor: sexual, labor, flute girls, debt slaves, et al. In fact, the slavery depicted on Gor is merely reproduction of the slavery that was experienced among peoples of earth, from the Greek to the Romans, the Chinese to the Africans, to the peoples of South and North America, and many more in between. There are references of some heteira of ancient Rome that rejoiced in their slavery; perhaps they felt their fires? They felt their slave heat, at least; for the heteira’s purpose was for the most part sexual prowess.
The following is from my original essay that I wrote using various reference sources that are noted on the page itself:
There is no consensus on what a slave was or on how the institution of slavery should be defined. Nevertheless, there is general agreement among historians, anthropologists, economists, sociologists, and others who study slavery that most of the following characteristics should be present in order to term a person a slave. The slave was a species of property; thus, she (or he) belonged to someone else. In some societies slaves were considered movable property, in others immovable property, like real estate. They were objects of the law, not its subjects. Thus, like an ox or an ax, the slave was not ordinarily held responsible for what she did, and thusly was not personally liable for torts or contracts. The slave usually had few rights and always fewer than her owner, but there were not many societies in which she had absolutely none. As there are limits in most societies on the extent to which animals may be abused, so there were limits in most societies on how much a slave could be abused. The slave was removed from lines of natal descent. Legally and often socially she had no kin. No relatives could stand up for her rights or seek vengeance for her. As an “outsider,” “marginal individual,” or “socially dead person” in the society where she was enslaved, her rights to participate in political decision making and other social activities were fewer than those enjoyed by her owner. The product of a slave’s labor could be claimed by someone else, who also frequently had the right to control her physical reproduction. The slave generally was an outsider. He ordinarily was of a different race, ethnicity, nationality, and religion from his owner. The general rule, as enunciated by the specialist on classical slavery Moses I. Finley, was that “no society could withstand the tension inherent in enslaving its own members.” In most cases, the slave was an outsider because he was enslaved against his will in one society and then taken by force to another.
The attitudes of the world’s great religions toward slavery are of special interest. The Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition has been the most tolerant of slavery. Judaic and Islamic canonical texts refer frequently to slavery and treat it as a natural condition that might befall anyone. But they view it as a condition that should be gotten over quickly. Islamic practice was based on the assumption that the outsider rapidly became an insider and consequently had to be manumitted after six years. New Testament Christianity, on the other hand, had no prescriptions that slaves be manumitted. Canon law sanctioned slavery. This was attributable at least partially to Christianity’s primary focus on spiritual values and salvation after death rather than on temporal conditions and the present life. Under such a regime it mattered little whether someone was a slave or a free person while living on earth.
Note that interestingly, one did not enslave women and men from their own countries and cities, but rather from others so that society as they viewed it would remain in tact.
Subsequently, Americans decided that slavery was a horrific thing and it became an illegal institution, with many other civilizations of the Western Hemisphere most notably, following suit. So, slavery now is no longer a fact of life, but becomes a true choice to the woman who proclaims herself so.
Now, to the question posed, about women who refer to themselves as 24/7 slaves, if this is a “pet name” manner, versus someone who “fully gives servitude to their owners” in every day to day life…
It took me several times to figure out exactly what you were saying. Ah, but the light bulb finally clicks on!
I -think- you are referring to a woman who, simply wants to be a part of the “in crowd” and follow what they consider to be a fad and say, “Oh yeah, I’m a slave,” while they don’t particularly embrace the whole Natural Order notion that is the mainframe of Gorean philosophy. While those who emotionally and spiritually become slaves, and put into all of their daily lives those values and beliefs and practices that are tangible and realistic.
Just by the fact that these “pet” slaves are simply those who want to be a part of such a crowd, there is nothing to detract, my friend. They don’t have that motivation and drive. They simply want to say, “hey I’m a slave.” I won’t discuss this type further.
Then there would be those women who perhaps desire to be that emotional slave, but circumstances of life prevent it. For example, having a partner who would probably boggle his eyes and watch them bounce down the sidewalk because it’s impossible in his mind to accept. So, these women might say that they are a slave, by at least accepting their submission within themselves, and practicing to those extents that they can perform that would not bat an eye. For example, she would bring her partner a drink with a smile and a joy, and take special joy in doing little things for him. The only detraction then, would be the limits that her partner inadvertently sets for her. I shall refer to this woman as the “semi” slave. This woman, would technically too, be practicing the prescriptions of modern religions; Judaism, Christianity, Muslim. All prescribe in their holy books that woman is the subservient to man, she is to obey her husband, et al.
Then there are those women who truly take to heart their submission, who proclaim to their partner that they are his slave, and he in turn, becomes her master. There would then be no limits, at least legal limits, of what she would then be expected of, and can strive to fully reach those expectations. They proudly call themselves “real” Gorean slaves and live it so within legal prescriptions of the limits set by Western civilization. This, I shall refer to as the “true” slave.
Both of the above two examples are faced with limits. While it’s not illegal for a woman to say she is a slave, it is not legally recognized. Even so, while the “true” slave has those legal prescriptions that the law provides, she must put her full trust that her partner, or master, respects those laws as her handler. Just the fact that he accepts her slavery, he could well have broken the law. I’ve seen it happen, where the woman is met with abuse by her handler, and after a time decides, as is her right, “I’ve had enough.” Her owner, decides that no, she’s his slave, and informs her of this. She finds her out one day, proceeds to an attorney’s office, and her now ex-handler is learning a very valuable lesson, pondering it in his jail cell: While it is not illegal for a woman to kneel before a man and say to him that she is his slave, it is the basic undenial human right recognized by the United States that no person, man or woman, can truly and complete waive those basic undeniable human rights, and the law will view not the woman’s admission of slavery, but that the man decided it would be a fact of law.
So here we have a woman who has made a choice, but when all is said and done, the law of mankind can overturn her choice.
Okay first of all anything that concerns anything online is ALWAYS A CHOOSING part. I’m sorry if you feel differently about this Truth, but let me place it simply in view. A person when coming online chooses to first turn the computer on, they then choose to decide where to go, and if they happen to be Gorean……as in dealing with anything Gor in general…
Absolutely, although … when choosing to accept your fate that is not your choice to accept on Gor, that’s where that can really mess things up and be compared to the life of a free woman on Gor; did she choose her slavery, or was she simply allowed it? And so forth. I’ve always played by the rules, so to speak, and accepted whatever consequences that came of it, but again, that was my choice to do so. However, I don’t know about in your part of Gor, but where I roleplay, if you choose not to accept it, if you decide not to accept a collar or other punishment that you’ve gotten yourself into, then you’re labeled a “Gamer” and your life on Gor is basically shot to hell, or you return and be the one every one laughs and whispers and creates forum threads about. So, perhaps then it’s more akin to that free woman who chooses to be a panther girl; the choice comes with repercussions even online!
Male slaves are a totally different subject, and in truth, the fact that a male wanted to be a slave to a woman defies the laws of Natural Order that make up the philosophy basis of Gor. Most male slaves were forced into slavery for reasons other than being a silky boy to women, and there were times afforded these men to earn their freedom, while it was not such a case for women.
I am totally against using online Gor to find a connection with someone in the real world. With the predators that are out there, those men and women that look for people to manipulate, be it money to things more horrific to consider, it’s a dangerous territory. In this day and age, we’ve given up too much of life and turned it over to electronics, rather than relying on basic human interaction face to face. For me, the eyes are the most important thing, and you don’t get that when conversing online with another. At least, those days of old I’d be sitting at a table in a club or something, I could get to know the person by their physical mannerisms. And of course, their eyes would reveal far more than anything else.
True, the internet enables us to meet those we otherwise would not meet, but it also enables us to meet that bad element too.
certainly there are those happy endings, but those are truly fewer than the unhappy endings. You may hear of them, but ignore the numbers, however that doesn’t make it not so. For example, too often, I have known someone who moved in with their master (or vice versa), only to find a man too lazy to do anything for himself, including holding down a job, and the woman is forced to be the bread-winner. That’s not a master; that’s simply a person taking advantage of a situation, to manipulate a vulnerable woman because Gor has taught her that she must be so, and hey, it’s real Gor … Except on Gor, the slaves were not the bread-winners, and men not only had their occupations but took pride in them.
Wait! Wait about coin-girls? Paga slaves? Even they were not the bread-winners of their owners. The tavern owners made their coin off of drinks; the slaves came with the price of the cup of Paga. Dancers did dance in hopes of having coin thrown their way? Perhaps, but mostly, it encouraged the men to keep consuming the alcohol. Coin-girls were often just that as a means of humility; irregardless, their owners had some other sort of business as their occupation, for that was the Gorean way.
Even without the predators, there is simply human expectations that are rapidly extinguished the moment two people meet. It’s easy to personify yourself in one way during online conversation, but it’s quite another to meet with that person, and not only discover that physically he or she didn’t meet up with expectations, but that of the emotional side as well.
While a woman may not be a runway model, certainly she wants to meet someone who is pleasing to her eyes. And vice versa. There are men, too, who complain that the woman that is their slave online is not up to their physical expectations in real life either. Don’t blame just the women! It’s a natural thing, though, for certainly you want to be paired up with someone that you can stand to look at on a daily basis. -chuckles- It’s even in the books; take note especially that of “Witness” and the revulsion of the man that was her master. Doreen, too, was revulsed by her owner. It’s a human thing, shallow as it is, but then humans are basically shallow. One of our many faults.
For me … my choice is based upon several factors in my life.
One in particular comes to mind; that of my mother. You see, she was from that era where a woman’s life was held in her husband’s hands. He worked, brought home the pay, provided the roof over the family, made the important decisions. The woman served his needs, did little things for him in her subservience, served him a drink when he desired, waited patiently for his commands, provided sexual outlet at his whim. It was a true Companionship, if you want to consider it Gorean; he had his kajirae/whores to serve his pleasures.
Then my father died. He had done such a brilliant job of mastering the household. Indeed! He left my mother with … bills. Mountains of them. Having decided that he would sell their (his) house, he had moved my family to a house that was rented. My mother had no skills, nothing other than being a wife. She had no resources.
Had it not been for the landlord adoring my mother, we would have been without a roof over our heads. She humiliated herself among her friends and peers, and sought work from them doing household chores. She gave up her life to make sure there was a roof over our heads, food on our tables. I was all of 7. I became the commander of the house, ordering my good-for-nothing oldest sister to straighten up her act, took care of her two bastard children and ensured that meals were made while my mother worked 16+ hours a day.
I vowed during those days that I never would be a victim like my mother, and my independence blossomed from the time I was 7 up and throughout my so-called childhood. I became involved in martial arts and competed in that circuit, ensuring that I would have the strength to kick some horny fellow in the balls; I was not going to be like my sister and be a whore. I took auto shop and learned the basics of car mechanics, that I would not be sucked dry by diabolical mechanics. I ensured my college education to have a career that would keep me well within my own resources of ensuring a stable life.
Oh eventually I got married, and what they say is true about us marrying our fathers… although my ex-husband far worse. He was dominant, or so he liked to think he was, and depict himself as. He once demanded my paycheck to be turned over to him (because his mother told him that was the “right thing” for me to do). Had I done so, we would have been financially destroyed because the man had no clue about how to manage finances. And so, when I divorced him after years of enduring abuse, my children and I had no worries of financial stability, while he floundered and had to find another sucker of a woman to take him in.
It’s that which in life has stayed me from relieving myself of control of my life and completely placing it in the hands of a man. I simply have no trust; life has taught me that to trust is foolish.
Do I trust my current husband? Indeed. Would I completely hand my life over to him? No.
There is always that uncertainty. Besides, he wouldn’t accept it anyway, at least not totally. He is the man of the house, and his decision is the final law, though we generally discuss everything thoroughly. I still acquiesce to him, and I enjoy doing little things for him that I know he notices but never mentions, and there’s satisfaction when I hand him a bottle of water that he hasn’t had to ask for. I give him myself in all ways that I can. However. Should the time arrive that he is no longer around for one reason or another, I have my resources in tact…
In Conclusion
“Slavery” is then a personal choice, and one should not be looked down upon for such. We do not live in a world where slavery is required. We are granted those rights of being human, and in being human, being unique, in our thoughts, our opinions, our choices in life. We each must make a choice in our life that is best for us, not up to discussion whether it is right or wrong by others. It neither makes one a terrible person because the choice does not fall within what that minority who lives as master and slave decide what is right for them. It neither makes one less Gorean, when you get to the nitty gritty of it.