Gorean Commerce

In all civilizations, no matter how primitive or how technologically advanced, some system of weight and measurement system is established.

The same is true on Gor. Commerce on Gor is conducted utilizing both the monetary and the bartering systems. A standardization of weights and measures set, despite the many obstacles faced by Goreans, such as Sardar-imposed edicts regarding technology, or more specifically technology in regards to communication.

Thus, the Sardar Fairs play an important role in the establishment and uniformity of such standardizations. During each Fair, trusted agents of the Merchant Caste arrive bearing the official weights of their city or village. Each is measured against the Great Weights, said to be originally from the Priest-Kings, to ensure uniformity and no tampering or alterations of said weights made. Wars have been fought over the accusation that one city has tampered with its measures. Official weights include the • Ah-il, the Ah-ral, the Merchant "Foot" (also referred to as the Gorean "Foot" by Tarl Cabot), the Gorean "Stone", and the Gorean "Weight." Once this tedious task is completed, the merchants and officials of the cities return home to verify other weights against those of the official weights.

Whenever an item or product is to be sold, it is checked carefully to ensure it is exact with the official weights and measures, and then it is generally marked with a seal of the city of its origin to certify that it has passed inspection. A serious matter to Goreans, those who are proven guilty of tampering with such seals, or worse, a set of weights and measures, are often impaled for the offense.

Following is a listing of common Gorean measurements along with their approximate Earth equivalents only if such is provided in the books.

Dry Weights and Measures

• Ah-il
An An ah-il is a measurement used by cloth merchants in selling their bolts of silks, rep-cloth, etc. It is measured as the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger.

"Too, there were cloth merchants, with their silks and rolls of rep cloth. Cloth is measured in the ah-il, which is the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, and the ah-ral, which is ten ah-ils."   — Tribesmen of Gor, page 50.

• Ah-ral
An ah-ral is ten (10) ah-ils.

"Too, there were cloth merchants, with their silks and rolls of rep cloth. Cloth is measured in the ah-il, which is the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, and the ah-ral, which is ten ah-ils."   — Tribesmen of Gor, page 50.

• Gorean Foot
Actually known as the Merchant Foot, being referred to as the Gorean Foot by Tarl Cabot, this is a unit of measurement similiarly equivalent to the Earth foot, approximately twelve and one-half inches (12-1/2"), which is measured by an official "foot" at the Sardar; this "foot" is in actuality, a metal rod. Approximately ten (10) Horts equal one (1) Gorean Foot. See: "Merchant Foot."

"The Gorean foot, interestingly, is almost identical to the Earth foot. Both measures doubtless bear some distant relation to the length of the foot of an adult human male. The Gorean foot is, in my estimation, just slightly longer than the Earth foot; based on the supposition that each of its ten Horts is roughly one and one-quarter inches long, I would give the Gorean foot length of roughly twelve and one-half inches, Earth measure. Normally, incidentally, in giving measures, the Earth foot, unless otherwise specified, should be understood. It seems pertinent, however, in this instance, to state the ratios in Gorean feet, rather than translate into English measure, where the harmony of the proportions would be obscured. As in the case of the official 'Stone,' so, too, at the Sardar in a metal rod, which determines the Merchant Foot, or Gorean foot, as I have called it. Port Kar's Merchant Foot, like her 'Stone,' is kept in the arsenal, in the same building as her 'Stone.'" — Raiders of Gor, pages 127-128.

• Gorean Stone
A unit of weight equaling approximately four (4) Earth pounds.

"They filed before us in the street below, each under the contemptuous eyes of the warriors of the Wagon Peoples, each in turn going to a long table whereon were placed many pairs of scales, and each at that table was weighed out four Gorean stone of gold, about six Earth pounds, which he put in his cloth sack and scurried away, through an avenue opened for him between the warriors. They would be escorted beyond the city. Four Gorean stone of gold is a fortune." — Nomads of Gor, page 310.

"I have calculated this figure from the Weight, a Gorean unit of measurement based on the Stone, which is about four earth pounds. A Weight is ten Stone. A medium-class round ship should be able to carry from 5,000 to 7,500 Gorean Weight. The Weight and the Stone, incidentally, are standardized throughout the Gorean cities by Merchant Law, the only common body of law existing among the cities. The official 'Stone,' actually a solid metal cylinder, is kept, by the way, near the Sardar. Four times a year, on a given day in each of the four great fairs held annually near the Sardar, it is brought forth with scales, that merchants from whatever city my test their own standard 'Stone' against it. The 'Stone' of Port Kar, tested against the official 'Stone' at the Sardar, reposed in a special fortified building in the great arsenal, which complex was administered by agents of the Council of Captains." — Raiders of Gor, page 127.

• Gorean Weight
The Gorean weight is equal to ten (10) Gorean stone, or forty (40) Earth pounds.

"I have calculated this figure from the Weight, a Gorean unit of measurement based on the Stone, which is about four earth pounds. A Weight is ten Stone. A medium-class round ship should be able to carry from 5,000 to 7,500 Gorean Weight. The Weight and the Stone, incidentally, are standardized throughout the Gorean cities by Merchant Law, the only common body of law existing among the cities. The official 'Stone,' actually a solid metal cylinder, is kept, by the way, near the Sardar. Four times a year, on a given day in each of the four great fairs held annually near the Sardar, it is brought forth with scales, that merchants from whatever city my test their own standard 'Stone' against it. The 'Stone' of Port Kar, tested against the official 'Stone' at the Sardar, reposed in a special fortified building in the great arsenal, which complex was administered by agents of the Council of Captains." — Raiders of Gor, page 127.

"A weight is some ten stone, or some forty Earth pounds." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 37.

• Hort
A hort is approximately 1.25 Earth inches.

"The hort is approximately an inch and a quarter in length." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 49.

• Merchant Foot
A unit of measurement similiarly equivalent to the Earth foot, approximately twelve and one-half inches (12-1/2"), which is measured by an official "foot" at the Sardar; this "foot" is in actuality, a metal rod. Approximately ten (10) Horts equal one (1) Gorean Foot. See: "Gorean Foot."

"The Gorean foot, interestingly, is almost identical to the Earth foot. Both measures doubtless bear some distant relation to the length of the foot of an adult human male. The Gorean foot is, in my estimation, just slightly longer than the Earth foot; based on the supposition that each of its ten Horts is roughly one and one-quarter inches long, I would give the Gorean foot length of roughly twelve and one-half inches, Earth measure. Normally, incidentally, in giving measures, the Earth foot, unless otherwise specified, should be understood. It seems pertinent, however, in this instance, to state the ratios in Gorean feet, rather than translate into English measure, where the harmony of the proportions would be obscured. As in the case of the official 'Stone,' so, too, at the Sardar in a metal rod, which determines the Merchant Foot, or Gorean foot, as I have called it. Port Kar's Merchant Foot, like her 'Stone,' is kept in the arsenal, in the same building as her 'Stone.'" — Raiders of Gor, pages 127-128.

Directional and Land Measure

• Pasang
A pasang is equal to .7 of an Earth mile.

"The pasang is a measure of distance on Gor, equivalent to approximately .7 of a mile." — Tarnsman of Gor, page 58.

"The pasang, a common unit of Gorean land measurement, is approximately .7 of a mile." — Nomads of Gor, page 13 (footnote).

• Ahn, Ehn, Ihn
In the making of maps, or other such things in which the system of longitude and latitude is calculated, as on Earth, it is calculated in hours, minutes and seconds ("Ahn," "Ehn" and "Ihn").

"There is also a system of latitude and longitude figured on the basis of the Gorean day, calculated in Ahn, twenty of which constitute a Gorean day, and Ehn and Ihn, which are subdivisions of the Ahn, or Gorean hour." — Nomads of Gor, page 3 (footnote).

Solid Volume

• Tef
A closed handful of produce (i.e, dates);
six (6) tefs equals one (1) tefa.

"A veiled woman was hawking dates by the tefa. A handful with the five fingers closed, not open, is a tef. Six such handfuls constitutes a tefa, which is a tiny basket. Five such baskets constitutes a huda." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 46.

• Tefa
Six (6) tefs (or closed handfuls), or the amount of merchandise it would take to fill a small basket; five (5) tefas equal one (1) Huda.

"A veiled woman was hawking dates by the tefa. A handful with the five fingers closed, not open, is a tef. Six such handfuls constitutes a tefa, which is a tiny basket. Five such baskets constitutes a huda." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 46.

• Huda
A measurement equaling five (5) tefa.

"A veiled woman was hawking dates by the tefa. A handful with the five fingers closed, not open, is a tef. Six such handfuls constitutes a tefa, which is a tiny basket. Five such baskets constitutes a huda." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 46.

Liquid Volume

• Talu
A measurement of the Tahari districts equalling approximately two (2) Earth gallons.

"Water at Klima is generally carried in narrow buckets, on wooden yokes, with dippers attached, for the slaves. A talu is approximately two gallons." — Tribesmen of Gor, pages 266-267.

Measurement of Time

More detailed information can be found on the Time Keeping page.

• Ahn
The Gorean hour, of which there are twenty (20) in a Gorean day; it consists of forty (40) Ehn. The Gorean noon is the tenth (10th) Ahn; the Gorean midnight is the twentieth (20th) Ahn.

"Each Ahn consists of forty Ehn, or minutes, and each Ehn of eighty Ihn, or seconds." — Outlaw of Gor, page 26.

"It was shortly before the tenth Gorean hour, or noon of the Gorean day." — Nomads of Gor, page 240.

"… at the twentieth Gorean hour, or midnight…" — Tarnsman of Gor, page 69.

• Ehn
The Gorean minute, of which there are forty (40) in an Ahn hour; it consists of eighty (80) Ihn.

"Each Ahn consists of forty Ehn, or minutes, and each Ehn of eighty Ihn, or seconds." — Outlaw of Gor, page 26.

"I counted five Gorean Ehn, or minutes." — Nomads of Gor, page 236.

• Hand
The Gorean week, consisting of five (5) days.

• Ihn
The Gorean second, of which there are eighty (80) in an Ehn.

"Each Ahn consists of forty Ehn, or minutes, and each Ehn of eighty Ihn, or seconds." — Outlaw of Gor, page 26.

"The Gorean Ihn, or second, is only a little longer than the Earth second." — Nomads of Gor, page 222.

"… its rate of fire is nineteen arrows in a Gorean Ehn, about eighty Earth seconds…" — Raiders of Gor, page 2.

• Passage Hand
The five (5) day period between Gorean months, which consist of five, 5-day weeks.

• Waiting Hand
The five (5) day period between the twelfth (12th) Passage Hand and the beginning of the New Year, which begins on the Vernal Equinox.

"On the first day of the Waiting Hand, the last five days of the old year, the portals of Ar, including even that of the House of Cernus, had been painted white, and in many of the low-caste homes had been sealed with pitch, not to be opened until the first day of En'Kara."   — Assassin of Gor, pages 211-212.

Miscellaneous

• Or
Ten (Wagon Peoples).

"… each warrior of the wagon peoples, and that means each able-bodied man, is a member of an Or, or a Ten…"   — Nomads of Gor, page 175.

• Orlu
One hundred (Wagon Peoples).

"… each Ten is a member of an Orlu, or Hundred." — Nomads of Gor, page 175.

• Oralu
One thousand (Wagon Peoples).

"… each Orlu is a member of an Oralu, a Thousand." — Nomads of Gor, page 175.

 

 

*



Special Note

Because of the differences in publishing the books, depending upon whether published in the U.S. or Europe, depending upon whether a first publishing or a Masquerade Books release, page numbers will often vary. All of my quotes are from original, first-printing U.S. publications (see The Books page for a listing of publishers and dates) with the exception of the following books:

  • Tarnsman of Gor (2nd Printing, Balantine)
  • Outlaw of Gor (11th Printing, Balantine)
  • Priest-Kings of Gor (2nd Printing, Balantine)
  • Assassin of Gor (10th Printing, Balantine)
  • Raiders of Gor (15th Printing, Balantine)
  • Captive of Gor (3rd Printing, Balantine)

Disclaimer

These pages are not written for any specific home, but rather as informational pages for those not able to get ahold of the books and read them yourself. Opinions and commentaries are strictly my own personal views, therefore, if you don't like what you are reading — then don't. The information in these pages is realistic to what is found within the books. Many sites have added information, assuming the existences of certain products and practices, such as willowbark and agrimony for healing, and travel to earth and back for the collection of goods. I've explored the books, the flora, the fauna, and the beasts, and have compiled from those mentioned, the probabilities of certain practices, and what vegetation mentioned in the books is suitable for healing purposes, as well as given practicalities to other sorts of roleplaying assumptions.