The Annals of Gor

Working Class

The Low Castes of Gor comprise what is basically known on Earth as the working classes. These include are the shop owners, the laborers, the artists, and such. Within these castes are sub-groups, or sub-castes, and other generalized occupations that are not caste craft in and of itself. Too, there are castes that are not seen as true castes within the sociological system, however, they consider themselves castes.

The Low Castes and Council

The Low Castes are viewed by the High Castes as those beneath their superiority. It's even taught from a young age to those within the High Castes that to allow the Low Castes into Council to serve would be the ruination of the city.

"How is leadership decided in these cities?" I asked.
      "Rulers," he said, "are chosen from any High Caste."
      "High Caste?" I asked.
      "Yes, of course," was the answer. "In fact, in the First Knowledge, there is a story told to the young in their public nurseries, that if a man from Lower Caste should come to rule in a city, the city would come to ruin." — Tarnsman of Gor, page 42.

"In many cities only members of the high castes may belong to the city's high council." — Slave Girl of Gor, page 114.

Color Coded

Every caste, whether high or low caste, claim one or more colors to represent their caste. These colors are often a part of their clothing, their tents and other housing, their wagons, as well as other facets of their properties. A listing of these colors is detailed further down in the alphabetical listing of the Low Castes.

Double Knowledge

Members of all castes, both the High and Lower Castes, are taught what is referred to as the Second Knowledge. This instruction includes only the very basic knowledges of their world. The Lower Castes are never instructed in the First Knowledge, a tool to keep them rather ignorant of their world. Perhaps due to the slave trade; many slavers know of the existance of the Voyages of Acquisition and of course, the knowledge of barbarian girls, making the quite apparent the reason for the origins of arth part of the Second Knowledge. At the time of his conversation with the Scribe, Torm, Tarl was still quite new to Gor.

First Knowledge would include the more technological details of their world; something those in authority would prefer to keep to themselves. It can also be safely speculated that those of the High Castes preferred keeping certain knowledge from the Lower Castes to render them somewhat ignorant and under a stricter control. Ironically, teachings of the origins of Earth is considered Second Knowledge.

"I was also instructed in the Double Knowledge — that is, I was instructed in what the people, on the whole, believed, and then I was instructed in what the intellectuals were expected to know. Sometimes there was a surprising discrepancy between the two. For example, the population as a whole, the castes below the High Castes, were encouraged to believe that their world was a broad flat disc. Perhaps this was to discourage them from exploration or to develop in them a habit of relying on common-sense prejudices — something of a social control device.
      On the other hand, the High Castes, specifically the Warriors, Builders, Scribes, Initiates and Physicians, were told the truth in such matters, perhaps because it was thought they would eventually determine it for themselves, from observations such as the shadow of their planet on one or another of Gor's three small moons during eclipses, the phenomenon of sighting the tops of distant objects first, and the fact that certain stars could not be seen from certain geographical positions; if the planet had been flat, precisely the same set of stars would have been observable from every position on its surface.
      I wondered, however, if the Second Knowledge, that of the intellectuals, might not be as carefully tailored to preclude inquiry on their level as the First Knowledge apparently was to preclude inquiry on the level of the Lower Castes. I would guess that there is a Third Knowledge, that reserved to the Priest-Kings." — Tarnsman of Gor, page 41.

"Earth origin, incidentally, was not a part of the First Knowledge, though it was of the second.
      "Torm," I once asked, "why is Earth origin not part of the First Knowledge?"
      "Is it not self-evident?" he asked.
      "No," I said.
      "Ah!" he said, and closed his eyes very slowly and kept them shut for about a minute, during which time he was apparently subjecting the matter to the most intense scrutiny.
      "You"re right," he said at last, opening his eyes. "It is not self-evident." Tarnsman of Gor, pages 44-45.

A Superstitious People

Members of the Lower Castes, too, tend to be quite superstitious, and many believe in things magical and take their religion seriously. More detailed information on this can be found on the Religion pages.

"I heard a fellow advertising the booth of a thought reader. This reader probably read coins. One, presumably without the knowledge of the reader or a confederate, selects one coin from several on a tray or platter, usually tarsk bits, and then, holding it tightly in his hand, concentrates on the coin. Then, after the coin has been replaced on the tray or platter, the thought reader turns about and, more often than not, far more than the probabilities would suggest, locates the coin. One then loses one's tarsk bit. If the reader selects the wrong coin, one receives all the tarsk bits on the tray or platter, usually several. I assumed there must be some sort of trick to this, though I did not know what it was. Goreans, on the other hand, often accept, rather uncritically, in my mind, that the reader can actually read thoughts, or usually read them. They reason that if one fellow can see farther than another, and such, why can't someone, similarly, be able to "see" thoughts. Similarly, less familiar with tricks, prestidigitation, illusions, and such, than an Earth audience, some Goreans believe in magic. I have meet Goreans who really believed, for example, that a magician can make a girl vanish into thin air and then retrieve her from the same. They accept the evidence of their senses, so to speak. The taking of auspices, incidentally, is common on Gor before initiating campaigns, enterprises, and such. Many Goreans will worry about such things as the tracks of spiders and the flights of birds. Similarly, on Earth, there is a clientele, particularly in uncertain, troubled times, for those who claim to be able to read the future, to tell fortunes, and such." — Magicians of Gor, pages 62-63.

"These fellows, I think, were serious. It might be mentioned, at any rate, that many Goreans, particularly those of lower caste, and who are likely to have had access only to the "first knowledge", take things of this sort very seriously, believing they are witness not to tricks and illusions but to marvelous phenomena consequent upon the gifts and powers of unusual individuals, sorcerers or magicians." — Magicians of Gor, page 254.

Caste Codes

Each caste has a set of ethical teachings, or Caste Codes, which constitute, in simplicity, a list of rules of conduct to which all caste members are held. Some of these teachings are in the form of sayings, profound or otherwise; some mere riddles. Though not stated as laws, in the Gorean world most of what is ethically correct is also legally correct. Naturally there would be those predicaments where the discussion of ethical and legal are quite diverse, as in the case (third quote) of the rape of two slave women. Often, caste codes have more to do with a man's personal honor and integrity. In simpler terms, each set of codes of a caste determine a behavior with a particular interest the specialty of its caste members. These codes will be provided within the alphabetical listing of the Low Castes, which follows.

Alphabetical List of the Low Castes

"Many castes, incidentally, have branches and divisions." — Assassins of Gor, page 208.

Please take note that there are some "Low Castes" listed here which are not viewed as true castes, but are a recognized group within a particular trade or occupation. Similarly, there are "Low Castes" mentioned that are never mentioned in the books but websites can be found with them listed erroneously as fact.

• Acrobats
Entertainers that do physical stunts to amaze and delight audiences.

"We had fed well in the hall of Svein Blue Tooth. During the meal, for Svein was a rich man, there had been acrobats, and jugglers and minstrels. There had been much laughter when one of the acrobats had fallen into the long fire, to leap scrambling from it, rolling in the dirt. Two other men, to settle a grievance, had had a tug of war, a bosk hide stretched between them, across the long fire. When one had been pulled into the fire the other had thrown the hide over him and stomped upon him. Before the fellow in the fire could free himself he had been much burned. This elicited much laughter from the tables. The jugglers had a difficult time, too, for their eyes on the cups and plates they were juggling, they were not infrequently tripped, to the hilarity of the crowd. More than one minstrel, too, was driven from the hall, the target of barrages of bones and plates." — Marauders of Gor, page 195.

• Artisans
I've seen on a few websites in which the Artisan is placed as a caste to itself. Granted, artisans are mentioned in the books, though never as a recognized caste. Instead, the book does refer to the artisan castes.

Plural. Meaning more than one artisan caste. Not, caste of artisans. In fact, the quote refers also to higher artisan castes; High and Low Castes both bearing artisan castes.

So, what would be an artisan caste? Let's explore the definition of artisan:

Etymology: Middle French, from northern Italian dialect form of Tuscan artigiano, from arte art, from Latin art-, ars
"1. A worker who practices a trade or handicraft : CRAFTSPERSON;
2. One that produces something (as cheese or wine) in limited quantities often using traditional methods." — Merriam-Webster Dictionary ©2006.

There you have it; artisans are craftsmen, often of items limited in quantity. Therefore, the artisan castes would be the castes of Builders and Physicians (High Castes), and the castes of Saddle Makers, Vintners, Jewelers (Low Castes), et al.

Another tidbit of misinformation put to rest…

"The second girl was tall, fragile and willowy, with slender ankles and large, hurt eyes; she had dark, curling hair that fell about her shoulders and stood out against the white of her garment; she may have been of High Caste; without speaking to her it would be hard to tell; even then it might be (difficult to be sure, for the accents of some of the higher artisan castes approximate pure High Caste Gorean); she stood with her back against the far wall, the palms of her hands against it, her eyes fastened on me, frightened, scarcely breathing. As far as I could tell she too was alone." — Priest-Kings of Gor, pages 51-51.

"I want her deeply and cleanly branded," he said. "An iron master travel among several of the smaller border towns. He is good at his business and has an assortment of irons, ranging from lovely and delicate to rude and brutal." It was not unusual for the border towns, along the eastern edge of the Thentis mountains, to be served by itinerant tradesmen and artisans. There was often too little work for them to thrive in a given town but an ample employment for their services and goods in a string of such towns. Such tradesmen and artisans commonly included some five to ten towns in their territory. — Savages of Gor, page 73.

"The fairs, too, however, have many other functions. For example, they serve as a scene of caste conventions, and as loci for the sharing of discoveries and research. It is here, for example, that physicians, and builders and artisans may meet and exchange ideas and techniques." — Beasts of Gor, page 44.

Not only warriors were in evidence, but tradesmen and artisans, peddlers and peasants, camp women and slaves. Talena clung to my arm, fascinated. We watched in one stall a bronzed giant apparently swallowing balls of fire, in the next a silk merchant crying the glories of his cloth, in another a hawker of Paga; in still another we watched the swaying bodies of dancing slave girls as their master proclaimed their rent price. — Tarnsman of Gor, page 144.

"I stopped a hurrying slave girl and inquired the way to the compound of Mintar, of the Merchant Caste, confident that he would have accompanied the horde back to the heartland of Ar. The girl was not pleased to be delayed on her errand, but a slave on Gor does not wisely ignore the address of a free man. She spit the coins she carried in her mouth into her hand, and told me what I wanted to know. Few Gorean garments are deformed by pockets. An exception is the working aprons of artisans." — Tarnsman of Gor, pages 183-184.

"Or," I said, "you might be purchased by a tradesman or artisan, to share his mat and kettle." — Vagabonds of Gor, page 232.

"That is for your master," I said. Many Goreans, particularly those of low caste, on errands and such, carry a coin or coins in their mouths. Most Gorean garments, a notable exception being those of artisans, lack pockets. — Renegades of Gor, page 29.

• Assassins
This Caste is comprised of those who kill strictly for pay. Their existence has long been suppressed, though they still appear occasionally. They refuse to use poison to dispatch their enemies (they consider it the mark of an amateur) and are required by their Caste codes to renounce all ties of friendship and family. In addition they claim no home stone. The Caste color is black. For more information on this caste, please refer to the Assassins page.

I caught a glimpse of a black helmet through the port as a warrior, still clutching a crossbow and mounted on his tarn, hauled up on the one-strap and flew from the window. "A member of the Caste of Assassins," said the Older Tarl, gazing at the retreating speck in the distance. — Tarnsman of Gor, page 59.

Caste Codes Mentioned
Mentioned in the books in the codes of the assassin, are the uses of sleen and poison, owning of slaves, and withdrawal from the Caste. For more information, please refer to the Assassins page.

• Bakers
Another very broad Caste, which consists of hundreds of sub-Castes. Generally, those who are members of this Caste are those who prepare Sa-Tarna, or vegetarian food, in any of a hundred thousand forms. The Caste color is brown and yellow.

"I stayed for four days in the rooms above the shop of Dina of Turia, there I dyed my hair black and exchanged the robes of the merchant for the yellow and brown tunic of the Bakers; to which caste her father and two brothers had belonged. … At one time, I gathered from Dina, her father's shop had been the most famed of the baking shops of Turia, most of which are owned by Saphrar of Turia, whose interests range widely, though operated naturally, as Gorean custom would require, by members of the Caste of Bakers." — Nomads of Gor, page 237.

• Bankers
Also: Coin Merchants
A sub-group of the Merchant Caste responsible for banking matters.

"I was very aware of the fact that I carried, in my sea bag, the ring which the blond barbarian had had on the Blossoms of Telnus and the notes, bearing the signatures and seals of Schendi bankers, who had been made out to Shaba, the geographer of Anango, the explorer of Lake Ushindi, and the discoverer of Lake Ngao and the mysterious Ua River. I thought these might bring him out of hiding, with the Tahari ring, if I could not locate him by means of the blond Earth girl who had been purchased by Ulafi, captain of the Palms of Schendi, merchant, too, of that city." — Explorers of Gor, page 47.

"It was not that I had difficulty in adding and subtracting, of course, but rather that I was not always as knowledgeable as I might be about the relative values of various coins, of numerous cities, which, of course, depended on such things as compositions and weights, and exchange rates, which might fluctuate considerably. For example, if a city debases its coinage, openly or secretly, perhaps as an economy measure, to increase the amount of money in circulation, or there is a rumor to that effect, this will be reflected in the exchange rates. Many Gorean bankers, not only the fellows sitting on a rug in their booth on a street, their sleen about, but also those in the palaces and fortresses on the 'Streets of Coins,' work with scales. Too, sometimes coins are literally chopped into pieces. This is regularly done with copper tarsks to produce, usually, the eight tarsk bits equivalent in most cities to the copper tarsk. Every year at the Sardar Fair there is a motion before the bankers, literally, the coin merchants, to introduce a standardization of coinage among the major cities. To date, however, this has not been accomplished. I did not feel it was really fair of Boots to call attention to my possible lack of expertise in these matters. I was not, after all, of the merchants, nor, among them, of the coin merchants." — Magicians of Gor, page 411.

• Bargemen
Not a true caste, tenerally these men, fathers and sons of interrelated clans, drive the teams of river tharlarion to pull barges across the rivers.

"I crossed the Cartius on a barge, one of several hired by the merchant of the caravan with which I was then seeing. These barges, constructed of layered timbers of Ka-la-na wood, are towed by teams of river tharlarion, domesticated, vast, herbivorous, web-footed lizards raised and driven by the Cartius bargemen, fathers and sons, interrelated clans, claiming the status of a caste for themselves. Even with the harnessed might of several huge tharlarion drawing toward the opposite shore the crossing took us several pasangs downriver. The caravan, of course, was bound for Turia." — Nomads of Gor, page 3-4 (footnote).

"It is said on Gor that only slaves, Outlaws and Priest-Kings, rumored to be the rulers of Gor, reputed to live in the remote Sardar Mountains, are without caste. This saying, however, it might be pointed out, as Gorean recognize, is not strictly true. For example, some individuals have lost caste, or been deprived of caste; some individuals have been born outside of castes; certain occupations are not traditionally associated with caste, such as gardening, domestic service and herding, and, indeed, there are, entire cultures and peoples on Gor to whom caste is unknown. Similarly, caste lines tend sometimes to be vague, and the relation between castes and sub castes. Slavers, for example, sometimes think of themselves as being of the Merchants, and sometimes as being a separate caste. They do have their own colors, blue and yellow, those of the Merchants being white and gold. Too, are the bargemen of the Southern Cartius a caste or not? They think of themselves as such, but many do not see the matter in the same light." — Fighting Slave of Gor, pages 210-211.

• Bleachers
Bleachers make objects whiter or lighter especially by physical or chemical removal of color. A possible sub-caste of the Cloth Workers (or a sub-caste of the many sub-castes of the parent Castel; refer to Cloth Workers), or perhaps a part of the Cosmeticians; the books do not detail exactly what object (i.e., cloth or hair) they bleach. However, the way the mention of Bleachers is grouped in the following quote, leads one to believe they are part of the Cloth Workers.

"The House of Cernus, which is a broad, many-storied cylinder, has a number of facilities which any large slave house must have. The only difference between these facilities in the House of Cernus and such facilities in other houses would probably have been in size, numbers of staff and lavishment of appointment. I have already mentioned the baths in the House of Cernus, which can rival some of the pools in the gigantic Capacian Baths, the finest of known Gor. Less impressive perhaps but even more essential to the operation of the House were its kitchens, its laundries, commissaries and storerooms; its medical facilities, in which dental care is also provided; its corridors of rooms for staff members, all of whom live in the House; its library, its records and files; its cubicles for Smiths, Bakers, Cosmeticians, Bleachers, Dyers, Weavers and Leather Workers; its wardrobe and jewelry chambers; its tarncots, two of them, opening by means of vast portals to tarn perches fixed in the side of the cylinder; its training rooms, both for slaves and for guards, and for those learning the trade of the slaver; recreation rooms for the staff; eating places; and, of course, various pens, kennels and retention facilities; as well as a chamber in which slaves are processed, collared and branded…" — Assassin of Gor, page 111.

• Carders
This group to cleanse, disentangle, and collect together (as fibers) by the use of cards preparatory to spinning or weaving; a sub-caste of the Rug Makers (who are sub-caste of the Cloth Workers), but separate from the sub-caste of the Weavers.

"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 38.

"The carders and the dyers, incidentally, are subcastes separate from the weavers. All are subcastes of the rug makers, which itself, interestingly, perhaps surprisingly, is accounted generally as a subcaste of the cloth workers. Rug makers themselves, however usually regard themselves in their various subcastes, as being independent of the cloth workers. A rug maker would not care to be confused with a maker of kaftans, turbans or djellabas." — Tribesmen of Gor, pages 49-50.

• Carpenters
Considered to be more a guild than a caste; carpenters built a variety of items with wood, i.e., furniture and cabinetry.

The next matter for consideration was the negotiation of a dispute between the sail-makers and the rope-makers in the arsenal with respect to priority in the annual Procession to the Sea, which takes place on the first of En'Kara, the Gorean New Year. There had been a riot this year. It was resolved that henceforth both groups would walk abreast. I smiled to myself. I expected there would be a riot net year as well.
      The rumor of the seaman, that Cos and Tyros were preparing fleets against Port Kar, again entered my mind, but again I dismissed it. The next item on the agenda dealt with the demand of the pulley-makers to receive the same wage per Ahn as the oar-makers. I voted for this measure, but it did not pass.
      A Captain next to me snorted, "Give the pulley-makers the wage of oar-makers, and sawyers will want the wages of carpenters, and carpenters of shipwrights!"
      All who do skilled work in the arsenal, incidentally, are free men. The men of Port Kar may permit slaves to build their house and their walls, but they do not permit them to build their ships. The wages of a sail-maker, incidentally, are four copper tarn disks per day, those of a fine shipwright, hired by the Council of Captains, as much as a golden tarn disk per day. The average working day is ten Ahn, or about twelve Earth hours. The amount of time spent in actual work, however, is far less. The workday of a free man in the arsenal is likely to be, on the whole, a rather leisurely one. Free Goreans do not like to be pressed in their tasks. Two Ahn for lunch and stopping an Ahn early for paga and a talk in the late afternoon are not uncommon. Layoffs occur, but, because of the amount of work, not frequently. The organizations, such as the sail-makers, almost guildlike, not castes, have due, and these dues tend to be applied to a number of purposes, such as support of those injured or their families, loans, payments when men are out of work, and pensions. — Raiders of Gor, page 134.

• Carvers
This group does the engraving upon such things as collars, or in wood, such as in the creation of a Kaissa playing board.

"Bran Loort, who had once been of Tabuk's Ford, carrying a low table, entered the tavern. He performed odd jobs about the tavern in return for his keep and a tarsk a week. We had knelt because he was free. Yet I wondered if in his heart he was free. He seemed a downcast, defeated man. He carried the table past us, which he had taken to the shop of a carver and enameler, to be inlaid with a Kaissa board." — Slave Girl of Gor, page 295.

"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 38.

• Charcoal Makers
This Caste concerns itself with the production of charcoal for use in Gorean forges and ovens. The Caste colors are black and gray.

"I saw a wide, hunched figure, bending under a gigantic bundle of sticks, strapped to his back by two cords which he held twisted in his fists in front of his body. His stature and burden proclaimed him as a member of the Carriers of Wood, or Woodsmen, that Gorean caste which, with the Charcoal Makers, provides most of the common fuel for the Gorean cities." — Outlaw of Gor, page 27.

• Cloth Workers
This caste makes clothing, weaves cloth, etc. Sub-groups of this caste would include weavers, et al. Notice that in one of the quotes, it states that in taking ownership of a shop, she would hire men to work. Note that there are many sub-castes of this Caste, along with sub-castes of sub-castes!

"I was the daughter of a Cloth Worker," said Melanie. — Assassin of Gor, page 317.

"Of the two hundred remaining double tarns from the victory in the Ubar's race I gave all but one to free Melanie, who had served in the kitchens of Cernus, and arrange a livelihood for her. With the money remaining over from her purchase price, which was negligible, she, who had been of the Cloth Workers, could open a shop in Ar, purchase materials, and hire men of her caste to aid her in the work." — Assassin of Gor, page 399.

"The carders and the dyers, incidentally, are subcastes separate from the weavers. All are subcastes of the rug makers, which itself, interestingly, perhaps surprisingly, is accounted generally as a subcaste of the cloth workers. Rug makers themselves, however usually regard themselves in their various subcastes, as being independent of the cloth workers. A rug maker would not care to be confused with a maker of kaftans, turbans or djellabas." — Tribesmen of Gor, pages 49-50.

• Cobbler
A mender or maker of shoes and slippers, and often of other leather goods. John Norman refers to them as a maker of slippers.

"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 38.

• Coin Merchants
See: Bankers

• Cosmeticians
Those who are professionally trained in the use of cosmetics; only briefly mentioned in the books.

"The House of Cernus, which is a broad, many-storied cylinder, has a number of facilities which any large slave house must have. The only difference between these facilities in the House of Cernus and such facilities in other houses would probably have been in size, numbers of staff and lavishment of appointment. I have already mentioned the baths in the House of Cernus, which can rival some of the pools in the gigantic Capacian Baths, the finest of known Gor. Less impressive perhaps but even more essential to the operation of the House were its kitchens, its laundries, commissaries and storerooms; its medical facilities, in which dental care is also provided; its corridors of rooms for staff members, all of whom live in the House; its library, its records and files; its cubicles for Smiths, Bakers, Cosmeticians, Bleachers, Dyers, Weavers and Leather Workers; its wardrobe and jewelry chambers; its tarncots, two of them, opening by means of vast portals to tarn perches fixed in the side of the cylinder; its training rooms, both for slaves and for guards, and for those learning the trade of the slaver; recreation rooms for the staff; eating places; and, of course, various pens, kennels and retention facilities; as well as a chamber in which slaves are processed, collared and branded…" — Assassin of Gor, page 111.

• Drovers
This group, in conjunction with the tenders, concerns itself with the various draft animals in use upon Gor; the driver of wagons drawn by such creatures to ship goods from city to city; more an occupation than a caste.

"Try not to step on any drovers," he said. "They can be ugly fellows when stepped on in the middle of the night." — Renegades of Gor, page 55.

That had seemed not improbably to me. There were mostly wagoners, of one sort of another, here, or refugees. He did not seem to be a refugee. For example, he did not have a companion, or children, with him. Similarly, most refugees could not have afforded an inn. Too, he did not seem to have the refinement of a high merchant nor the roughness of the drover. Drovers, flush with coins, would be here, of course, returning from Ar's Station. On the journey there they would be with their animals, probably verr or tarsk. "You are on your way to the Cosians' siege camp at Ar's Station," I hazarded. — Renegades of Gor, page 113.

"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others. Much of the city, of course, was organized to support the caravan trade. There were many walled, guarded warehouses, requiring their staffs of scribes and guards, and, in hundreds of hovels, lived kaiila tenders, drovers, and such, who would, at the caravan tables, when their moneys had been exhausted, apply, if accepted, making their mark on the roster, once more for a post with some new caravan. Guards for these caravans, incidentally, were usually known by, and retained by, caravan merchants between caravans. They were known men. Tenders and drovers, on the whole, came and went. Elaborate random selection devices, utilizing coins and sticks, and formulas, were sometimes used by merchants to assure that applying tenders and drovers were selected, if they were not known, by chance. Tenders and drovers were assured that this was to insure fairness. Actually, of course, as was well known, this was a precaution against the danger of hiring, en bloc, unwittingly, an organized group of men, who might, prior to their hiring, have formed a plan to slay the guards and merchants and make off with the caravan. Tenders and drovers, however, like men generally, were an honest sort. When they returned to Tor, of course, they had been long in the desert. At the end of the trip they received their wages. Sometimes, not even a hundred yards from the warehouses, these men would be met by enterprising cafe owners, praising the advantages of their respective establishments. The owners of these cafes, usually, would bring with them a chain of their girls, stripped, as free women in the Tahari districts may not be, purportedly a typical selection of the stock available." — Tribesmen of Gor, pages 38.

• Dyers
Sub-caste of the Rug Makers (which are sub-castes of the Cloth Workers); responsible for the dying of cloth.

"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 38.

"The carders and the dyers, incidentally, are subcastes separate from the weavers. All are subcastes of the rug makers, which itself, interestingly, perhaps surprisingly, is accounted generally as a subcaste of the cloth workers. Rug makers themselves, however usually regard themselves in their various subcastes, as being independent of the cloth workers. A rug maker would not care to be confused with a maker of kaftans, turbans or djellabas." — Tribesmen of Gor, pages 49-50.

• Enamelers
Caste which enamels such things as collars, kaiisa boards and dagger handles.

"Bran Loort, who had once been of Tabuk's Ford, carrying a low table, entered the tavern. He performed odd jobs about the tavern in return for his keep and a tarsk a week. We had knelt because he was free. Yet I wondered if in his heart he was free. He seemed a downcast, defeated man. He carried the table past us, which he had taken to the shop of a carver and enameler, to be inlaid with a Kaissa board." — Slave Girl of Gor, page 295.

• Entertainers
These are neither caste, nor sub-caste. The mention of entertainers in the books encompassed even slaves.

"I think that will be amusing," she said, "to have the Hinrabian brought as an entertainer to my supper party, and have her perform as a slave, before men, in my viewing." — Magicians of Gor, page 158.

"Girls, maids, entertainers, dancers, rented in groups to private individuals or organizations for feasts, and such," she said. — Kajira of Gor, page 285.

"I observed the banquet tables, laid out in an open-ended rectangle, permitting slaves to enter at the open end, facilitating the serving, and, of course, allowing entertainers to perform among the tables." — Nomads of Gor, page 89.

We had fed well in the hall of Svein Blue Tooth. During the meal, for Svein was a rich man, there had been acrobats, and jugglers and minstrels. There had been much laughter when one of the acrobats had fallen into the long fire, to leap scrambling from it, rolling in the dirt. Two other men, to settle a grievance, had had a tug of war, a bosk hide stretched between them, across the long fire. When one had been pulled into the fire the other had thrown the hide over him and stomped upon him. Before the fellow in the fire could free himself he had been much burned. This elicited much laughter from the tables. The jugglers had a difficult time, too, for their eyes on the cups and plates they were juggling, they were not infrequently tripped, to the hilarity of the crowd. More than one minstrel, too, was driven from the hall, the target of barrages of bones and plates.
The Forkbeard was, at one point, so furious at the ineptness of the musicians, that he informed me of his own intention to regale the tables with song. He was extremely proud of his singing voice. I prevailed upon him to desist. "You are a guest," I told him, "it would not be seemly for you, by your talents, to shame the entertainers, and thereby perhaps reflect upon the honor of your host, who doubtless has provided the best he can." "True," admitted the Fork-beard. I breathed more easily. Had Ivar Forkbeard broken into song I would have given little for our chances.
Male thralls turned the spits over the long fire; female thralls, bond-maids, served the tables. The girls, though collared in the manner of Torvaldsland, and serving men, were fully clothed. Their kirtles of white wool, smudged and stained with grease, fell to their ankles; they hurried about; they were barefoot; their arms, too, were bare; their hair was tied with strings behind their heads, to keep it free from sparks; their faces were, on the whole, dirty, smudged with dirt and grease; they were worked hard; Bera, I noted, kept much of an eye upon them; one girl, seized by a warrior, her waist held, his other hand sliding upward from her ankle beneath the single garment permitted her, the long, stained woolen kirtle, making her cry out with pleasure, dared to thrust her lips eagerly, furtively, to his; but she was seen by Bera; orders were given; by male thralls she was bound and, weeping, thrust to the kitchen, there to be stripped and beaten; I presumed that if Bera were not present the feast might have taken a different turn; her frigid, cold presence was, doubtless, not much welcomed by the men. But she was the woman of Svein Blue Tooth. I supposed, in time, normally, she would retire, doubtless taking Svein Blue Tooth with her. It would be then that the men might thrust back the tables and hand the bond-maids about. No Jarl I knew can hold men in his hall unless there are ample women for them. I felt sorry for Svein Blue Tooth. This night, however, it seemed Bera had no intention of retiring early. I suspected this might have accounted somewhat for the ugliness of the men with the entertainers, not that the men of Torvaldsland, under any circumstances, constitute an easily pleased audience. Generally only Kaissa and the songs of skalds can hold their attention for long hours, that and stories told at the tables. After the entertainers had been driven from the hall and much food had been eaten, Svein Blue Tooth, who had showed much patience, said to Ivar Forkbeard, "It is my understanding that you believe yourself to have that wherewith your deed's wergild might be met." — Marauders of Gor, pages 195-196.

• Gem Cutters
Likely to be of the same caste as the jewelers, those whose expertise is to cut raw gems.

"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 38.

• Glaziers
One who sets glass.

"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 38.

• Goat-Keepers
This group concerns itself with the care and maintenance of herds of goats.

The warrior laughed and slapped his thigh. "You would have me believe that she is of High Caste," he said. "She is probably the daughter of a goat keeper." — Tarnsman of Gor, pages 115-116.

"I was pleased to see that the men of other castes, unlike the Initiates, did not grovel. There were men in that crowd from Ar, from Thentis, from Tharna, recognized by the two (yellow cords in their belt; from Port Kar; from Tor, Cos, Tyros; perhaps from Treve, Vika's home city; perhaps even from fallen, vanished Ko-ro-ba; and the men in that crowd were of all castes, and even of castes as low as the Peasants, the Saddle Makers, the Weavers, the Goat Keepers, the Poets and Merchants, but none of them groveled as did the Initiates; how strange, I thought — the Initiates claimed to be most like Priest-Kings, even to be formed in their image, and yet I knew that a Priest-King would never grovel; it seemed the Initiates, to their efforts to be like gods, behaved like slaves." — Priest-Kings of Gor, page 294-295.

• Jewelers
The makers of fine pieces bana.

"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 38.

• Jugglers
A sub-caste of the entertainers; the purveyors of feats of juggling to delight the audience.

"The fairs, too, however, have many other functions. For example, they serve as a scene of caste conventions, and as loci for the sharing of discoveries and research. It is here, for example, that physicians, and builders and artisans may meet and exchange ideas and techniques. It is here that Merchant Law is drafted and stabilized. It is here that songs are performed, and song dramas. Poets and musicians, and jugglers and magicians, vie for the attention of the crowds." — Beasts of Gor, page 44.

"We had fed well in the hall of Svein Blue Tooth. During the meal, for Svein was a rich man, there had been acrobats, and jugglers and minstrels. There had been much laughter when one of the acrobats had fallen into the long fire, to leap scrambling from it, rolling in the dirt. Two other men, to settle a grievance, had had a tug of war, a bosk hide stretched between them, across the long fire. When one had been pulled into the fire the other had thrown the hide over him and stomped upon him. Before the fellow in the fire could free himself he had been much burned. This elicited much laughter from the tables. The jugglers had a difficult time, too, for their eyes on the cups and plates they were juggling, they were not infrequently tripped, to the hilarity of the crowd. More than one minstrel, too, was driven from the hall, the target of barrages of bones and plates." — Marauders of Gor, page 195.

• Leather Workers
This Caste is concerned with the fabrication of various leather goods from animal hides of all types.

"Once in a Paga tavern I heard a man, whom I recognized to be one of the guards from the iron pens, though now in the tunic of a Leather Worker… " — Assassin of Gor, page 231.

"The House of Cernus, which is a broad, many-storied cylinder, has a number of facilities which any large slave house must have. The only difference between these facilities in the House of Cernus and such facilities in other houses would probably have been in size, numbers of staff and lavishment of appointment. I have already mentioned the baths in the House of Cernus, which can rival some of the pools in the gigantic Capacian Baths, the finest of known Gor. Less impressive perhaps but even more essential to the operation of the House were its kitchens, its laundries, commissaries and storerooms; its medical facilities, in which dental care is also provided; its corridors of rooms for staff members, all of whom live in the House; its library, its records and files; its cubicles for Smiths, Bakers, Cosmeticians, Bleachers, Dyers, Weavers and Leather Workers; its wardrobe and jewelry chambers; its tarncots, two of them, opening by means of vast portals to tarn perches fixed in the side of the cylinder; its training rooms, both for slaves and for guards, and for those learning the trade of the slaver; recreation rooms for the staff; eating places; and, of course, various pens, kennels and retention facilities; as well as a chamber in which slaves are processed, collared and branded…" — Assassin of Gor, page 111.

"At the age of twelve, Ute had been purchased by a leather worker, who dwelt on the exchange island, administered by the Merchants, of Teletus. He, and his companion, had cared for her, and had freed her. They had adopted her as their daughter, and had seen that she was trained well in the work of the leather workers, that caste, which, under any circumstances, had been hers by right of birth." — Captive of Gor, page 233.

• Magicians
A sub-caste of the entertainers; the purveyors of magic.

"The fairs, too, however, have many other functions. For example, they serve as a scene of caste conventions, and as loci for the sharing of discoveries and research. It is here, for example, that physicians, and builders and artisans may meet and exchange ideas and techniques. It is here that Merchant Law is drafted and stabilized. It is here that songs are performed, and song dramas. Poets and musicians, and jugglers and magicians, vie for the attention of the crowds." — Beasts of Gor, page 44.

"My friend, the actor, magician, impresario and whatnot, Boots Tarsk-Bit, once narrowly escaped an impalement in Besnit on the charge of using false dice. He was, however, it seems, framed. At any rate the charges were dismissed when a pair of identical false dice turned up in the pouch of the arresting magistrate, the original pair having, interestingly, at about the same time, vanished." — Magicians of Gor, page 59.

"I heard a fellow advertising the booth of a thought reader. This reader probably read coins. One, presumably without the knowledge of the reader or a confederate, selects one coin from several on a tray or platter, usually tarsk bits, and then, holding it tightly in his hand, concentrates on the coin. Then, after the coin has been replaced on the tray or platter, the thought reader turns about and, more often than not, far more than the probabilities would suggest, locates the coin. One then loses one's tarsk bit. If the reader selects the wrong coin, one receives all the tarsk bits on the tray or platter, usually several. I assumed there must be some sort of trick to this, though I did not know what it was. Goreans, on the other hand, often accept, rather uncritically, in my mind, that the reader can actually read thoughts, or usually read them. They reason that if one fellow can see farther than another, and such, why can't someone, similarly, be able to "see" thoughts. Similarly, less familiar with tricks, prestidigitation, illusions, and such, than an Earth audience, some Goreans believe in magic. I have meet Goreans who really believed, for example, that a magician can make a girl vanish into thin air and then retrieve her from the same. They accept the evidence of their senses, so to speak. The taking of auspices, incidentally, is common on Gor before initiating campaigns, enterprises, and such. Many Goreans will worry about such things as the tracks of spiders and the flights of birds. Similarly, on Earth, there is a clientele, (pg. 63) particularly in uncertain, troubled times, for those who claim to be able to read the future, to tell fortunes, and such." — Magicians of Gor, page 59.

"These fellows, I think, were serious. It might be mentioned, at any rate, that many Goreans, particularly those of lower caste, and who are likely to have had access only to the "first knowledge", take things of this sort very seriously, believing they are witness not to tricks and illusions but to marvelous phenomena consequent upon the gifts and powers of unusual individuals, sorcerers or magicians. This ingenuousness is doubtless dependent upon several factors, such as the primitiveness of the world, the isolation and uniqueness of the cities, the disparateness of cultures and the tenuousness of communication. Also the Gorean tends neither to view the world as a mechanical clockwork of interdependent parts, as a great, regular, predictable machine, docile to equations, obedient to abstractions, not as a game of chance, inexplicable, meaningless and random at the core. His fundamental metaphor in terms of which he would defend himself from the glory and mystery of the world is neither the machine nor the die. It is rather, if one may so speak, the stalk of grass, the rooted tree, the flower. He feels the world as alive and real. He paints eyes upon his ships, that they may see their way. And if he feels so even about this vessels, then so much more the awed and reverent must he feel (pg. 255) when he contemplates the immensity and grandeur, the beauty, the power, and the mightiness within which he finds himself. Why is there anything? Why is there anything at all? Why not just nothing? Wouldn't "nothing" be more likely, more rational, more scientific? When did time begin? Where does space end? On a line, at the surface of a sphere? Do our definitions constrain reality? What if reality does not know our language, the boundaries of our perceptions, the limitations of our minds? How is it that one wills to raise one's hand and the hand rises? How is it that an aggregation of molecules can cry out with joy in the darkness? The Gorean sees the world less as a puzzle than an opportunity, less as a datum to be explained than a bounty in which to rejoice, less as a problem to be solved than a gift to be gratefully received. It might be also be noted, interestingly, that the Gorean, in spite of his awe of Priest-Kings, and the reverence he accords them, the gods of his world, does not think of them as having formed the world, not of the world being in some sense consequent upon their will. Rather the Priest-Kings are seen as being its children, too, like the sleen, and rain and man. A last observation having to do with the tendency of some Goreans to accept illusions and such as reality is that the Gorean tends to take such things as honor and truth very seriously. Given his culture and background, his values, he is often easier to impose upon than would be many others. For example, he is likely, at least upon occasion, to be an easier mark for the fraud and charlatan than a more suspicious, cynical fellow. On the other hand, I do not encourage lying to Goreans. They do not like it." — Magicians of Gor, page 59.

• Merchants
Those who are of this Caste are concerned with the sale and trade of merchandise for a profit. There are literally hundreds of sub-Castes of the Merchants Caste, which includes the Slavers Caste. The Castes codes include the ethical taking and receiving of money; the Caste colors are white and gold. See the Merchant Caste page for more detailed information.

"I glanced at Saphrar, who was now leaning on his yellow cushions, in his silken pleasure robes, white and gold, the colors of the Merchants." — Nomads of Gor, page 86.

• Metal Workers
This Caste is extends in services as blacksmith or farrier, repairing wagon wheels and shoeing Gorean draft and riding beasts. This Caste also makes the many metal locks found on Gor, and also the metal collars.

"Remove the collar immediately," commanded Kamras, plenipotentiary of Phanius Turmus, Administrator of Turia.
Kamchak smiled. "It seems," he said, "that I have forgotten the key."
"Send for one of the Metal Workers!" cried Saphrar. — Nomads of Gor, page 101.

"…most Tarn Keepers, incidentally, crop their hair short, as do most Metal Workers…" — Assassin of Gor, page 167.

"My opponent was not Andreas, but a squat, powerful man with short-clipped yellow hair, Kron of Tharna, of the Caste of Metal Workers." — Outlaw of Gor, page 113.

• Musicians
This Caste concerns itself with providing and performing instrumental musical works, as well as accompaniment for those of the Singers.

"I wondered at this for the Musicians had been, like the Poets, exiled from Tharna. Theirs, like the Poets, had been a caste regarded by the sober masks of Tharna as not belonging in a city of serious and dedicated folk, for music, like Paga and song, can set men's hearts aflame and when men's hearts are aflame it is not easy to know where the flame may spread." — Outlaw of Gor, page 224.

"As at many of the larger markets, there are Musicians near the block, and a girl is given enough time to present herself well." — Assassin of Gor, page 112.

"In most cities it is regarded, incidentally, as a criminal offense to enslave one of the caste of players. A similar decree, in most cities, stands against the enslavement of one who is of the caste of musicians." — Beasts of Gor, page 44.

"The music of those of the musicians was heady, like the wine." Captive of Gor, page 324.

• Oar-Makers
Considered to be more a guild than a caste; free-laborers skilled in specific crafts of ship making.

The next matter for consideration was the negotiation of a dispute between the sail-makers and the rope-makers in the arsenal with respect to priority in the annual Procession to the Sea, which takes place on the first of En'Kara, the Gorean New Year. There had been a riot this year. It was resolved that henceforth both groups would walk abreast. I smiled to myself. I expected there would be a riot net year as well.
      The rumor of the seaman, that Cos and Tyros were preparing fleets against Port Kar, again entered my mind, but again I dismissed it. The next item on the agenda dealt with the demand of the pulley-makers to receive the same wage per Ahn as the oar-makers. I voted for this measure, but it did not pass.
      A Captain next to me snorted, "Give the pulley-makers the wage of oar-makers, and sawyers will want the wages of carpenters, and carpenters of shipwrights!"
      All who do skilled work in the arsenal, incidentally, are free men. The men of Port Kar may permit slaves to build their house and their walls, but they do not permit them to build their ships. The wages of a sail-maker, incidentally, are four copper tarn disks per day, those of a fine shipwright, hired by the Council of Captains, as much as a golden tarn disk per day. The average working day is ten Ahn, or about twelve Earth hours. The amount of time spent in actual work, however, is far less. The workday of a free man in the arsenal is likely to be, on the whole, a rather leisurely one. Free Goreans do not like to be pressed in their tasks. Two Ahn for lunch and stopping an Ahn early for paga and a talk in the late afternoon are not uncommon. Layoffs occur, but, because of the amount of work, not frequently. The organizations, such as the sail-makers, almost guildlike, not castes, have due, and these dues tend to be applied to a number of purposes, such as support of those injured or their families, loans, payments when men are out of work, and pensions. — Raiders of Gor, page 134.

• Peasants
The lowest and most common of the Castes of Gor, this Caste is concerned with the maintenance, planting and harvesting of the vast lands surrounding most cities, which have been divided into plots and set aside planting and harvesting of the vast lands surrounding most cities which have been divided into plots and set aside for agricultural use. These are the free farmers of Gor; although a Low Caste they refer to themselves as "the Ox on Which the Home Stone Rests" due to their vital role in the production of raw foodstuffs for Gorean society. They have rather strict Caste codes, and are considered the masters of several forms of distinctive peasant weaponry, including the quarterstaff and the Great Bow, or Peasant Bow. The Caste color is brown.

"Economically, the base of the Gorean life was the free peasant, which was perhaps the lowest but undoubtedly the most fundamental caste." — Tarnsman of Gor, page 43.

"Even the Peasants regarded itself as the 'Ox on which the Home Stone Rests' and could seldom be encouraged to leave their narrow strips of land, which they and their fathers before them had owned and made fruitful." — Outlaw of Gor, page 66.

"… the peasants, isolate in their narrow fields and villages, are Low Caste; indeed, the Peasant is regarded, by those of the cities, as being little more than an ignoble brute, ignorant and superstitious, venal and vicious, a grubber in the dirt, a plodding animal, an ill-tempered beast, something at best cunning and treacherous; and yet I knew that in each dirt-floored cone of straw that served as the dwelling place of a peasant and his family, there was, by the fire hole, a Home Stone; the peasants themselves, though regarded as the lowest caste on all Gor by most Goreans, call themselves proudly the ox on which the Home Stone rests, and I think their saying is true. Peasants, incidentally, are seldom, except in emergencies, utilized in the armed forces of a city; this is a further reason why their weapon, the long bow, is less known in the cities, and among warriors, than it deserves to be." — Raiders of Gor, page 3.

Caste Codes Mentioned

> Caste Leadership

"I am caste leader," said Bran Loort.
      "In what village is that?" asked Thurnus.
      "In Tabuk's Ford," said Bran Loort, angrily.
      "Have you conveyed this intelligence to Thurnus of Tabuk's Ford?" inquired Thurnus.
      "I do so now," said Bran Loort. "I am first in Tabuk's Ford."
      "I speak for Thurnus, caste leader in the village of Tabuk's Ford," said Thurnus. "He speaks it not so."
      "I am first here," said Bran Loort.
      "In the name of Thurnus, he of the peasants, caste leader of the village of Tabuk's Ford," said Thurnus, "I speak. He, Thurnus, is first."
      "I am first!" cried Bran Loort.
      "No," said Thurnus.
      Bran Loort turned white.
      "Will it be the test of five arrows?" asked Thurnus.
      In this the villagers, with the exception of the two contestants, leave the village and the gate is closed. Each contestant carries in the village his bow, the great bow, the peasant bow, and five arrows. He who opens the gate to readmit the villagers is caste leader. "No," said Bran Loort, uneasily. He did not care to face the bow of Thurnus. The skill of Thurnus with the great bow was legendary, even among peasants.
      "Then," asked Thurnus, "it will be the test of knives?"
      In this the two men leave the village and enter, from opposite sides, a darkened wood. He who returns to the village is caste leader. "No," said Bran Loort. Few men, I thought, would care to meet Thurnus in the darkness of the woods armed with steel. The peasant is a part of the land. He can be like a rock or a tree. Or the lightning that can strike without warning from the dark sky.
      Bran Loort lifted his staff. "I am of the peasants," he said.
      "Very well," said Thurnus. "We shall subject this matter to grim adjudication. The staff will speak. The wood of our land will decide." — Slave Girl of Gor, page 229.
"The caste leader must know many things," said Thurnus. "It takes many years to learn them, the weather, the crops, animals, men. It is not easy to be caste leader."
      Thurnus turned away, his head down, to tie his sandal. Bran Loort hesitated only an instant, and then he struck down, the staff stopped, striking across Thurnus's turned shoulder. It had been like striking a rock. Bran Loort stepped back.
      "Too, to earn the respect of peasants," said Thurnus, straightening up, retrieving his staff, his sandal tied, "the caste leader should be strong."
      Bran Loort was white-faced. "Now let us fight," said Thurnus.
      Swiftly did the two men engage with their quick staves. There was a fierce ringing of wood. Dust flew about their ankles. Blows, numerous and fierce, were struck and parried. Bran Loort was not unskilled, and he was young and strong, but no match was he for the grim and mighty Thurnus, caste leader of Tabuk's Ford, my master. As well might a young larl with spotted coat be matched against a giant, tawny claw Ubar of the Voltai. At last, bloodied and beaten, Bran Loort lay helpless at the feet of Thurnus, caste leader of the village of Tabuk's Ford. He looked up, glazed-eyed. Some five of his cohorts, two of whom had recovered consciousness, seizing their staves, edged nearer.
      "Beat him!" cried Bran Loort, pointing out Thurnus. There was a cry of anger from the onlookers. The young men raised their staves, together, to charge upon Thurnus, who turned, to accept their challenge.
      "Stop!" cried a voice. There were the shrill squeals of sleen. Sandal Thong stood at the edge of the circle, in each fist the leash, a short leash, of a sleen. The animals strained against the leashed collars, trying to creep forward, their eyes blazing, saliva loose and dripping from their jaws, the wet fangs shining in the firelight. "On the first man who moves," cried Sandal Thong, "I shall set a sleen!"
      The young men drew back. Melina cried out with fury.
      "Throw down your staves," ordered Thurnus. They, looking at the sleen, threw down their staves.
      "She is only a slave!" cried Melina. "How dare you interfere?" she cried to Sandal Thong.
      "I freed her this afternoon," laughed Thurnus. I saw no rope collar on her throat. She had removed it when she had stolen away from the circle of the fire.
      She stood there, holding the sleen leashes, a proud free woman, in the firelight, though she wore still the rag of a slave.
      "On your feet, Bran Loort," said Thurnus.
      The young man, unsteadily, stood up. Thurnus, swiftly, tore away the tunic about his waist, and, taking him by the arm, rudely thrust him to the heavy rack, where I lay helplessly secured. "Here is the little slave you find so lovely, Bran Loort," said Thurnus. "She lies before you, helpless." Bran Loort looked at me, miserable. "She is a juicy little beauty, is she not?" asked Thurnus. I recoiled on the beams, so spoken of. "Is she not a pretty little cake?" asked Thurnus. "Yes," whispered Bran Loort. "Take her," said Thurnus. "I give you my permission." Bran Loort looked down. "Go ahead," urged Thurnus. "Take her!" "I cannot," whispered Bran Loort. He was a defeated man.
      Bran Loort turned away from the rack and bent down to pick up his tunic. He went to the gate and it was opened for him. He left the village of Tabuk's Ford.
      "Follow him, who will," said Thurnus to the young men who had been his cohorts. But none made to follow their former leader. "Of what village are you?" asked Thurnus.
      "Tabuk's Ford," they said, sullenly.
      "And who is caste leader in Tabuk's Ford?" asked Thurnus, sweating, grinning.
      "Thurnus," they said.
      "Go to your huts," he said. "You are under caste discipline." They withdrew from the circle of the fire. I expected that they would tend his fields for a season. — Slave Girl of Gor, page 233-234.

> Use of Another's Property Without Permission

"We took her without your permission," said Bran Loort.
      "In this," said Thurnus, "you have committed a breach of code."
      "It does not matter to me," said Bran Loort.
      "Neither a plow, nor a bosk, nor a girl may one man take from another, saving with the owner's saying of it," quoted Thurnus.
      "I do not care," said Bran Loort.
      "What is it, Bran Loort, that separates men from sleen and larls?" asked Thurnus.
      "I do not know," said Bran Loort.
      "It is the codes," said Thurnus.
      "The codes are meaningless noises, taught to boys," said Bran Loort.
      "The codes are the wall," said Thurnus.
      "I do not understand," said Bran Loort.
      "It is the codes which separate men from sleen and larls," said Thurnus. "They are the difference. They are the wall." — Slave Girl of Gor, pages 226-227.

I sensed that the codes were to be invoked. What Bran Loort and his fellows had done exceeded the normal rights of custom, the leniencies and tacit permissions of a peasant community; commonly the codes are invisible; they exist not to control human life, but to make it possible. The rapes of Verr Tail and Radish, interestingly, had not counted as code breaches, though in neither case had explicit permission for their conquest been granted by Thurnus; such permission, in such cases, was implicit in the customs of the community; it did not constitute a "taking from" but a brief use of, an "enjoyment of," without the intent to do injury to the honor of the master; "taking from," in the sense of the code is not, strictly, theft, though theft would be "taking from." "Taking from," in the sense of the codes, implies the feature of being done against the presumed will of the master, of infringing his rights, more significantly, of offending his honor. In what Bran Loort had done, insult had been intended. The Gorean peasant, like Goreans in general, has a fierce sense of honor. Bran Loort had known exactly what he had been doing. — Slave Girl of Gor, page 228.

> Entering Cities

"Usually, as it is their caste policy, the farmers or villagers seek new land, usually farther away, to start again. They seldom attempt to enter the cities, where they might eventually contribute to the formation of a discontented urban proletariat. Their caste codes discourage it." — Dancer of Gor, page 303.

• Perfumers
A sub-caste of the Merchants, their colors the same gold and white; this caste concerns itself with the production of various types of scented perfumes, used for purposes of esthetic appeal. Often works in conjunction with the Oil Makers to produce scented oils and such. Also works with the Charcoal Makers and the Spice Merchants to create incense.

"My assistant, a large fellow, but obviously stupid, smooth-shaven as are the perfumers, in white and yellow silk, and golden sandals, bent over, hurried forward. He carried a tray of vials." — Marauders of Gor, page 111.

"There at various benches, attending to their work, measuring and stirring were apprentice perfumers though one is commonly born into a caste one is often not permitted to practice the caste craft until a suitable apprenticeship has been served. This guarantees the quality of the caste product. It is possible though it is seldom the case, that members of a caste are not permitted to practice specific caste skills, though they may permitted to practice subsidiary skills. For example, one who is of the Metalworkers might not be permitted to work iron but might be permitted to do such things as paint iron, and transport and market it. Caste rights, of course such as the right to caste support in time of need and caste sanctuary when in flight, which are theirs by birth remain theirs. The women of a given caste, it should he noted, often do not engage in caste work. For example, a woman in the Metalworker does not, commonly, work at the forgot nor is a woman of the Builders likely to be found supervising the construction of fortifications. Caste membership, for Goreans, is generally a simple matter of birth, it is not connected necessarily with the performance of certain skills, nor the attainment of given level of proficiency in such skills. To be sure, certain skills tend to be associated traditionally with certain castes, a fact which is clearly indicated in caste titles, such as the Leatherworkers, the Metalworkers, the Singers, and the Peasants. A notable exception to the generalization that women of a given caste normally do not engage in caste work is the caste of Physicians, whose women are commonly trained, as are the boys, in the practice of medicine. Even the Physicians, however, normally do not admit their women to full Practice until they have borne two children. The purpose of this is to retain a high level of intelligence in the caste. Professional Women, it is well understood, tend not to reproduce themselves, a situation which, over time, would be likely to produce a diminution in the quality of the caste. Concern for the future of the caste, is thus evinced in this limitation by the physicians on the rights of their women to participate without delay in the caste craft. The welfare of the caste, typically takes priority in the Gorean mind over the ambitions of specific individuals. The welfare of a larger number of individuals as the Goreans reason, correctly or incorrectly. Is more important than the welfare of a smaller number of individual I do not argue this." — Fighting Slave of Gor, pages 209-210.

• Players
This group is made up of those individuals who have dedicated their lives to the furtherance of the Gorean game of Kaissa. This group of men are supported in almost any city. Members of this group are granted blanket immunity to prosecution and slavery, and are highly regarded based upon there level of skill. They wear distinctive red and yellow checkered hooded robes which denote their "caste colors."

"The Players are not a caste, nor a clan, but they tend to be a group apart, living their own lives. They are made up of men from various castes who often have little in common but the game, but that is more than enough. They are men who commonly have an extraordinary aptitude for the game but beyond this men who have become drunk on it, men lost in the subtle, abstract liquors of variation, pattern and victory, men who live for the game, who want it and need it as other men might want gold, or others power and women, or others the rolled, narcotic strings of toxic kanda." — Assassin of Gor, page 27.

"There, lost to the bustle in the tavern, oblivious to the music, sat two men across a board of one hundred red and yellow squares, playing Kaissa, the game. One was a Player, a master who makes his living, though commonly poorly, from the game, playing for a cup of paga perhaps and the right to sleep in the taverns for the night." — Hunters of Gor, page 47.

"In most cities it is regarded, incidentally, as a criminal offense to enslave one of the caste of players. A similar decree, in most cities, stands against the enslavement of one who is of the caste of musicians." span class="olive"> — Beasts of Gor, page 44.

"Players, incidentally, are free to travel where they wish on the surface of Gor, no matter what might be their city. By custom, they, like musicians, and like singers, there are few courts at which they are not welcome." — Hunters of Gor, page 148.

"Incidentally, there are many versions of Kaissa played on Gor. In some of these versions, the names of the pieces differ, and, in some, even more alarmingly, their nature and power. The caste of Players, to its credit, has been attempting to standardize Kaissa for years. A major victory in this matter was secured a few years ago when the caste of Merchants, which organizes and manages the Sardar Fairs, agreed to a standardized version, proposed by, and provisionally approved by, the high council of the caste of Players, for the Sardar tournaments, one of the attractions of the Sardar Fairs. This for of Kaissa, now utilized in the tournaments is generally referred to, like the other variations, simply as Kaissa. Sometimes, however, to distinguish it from differing forms of the game, it is spoken of as Merchant Kaissa, from the role of the Merchants in making it the official form of Kaissa for the fairs, Player Kaissa, from the role of the Players in its codification, or the Kaissa of En'Kara, for it was officially promulgated for the first time at one of the fairs of En'Kara, that which occurred in 10,124 C.A., Contasta Ar, from the Founding of Ar, or in year 5 of the Sovereignty of the Council of Captains, in Port Kar. — Players of Gor, page 8.

"Interestingly the man behind the board wore black robes and a hoodlike mask, also black, which covered his entire head. He did not wear the red-and-yellow-checked robes of the caste of players, he was not, thus, I assumed, of that caste. Had he been of the players he would doubtless have worn their robes. They are quite proud of their caste. His skills, however, I conjectured, must be considerable. Apparently the arsenal champion, one of the best twenty or thirty players in Port Kar, had been not match for him. Perhaps he had engaged in illegal moves. That seemed more likely than the fact that he, a fellow like him, associated with actors and carnival folk, and such, could best the arsenal champion. It was carnival time, of course. Perhaps the champion had been drunk." — Players of Gor, page 53.

• Poets
Also known as: Singers
Also: Minstrels
Regarded as craftsmen which make strong statements in Gorean life. There is no mention in the books of their caste colors. For a time, they were banned from the city of Tharna by the Tatrix.

"After all, though the Singers, or Poets, was not a high caste, it had more prestige than, for example, the Pot-Makers or Saddle-Makers, with which it was sometimes compared. On Gor, the singer, or poet, is regarded as a craftsman who makes strong sayings, much like a pot-maker makes a good pot or a saddle-maker makes a worthy saddle. He has his role to play in the social structure, celebrating battles and histories, singing of heroes and cities, but also he is expected to sing of living, and of love and joy, not merely of arms and glory; and, too, it is his function to remind the Goreans from time to time of loneliness and death, lest they should forget that they are men.
In spite of some reservations the Poet, or Singer, was loved on Gor. It had not occurred to him that he owed misery and torment to his profession, and, on the whole, the Poets was thought to be a most happy band of men. 'A handful of bread for a song,' was a common Gorean invitation extended to members of the caste, and it might occur on the lips of a peasant or a Ubar, and the poet took great pride that he would sing the same song in both the hut of the peasant and the halls of the Ubar, though it won for him only a crust of bread in one place and a cap of gold in the other, gold often squandered on a beautiful woman who might leave him nothing but his songs." — Outlaw of Gor, pages 103-104.
Poets, on the whole, did not live well on Gor, but they never starved, were never forced to burn the robes of their caste. Some had even sung their way from city to city, their poverty protecting them from outlaws, and their luck from the predatory beasts of Gor." — Outlaw of Gor, pages 103-104.

"I wondered at this for the Caste of Musicians had been, like the Caste of Poets, exiled from Tharna. Theirs, like the Caste of Poets, had been a caste regarded by the sober masks of Tharna as not belonging in a city of serious and dedicated folk, for music, like Paga and song, can set men's hearts aflame and when men's hearts are aflame it is not easy to know where the flame may spread." — Outlaw of Gor, page 224.

"We had fed well in the hall of Svein Blue Tooth. During the meal, for Svein was a rich man, there had been acrobats, and jugglers and minstrels. There had been much laughter when one of the acrobats had fallen into the long fire, to leap scrambling from it, rolling in the dirt. Two other men, to settle a grievance, had had a tug of war, a bosk hide stretched between them, across the long fire. When one had been pulled into the fire the other had thrown the hide over him and stomped upon him. Before the fellow in the fire could free himself he had been much burned. This elicited much laughter from the tables. The jugglers had a difficult time, too, for their eyes on the cups and plates they were juggling, they were not infrequently tripped, to the hilarity of the crowd. More than one minstrel, too, was driven from the hall, the target of barrages of bones and plates." — Marauders of Gor, page 195.

• Pot Makers
Also: Potters
They are involved in the production of storage, cooking, eating and drinking vessels.

"… the Pot-Makers or Saddle-Makers… is regarded as a craftsman who makes strong sayings, much like a pot-maker makes a good pot or a saddle-maker makes a worthy saddle." — Outlaw of Gor, page 103.

"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 38.

"Hup's rag might once have been of the Potters, but it was difficult to tell." — Assassin of Gor, page 10.

• Pulley-Makers
Considered to be more a guild than a caste; free-laborers skilled in specific crafts of ship making.

The next matter for consideration was the negotiation of a dispute between the sail-makers and the rope-makers in the arsenal with respect to priority in the annual Procession to the Sea, which takes place on the first of En'Kara, the Gorean New Year. There had been a riot this year. It was resolved that henceforth both groups would walk abreast. I smiled to myself. I expected there would be a riot net year as well.
      The rumor of the seaman, that Cos and Tyros were preparing fleets against Port Kar, again entered my mind, but again I dismissed it. The next item on the agenda dealt with the demand of the pulley-makers to receive the same wage per Ahn as the oar-makers. I voted for this measure, but it did not pass.
      A Captain next to me snorted, "Give the pulley-makers the wage of oar-makers, and sawyers will want the wages of carpenters, and carpenters of shipwrights!"
      All who do skilled work in the arsenal, incidentally, are free men. The men of Port Kar may permit slaves to build their house and their walls, but they do not permit them to build their ships. The wages of a sail-maker, incidentally, are four copper tarn disks per day, those of a fine shipwright, hired by the Council of Captains, as much as a golden tarn disk per day. The average working day is ten Ahn, or about twelve Earth hours. The amount of time spent in actual work, however, is far less. The workday of a free man in the arsenal is likely to be, on the whole, a rather leisurely one. Free Goreans do not like to be pressed in their tasks. Two Ahn for lunch and stopping an Ahn early for paga and a talk in the late afternoon are not uncommon. Layoffs occur, but, because of the amount of work, not frequently. The organizations, such as the sail-makers, almost guildlike, not castes, have due, and these dues tend to be applied to a number of purposes, such as support of those injured or their families, loans, payments when men are out of work, and pensions. — Raiders of Gor, page 134.

• Rence-Growers
Often thought to be a higher caste than the Peasants, this is the those who dwell in the various marshes and swamps of the Vosk, and who harvest Rence. They reside on great floating man-made islands amidst the marshes and are highly territorial and secretive. Known for their adoption and usage of the Peasant Bow in combat.

"The Peasants," cried out Thurnock, his voice thundering over the marsh, "are the ox on which the Home Stone rests!"
"But I am of the Rencers!" she wailed.
The Rencers are often thought to be a higher caste that the Peasants. — Raiders of Gor, page 94.

• Rope-Makers
Considered to be more a guild than a caste; free-laborers skilled in specific crafts of ship making.

The next matter for consideration was the negotiation of a dispute between the sail-makers and the rope-makers in the arsenal with respect to priority in the annual Procession to the Sea, which takes place on the first of En'Kara, the Gorean New Year. There had been a riot this year. It was resolved that henceforth both groups would walk abreast. I smiled to myself. I expected there would be a riot net year as well.
      The rumor of the seaman, that Cos and Tyros were preparing fleets against Port Kar, again entered my mind, but again I dismissed it. The next item on the agenda dealt with the demand of the pulley-makers to receive the same wage per Ahn as the oar-makers. I voted for this measure, but it did not pass.
      A Captain next to me snorted, "Give the pulley-makers the wage of oar-makers, and sawyers will want the wages of carpenters, and carpenters of shipwrights!"
      All who do skilled work in the arsenal, incidentally, are free men. The men of Port Kar may permit slaves to build their house and their walls, but they do not permit them to build their ships. The wages of a sail-maker, incidentally, are four copper tarn disks per day, those of a fine shipwright, hired by the Council of Captains, as much as a golden tarn disk per day. The average working day is ten Ahn, or about twelve Earth hours. The amount of time spent in actual work, however, is far less. The workday of a free man in the arsenal is likely to be, on the whole, a rather leisurely one. Free Goreans do not like to be pressed in their tasks. Two Ahn for lunch and stopping an Ahn early for paga and a talk in the late afternoon are not uncommon. Layoffs occur, but, because of the amount of work, not frequently. The organizations, such as the sail-makers, almost guildlike, not castes, have due, and these dues tend to be applied to a number of purposes, such as support of those injured or their families, loans, payments when men are out of work, and pensions. — Raiders of Gor, page 134.

• Rug Maker
A sub-caste of the Cloth Workers, highly proud people who are weavers of fine rugs.

"The carders and the dyers, incidentally, are subcastes separate from the weavers. All are subcastes of the rug makers, which itself, interestingly, perhaps surprisingly, is accounted generally as a subcaste of the cloth workers. Rug makers themselves, however usually regard themselves in their various subcastes, as being independent of the cloth workers. A rug maker would not care to be confused with a maker of kaftans, turbans or djellabas." — Tribesmen of Gor, pages 49-50.

"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 38.

• Saddle Makers
They produce the saddlery, harness, and tack used to manage all of the various riding and draft beasts of Gor.

"…the Pot-Makers or Saddle-Makers… is regarded as a craftsman who makes strong sayings, much like a pot-maker makes a good pot or a saddle-maker makes a worthy saddle." — Outlaw of Gor, page 103.

"I was pleased to see that the men of other castes, unlike the Initiates, did not grovel. There were men in that crowd from Ar, from Thentis, from Tharna, recognized by the two (yellow cords in their belt; from Port Kar; from Tor, Cos, Tyros; perhaps from Treve, Vika's home city; perhaps even from fallen, vanished Ko-ro-ba; and the men in that crowd were of all castes, and even of castes as low as the Peasants, the Saddle Makers, the Weavers, the Goat Keepers, the Poets and Merchants, but none of them groveled as did the Initiates; how strange, I thought — the Initiates claimed to be most like Priest-Kings, even to be formed in their image, and yet I knew that a Priest-King would never grovel; it seemed the Initiates, to their efforts to be like gods, behaved like slaves." — Priest-Kings of Gor, page 294-295.

• Sail-Makers
Considered to be more a guild than a caste; free-laborers skilled in specific crafts of ship making.

The next matter for consideration was the negotiation of a dispute between the sail-makers and the rope-makers in the arsenal with respect to priority in the annual Procession to the Sea, which takes place on the first of En'Kara, the Gorean New Year. There had been a riot this year. It was resolved that henceforth both groups would walk abreast. I smiled to myself. I expected there would be a riot net year as well.
      The rumor of the seaman, that Cos and Tyros were preparing fleets against Port Kar, again entered my mind, but again I dismissed it. The next item on the agenda dealt with the demand of the pulley-makers to receive the same wage per Ahn as the oar-makers. I voted for this measure, but it did not pass.
      A Captain next to me snorted, "Give the pulley-makers the wage of oar-makers, and sawyers will want the wages of carpenters, and carpenters of shipwrights!"
      All who do skilled work in the arsenal, incidentally, are free men. The men of Port Kar may permit slaves to build their house and their walls, but they do not permit them to build their ships. The wages of a sail-maker, incidentally, are four copper tarn disks per day, those of a fine shipwright, hired by the Council of Captains, as much as a golden tarn disk per day. The average working day is ten Ahn, or about twelve Earth hours. The amount of time spent in actual work, however, is far less. The workday of a free man in the arsenal is likely to be, on the whole, a rather leisurely one. Free Goreans do not like to be pressed in their tasks. Two Ahn for lunch and stopping an Ahn early for paga and a talk in the late afternoon are not uncommon. Layoffs occur, but, because of the amount of work, not frequently. The organizations, such as the sail-makers, almost guildlike, not castes, have due, and these dues tend to be applied to a number of purposes, such as support of those injured or their families, loans, payments when men are out of work, and pensions. — Raiders of Gor, page 134.

• Sailors
Free crewman of various ships.

"The free crews of these ships, of course, were hopelessly outnumbered by my men. The round ship, although she often carries over one hundred, and sometimes over two hundred, chained slaves in her rowing hold, seldom, unless she intends to enter battled, carries a free crew of more than twenty to twenty-five men. Moreover, these twenty to twenty-five are often largely simply sailors and their officers, and not fighting men. The Dorna, by contrast, carried a free crew of two hundred and fifteen men, most of whom were well trained with weapons." — Raiders of Gor, page 207.

• Sawyers
Considered to be more a guild than a caste; free-laborers skilled in specific crafts of ship making. The sawyer cuts timber.

The next matter for consideration was the negotiation of a dispute between the sail-makers and the rope-makers in the arsenal with respect to priority in the annual Procession to the Sea, which takes place on the first of En'Kara, the Gorean New Year. There had been a riot this year. It was resolved that henceforth both groups would walk abreast. I smiled to myself. I expected there would be a riot net year as well.
      The rumor of the seaman, that Cos and Tyros were preparing fleets against Port Kar, again entered my mind, but again I dismissed it. The next item on the agenda dealt with the demand of the pulley-makers to receive the same wage per Ahn as the oar-makers. I voted for this measure, but it did not pass.
      A Captain next to me snorted, "Give the pulley-makers the wage of oar-makers, and sawyers will want the wages of carpenters, and carpenters of shipwrights!"
      All who do skilled work in the arsenal, incidentally, are free men. The men of Port Kar may permit slaves to build their house and their walls, but they do not permit them to build their ships. The wages of a sail-maker, incidentally, are four copper tarn disks per day, those of a fine shipwright, hired by the Council of Captains, as much as a golden tarn disk per day. The average working day is ten Ahn, or about twelve Earth hours. The amount of time spent in actual work, however, is far less. The workday of a free man in the arsenal is likely to be, on the whole, a rather leisurely one. Free Goreans do not like to be pressed in their tasks. Two Ahn for lunch and stopping an Ahn early for paga and a talk in the late afternoon are not uncommon. Layoffs occur, but, because of the amount of work, not frequently. The organizations, such as the sail-makers, almost guildlike, not castes, have due, and these dues tend to be applied to a number of purposes, such as support of those injured or their families, loans, payments when men are out of work, and pensions. — Raiders of Gor, page 134.

• Shipwright
Considered to be more a guild than a caste; carpenters skilled in specific crafts of ship making.

The next matter for consideration was the negotiation of a dispute between the sail-makers and the rope-makers in the arsenal with respect to priority in the annual Procession to the Sea, which takes place on the first of En'Kara, the Gorean New Year. There had been a riot this year. It was resolved that henceforth both groups would walk abreast. I smiled to myself. I expected there would be a riot net year as well.
      The rumor of the seaman, that Cos and Tyros were preparing fleets against Port Kar, again entered my mind, but again I dismissed it. The next item on the agenda dealt with the demand of the pulley-makers to receive the same wage per Ahn as the oar-makers. I voted for this measure, but it did not pass.
      A Captain next to me snorted, "Give the pulley-makers the wage of oar-makers, and sawyers will want the wages of carpenters, and carpenters of shipwrights!"
      All who do skilled work in the arsenal, incidentally, are free men. The men of Port Kar may permit slaves to build their house and their walls, but they do not permit them to build their ships. The wages of a sail-maker, incidentally, are four copper tarn disks per day, those of a fine shipwright, hired by the Council of Captains, as much as a golden tarn disk per day. The average working day is ten Ahn, or about twelve Earth hours. The amount of time spent in actual work, however, is far less. The workday of a free man in the arsenal is likely to be, on the whole, a rather leisurely one. Free Goreans do not like to be pressed in their tasks. Two Ahn for lunch and stopping an Ahn early for paga and a talk in the late afternoon are not uncommon. Layoffs occur, but, because of the amount of work, not frequently. The organizations, such as the sail-makers, almost guildlike, not castes, have due, and these dues tend to be applied to a number of purposes, such as support of those injured or their families, loans, payments when men are out of work, and pensions. — Raiders of Gor, page 134.

• Singers
Also known as: Poets
Regarded as craftsmen which make strong statements in Gorean life.

"After all, though the Singers, or Poets, was not a high caste, it had more prestige than, for example, the Pot-Makers or Saddle-Makers, with which it was sometimes compared. On Gor, the singer, or poet, is regarded as a craftsman who makes strong sayings, much like a pot-maker makes a good pot or a saddle-maker makes a worthy saddle. He has his role to play in the social structure, celebrating battles and histories, singing of heroes and cities, but also he is expected to sing of living, and of love and joy, not merely of arms and glory; and, too, it is his function to remind the Goreans from time to time of loneliness and death, lest they should forget that they are men.
In spite of some reservations the Poet, or Singer, was loved on Gor. It had not occurred to him that he owed misery and torment to his profession, and, on the whole, the Poets was thought to be a most happy band of men. 'A handful of bread for a song,' was a common Gorean invitation extended to members of the caste, and it might occur on the lips of a peasant or a Ubar, and the poet took great pride that he would sing the same song in both the hut of the peasant and the halls of the Ubar, though it won for him only a crust of bread in one place and a cap of gold in the other, gold often squandered on a beautiful woman who might leave him nothing but his songs." — Outlaw of Gor, pages 103-104.

• Slavers
A sub-the Merchants, this Caste deals in human merchandise. The Caste colors are blue and yellow.

"The Slavers, incidentally, are of the Merchant Caste, though, in virtue of their merchandise and practices, their robes are different." — Assassin of Gor, page 208.

"From among the domed tents, wearing a swirling robe of broadly striped blue and yellow silk, with a headband of the same material, there approached a short, fat man, Targo the Slaver, he who was master of this small caravan. Targo wore purple sandals, the straps of which were set with pearls. His thick fingers were covered with rings, which glittered as he moved his hands. About his neck, in the manner of a steward, he wore a set of pierced coins threaded on a silver wire. From the lobe of each small, round ear there hung an enormous earring, a sapphire pendant on a golden stalk. His body had been recently oiled, and I gathered he may have been washed in his tent but moments ago, a pleasure of which caravan masters are fond at the end of a day's hot, dusty trek. His hair, long and black beneath the band of blue and yellow silk, was combed and glossy. It reminded me of the groomed, shining pelt of a pet urt." — Outlaw of Gor, page 191.

• Sleen Trainers
I have seen mention of this Caste on other websites. It would seem relevant, that there would be such a caste which concerns itself with the care, feeding and training of the Sleen, the six-legged furred hunting reptile of Gor. However, the only mention of Sleen trainers in the books was in Slave Girl of Gor. The Sleen trainers mentioned, were all members of the Peasants. Perhaps you could say this is a sub-Caste?

"I knew him now. He was the fellow whose back I had seen in the restaurant, from a distance. I had not been able to place at that time his identity. He no longer now wore the brown and black common to professional sleen trainers. He wore, as I, merchant robes." — Beasts of Gor, page 78.

• Smiths
A worker in metals; subgroups of the Metal Workers.

"The House of Cernus, which is a broad, many-storied cylinder, has a number of facilities which any large slave house must have. The only difference between these facilities in the House of Cernus and such facilities in other houses would probably have been in size, numbers of staff and lavishment of appointment. I have already mentioned the baths in the House of Cernus, which can rival some of the pools in the gigantic Capacian Baths, the finest of known Gor. Less impressive perhaps but even more essential to the operation of the House were its kitchens, its laundries, commissaries and storerooms; its medical facilities, in which dental care is also provided; its corridors of rooms for staff members, all of whom live in the House; its library, its records and files; its cubicles for Smiths, Bakers, Cosmeticians, Bleachers, Dyers, Weavers and Leather Workers; its wardrobe and jewelry chambers; its tarncots, two of them, opening by means of vast portals to tarn perches fixed in the side of the cylinder; its training rooms, both for slaves and for guards, and for those learning the trade of the slaver; recreation rooms for the staff; eating places; and, of course, various pens, kennels and retention facilities; as well as a chamber in which slaves are processed, collared and branded…" — Assassin of Gor, page 111.

• Table Makers
The makers of tables.

"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 38.

• Tanners
Likely a subgroup of the Leather Workers; those who tan hides to turn them to leather.

"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 38.

• Tarn Keepers
This Caste concerns itself with the care, feeding, and training of the Gorean tarn, the fierce winged saddle-bird of Gor.

"She seemed to be pleased when her friends were bought by handsome tarnsmen, and laughed delightedly when one girl, to whom she had taken a dislike, was purchased by a fat, odious fellow, of the Tarn Keepers." — Tarnsman of Gor, page 132.

"… each bird is trained, by the Tarn Keepers…" — Outlaw of Gor, page 24.

"Mip was a chipper fellow, and a bit dapper considering his caste and his close-cropped hair, for his brown leather was shot with green streaks, and he wore a Tarn Keeper's cap with a greenish tassel; most Tarn Keepers, incidentally, crop their hair short, as do most Metal Workers; work in the tarncots and in training tarns is often hard, sweaty work." — Assassin of Gor, page 167.

• Tenders
This group, in conjunction with the drovers, concerns itself with the care of the various draft animals in use upon Gor; more an occupation than a caste.

"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others. Much of the city, of course, was organized to support the caravan trade. There were many walled, guarded warehouses, requiring their staffs of scribes and guards, and, in hundreds of hovels, lived kaiila tenders, drovers, and such, who would, at the caravan tables, when their moneys had been exhausted, apply, if accepted, making their mark on the roster, once more for a post with some new caravan. Guards for these caravans, incidentally, were usually known by, and retained by, caravan merchants between caravans. They were known men. Tenders and drovers, on the whole, came and went. Elaborate random selection devices, utilizing coins and sticks, and formulas, were sometimes used by merchants to assure that applying tenders and drovers were selected, if they were not known, by chance. Tenders and drovers were assured that this was to insure fairness. Actually, of course, as was well known, this was a precaution against the danger of hiring, en bloc, unwittingly, an organized group of men, who might, prior to their hiring, have formed a plan to slay the guards and merchants and make off with the caravan. Tenders and drovers, however, like men generally, were an honest sort. When they returned to Tor, of course, they had been long in the desert. At the end of the trip they received their wages. Sometimes, not even a hundred yards from the warehouses, these men would be met by enterprising cafe owners, praising the advantages of their respective establishments. The owners of these cafes, usually, would bring with them a chain of their girls, stripped, as free women in the Tahari districts may not be, purportedly a typical selection of the stock available." — Tribesmen of Gor, pages 38.

• Thieves
This Caste, recognized in Port Kar only, is comprised of those who make their living by stealing, robbery, picking pockets, etc. Having no recognizable Caste colors, but can be indentified by a tiny, three-pronged black tattoo on their cheekbone, which is their Caste marking.

"His right ear had been notched, doubtless in some accident. Such notching, I knew, is usually done to the ears of thieves; a second offense is normally punished by the loss of the right hand; a third offense by the removal of the left hand and both feet. There are few thieves, incidentally, on Gor. I have heard, though, there is a Thieves in Port Kar, a strong caste which naturally protects its members from such indignities as ear notching." — Nomads of Gor, page 85.

"There is even, in Port Kar, a recognized Thieves, the only such I know of on Gor, which, in the lower canals and perimeters of the city, has much power, that of the threat and the knife. They are recognized by the Thief's Scar, which they wear as a caste mark, a tiny, three-pronged brand burned into the face in back of and below the eye, over the right cheekbone." — Raiders of Gor, page 104.

The thieves was important to Port Kar, and eve honored. It represented a skill which in the city was held in high repute. Indeed, so jealous of their prerogatives were the thieves that they often hunted thieves who did not belong to the caste, and slew them, throwing their bodies to the urts in the canals. Indeed, there was less thievery in Port Kar than there might have been were there no thieves in the city. They protected, jealously, their own territories from amateur competition. Ear notching and mutilation, common punishment on Gor for thieves, were not found in Port Kar. The caste was too powerful. On the other hand, it was regarded as permissible to slay a male thief or take a female thief slave if the culprit could be apprehended and a caste member, was to be remanded to the police of the arsenal. If found guilty in the court of the arsenal, the male thief would be sentenced, for a week to a year, to hard labor in the arsenal or on the wharves; the female thief would be sentenced to service, for a week to a year, in a straw-strewn cell in one of Port Kar's penal brothels. They are chained by the left ankle to a ring in the stone. Their food is that of a galley slave, peas, black bread and onions. If they serve well, however, their customers often bring them a bit of meat or fruit. Few thieves of Port Kar have not served time, depending on their sex, either in the arsenal or on the wharves, or in the brothels. — Hunters of Gor, page 304.

• Varnishers
Those who apply the coatings of varnish, such as upon tables, et al.

"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 38.

• Vart Trainers
This Caste is exclusive to the island Ubarate of Tyros. Members of this Caste concern themselves with the care, feeding and training of the Gorean vart, a bat-like creature in use upon Tyros, often trained and used as a weapon.

"Tyros is a rugged island, with mountains. She is famed for her vart caves, and indeed, on the island, trained varts, batlike creatures, some the size of small dogs, are used as weapons." — Raiders of Gor, page 139.

• Vintners
This Caste concern itself the professional production of Gorean wines; the caste color is green and white, representative of tunics .

"…a fat fellow, of the Vintners, puffing and bright eyed, wearing a white tunic with a representation in green cloth of leaves about the collar and down the sleeves of the garment…" — Assassin of Gor, page 29.

• Waste Collectors
Sorry, these are slaves for the most part, supervised by free men. They are not, as seen on some sites, a sub-caste of the "Municipal Servants."

"I have told them, time and time again," said the proprietor, testily, carrying the small lamp, "that they should keep the lid on. It is heavy, of course, and so it is too often left awry." With a grating sound, he shoved the heavy terracotta lid back in place, on the huge vat. It was at the foot of the stairs, where the slop pots could be emptied into it. Such vats are changed once or twice weekly, the old vats loaded in wagons and taken outside the city, where their contents are disposed of at one of the carnarii, or places of refuse pits. They are then rinsed out and ready to be delivered again, in their turn, to customers. This is done by one of several companies organized for the purpose. The work is commonly done by male slaves, supervised by free men. — Mercenaries of Gor, page 273.

• Weapon Smiths
Tradesmen responsible for the making of weaponry; a subgroup of the Metal Workers.

"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 38.

• Weavers
A sub-caste of the Rug Makers (which are a sub-caste of the Cloth Workers), which produces fine rugs.

"I was pleased to see that the men of other castes, unlike the Initiates, did not grovel. There were men in that crowd from Ar, from Thentis, from Tharna, recognized by the two (yellow cords in their belt; from Port Kar; from Tor, Cos, Tyros; perhaps from Treve, Vika's home city; perhaps even from fallen, vanished Ko-ro-ba; and the men in that crowd were of all castes, and even of castes as low as the Peasants, the Saddle Makers, the Weavers, the Goat Keepers, the Poets and Merchants, but none of them groveled as did the Initiates; how strange, I thought — the Initiates claimed to be most like Priest-Kings, even to be formed in their image, and yet I knew that a Priest-King would never grovel; it seemed the Initiates, to their efforts to be like gods, behaved like slaves." — Priest-Kings of Gor, page 294-295.

"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 38.

"The carders and the dyers, incidentally, are subcastes separate from the weavers. All are subcastes of the rug makers, which itself, interestingly, perhaps surprisingly, is accounted generally as a subcaste of the cloth workers. Rug makers themselves, however usually regard themselves in their various subcastes, as being independent of the cloth workers. A rug maker would not care to be confused with a maker of kaftans, turbans or djellabas." — Tribesmen of Gor, pages 49-50.

• Wood Carriers
Also: Woodsmen
This Caste (both names are one and the same) is concerned with providing common fuel for the cities of Gor.

"I saw a wide, hunched figure, bending under a gigantic bundle of sticks, strapped to his back by two cords which he held twisted in his fists in front of his body. His stature and burden proclaimed him as a member of the Carriers of Wood, or Woodsmen, that Gorean caste which, with the Charcoal Makers, provides most of the common fuel for the Gorean cities. The weight the man was carrying was prodigious, and would have staggered men of most castes, even that of the Warriors. The bundle reared itself at least a man's height above his bent back, and extended perhaps some four feet in width. I knew the support of that weight depended partly on the skillful use of the cords and back, but sheer strength was only too obviously necessary, and this man, and his caste brothers, over the generations, had been shaped to their task. … The whiskers had been scraped from his face, probably by the blade of the broad, double-headed wood ax bound on top of the bundle. He wore the short, tattered sleeveless robe of his trade, with its leather back and shoulders." — Tarnsman of Gor, page 27.

"The Gorean woodsman, it might be mentioned, before he will strike a tree with his axe, speaks to the tree, begs its forgiveness and explains the use to which the wood will be put." — Captive of Gor, page 238.

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.

Social Structure

The Low Castes

Working Class

The Low Castes and Council

Color Coded

Double Knowledge

A Superstitious People

Caste Codes

Alphabetical List of the Low Castes

Special Note

Disclaimer

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