Gods of the Goreans?

In some respects, yes and in others, quite the opposite. But do the peoples of Gor believe the Priest-Kings to be gods? Some surely do, well others have their doubts. To many, the Priest-Kings are the basis of religion. Contrary to Earth, however, though other peoples may have a different religious belief, the Initiates of Gor seek to punish any who defy the Priest-Kings, and thusly such is the only recognized religion on Gor. For more on religion(s) of Gor, please refer to the Religious Beliefs page .

"My father then explained to me something of the legends of the Priest-Kings, and I gathered that they seemed true to this degree at least - that the Priest-Kings could destroy or control whatever they wished, that they were, in effect, the divinities of this world." — Tarnsman of Gor, page 30.

The Priest-Kings at the very least, are highly revered by most Goreans and considered to be gods or divine creatures. However, they are not truly so. Most Goreans neither have nor ever will see a real Priest-King.

The Priest-Kings are an alien species that founded the planet Gor long ago as their home. Very large insectile beasts, golden in color, gentle in nature, and with extremely an high intelligence, the Priest-Kings average about eighteen (18) feet in height. Their antennae are extremely sensitive and are their form of communication, their central organ of physical transduction. Though they have eyes, they rarely use them, comfortable to remain in darkness, utlizing scent dots to recognize individuals, among other things.

How the Priest-Kings Became Gods

Because of atmospheric conditions, the Priest-Kings were forced to find a new location for this planet. It was they who manipulated the planet of Gor, moving it to its current orbital location, keeping it safely hidden away from the prying eyes of humans on Earth. Studying life forms on other planets, they determined the lay of the land, the geography, and adjusted the atmospheric nature of the planet to be able to contain the various organisms they intended to bring to the planet. Earth, similar in many ways, and Earth's surrounding atmosphere, provided adequately for the Priest-Kings, and thusly became the "counter-Earth" known as Gor.

Living organisms, be it animal, plant or man, were transported to Gor, removed during various time periods on Earth by the insectile Priest-Kings. Far more intelligent than man, the Priest-Kings are no gods, but they are the true masters of Gor. Leaving mankind and other beasts alike to inhabit the world with almost no outside interference, the Priest-Kings remain hidden away in their nest in an almost unapproachable mountain range. From the safety of their nests, they study mankind much in the same way as we did when we were children with our ant farms. In retrospect, the planet that John Norman created is actually one large zoo. Species for many planets were obtained and transported to this planet called Gor by the Priest-Kings in what they rationalize as "studying for the betterment of each species."

The Nest

As previously mentioned, the Priest-Kings are quite comfortable in darkness, relying on olfactory senses to move about and recognize everything from people to a rock. Lights in the Nest of the Priest-Kings are there for the benefit of humans and other visually oriented creatures. This is typical of many insects who aren't 18 feet tall.

Music and Other Pleasures of the Priest-Kings

The music of the Priest-Kings was a rhapsody of odors, many of which are, to human olfactory organs, not even pleasant. Their decorations are largely invisible lines of scent traced with great care on the interiors of their compartments. Their most intense pleasurable experience is perhaps to immerse their antennae in the filamented, narcotic mane of the Golden Beetle, which would then, piercing them with its curved, hollow, laterally moving jaw pincers, drain them of their body fluids, feeding itself, and thereby slaying them. This is typical behavior of many non-gargantuan insects; for instance, the draw of narcotic filaments of many plants to attract flies, bees, etc., for purposes of either feeding the plant, or to help in pollination.

The Last Egg, the Last Hope

Before the Nest Wars, the Mother had lain an egg, which was concealed far from the Nest of the Sardar. It was Tarl Cabot's mission to retrieve that egg from the Tuchuks and return it to the Nest to ensure the continuation of the Priest-King species.

When the Mother died, Sarm, the First Born, led an attack on those Priest-Kings who closely guarded the egg and were intent on preserving their race. Misk, the Fifth Born, was the leader of this smaller group, and with the help of Tarl Cabot, were able to win the battle. Sarm lost his life to the Golden Beetle at the end of the Nest Wars, leaving Misk to recover valuable technology lost.

Kusk, the only other Priest-King mentioned by name, was perhaps what humans might call The Mad Scientist. He was ingenious, and considered the most intelligent of all the Priest-Kings. He was responsible for cloning humans, and his first experiment Mul-Al-Ka (meaning Slave A) and Mul-Ba-Ka (meaning Slave B) was a success. The Kurii, the enemy of the Priest-Kings, are not well-understood by the Priest-Kings. It is best said by Misk speaking to Tarl Cabot:

"Sometimes," once had said Misk to me in the Nest, "I suspect only men can understand Kurii." Then he had added, "They are so similar." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 31.

Editor's Note

This page is an on-going project and will be updated as time allows.

 

 

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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 stricly 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.