What is the status of a Woman of Gor? Is she allowed to speak her mind, argue with a man, insult him, even threaten him by thought and word? Almost certainly. Does she face enslavement for these acts? The answer is without a doubt NO.
The books describe only three situations under which a Woman can be enslaved:
I) Legal Proceeding: (See "LEGAL EXAMPLES")
A Free Woman may be subject to enslavement by decree of a magistrate if convicted of a crime, especially repeat offenders. This can be temporary or permanent.
II) Conduct becoming of a slave (See "ACTIVITY EXAMPLES")
A Free Woman may be collared for conduct becoming of a slave, or showing an inner slave nature.
III) Capture (See "CAPTURE EXAMPLES")
A Free Woman taken when her home stone is destroyed can be enslaved by her captors. She is often given a choice of death or enslavement. This is codified in the merchant laws as such (See Capture Examples)
*** LEGAL EXAMPLES ***
"The principle he had alluded to pertains to conduct in a free woman which is taken as sufficient to warrant her reduction to slavery. The most common application of this principle occurs in areas such as fraud or theft. Other applications may occur, for example, in cases of indigency and vagrancy. Prostitution, rare on Gor because of female slaves, is another case. The women are taken, enslaved, cleaned up and controlled. Indulgence in sensual dance is another case. Sensuous dance is almost always performed by slaves on Gor. A free woman who performs such dancing publicly is almost begging for the collar. In some cities the sentence of bondage is mandatory for such a woman."
— Renegades of Gor, 21:372
*** ACTIVITY EXAMPLES ***
"In many cities, such actions, attempting to spy on masters and slaves, disguising oneself as a slave, garbing oneself as a slave, even in the supposed secrey of one's own compartments, lingering about slave shelves and markets, even exhibiting an interest in, or fascination with, bondage, can result in a reduction to bondage. The theory is apparently that such actions and interests are those of a slave, and that the female who exhibits them should, accordingly, be imbonded."
— Magicians of Gor, p.50
"Conduct indicating suitability for the collar, of course, can be interpreted in various ways, and more broadly and narrowly. It is almost always understood, of course, fortunately for women, and as I suppose the phrase itself makes clear, in the special legal sense of the phrase, as having to do with overt behavior rather than psychological predispositions and such."
— Renegades of Gor, p.372
It should be noted here that we are shown quite explicitly -in the words of John Norman- that a woman cannot be reduced to slavery by mere thoughts, she must carry out overt action. So any man can collar a woman he finds acting in a slave-like manner, yes? Actually: no.
"…in some cities a free woman who might be found with bared legs is taken in hand by magistrates, tried and sentenced to bondage. After the judge's decision has been enacted, its effect carried out upon her, reducing her to the status of goods, sometimes publicly, that she may be suitably disgraced, sometimes privately, by a contract slaver, that the sensitivities of free women in the city not be offended, she is hooded and transported, stripped and chained, freshly branded, a property female, slave cargo, to a distant market where, once sold, she will begin her life anew, fearfully, as a purchased girl, tremulously as the helpless and lowly slave she is."
— Mercenaries of Gor, 5:69
We see here that the woman must be found guilty of having acted as a slave, by a city official/magistrate, before she can be enslaved. No man can collar a Free Woman simply because he thinks she is acting as a slave, it must be proven in court.
Also an important note: when a woman is reduced to slavery, she always is removed from her Home Stone and transported to another place far away where she will begin her new life. This prevents the discomfort of the Home Stone population should she remain there. In other words: A collared woman must be sent away and does not remain in the home city where she was a free.
*** CAPTURE EXAMPLES ***
"You understand further, of course," said he, "that under Gorean merchant law, which is the only law commonly acknowledged binding between cities, that you stand under separate permissions of enslavement. First, were you of Ar, it would be my right, could I be successful, to make of you a slave, for we share no Home Stone. Secondly, though you speak of yourself as the Lady Elicia of Ar, of Six Towers, you are, in actuality, Miss Elicia Nevins of the planet Earth. You are an Earth girl and thus stand within a general permission of enslavement, fair beauty quarry to any Gorean male whatsoever.
— Slave Girl of Gor, p 394
This introduced the concept of "PERMISSIONS OF ENSLAVEMENT". In other words, since she no longer has a home stone and laws to protect her, she stands under "permission of enslavement", and he is within his right to legally collar her. Here she is also found to be from Earth, and have no home stone anyway, so stands under another "permission of enslavement". This is one of the very few times a man can legally collar a woman on his own without the benefit of a legal decision.
Important to note that this does not mean a woman of a home stone in another city falls under this rule. That is false. As long as a woman has a home stone, she is protected from this "clause" no matter where she is, as long as she is inside the walls of another city. Only a woman without any home stone (if a city or town is destroyed or captured, the home stone is considered non-existent at that point) may be collared under this law, or if not within the walls of a city (only cities recognize home stones).
The single, odd side note to capture is the collaring of a woman for whom a man has saved her life:
"And yet it was not a strange thing, particularly not on Gor, where bravery is highly esteemed and to save a female's life is in effect to win title to it, for it is the option of a Gorean male to enslave any woman whose life he has saved, a right which is seldom denied even by the citizens of the girl's city or her family. Indeed, there have been cases in which a girl's brothers have had her clad as a slave, bound in slave bracelets, and handed over to her rescuer, in order that the honor of the family and her city not be besmirched"
—Priest Kings of Gor - 20:161-162
This is the only time a collared woman will remain in her home stone as a slave and not be sent away.
All of this tells us about the acceptable reasons for collaring a Free Woman. This brings us to the matter of being mouthy, annoying, aggressive, challenging, and several other adjectives. The books tell us much concerning this.
"Whereas a free woman may often make a man angry with impunity, she being lofty and free, this latitude is seldom extended to the slave."
—Blood Brothers or Gor - Page 221
"Beware your words," I cautioned her.
"I am a free woman," she said. "I can speak as I please."
I could not gainsay her in this. She was free. She could, accordingly, say what she wished, and without requiring permission.
—Mercenaries of Gor - Page 7
"This type of response, however natural on Earth in such a situation, would not be feasible on Gor in a slave. Gorean free women, of course, may do what they wish. The slave girl, on the other hand, does not compete with the master, but serves him."
—Explorers of Gor - Page 39
This brings us to a story that takes place describing the actions of Free Women, as they try to destroy a tavern:
...Once in Ar, several years ago, several free women, in their anger at slaves, and perhaps jealous of the pleasures of masters and slaves, entered a paga tavern with clubs and axes, seeking to destroy it. This is, I believe, an example, though a rather extreme one, of a not unprecedented sort of psychological reaction, the attempt, by disparagement or action, motivated by envy, jealousy, resentment, or such, to keep from others pleasures which one oneself is unable, or unwilling, to enjoy. In any event, as a historical note, the men in the tavern, being Gorean, and thus not being inhibited or confused by negativistic, anti-biological traditions, quickly disarmed the women.
They then stripped them, bound their hands behind their back, put them on a neck rope, and, by means of switches, conducted them swiftly outside the tavern. The women were then, outside the tavern, on the bridge of twenty lanterns, forced to witness the burning of their garments. They were then permitted to leave, though still bound and in coffle. Gorean men do not surrender their birthright as males, their rightful dominance, their appropriate mastery. They do not choose to be dictated to by females.
Notice that even though they attempted to destroy property, carried tools, and were a threat to men, they were NOT collared. They were chastised, punished, and sent on their way, having learned better. Even in a severe case like this, they were not collared.
Further, we find evidence that Free Women were treated with great respect:
The men, save I, rose as one to their feet, for Gorean men commonly stand when a free woman enters a room.
—Guardsman of Gor - Page 255
ATTENTION free women and free men: a collar is not required to discipline (not punish) a free woman as the example above. However, discipline can be taken much further - for force a woman to act as a slave - an no, she cannot be accused of this when forced into it. A free woman can be forced to kneel, give obeisance, even to take the "belly" position like a slave or face the consequences of a real and permanent collar for refusing to obey:
" 'Perform obeisance,' I said.
`I am a free woman!' she said.
`Out of your own mouth you have said it,' I said. `You are a woman.'
`I do not know how to do so!' she said.
`There are many ways to perform obeisance.' I said.
`I am a free woman,' she said, `I know none of them.'
`I shall instruct you briefly in three,' I said. `First, kneel before me, back on your heels, yes, with your knees wide, wider, your hands on your thighs, your back straight, your breasts out, good, your belly in, good, and now lower your head in deference, in submission.'
`Like a slave!' she said.
`Do it,' I said. She looked well. `Now that,' I said, `may not be exactly a performance of obeisance, for authorities do not all agree, but for our purposes we shall count it as one. It is, at any rate, a beautiful position, and it is, certainly, a common position of slave submission.'
`Slave submission!' she cried.
`Yes,' I said, `and you do it well. It looks natural on you.'
'Now' I said, `and this is clearly a form of obeisance, bend forward and put your head to the mat, the palms of your hands on the mat. Good. Now lift your head little and come forward, substantially keeping the position. Forward a little more.'
`But then my face will be at your feet,' she said, `My lips will be over them!'
`Yes,' I said, `Good, now, put your head down and lick and kiss my feet.'
`I am a free woman!' she said.
`You are a woman,' I said. `Now softly, lingeringly, and lovingly, Good.'
`I am not a slave,' she said.
`All women are slaves,' I said. `Imagine what this would be like if you were truly a collared slave.' She gasped.
`Good,' I said. `Continue.' Frightened, she did so.
`Now,' I said, `for a third form of obeisance. You may "belly" to me.'
`I do not understand,' she whispered.
`There are various forms of bellying,' I said, `and bellying may be suitably and pleasingly combined with other forms of floor movements, approaching the Master on all fours, turning to your sides and back, writhing before him, and so on. We shall take a very simple variation, suitable for an ignorant free female who has not yet even begun to discover the depths of her sexuality.' She looked up at me. `On your belly,' I said. She backed off a bit, and went to her belly. Her hair was before her face, as she now, on her belly before me, looked up at me. `Now inch forward,' I said, `remaining low though you were a slave, lick and kiss them. Good. Good. Now take my foot and place it gently on your head. Very good. Now place it again on the Mat, and kiss it again. Good. You may now belly back a little, humbly. I have not yet given you permission to rise, of course."
—Mercenaries of Gor pg(s) 409-411
Among all this, it also is important that women are highly respected and paid courtesy to in general:
Free women, in being free, command attention when they speak. It is their due.
—Explorers of Gor - Page 354
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Given the weight of evidence, and the dearth of evidence to the contrary, I find it likely that no man would or even could (legally speaking) collar a Woman of his own home stone without obvious evidence that she was acting in a slave-like manner, and he would then turn her over to the magistrate for a decision on the matter.
Further, it seems quite likely and in fact required that a man of a home defend the Free Women of the city with his life, if need be. He would defend her from collaring by outsiders, and even those within his own home who may be acting inappropriately.
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