Kajirae Basics (Luther)

From Luther Scroll Archives

On Gor, slavery is an ancient, historically developed institution. It is complex, with its hundreds of aspects and facets, legal, social and aesthetic. Slavery has its basis in the biological differences of men and women. Male dominance is pervasive among mammals and universal among primates. Goreans accept slavery as a natural part of life and few question its basic validity. Female slavery is the institutionalized expression, in a civilization congenial to nature, of the fundamental biological relationship between the sexes. In the institution of female slavery we find this basic relationship recognized, accepted, clarified, fixed and celebrated. (Savages of Gor, p.193-4)

Gorean mythology even provides a story justifying the creation of slavery. Long ago, there once was a war between the men and women of Gor. In the end, the women were defeated. But, the Priest-Kings did not want all of the women killed so they made them beautiful. This was to entice the men to want to keep them instead of slaying them. But as a price for their beauty, the Priest-Kings also decreed that women would forever be slaves to men.

Sometime in the past, there were a series of wars loosely called the Slave Wars. They occurred among various cities in the middle latitudes, off and on, for over a period of about a generation. Though the wars involved large-scale slaving, there were other causes too, like the levying of tribute and the control of trade routes. Much of the Merchant law concerning slavery evolved out of these wars. The wars also developed some of the standardization of the slave as a commodity.

The Gorean novels portray a skewed image of the amount of slaves on Gor. As slaves are often important characters in the novels, the books at first glance might cause you to believe that most women were slaves on Gor. In actuality, only about 2 to 3% of all women on Gor are slaves. Free women vastly outnumber kajirae on Gor. These ratios do vary though from city to city. For example, in Ar there are about 20% slaves. In Tharna, after the revolution against the Tatrix, almost all of women in that city were slaves. (Online, the number of slaves is over 50%.) Of all the slaves on Gor, 90% of them are female. So, male slaves are a very rare item, only about .2 to .3% of the men on Gor. There are many terms used for female slaves such as chain sisters, slut, collar meat, tastas, tasty pudding, morsels, and candies. Kajira is one of the most common terms for a female slave. Sa-Fora, which means Chain Daughter or Daughter of the Chain, is another common expression. For the most part, these terms are considered complimentary.

Slaves are broken down into two major categories, white and red silk. Simply, white silk girls are virgins and red silk girls are not. The color of the silk bears no reference to their level of training. A White Silk girl could be a fully trained Pleasure Slave while a Red Silk girl could be a new recruit from Earth who did not even speak Gorean yet. No other color silk means anything on Gor. Yellow silks, black silks and the such are online creations and are not based on information from the books.

White silk girls may also be known by the term "glana" but that is usually only used by slavers. A kajira would not refer to herself as "glana." Red silks may also be known by the term "falarina" and its usage is similar to glana. Slave may also be referred to as "opened" or not. If you have not yet been opened, you are a virgin. Virgins are almost never available in the slave markets. Most Gorean men prefer opened women. Virgins present special problems, especially psychological ones. Within these two categories of red and white silk, there are many different types of slaves.

Slave types include bath girls, camp slaves, coin girls, debtor slaves, exotics, house slaves, inn slaves, lure girls, passions slaves, pleasure slaves, state slaves, tavern girls, tower slaves, work slaves and many more. 80% of these slaves must sexually please their masters as part of their duties. The condition of slavery requires no overt sign of bondage. Such items are useful mostly for marking property, the identity of owner and such. An uncollared, unbranded slave is still but a slave

Bath girls are the kajirae who serve at the public and private baths. They commonly wear a chain and plate collar, the plate giving their name and cost. They aid men in the taking of their baths and are also available for sexual services. They wear towels with nothing beneath them. Their hair may be cut short to protect it from the water. Others wrap a long, broad strap of glazed leather about their heads like a turban. Most are great swimmers and it is said they are more at ease in the water than a Cosian song fish.

Camp slaves are owned by authorized Merchants, who hold contracts for certain seasons or campaigns. The girls are kept within the military camp and travel with it. The girls are rented out to the soldiers at fees that are stipulated in the contracts. The fees are fixed and almost nominal.

A coin girl is usually regarded as the lowest form of street slave. She is sent into the streets at dusk with a chain on her neck. A bell is attached to her chain to call attention to her. She also carries a small, locked coin box. A man pays her price and places the coin into the box and may have his way with her. Satisfaction is guaranteed or you receive your money back from the master as the girl cannot get to the coins in her box. Though the sexual skills of coin girls are commonly low, a few are actually quite skillful. Sometimes, privately owned girls are sent out as coin girls as a form of punishment.

A display slave is a kajira whose primary purpose is for the display of her beauty to reflect the wealth and status of her master. She will often be chained in coffle with other display slaves behind the transport of her master. The master will often be seen in public with these girls to show everyone his property.

Feast slaves are girls, usually rented in groups, to individuals or organizations for feasts, parties and other functions.

Flute girls are able to play the single or double flute. They are rented out for parties and other functions. They will also commonly serve the pleasure of the guests.

A Kettle-and-mat girl is a slave whose function is divided between household tasks and sexual servitude. It is considered a low form of slave.

A lure girl is a slave who serves as bait for captains who need crewmen and masters of work gangs. The slave pretends to desire a man and distracts him while her owner and his men capture the unfortunate victim.

A Message girl is used to send secret messages. The girl's head is first shaved and then a message is tattooed on her head. The girl is commonly illiterate. Her hair is allowed to grow back. She will then be sent to the person who is to receive the message. She is also usually given to the recipient to keep as well. Later, her head will be shaved again and the message read. A Physician will then use needles to remove the message.

A pot girl may be one of the lowest forms of slave. Her main function is cooking, cleaning and other menial tasks. The term is sometimes used as an insult as well.

A secret slave is a woman who is a slave but who most believe is free. Her true status is concealed by her master. This deception is difficult to maintain for a long time as the girl becomes more like a slave over time. It is also dangerous as Goreans do not like to be duped and they might take it out on the slave. In Magicians of Gor, Talena was made the secret slave of Tarl Cabot. Talena was Ubara of Ar at that point and Tarl permitted her to remain as such until he came to claim her one day.

State slaves are owned by the city and they may tend the central kitchens, care for children, clean apartments, launder clothes, etc. Some are used at state banquets to serve and entertain the guests. It is generally regarded as a slavery of great deprivation though they may sometimes be made available to male slaves and guards. Because of this, state slaves often bring good prices when sold into the private sector.

Work slaves include a variety of slaves such as pot girls, kettle-and-mat girls; laundresses, stable sluts, cleaning slaves, mill slaves, and more. Such slavery serves almost a penal function in some cases. These are generally considered the lowest of slaves.

Some slaves even have professional competencies like in law, medicine or scribe. They may have once belonged to that Caste. They thus possess skills in those areas though they are no longer considered members of the Caste. Many people frown upon slaves using such skills, especially where those skills may place the slave in a position of power or trust.

Earth women are considered natural slaves as they have no Home Stone. They have a reputation of being the lowest and hottest of slaves. They are generally considered barbarians because they know nothing of Gor and must be trained even to speak Gorean. There are extremely few Earth girls who are ever freed on Gor. Both agents of the Priest-Kings and the Kurii make stops on Earth to obtain women to become slaves. Raids by the Kurii have brought a lot of Earth women to Gor in recent years.

By law, slaves are animals and their owner can do anything he or she wishes with them. Slaves are considered to be goods, property. They do not even own a name and cannot own any property. They may use goods but cannot possess them. In most cities, even the offspring of a slave is a slave and belongs to the mother's owner. There are numerous laws preventing slaves from doing many things. For example, it can be a capital offense for a slave to touch a weapon, strike a free person or even to wear robes of concealment. See Education Scroll #2, Laws and Legal Principles (Luther), for more laws concerning slavery.

Slave breeding is carefully controlled and free men seldom have children with their slaves. In most breedings, a slave girl and kajirus are taken to a breeding cell or stall. They are both hooded to preclude any attachments and the slaves may not even speak. The coupling is observed by the master and any others in an official capacity. Only a small fraction of the breeding is carefully done by slave houses with a specific intent in mind. Some specially bred girls have a pedigreed lineage that extends back for twenty-five to thirty generations. The most commonly bred slaves are passion slaves and exotics. Passions slaves are women who have been bred for their beauty and sensuality. They typically only receive training as a Pleasure Slave. Exotics are kajirae specially bred for some unique quality, sometimes even bizarre ones. One such type is a girl who is bred to have poisonous saliva. Even some male slaves are bred Exotics.

Slave wine is a Gorean contraceptive, given to all slaves to protect them against conceiving. It is intentionally made to be bitter for slaves. The active ingredient in slave wine is sip root. Sip root, in its raw form, may be chewed as a contraceptive. The raw form's effects last for three to four months. The Red Savages in the Barrens use sip root in its raw form. One drink of slave wine lasts indefinitely, until a releaser is given. This was not always the case. In the beginning of the Gor series, slave wine only lasted a month or so. But, medical technology advanced during the series and its effects are now indefinite. But, out of tradition and to remind a girl she is a slave, it is usually given once or twice a year to her. The antidote is called breeding or second wine. It is a smooth and sweet drink. Its active ingredient is a derivative of the teslik plant. On Earth, slave wine would conquer the birth control market.

Almost every city and town has its own Street of Brands, either a street or a district which handles slave sales and items connected with slavery. The peak season for buying slaves is the spring and early summer. The greatest period for sales is the five days of the Fifth Passage Hand, also called in many cities the Love Feast. Slaves may be auctioned or sold in private sales. Slavers are legally a subcaste of the Merchant Caste though they tend to consider themselves a separate caste. Their caste colors are blue and yellow. Yet, not all slavers belong to the Caste. People of almost any caste can engage in the business of slavery. The primary difference is that these people generally do not derive the major portion of their income from the business of slavery.

At slave auctions, girls are sold on blocks where buyers may inspect them, touch them, have them move and position themselves. Girls are always sold naked though they might begin an auction clothed. During the auction, the clothes would be removed. This is done to entice the crowd and build excitement. It is said that only a fool buys a kajira clothed. By tradition, the blocks are wooden and rounded. Sawdust is usually sprinkled on their tops. In many slave houses, there are usually multiple blocks, one central block and a number of side blocks. The side blocks are commonly about three feet high and five feet in diameter. But, it is a matter of prestige to be sold from the central block. Girls are seldom auctioned from the side blocks. Usually, fixed prices are set, marked on their bodies with a grease pencil. It is a disparaging term to be called a "side-block girl" similar to being called a "pot girl."

Colored tags may be wired to the collars of girls at the auctions. White tags signify that a girl is being "held" for a prospective buyer. A red tag signifies the girl has been "sold." A black tag signifies a girl is "ill." A yellow tag signifies that a girl is not to be sold without prior consultation with the slaver. Some colored tags may also be correlated to classes or grades of slaves. A brown tag may be on a low slave such as a female work slave, pot girl, and kettle and mat girl. A gold tag may be on a trained pleasure slave or dancer. There is no uniform color coding though and different houses have their own conventions. It is not common for slaves to be tagged in a regular market except for sold and holding tags. Tagging is most common in auctions. A sales disk, bearing the girl's lot number, is common so men can inspect the girls before the auction begins and decide who to bid for. Sold girls can also be marked by placing them in a white hood marked "sold" or by writing "sold" in grease pencil on their left breast. It is standard in marking girls to use grease pencil on that breast. (Editor's Note: This practice comes from the online traditions for MIRC and other text-based Gorean chat rooms, not the books)

Block measurements are a girl's measurements when she is sold by a slaver. Some slavers take very complete measurements including a girl's height, weight, structure of ear lobes, width and length of fingers and toes, width of heels, distance between nostrils, etc. Most of these measurements are taken by a "slave tape" that is marked in horts. Weights are taken on a grain or tarsk scale that is marked in stones. Finger and toe prints may also be taken.

Block melodies are songs commonly used in slave markets in the display of their girls. Some songs were devised specifically for that purpose and others are just utilized for it. They are usually sexually stimulating. The slaves may dance to this music while on the block. The "Hope of Tina" is a popular block melody of Cos. It is supposedly the expression of the yearning of a young girl that she may be so beautiful, feminine and marvelous, as to prove acceptable as a slave. As a joke, young men may whistle or hum such melodies near free women who are generally unaware of their true nature. Free women may be drawn to them too, not understanding the reason.

Prices for slave girls varies according to the type of kajira, location of the market, time of year, and many other factors. Some generalizations can be made though please remember that these are not absolutes. The cheapest slaves are usually female work slaves purchased for public kitchens, laundries or mills. They are commonly sold in multi-item lots. The next level are the male work slaves. Then come the girls who can be used as a pleasure slave. The next level includes the male silk slaves. The highest level are special female pleasure slaves, dancers or bred passion slaves.

Many kajirae are sold for copper tarsks. A lovely girl may often go for a silver tarsk. A silver tarsk is a very high price for a semitrained girl. An excellent paga slave would generally go for one to three silvers. Fifteen silver tarsks would be the cost for a good dancer or a lesser girl in an Ubar's pleasure gardens. The major auction house in Ar, the Curulean, is one of the most prestigious of slave markets. A girl there is seldom sold for less than two gold tarns. Beautiful women of High Caste might sell for thirty to fifty gold tarns. The top price for a slave might be gotten for an Ubara or the daughter of an Ubar. She might bring 10000 gold tarns in a private sale.

The vast majority of slaves are branded, marking them nearly permanently as slaves. Slavers will only rarely sell a girl who has not yet been branded. In some cities, it is illegal to offer an unbranded girl for public slave. Branding is commonly done by a trained Iron Master as most owners rarely brand their own girls. Branding requires a sure hand and experience to properly do it. By recommendation of Merchant Law, there are three standard marking places: left outer thigh, right outer thigh, and lower left abdomen. The most common site is high on the left outer thigh, high enough to be covered by even a brief tunic. A slave may be branded anywhere on her body but it is not as common.

Many Goreans prefer a girl to be hand branded. Some slavers use mechanical branding devices but such brands are too uniform. It takes some time to bring an iron to the necessary branding temperature. The iron must also be cleaned and reheated before branding another girl. The cleaning is important for the precision and clarity of the brand. A branding rack is often used to hold a girl's thigh in place to prevent her from moving when the hot iron is applied. This helps prevent a blurred brand. A girl is commonly shown the iron before the branding so that she may fully understand its power, its heat and its meaning. A girl is usually branded for about three Ihn, about four Earth seconds. The girl is permitted to scream during the branding.

The most common brand is the "Kef", the first letter of the word "Kajira" in cursive script. It is also known as the "staff and fronds" because it resembles a staff with two, upturned frondlike curls, joined where they touch the staff on its right. It is usually one and a half to two inches high. The Kef is more floral than the common cursive Kef. The two curls are meant to symbolize femininity and beauty. The upturned curves on the fronds indicate total openness and vulnerability. The staff symbolizes that the femininity is subject to discipline. Male slaves are branded with a large block "Kef", not the cursive letter. There are many other types of brands such as the Dina and the Palm brand. Some cities have their own special brand as well. Some merchants make up their own new brands. There are collectors who collect girls with exotic brands.

A small and beautiful brand enhances a girl's beauty. It also has definite psychological benefits to instilling the idea of slavery on a girl. It is easy to consider that you are property when you have been permanently marked like livestock. A girl will basically only be branded once in her lifetime. A brand simply signifies that you are a slave. It does not commonly serve to identify your owner. Thus, there is little reason for an owner to want to rebrand a girl. Certain penalty brands may be added to punish a girl but their intent is not show a girl's slavery or identify her owner.

A slave with a brand can still be freed. But, the mark is permanent and there was no method ever mentioned in the books that would remove or alter it. If such a freed girl wishes to remain free, she better ensure that her papers of manumission are kept handy. Luckily, most brand spots can be well hidden so others cannot notice a woman's brand. But, if a man does see that a free woman has a brand, he might try to enslave her unless she can prove she was freed.

The most common garment for slaves is a brief slave tunic, sleeveless and with a deep plunging neckline. It may be made of a great variety of materials from satins and silks to clinging rep-cloth. Rep cloth is very popular because it is inexpensive, thin and clings well to a body. Leather is generally not permitted to slaves as the softer and more feminine fabrics are preferred by Gorean men. The tunic has no nether closure as a kajira is expected to be ready for her master at any time. Many of these tunics also have a disrobing knot so that a light tug will cause the entire garment to fall to a girl's feet.

There are a number of other garments also worn by slaves. The common camisk is a narrow, poncho-like garment. It is little more than a long, narrow, rectangle of cloth with an opening for the head. It is worn belted, falls to just above the knee and does not cover the brand. The Turian camisk is like an inverted "T" in which the bar of the "T" is beveled on each side. It is fastened with a single cord. The cord binds the garment at three points, behind the neck, back, and in front of the waist. The garment is fastened at the neck, and then passes before her passing between her legs. The sides fold about the hips. It covers the brand, but leaves the back bare. In Turia, it is simply called the camisk and the common camisk is called the "northern camisk." Ta-teeras are slave rags, usually a brief bit of rep cloth, torn here and there, or even just rags sewn together. Kajirae may also use slave girdles, belts, to tie around their clothes to accent their figures.

In addition, slaves almost always go barefoot and rarely are permitted sandals. Slaves rarely walk the city streets naked except as discipline. Free women object to them being naked publicly and most men abide by this. The area of a girl's abdomen around the navel is called the "slave belly" because only slave girls expose their navels. In a family house, the slaves are modestly garbed because of the children. A slave may be a nurse, governess and playmate to a child. Slaves may also dress modestly so as to not offend free women. If a young man is giving a proper and refined dinner, his slave will be modestly attired.

The primary functions of slave clothes is not to clothe the slave but to display her and to show her that she is a slave. Thus, most slave clothing is made of sensuous fabrics and is cut very revealingly. Some slave clothes may also be practical depending on the function or location of the slave girl. A girl who works in the mills would wear a more practical outfit than a paga slave. A slave in Torvaldsland would obviously be dressed warmly. A new slave may have to earn the privilege of getting to wear clothes. An owner controls fully if a girl is allowed clothes and what clothes she may wear.

Almost all slaves must wear a ko-lar, the Gorean word for a collar. The most common collar is a light, steel-like band, snugly fitting, that locks in the back. But Gorean collars can vary from simple iron bands to enameled bands to ornate, bejeweled collars. Obviously only the wealthy would ever place jewels on a slave's collar. Such jewels make a girl a tempting target for thieves so it is likely the girl would not be free to wander the city without her owner. Instead, most men would place costume jewelry onto a collar if they wished to enhance its look.

All collars have two things in common: they cannot be removed by the girl and they mark her as a slave. The collar is secured with a six pin lock, one pin for each of the letters in the word "kajira." The most common sizes for collars are the ten to twelve hort ones. On Earth, this would be about 12.5 to 15 inches. Some masters also cover collars with collar stockings or sleeves. They are simply pieces of fabric that cover a collar. They are used as an accessory to enhance a girl's beauty and come in a variety of materials. The Turian ko-lar is another common collar on Gor. It is a round ring, which lies loosely on a slave so that if a man holds the ring, the girl can turn in it. It is harder to engrave though than a normal collar.

A collar identifies a kajira's master and city. This information would be engraved onto the collar itself. The collar also serves as a visible token of a girl's bondage. In some cities, such visible tokens are required by law. But, a slave without a collar is still but a slave. There is a kind of implicit claim of ownership involved in the collaring of a kajira so it is seldom done save by her master. Some say that the collar releases the beauty in a woman though it is likely just the effects of her slavery and not the collar itself. The collar transforms a woman psychologically and sexually. She understands that she has no choice but to be a total female. It is also said that a collar has an "intensification effect" on a kajira that deepens and intensifies a woman's sexuality. She can then be driven to "…almost excruciatingly ecstatic orgasmic heights,.." (Guardsman of Gor, p.210)

Slave steel is a generic term for the metal implements and equipment worn by slaves, such as collars, chains, manacles, siriks, etc. Slave manacles, also called slave bracelets, are fixed-ring sized for wrists and ankles. There are four numbers in the series: one is small, two and three are normal, and four is large. But, most are adjustable for any of the four sizes. The manacles for wrists and ankles though are sized differently. A size two wrist ring has an interior circumference of five horts and a size two ankle ring of seven horts. Many men prefer the sizes of wrists and ankles to match. There is an implicit claim of ownership involved in putting a girl in slave steel so it is seldom done except by a girl's master. Female slaves do not escape from Gorean iron.

When slaves are bound, they are tied by men who know what they are doing. Thus, struggling is futile. It is common practice to place one bond before removing another. One standard binding position is for the girl to be on her belly, crossing her wrists and ankles behind her. Bonds are never placed over clothing. Different ties have different purposes. Ties include such types as control ties, discipline ties, and pleasure ties. It is common in times of crisis and danger to secure slaves.

A coffle is a method of chaining a line of slaves together for travel. It is common to link the slaves by either the left ankle, left wrist, or throat. Chaining the left wrist or throat are useful for traveling. Chaining the left ankle or throat frees the girls to carry burdens. The link to the main chain may be either solid or loose. If it is solid, the girls will be spaced evenly. If it is loose, the girls will be able to move up and down the chain. A coffle may also be called a "slaver's necklace" and the kajirae referred to as "jewels" or "beads." There is a large variety of coffle or chaining arrangements. The common chain, also called the March or Trekking chain, arranges the girls from tallest to shortest. In a Display or Selling chain, the arrangement of the girl's can be determined by a variety of considerations, aesthetic or psychological. You can rank the girl's by beauty, or alternate them by hair color or size.

Much of the chaining on Gor is primarily aesthetic and symbolic. Chains are used far less for bondage than many would think. There are many reasons for chaining. Security against theft and the prevention of escape is but two reasons. It may also be done for educational reasons, to remind a girl she is a slave. It may be done to humiliate, especially in certain positions, or as punishment. If a girl is placed into close chains, her wrists and ankles are chained closely together. Over time, it builds up a considerable amount of pain. After about five Ahn, a girl is ready to serve most willingly. Chains can also enhance a girl's beauty. The matter is partly aesthetic, partly emotional and partly intellectual. The greatest beauty of the chain lies in the realm of the intellect and emotions, in its meaning, and how it makes a girl feel. Brands and collars offer little impediment to a girl's actions, unlike a chain. Thus, chains show her slavery in a clear, unmistakable manner. Just the sight of chains can make many women, even free women, sexually uneasy.

A sirik is a common type of slave steel. It consists of a collar and three light chains attached. The collar may be of any type. The chain is ten to twelve inches longer than is needed to reach from her collar to her ankles. To the chain, at the natural fall of the wrists, are attached slave bracelets. At the end of the chain, is a set of linked ankle rings. The sirik is graceful and designed to enhance a girl's beauty. The sirik can also serve as a leash. The chain widths are adjustable to adjust the latitude of movement. It is even possible in some siriks for a girl to dance. On a work sirik the wrists are granted about a yard more of chain so she can work without impediment.

An iron belt is a Gorean chastity belt. It consists of two major pieces. One is a rounded, fitted, curved, barlike waistband that is flat at the ends. One end of this band, the right side, standing behind the woman and looking forward, has a heavy, semicircular ring, or staple, welded onto it. The other end, looking forward, has a slot in it which fits over the staple. The other major portion of the belt consists of a curved band of flat, shaped iron. One end of this flat band is curved and closed about the barlike waistband in the front. This produces a hinge. The flat, U-shaped strap of iron swings on this hinge. On the other end of this flat band is a slot. It fits over the same staple as the other slot. The belt is then put on the girl and locked with a padlock. There are many varieties of this belt. The above is a plain one. It may be used on white silks, to protect their status, or as discipline. Some jealous masters may also put their red silks in such a belt to prevent the use of others.

Ear piercing is an act of claiming, akin to collaring. It is seen as tantamount to a sentence of irrevocable bondage. Ear piercing was a custom of Turia and spread north after Turia was conquered by the Wagon Peoples. It was originally done only to the lowest and most sensuous slaves but as time went on, it has become common for all pleasure slaves to have it done. Many Gorean men find ear piercing extremely provocative. Ear piercing is done by leather workers using long needles. Pierced ear girls get high prices at auctions and sales. Earrings also play a part in the arousal of a kajira. The brushing of the side of her neck by an earring stimulates a sensitive area. The tiny sounds of an earring can also stimulate her. The whole of the idea makes a girl more responsive. The septum of the nose may also be pierced and a nose ring worn. Nose rings are most common for free women and slaves of the Wagon Peoples. It is considered more respectable than an ear piercing. Many domestic animals on Gor have nose rings.

There is a large industry in cosmetics for slaves. Most of the cosmetics that are worn by free women are not considered appropriate or sensual enough for slaves to use. Slave perfumes are usually heavier and more sensual scents than free women ones. There are hundreds of varieties of slave perfumes. There are even colognes and perfumes for male slaves. There are one hundred and eleven basic shades of slave lipstick including flavored lipsticks. Toenails and fingernails are rarely painted on slaves. Most men prefer the natural look. Some slaves may have painted nails at night though. In Turia and Ar, it is not uncommon for a slave to be depilated.

Auburn is a popular hair color for slaves and brings a high price. But, the dyeing of a girl's hair is frowned upon. Goreans prefer natural colors, even if they are not auburn. Goreans also tend to like long hair on women. A girl with short hair is often scorned and ridiculed. Slave hair is often worn long and loose, or confined in some simple way as with a ribbon or wooden fillet. Long hair can be used to secure a girl or gag her. Some masters like ponytails which is called the "leash" or "hair leash" as it can be used to grab and control a slave. Upswept hairdos are reserved for free women or high slaves as it is a mark of status. The loosening of one's hair is considered to be a sensuous act. If you ask "who loosens her hair?" you are asking to know who owns her. A "slave flame" is a haircut where the hair comes swirling down the back. Many masters cut their girls' hair. Shaving a slave's head may be a punishment or a protection against lice in a confined area, especially aboard ships. The hair is also valuable and can be sold for profit.

Every woman, slave and free, is taught by puberty how to render submission. Her life might one day depend on it. If a free women is ever captured, she must be prepared for that eventuality. Free women learn how to prepare exotic dishes, the arts of walking and standing, the care of a man's equipment, the love dances of a city, and much more. Once a girl is made a slave though, her training becomes much more intense. Slave training covers many diverse areas from the sexual arts, to cosmetics and perfumes, to the ways to entering a room. All slaves learn the ways to please men, physically, emotionally and intellectually. Proper training commonly takes several months to complete, at about five hours each day. A girl though will always receive additional training by her master, according to his own interests and tastes.

The training of a Pleasure Slave is long and arduous. During the first week of training, a girl does nothing but kneel before a mirror in the position of a Pleasure Slave for several Ahn a day. In the second week, she kneels the same but repeats out loud, "La Kajira." In the third and fourth weeks, she learns the laws of natural order, relation of the sexes, and that women are natural slaves. The girls are allowed to argue and debate during this time. They also learn in the fourth week to respond by rote to certain questions, some of them being quite complex. In the fifth week, she kneels again, repeating the questions and answers she learned. In the sixth week, she kneels and repeats aloud "I love being a slave girl." The next weeks include a period of exercises. When not being trained, barbarians learn Gorean. After the period of exercise training, they learn how to stand, to walk, to kneel, to recline, to eat, and to drink. They also learn the domestic chores of sewing, laundry, and cooking. Their training also includes dances, songs, variety of kisses and caresses and sexual techniques. This is a very comprehensive training program.

Most slaves learn how to respond to various questions. Some common questions and answers are given here.

"What are you? I am a slave girl.

What is a slave girl? A girl who is owned.

Why do you wear a brand? To show that I am owned.

Why do you wear a collar? That men may know who owns me.

What does a slave girl want more than anything? To please men.

What are you? I am a slave girl.

What do you want more than anything? To please men."

It can be easily seen that slave training is deeply psychological. It attempts to instill in a woman that she is only a slave whose duty is to please men. This indoctrination is the framework for all further training. Without it, a kajira would not be happy or dutiful. Slaves must learn more than the actions of a slave. They must learn how to be a slave in their minds and hearts. To the Goreans, a girl is simply releasing her true inner nature. It is less an education that a simple acceptance of a girl's place within nature.

Goreans prefer a wide variety of kajirae. They find beauty in many different forms though some generalizations can be made. Many men prefer rounded bellies on slaves as they feel that firm, flat bellies are too much like young men. They also prefer normal-sized, lovely breasted, sweetly thighed girls with broad hips. The typical model on Earth would not fare well on Gor. They would be too tall and too thin. Goreans also realize that many women, after a year or two as a slave, increase considerably in beauty. Thus, an ordinary looking woman can transform into a vision.

Goreans commonly like spirited girls who fight the collar but eventually submit. They relish the challenge of breaking such women. Goreans also value intelligent and imaginative slaves. Most Goreans enjoying talking to their slaves so they want a responsive partner. The common ideal slave is highly intelligent, beautiful, imaginative, strong willed, and proud. But, the most fundamental property prized in women is their need for love and their capacity for love.

A slave does not even own their name. Their master names them and can change that name at will. Changing a kajira's name or taking it away are common modes of discipline. A free woman's name, when enslaved, becomes a slave name even if not changed. Often, a new slave is not immediately named. If one is unsure if she will work out or be kept, it is thought not worth the while to waste a name on her. Other times, a master simply waits a few days until an appropriate name arises. Most masters won't name a girl they pan on immediately destroying so a name gives a kajira some sense of security. "A" is a common ending for many feminine names on Gor. A humbling or punishing name, like Ugly Girl or Wart, is as much a real name as a beautiful name. All Earth girl names are considered slave names, though the pronunciation is commonly changed to more closely reflect Gorean sounds.

Slaves must address all free people as Master or Mistress. They address only their own Master as "my Master or Mistress." Slaves are seldom permitted, at least publicly, to address any master by his name, only his title. The privilege of using a free man's name is reserved for free woman. Many masters though prefer to hear their name said by a slave, in private, out of the presence of free women. Kajirae may tell others the name of their master for explanation purposes only. For example, they may use his name to tell others the identity of her master.

It is not uncommon for slaves to refer to themselves in the third person. But, it is not a necessity to do so unless they have been specifically told to do so by their Master. "Speak as a slave" is generally the command for a kajira to speak in the third person. The novels contain a multitude of examples where slaves commonly speak in the first person. It all depends on each kajira's master and her training. It is not wrong for a slave to use the first person unless she is under specific orders to speak in third person.

Any free man may discipline an insolent or errant slave, even one who is in the least bit displeasing. If she is killed or injured, he need only pay compensation to her master and only if the master can be located within a specific time and requests such compensation. Discipline of a slave may be attended to by any free person, otherwise she might do much what she wished, provided only that her master did not learn of it. Gorean masters, though often strict, are seldom cruel. Sadism and wanton cruelty are almost unknown. Any cruelty done is usually purposeful, as in teaching a woman that she is a slave. Sometimes they are punished without the master explaining the reasons. It is then for the kajira to guess and wonder the reasons. She may even be punished for no reason at all. A girl is seldom punished for trying to be pleasing, at least at first. A public master is more likely to punish a girl than a private master. Part of this has to do with how a master is perceived in public, by others, in how his slave acts. In private, a girl has more leeway to avoid discipline by being pleasing.

The whip is available as a discipline tool but it is seldom used, though it would be if necessary. Often, a whip is prominently displayed in a home to remind slaves of its potential. The common slave whip, also known as a kurt, has five broad straps, each about two and a half feet long and one and a half inches wide. The handle is about eighteen inches long. When used properly, it will not mark the victim. The snake is a single-bladed whip, weighted, of braided leather. It is eight feet long and half an inch to one inch thick. It is sometimes set with tiny particles of metal and can easily strip flesh.

In a whipping, a set number of lashes are usually given and then often one more lash added. This is the "blow which reminds a girl she is slave." It is also called the gratis blow or the mnemonic blow. It is commonly the hardest blow of all. Prior to a whipping, a girl is usually stripped so her clothes are not ruined and her hair will be put aside. In a formal whipping, no clothing may constitute a shield, even symbolically, and allowed to intrude between the slave and justice. Even free women may be whipped, though differently than a slave, usually much easier. The whipping itself is insignificant when compared to the lesson it teaches. It shows a girl she is under the total domination of a man, at his mercy. This fulfills something deep in the female.

Some cities, especially those of the Vosk River, have a custom of an initiatory whipping when they obtain a new slave. The girl knows she will be carried into the house as a helpless slave and then the whipping shows her that she is under discipline. There are no set amount of blows for this whipping. It all depends on the whims of the master.

A slave's diet is commonly supervised by her master. Many masters wish to keep their slaves at a certain weight and in a certain condition. Slave gruel and slave bread are common items. Slave bread is coarse-grained and rough. Slave gruel or porridge, is commonly tasteless, but with its various supplements, is extremely nourishing. Most of a slave's diet is normally quite bland. Thus, sweets are a much cherished reward. It is a common problem for girls to steal sweets too. Before being fed, a slave is commonly to be presentable and beautiful. Normally, they may not eat until after the men have begun or even finished. A master must give specific permission for the slaves to eat. Slaves often are not allowed utensils to eat.

Slaves are not permitted wallets or pouches so must carry coins in their mouths or hands, though the use of hands is rare. Slaves are generally forbidden to touch coins without permission. But there is no law preventing a slave from touching money with their hands. But, if they are found with unaccounted coins, it is a serious offense. Sometimes the money is tied in a scarf about a wrist or ankle. Sometimes it is placed in a bag tied about the girl's neck while her hands are tied behind her. When a slave buys baked goods, the baker may tie a bag to her neck, using a "baker's knot." This is to prevent pilfering by the slave.

Many slaves must keep their master's compartments clean. They will dust and cleans though it does not take long to so as Goreans live simply and do not like cumbersome furniture. When they don't use the public kitchens, a slave girl must cook for him. If he does not use the public laundries, the kajira must wash and iron. She also may shop for him. Overall, these chores do not take a long time. Masters do not want to come home to an exhausted slave, tired from chores. Some slaves may even work outside their master's home. They might go to work in a free woman's clothes and return home to don their slave clothes. This is very rare though.

The mobility and freedom of a slave girl is usually greater than a free woman. They may go almost anywhere in a city. If they are permitted outside their home, they can usually wander the city freely. But, they can not leave the city gates without a free person accompanying them. In addition, slaves must also be inside by dark. Slaves are often taken many places by their master, such as the theater, tarn races, and kaissa matches. While following their master in public, a slave girl commonly walks behind her master and to the left. Girls seldom follow behind on the right because that is seen as a sign that she is in disfavor. If multiple girls follow a master, the closest one is the one in most favor.

Gorean men tend to be less gentlemen, than owners and masters. Most Gorean men won't admit to caring for a slave. But, more than one war has been fought to recover a single slave. But, for the most part, Gorean men are not jealous over their slaves. It is a common hospitality to offer the use of one's slaves to your guests. Some masters though may have one certain slave that they do not share with anyone, even at the risk of breaking hospitality. A slave girl's first duty is to her own master. Slave girls do not dally when their master calls and his call takes precedence over a detention by strangers.

It is a rare event for a slave girl to meet her love master and a man his love slave. The slavery of a love slave is an unusually deep slavery. The kajira must serve more perfectly than any other slave. No woman can be more in a man's power and with no woman must a man be stronger. The love slaves is held in her bondage by the strongest of all bonds, love, stronger even than the collar on her neck. Love on Gor does not purchase a girl leniency and neither does it mitigate her bondage. It actually renders it the more complete, the more helpless and abject. Many love slaves are kept as the lowest of slaves. Goreans are not easy with their slaves, even those they care deeply for.

Most Gorean masters can not afford to purchase more than one kajira. But that kajira can later be sold, usually at a profit, and her price applied to the next slave that is bought. Thus, you can eventually acquire further slaves with the profits you reap. New slaves are commonly carried over the threshold when they first enter a new master's residence. Some girls may though be leashed and have to enter on their hands and knees. In some cities, new girls receive an initiatory whipping. Many men celebrate the monthly anniversary of the acquisition of a slave and seldom forgot that date. A master will know every inch of his slave's body.

When a master owns multiples slaves, it is common to appoint a "first" or "en" girl whose authority to the other girls is akin to that of a master. She can order the other slaves around and even beat them. The other girls must call the first girl "mistress." This tends to reduce squabbling between the girls. Sometimes, a hierarchy is formed so each lower girl must address all higher girls as "mistress." The first girl is usually is the favorite though not necessarily. There is often much competition to be first girl. Masters rarely interfere in the squabbles of slaves. Men do not care to direct slaves in small tasks. They only care that the work is done.

Slaves normally sleep at the foot of their master's couch, often on a straw mat with a thin, cottonlike blanket, woven from the soft fibers of the rep plant. A couch is a stone block with furs on it. The dignities of the couch are usually reserved for Free Companions. A slave cannot ascend to the bed unless the master says so and that rarely happens. A slave may be permitted the couch after many months. She enters it as a slave, from the lower left or bottom, after first kneeling and kissing the furs. When a master wants his slave in the love furs, he tells the slave to "light the lamp of love." This is called the ravishment lamp and it is placed in the window so that they won't be disturbed. Men prefer soft lighting for their pleasure so they can see the beauty of their slave. The light of the lamp is soft and sensuous, quite adequate to illuminate her. Her tiniest movements and subtlest expressions will be fully visible.

Much sex between a master and slave is spontaneous and casual, occurring whenever and wherever the master wishes, and not unoften when the slave begs for it. Gorean sexual tastes are much broader and more tolerant than those of Earth. Many Goreans enjoy lengthy feasts of love. A girl might be ravished for several Ahn or even over a day or two. There are many ways for a slave to beg for sex. Some examples include the bondage knot, offering the master wine, holding fruit up to him, and begging explicitly. There are many ways to take a woman, all of them pleasurable. Much depends on the situation, time of day, preference and tastes of the master. It is common to make a slave reveal in detail her secret sexual fantasies. If she is literate, she may even be commanded to write them out.

"One of the great pleasures of making love to a slave is the uncompromising exploitation of her marvelous sexual sensitivities, her helplessnesses, they putting her so much in your power, enabling you to do with her as you please and obtain from her what you want. She may be brought up and down, as you please, at your will, at your mercy, and played like an instrument. She may, if you wish, be held short of her ecstasy, cruelly, if you desire, or, in a moment, with a touch, granted it. There are few sights so exciting and beautiful as a helplessly orgasmic slave crying out her submission and love."

(Vagabonds of Gor, p.216)

After the slave fires have been ignited in a girl's body, which usually occurs in the first days of her slavery, the denial of sex amounts to a torture. Slaves are rarely deprived of sex, except for discipline. In the case of the kajira, her entire life is one of sexuality, vulnerability and love. To her, bathing a master is sexually stimulating. Even a simple task like tying his sandals can arouse her. Her sexuality is a mode of being. Her entire life is one of sexuality, vulnerability and love.

A kajira can attain an orgasm much quicker than a free woman. It might take a free woman a third to half an Ahn to attain what a slave can do in three to four Ehn. It is even said, that a trained and conditioned slave girl might find herself on the brink of orgasm simply by finding her master's eyes on her. If a slave has been deprived of sex for some time, she may almost immediately reach orgasm. Kajirae are often forced to endure lengthy, multiple orgasms, sometimes for up to an Ahn. They will be carried from one peak to another by her Master. A true slave orgasm can only be experienced by a slave and not a free woman. It takes place within a unique conditioning context, physical, psychological and institutional. "It is said that a woman who has experienced slave orgasm can never thereafter be anything but a man's slave. She then knows what men can do to her, and what she herself is, a woman. Never thereafter can she be anything else." (Explorers of Gor, p.13)

Slaves tend to speak openly and honestly to free people. Slaves may not hide anything or have any secrets from their masters. Most masters become adept at reading the body language of their slaves and being able to detect their lies. It is especially difficult for a naked slave to lie. Clothing makes it easier to lie. Naked, she is exposed physically and in a sense, psychologically too. When she lies, there is fear involved and this can be detected in subtle body signs such as in tenseness. Slaves often hear lots of information as many people speak freely in front of them. But, curiosity is not becoming in a slave. They may listen carefully but rarely may they ask questions. Most slaves are illiterate as most men do not want them to learn. They are kept deliberately ignorant to enhance their helplessness. But, literacy does increase the value of a slave. Slaves are also not entitled to privacy or modesty. Their master may go to them where ever they are. He does not knock before entering a room where they are. Slaves are used to being eyed boldly by free men. They grow to expect and relish such attention.

Slavery is normally a permanent condition. It is said that only a fool would free a slave. Even most slaves who are free eventually desire to be enslaved again. The most common reason to free a slave is so a master can make her his Free Companion. It is also nearly impossible for any slave to successfully run away from a master. Most girls who do flee eventually end up claimed by another master. The penalties for attempted flight are also severe. For a first offense it is commonly only a severe beating. Most slaves, especially new ones, are allowed a single mistake. But, for a second offense, the penalty is commonly a hamstringing or even death.

Above all else, the most important thing for a kajira to understand is that her primary duty is absolute obedience.

About

Since the saga of the Books of GOR have started back in 1966 many texts have already been written and many persons have spent countless hours studying and sharing information to help others understand better what is GOR. One of these persons is known as “Ubar Luther” who wrote a series of papers (most seem to be over 15 to 20 years old, but still very up-to-date in many topics) called the “Luther’s Gorean Educational Scrolls” that were available on Gor-Now.net, but that site has been hacked. So to preserve them, I have moved them to this wiki.