"I shout for madder music, and I call for stronger wine;

But when the moons are swollen and my questing heart seeks more

The veil parts and draws me forth beyond my Earthly door

To trace your footfalls, Cabot! For the world I seek is thine.

And Enemies surround me, but my spirit will not bow

Nor falter like the weak who came before;

And I will follow, Cabot! In the best way I know how,

And keep alive the wonder that is Gor."

     Tal, Goreans!

     This week I spend a large portion of this column answering the question of a person who wrote in to me asking about the specifics of Gorean garb. If there is enough interest, perhaps I'll do an illustrated page of Gorean clothing for the web.

     In the meantime, my thanks to JaKil for his many excellent quotes, most of which are displayed below.

GOR according to Norman

SOLITUDE AND THOUGHT

   "It was lonely here.

   Yet such times are good in the life of a Warrior, times to be alone, to think.

   He who cannot think is not a man, so saith the codes. Yet neither, too, they continue, is he who can only think."

--p.65, Vagabonds of Gor

A NEW ORDER OF SOCIETY

   "Suppose an old order should collapse, or disintegrate, or be destroyed. What would be the nature of the new order? Surely it need not be built on the failed model of the old order. That was an experiment which was tested, and found wanting. It was a mistake. It did not work. What would the new order be like? Let us hope it would be a sounder order, one, for once, fully in harmony with nature."

--p.119, Vagabonds of Gor

THE CONCERN FOR FEELINGS

   "Does a thirsting man of the Tahari concern himself with the feelings of the water with which he at last slacks his thirst? Does a starving man of Torvaldsland concern himself with the feelings of the viands on which he at last feasts?"

--p.215, Vagabonds of Gor

FRIENDSHIP

   "To be sure, he had had a difficult night, keeping his lonely, tense vigil in the ally behind the tavern, while I rested and sported about inside. I remind myself, however, that such sacrifices are only to be expected in the course of true friendship."

--p.425, Vagabonds of Gor

ATTITUDE

   "I had been so much a fool as to be sad. That is not the mood in which to enter battle, even the battle which one knows one cannot win, even the ultimate battle in which knows one is doomed to defeat. Do not be sad. Better to take the field with laughter, with a joke, with a light heart, with a buoyant heart, or to go forward with sterness, or in fury, or with hatred, or defiance, or calculation, but never with self pity, never with sadness. Never such things, never them! The warrior does not kill himself or aid others in the doing of it. It is not in the codes."

--p.446, Vagabonds of Gor

DISDAIN FOR WEALTH

   "`No,' he said. `I do not keep you because of the gold. I am of the scarlet caste. I am of the warriors. I could cast the gold away, as a gesture.'"

--p.490, Vagabonds of Gor

TRUST

   "Labienus released my hand. He had a strong grip.

   `You trust me?' I asked.

   `Of course.' he said.

   `Why?' I asked.

   `Because of what is invisible and yet more beautiful than diamonds.' said Labienus, `Because of the silence that deafens thunder, because of that which depresses no scale and is yet weightier than gold.'

   `You cannot even see,' I said.

   `There is more than one way to see,' he said.

--Vagabonds of Gor

CONDUCT INDICATING SUITABILITY FOR SLAVERY

   "The principle he had alluded to pertains to conduct in a free woman which is taken as sufficient to warrent 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 setence of bondage is mandatory for such a woman."

--p.372, Renegades of Gor

ROMANCE VS. PRACTICALITY

   "On Earth, as I understand it, there are certain romantic notions about, for example, that heroes may be expected to `win' damsels in distress, so to speak, by the performance of certain heroic behaviors which, for example, might bode little good to dragons, evil wizards, wicked knights, and such. These damsels in distress, once rescued, are then expected to elatedly bestow their fervent affectations on the blushing, bashful heroes, and so on. Needless to say, in real life, to the disappointment, and sometimes chagrin, of the blushing, bashful heroes, this denouement often fails to materialize. Although such notions are not unknown on Gor, the average Gorean tends to be somewhat more practical and businesslike than the average hero of such stories, if we may believe the stories. For example, the damsel of Earth, if she found herself rescued on Gor, might not have to spend a great deal of time gravely considering whether or not to bestow herself on the rescuer. She might rather find her wrists, to her surprise, being chained behind her, her clothing being removed and a rope being put on her neck. She might then find herself hurrying along on foot, beside his mount, roped by the neck to his stirrup."

--p.99-100, Renegades of Gor

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q:   aerith wishes to know, Master, what is 'usually' worn by Masters. For example, a girl was chastised recently for not 'assuming' a Master's attire correctly. If possible, perhaps you could do a piece relating to attire?

(submitted by aerith{U})

A:   Well, aerith, Gor is certainly a big place, with a lot of different people, and subcultures, to be found upon its surface. Therefore, it only stands to reason that styles of clothing would vary from place to place, just as they do upon our world. There is no one "Gorean uniform" for the same reason there is no one "Earth uniform." If one was to say "Earth people wear tee-shirts and bluejeans," that would certainly be true to a certain extent; however, a Finnish Laplander or a Sherpa tribesman might not even know what a tee-shirt looks like. In additions, there are as many specific Gorean costumes as there are Goreans to wear them, each designed for a special purpose. The garments of a Huntsman of the Northern Forests therefore would differ from the hunting garb affected in the south. And so on.

   What we do have is Norman's descriptions of some typical Gorean garb. I have drawn my own mental picture of these garments through countless readings, a little detective work and through researching the clothing styles of various historical cultures here on Earth, especially the ancient Greeks and the Romans. For ease of reference and since I don't feel like filling this column up with endless "he wore a tunic and sandals" quotations, I have left out the actual quotes. But there are a thousand references to tunics, sandals, and the other garments which I describe here, believe me. In addition, part of the information below is taken by me from my own "Beginner's Survival Guide to Gor" webpage.

GOREAN GARB

   Male Goreans of the cities dress simply, typically in a thigh-length belted tunic in his caste or city colors. This tunic can be of almost any material, may lace up or be drawn over the head, and is sometimes lined with fur or quilted for cold weather wear. Leather and suede tunics are not uncommon, nor are those made from Gorean wool, taken from the fleece of the Gorean hurt, an animal not unlike an Earth goat. Most common Gorean tunics are, I suspect, one of two types of "tunic" garment; either the Greek Chiton, the Roman Tunica, or, as I personally believe, a combination and assortment of both.

   The Greek Chiton is a universal, multi-purpose garment which is drawn over the head and which has closures at either shoulder. It is typically thigh-length and hangs a bit open on one shoulder due to its tubular construction; alternately, it may be worn with only one shoulder-closure and allowed to hang from one shoulder, similar to the Roman Toga. A good example of such garments can be seen in the early 1980's film "Clash of the Titans." The actor Harry Hamlin wears a Chiton several times in the movie, as do numerous others.

   The Roman Tunica, from whence we get the word "tunic," is a loose fitting, long or short-sleeved garment similar in many respects to the Victorian nightshirt. It can be as long as ankle-length at the hem, or it may fall only to the upper thighs. The Tunica was often worn under the Roman Toga of Citizenship during cold weather, as an undershirt, since togas tended to be a bit drafty. It is functionally identical to a long or short-sleeved pullover shirt of Earth, with the exception of a rather long hem length.

   Over the tunic, many Goreans wear a short cloak joined at the throat. The cloak is often worn gathered and pinned on one side, flung back to free the sword-arm in the case of warriors or guardsmen. Longer cloaks are also in evidence, some hooded, and are worn either in cold or wet weather or atop formal robes of state. Hooded cowls worn over long capes serve the same purpose. The short Gorean over-cloak seems to me to be identical to the Greek garment known as the Chlamys, which is a tubular garment constructed by doubling a rectangular piece of cloth in half and pinning it off-center. The wearer then puts his head through the opening made by the pinned fold. This garment appears in numerous films which deal with the Greek period, and is similar in form and function to the short Celtic cloak and it's requisite brooch or cloak-pin in use among early Celtic cultures. In addition, garments similar to the Chlamys were in use among early Norse cultures as well. The garment's design is quite functional and simple; I have no doubt the Goreans would have adopted it from ancient Earth garmenture.

   Gorean workmen and tradesmen wear similar garments to those described above, though often they wear the apron or workbelt of their trade as well.

   Robes are also popular, they being the Gorean equivalent of the suit. They are typically worn by members of castes which do not engage in manual labor, or simply when a Gorean male wishes to "dress up." These robes often consist of several different layers, each with its own distinctive cut to separate it from the others. Such robes can be hooded or not, though cold/wet-weather versions would be appropriately hooded and lined for their wearers comfort.

FREE WOMEN

   The most common garments of Gorean Free Women in the High Cities are the "Robes of Concealment," which consist of several layers of thick brocaded robes and heavy confining garments designed to conceal the wearer's figure and physical attributes. In addition, anywhere from one to seven veils are worn to conceal the face. Although Gorean women are not required by law to wear such robes and veils, it is considered both customary and prudent for free females to go veiled if they can afford to do so. Failure to dress at least modestly, and to wear at least one veil over the face, is considered by most civilized Goreans to be either a sign of abject poverty or utter brazenness. This practice is most pronounced in the "high cities" or northern Gor, and varies according to culture. A free woman of the Wagon Peoples, Alars, Red Savages and Red Hunters is not required by her local culture to go veiled, nor are freewomen of the caste of peasants expected to do so. Much depends upon the situation and location. Veils and robes are considered a wise precaution, however, as many Gorean males assume that an unveiled woman must be a slave, and treat her so. A Gorean Free Woman NEVER wears earrings; these are considered the mark of the slave girl.

SLAVES

   Male slaves commonly dress in a similar fashion to free men, though they are often kept stripped to the waist, clad in brief loincloths or, in the case of male silk-slaves, in toga-type garments (Chitons).

   Female slaves, when permitted garments, commonly wear the simple Gorean camisk or "slave-rag." This is a poncho-like garment which slips over the head, is belted at the waist (often with a bit of rope or cord), and which is commonly cut high at the thigh level, exposing her legs almost completely. In wet weather or when in a public place, favored slaves are often permitted to wear a poncho atop their regular garments. Jewelry is rare, worn only when presented to the slave by her Master. Earrings are often worn, though this displays to all that the slave in question is a "pierced-ear girl," the lowest and hottest of slaves, and such earrings are only bestowed upon the slave by her Master. The same is true of such items as slave-bells, anklets, armlets, etc.

   The garments of slaves can be made from any convenient material; the most common is rep-cloth, a somewhat coarse, cotton-like Gorean material. The use of expensive materials such as silk is commonly reserved for trained pleasure slaves, paga slaves or dancers.

FOOTWEAR

   For footwear the free Gorean male usually wears leather sandals which lace up the calf, the Gorean equivalent of the Earth "tennis shoe." These are typically open-toed. Boots or buskins may also be worn, either tall or short, thick or soft, but boots are commonly considered less comfortable than sandals. Tarnsmen and Tharlarion Riders will often wear thigh-high riding boots or leather leggings to protect their legs from saddle abrasions, and Norman mentions that Gorean sailors wear "sea-boots," which I assume are high boots which have been waterproofed against the elements of salt and sea. The Gorean Free Woman wears slippers, soft boots or shoes; these shoes can even be high platform monstrosities up to a foot in height, designed to enable the wearer to "look down" upon those around her. Male slaves are permitted sandals or boots only when such footwear is required for the work that the slave is performing. Female slaves are rarely permitted shoes of any kind unless in a cold weather situation, and sometimes not even then. Much depends upon the kindness and financial wherewithal of her Master.

PURSES

   A free Gorean typically carries his or her money and small valuables in a lace-up purse or pouch attached to the belt. Most Gorean garments lack pockets (except for those of the tradesmen castes such as tinker or locksmith).

   Slaves are not permitted pouches, pockets, or purses of any kind. When a slave must handle small objects, a coin for example, he or she normally carries such items in his or her mouth.

WEAPONS

   The two most common weapons in use upon Gor are the common Gorean shortsword and the dagger. Any free person may carry a sword as a personal sidearm, although most Gorean males are not proficient in the use of such. Daggers are much more practical and popular. Apart from the distant lands of the North, where longswords and axes are in use, or the southern Tahari desert regions where long curved scimitars are carried, the dagger and shortsword, as well as the spear, are most often encountered in Gorean cities. A Gorean warrior will carry his round shield slung over his right shoulder and his swordbelt casually looped over his left shoulder unless he is marching or in combat. If on the march he will sling the shield on his back and buckle the swordbelt diagonally across his back also, the strap over his right shoulder and neck. If in combat he will wear his shortsword belted over his tunic at his hip, like any other sword belt. He also carries his helmet lashed to his marching pack unless in a battle situation, in which case he of course wears it.

No Gorean slave may touch, or wear, any form of weaponry unless expressly commanded to do so by his or her owner. Slaves who violate this rule typically forfeit their lives.

QUOTES OF INTEREST

A BIT OF GOREAN MYTHOLOGY

   "There is even the legend of the tarntauros, or creature, half man, and half tarn, which in Gorean myth, plays a similar, one might even say, equivalent, role to that of the centaur in the myths of Earth."

--p.138, Renegades of Gor

MYTHOLOGY AS IT APPLIES TO PEOPLE

   "There are many mythologies having to do with human beings. Many function like ideological garments, designed to conceal and misrepresent reality."

--p.100, Renegades of Gor

My Quote for the Week:

"The name of truth all prize; the face of truth most fear."

--p.100, Renegades of Gor

     That's all for this week. I remind anyone who is interested in subscribing to Vision Entertainment's new Gorean Magazine to visit the website at the URL below to record your vote. This will not automatically subscribe you, rather it is an indication that you WOULD subscribe in advance if given the opportunity. I for one am quite happy that John Norman is again working on adding to the already huge amount of published Gorean information, and can hardly wait for the next book to be published. If for no other reason than to learn what finally happens in the continental struggle between Ar and Cos

The website I spoke of can be viewed at:

http://www2.1starnet.com/mharris/vision

and is part of an unofficial poll which is currently going on at the request of Vision Entertainment. Remember, the more persons who subscribe to the magazine in advance, the faster it will go to print.

Until next week... I wish you well!

_Marcus_

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? If you have any of the above, have queries regarding the source books, or have a quote or brief passage from the books which you would share here, feel free to e-mail me through the link below.

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