|
In the Wagon Camps, our free women do not wear veils nor robes of concealment. They wear instead long dresses of leather, and all wear their hair braided in some fashion, as opposed to the slaves, who must wear their hair loose, or at most, pulled back with a koora. Our free women are expected to do their share in the camp. When the wagons come under attack, they will stay with the wagons, where some unlucky enemies will fall under their knives. Free women are always subservient to the men of the tribe and are quick to discipline unruly slaves. They are fierce and dour most of the time, though it is not uncommon to hear their laughter or voices raised in song.
All women of the Wagon Peoples, whether slave or free, wear a thin gold ring in the nose. The ring is delicate, and catches the light when the woman moves, adding greatly to her beauty. Interestingly enough, all bosk wear gold nose rings as well, although theirs are heavy and more suited to use in controlling the animal. �free women, incidentally, among the Wagon Peoples are not permitted to wear silk; it is claimed by those of the Wagons, delightfully I think, that any woman who loves the feel of silk on her body is, in the secrecy of her heart and blood, a slave girl, whether or not some master has yet forced her to don the collar. ---Nomads of Gor, 8:58 Enslavement of the Free Woman In ***** there are 4 reasons a Free Woman may be enslaved, unless otherwise determined by the Ubar. 1) Submission "Submit," ordered Kamchak. Trembling Aphris of Turia, kneeling, lowered her head and extended her arms, wrists crossed. Kamchak quickly and tightly thonged them together. ---Nomads of Gor, 11:134 I extended my hands to her and her eyes met mine, blue and beautiful and calm, and she lifted her bound wrists and placed them in my hands and kneeling before me lowered her head between her arms and said softly, very clearly, "I the girl Vika of Treve submit myself - completely - to the man Tarl Cabot of Ko-ro-ba." ---Priest Kings of Gor, 25:193 �Every Gorean woman, incidentally, slave or free is taught by the age of puberty how to render submission. Her life might depend upon it. � ---Mercenaries of Gor, 25:367 2) Falling into debt to a Free Man. This can be done in many ways from actually owing money to him to the rescue of the woman by a Free Man. This pertains to foolish acts, not just simple rescue; .i.e. intentionally putting herself in danger, risking her own life, traveling without an escort, etc. If a Free Man comes to her defense and rescues her she now is in his debt and can be enslaved. He who saved your life now owns your life. I smiled to myself for I thought how incredible that I should find myself naturally and without a second thought considering going to the rescue of the worthless, vicious wench, Vika of Treve. 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 honour of the family and her city not be besmirched. There is, of course, a natural tendency in the rescued female to feel and demonstrate great gratitude to the man who has saved her life, and the Gorean custom is perhaps no more than an institutionalisation of this customary response. There are cases where a free woman in the vicinity of a man she desired has deliberately placed herself in jeopardy. The man then, after having been forced to risk his life, is seldom in a mood to use the girl other than as his slave� ---Priest-Kings of Gor, 161 3) Courting the collar Sexual play toward a Free Man or slave. In public of course as Free Men did indeed in private have sex with Free Women-this is not simple flirting 4) Drawing a weapon on a Free Man of Kassar Self explanatory really she should be dead in most cases and the chances of her killing a man is slim and none. �The strength of a full-grown woman is equivalent to a twelve-year old boy. � ---Tribesman of Gor, 14:223 Punishment of the Free Woman Free Women like anyone else on Gor may be punished with something other than the snap of a collar. When a Free Woman, by her actions or words, brings shame to her village or town, then it is the duty of any free man of that village or town to discipline the Free Woman - this is usually done by whipping her although other punishments may be used. "I am Tula from your village," she wept,"she who was too good for you, she who refused your suit!" "You shame the village!" he cried. "Whip me!" she wept. He leaped down from the wagon box. Another wagon, to one side of us, rolled by. He dragged her, two stripes on her body, gray in the shadows, by the arm, back, and to the read of the wagon. He stood her by the back, right wheel of the wagon. "Face the wheel," he said. "Hold the wheel rim!" She seized it, putting her head down. He lifted the whip, in fury. "Whip me," she said. Three blows fell upon her. "But feed me!" she begged. Two more blows struck her. Then she clung to the wheel, gasping, sobbing. As a male of her village it was his duty to discipline her for what shame she had brought on the village. "Do not strike me again!" she begged. She sank to her knees beside the wheel. Another wagon rolled by. "So Tula, the proud, the beauty of our village, now bares her beauty before strangers," he said, "And begs to sell her body for a crust of bread!" She leaned against the wheel, sobbing. "Disgraceful!" he said. She held the spokes of the wheel, her head down. "Shameful!" he cried. "The strong women take what food there is," she said. "I am hungry." "Tula, the proud," he said, angrily, "has not become only another slut by the road." "Yes," she said. "What have you to say for yourself?" he demanded. "Feed me," she said. "Turn about," he said, angrily. She turned about, facing him, on her knees. "Pull down your robes," he said, "until they are about your knees, lying fallen, back upon your calves." She did this and then lifted her head to him. "On what conditions?" he asked. "On yours, totally yours," she said. "Pull up your robes, about your hips," he said. "You may follow the wagon." Sobbing with gratitude, she clutched at her robes and drew them about the hips. He angrily returned to his place on the wagon box and with an angry cry and a fierce snap of the whip put his ponderous draft beast once more into the motion, taking his place between the other two wagons. ---Mercenaries of Gor, 3:41 There are no laws on Gor pertaining to a Free woman being enslaved for being insulting. A free woman does however carry herself in such a manner that a collar is always waiting for her throat. Most women on Gor were watched for a predisposition to slavery. To the contrary free women insulted, threw paga, badgered, and laughed at Free Men and went uncollared. �"Did you strike me because I challenged your manhood?" she asked. � "You were not struck for such an absurd reason," I said. "You are, after all, a free woman, and free women are entitled to insult, and to attempt to demean and destroy men. It is one of their freedoms, unless men, of course, should decide to take it from them. You were struck, rather, because you were attempting to manipulate me. ---Mercenaries of Gor, 26:422 �The demeaning of men, whereas it is permitted to, and not unknown among, free women, is not permitted to female slaves. Such, on their part, can be a capital offense. ---Magicians of Gor, 14:226-227 KNEELING FOR THE FREE WOMAN The Free Women kneel in tower, the same that her sister in slavery does as well. There is one difference between them: a free woman never crosses her wrists, whereas a slave girl crosses her wrists as in being prepared for binding. Aphris of Turia, pleased with herself, assumed her place between the merchant and Kamchak, kneeling back on her heels in the position of the Gorean free woman. Her back was very straight and her head high, in the Gorean fashion. ---Nomads of Gor, 9:94 |
