ECONOMY
Agriculture Mines Industry Trade Trade in jewels BankingECONOMY (for details on regions see each of the Peoples of Gor)
Agriculture "Economically, the base of the Gorean life was the free peasant, which was perhaps the lowest but undoubtedly the most fundamental caste, and the staple crop was a yellow grain called Sa-Tarns, or Life-Daughter. Interestingly enough, the word for meat is Sa-Tassna, which means Life-Mother. Incidentally, when one speaks of food in general, one always speaks of Sa-Tassna. The expression for the yellow grain seems to be a secondary expression, derivative. This would seem to indicate that a hunting economy underlay or was prior to the agricultural economy."
"Tarnsman of Gor" page 43/4"In the distance I could see some patches of yellow, the Ka-la-na groves that dot the fields of Gor. Far to my left I saw a splendid field of Sa-Tarna, bending beautifully in the wind, that tall yellow grain that forms a staple in the Gorean diet. To the right, in the far distance, I saw the smudge of mountains."
"Outlaw of Gor" Page 9"It is not unusual for a Gorean city to have several villages in its vicinity, these customarily supplying it with meat and produce."
"Slave Girl of Gor" Page 111
Mines
"He had won her in Girl Catch, in a contest to decide a trade dispute between two small cities, Ven and Rarn, the former a river port on the Vosk, the second noted for its copper mining, lying southeast of Tharna."
"Beasts of Gor" Page 41"The small fellow, I had gathered, might have once been from Tharna. That is a city far to the north and east of Venna. It is well know for its silver mines. So, too, incidentally, is the city of Argentum."
"Dancer of Gor" Page 385"At Klima, and other such areas, salt is an industry. Thousands serve there, held captive by the desert. Klima has its own water, but it is dependent on caravans for its foods."
Tribesmen of Gor" page 238
Industry
"It is not unusual, on Gor, incidentally, for the articles sold in a shop to be manufactured on or near the premises. This is often the case with craft products, such as glassware, metalware, particularly gold and silver work, rugs and mats, sandals and jewelry. The tradesman, thus, closely supervises the production, and controls the quality of the articles he markets."
Fighting Slave of Gor" page 214"I looked into a shop where pottery was being turned. To one side of the wheels, along a wall, sitting among many bowls and vessels, a boy, with his finger, was carefully applying bluish pigment to a large, two-handled pitcher. When the pitcher was placed in the kin this pigment would be burned, hardened, into the glaze. The kilns were in the back of the shop.
Tribesmen of Gor" page 47"Rich and smooth were the variegated, glossy tiles, sumptuous the hangings, slender the pillars and columns, ornate the screens and carvings, brilliant and intricate the stylized floral inlays, the geometrical mosaics. High vessels of gold, some as tall as a girl, gleaming dully in the light of the lamps, were passed on our journey through the halls, into the upper rooms, too, great vases of red and yellow porcelain, many of which were as large as a man, imported from the potteries of Tyros. Beaded curtains did we pass, and many portals, looming and carved."
Tribesmen of Gor" page 209"(...) bog iron, incidentally, is inferior to the iron of the south; the steel and iron of the weapons of the men of Torvaldsland, interestingly, is almost uniformly of southern origin; the iron extracted from bog ore is extensively used, however, for agricultural implements."
"Marauders of Gor" Page 153"Tor was, as Gorean cities went, rich, trading city. It was headquarters for thousands of caravan merchants. In it, too, were housed many craftsmen, practicing their industries, carvers, varnishers, table makers, gem cutters, jewelers, carders, dyers of cloth, weavers of rugs, tanners, makers of slippers, toolers of leather, potters, glaziers, makers of cups and kettles, weapon smiths, and many others."
Tribesmen of Gor" page 39"Indeed, one of the apparent anomalies of Gor is the quality and linearity of certain roads, which are carefully kept in repair, roads which often, seemingly paradoxically, pass through sparsely populated territories. The nature of these roads and their quality seems peculiar until one examines maps on which they occur. It then becomes clear that most of them lead toward borders and frontiers. They are then, in effect, military highways. This becomes clearer, too, when it is recognized that most of the supply posts occur at forty pasang intervals. Forty pasangs is an average day's march for a Gorean infantryman."
Fighting Slave of Gor" page 179"I returned to the bazaar, and inquired where steel might be purchased, and kaiila. I was informed by a ragged youngster, whom I rewarded with a copper tarsk. The weapon makers' street was close on the bazaar. The kaiila pens in Tor are outside her south gate."
Tribesmen of Gor" page 47
Trade
"There are also, of course, many shops which specialize in the sale of, so to speak, foreign goods. A major difference between Gorean shopping and that on Earth is that on Gor there are few stores of a general nature, handling a large variety of goods. One tends, usually, to go from one shop to another, garnering what one needs from a place which specializes in that sort of product. This is inconvenient, perhaps, in some respects, but at least, one knows that the shopkeeper one visits knows his goods and that the quality of his livelihood is intimately connected with the excellence of his merchandise. The place of general stores is taken largely by bazaars and markets where, quite close to one another, in various booths, sometimes of canvas, one may find a large variety of goods. There are, of course, shopping districts in all Gorean cities, where one may find clusters of shops, often specializing in different items. Sometimes, of course, certain areas specialize in, or are known for, given types of services or products. Each city usually has, for example, its "Street of Coins." On such a street, or in such an area, its banking will largely be done. Similarly most cities will have their "Street of Brands," on which street, or in which area, one would expect to find the houses of its slavers. It is to one of these houses, or one of the markets in the area, that one would go if one wished to buy a woman. As I have mentioned, most Gorean slaves are female."
Fighting Slave of Gor" page 214"That night we brought the caravan into the palisaded keep prepared for Mintar by Pa-Kur, the Master Assassin, who was the Ubar of this vast, scarcely organized, predatory horde. The caravan was secured, and in a few hours trade would begin. The camp needed the caravan, with its varied goods, and its merchandise would command the highest prices. I noted with satisfaction that Pa-Kur, Master Assassin, proud leader of perhaps the greatest horde ever assembled on the plains of Gor, had need of Mintar, who was only of the Merchant Caste."
"Tarnsman of Gor" page 131"That night I took Talena into the City of Tents, and by the light of torches set on lances we walked arm in arm through the crowded streets, among the colorful tents and market stalls.
Not only warriors were in evidence, but tradesmen and artisans, peddlers and peasants, camp women and slaves. Talena clung to my arm, fascinated. We watched in one stall a bronzed giant apparently swallowing balls of fire, in the next a silk merchant crying the glories of his cloth, in another a hawker of Paga; in still another we watched the swaying bodies of dancing slave girls as their master proclaimed their rent price.
'I want to see the market,' Talena said eagerly, and I knew the market she meant. This vast city of silk would surely have its Street of Brands. Reluctantly I took Talena to the great tent of blue and yellow silk, and we pressed in among the hot, smelling bodies of the buyers, forcing our way towards the front. There Talena watched, thrilled, as girls, several of whom she had known in the caravan, were placed on the large, rounded wooden block and sold, one by one, to the highest bidder."
"Tarnsman of Gor" page 132"I have very little," I said, taking the pouch and spilling the stones in a glittering if not very valuable heap on the small table in her central room.
She laughed and poked through them with her fingers. "I learned something of jewels," she said, "in the wagons of Albrecht and Kamchak and there is scarcely a silver tarn disk's worth here."
"I paid a golden tarn disk for them," I asserted.
"But to a Tuchuk" she said.
"Yes," I admitted."
"Nomads of Gor" page 237/8"Turia, I had heard, had not been destroyed. Indeed, I had heard that it now stood once again, much as before, the sovereign city of the southern plains, and that much of its wealth, by exchanges and trading, had been regained. It was fortunate, I gathered, for the economy of Gor, particularly the south, that the city had not been destroyed. Much of the hides, the horn and leather which found its way northward came from Turia, obtained from the Wagon Peoples of the treeless, southern plains, and many of the manufactured goods, and goods of price, which found their way to the far south, and even to the Wagon Peoples, were produced in, or passed through Turia. Perhaps the Tuchuks, one of the fierce Wagon Peoples, traditional enemies of Turia, her conquerors, had spared her for such reasons that they might have outlet for their goods and a source of goods they could not well manufacture, or acquire, for themselves. For whatever reasons, Turia, though once conquered, had been spared. It was the best known of the Gorean cities below the equator, sometimes called Ar of the south."
"Captive of Gor" page 162
Trade in Jewels "One of her most famous and precious, exports are the small carved sapphires of Scehndi. These are generally a deep blue,but some are purple and others, interestingly, white or yellow. They are usually carved in the shape of tiny panthers,but sometimes other animals are found as well, usually small animals or birds. Sometimes however the stone is carved to resemble a tiny kailiauk or kailiauk head."
"Explorers of Gor" page 115"You will note," he said, "that you wear a common slave leash and collar. There is nothing unusual or valuable about them. The collar, for example, is neither set with sapphires nor is it trimmed with gold. The leash, similarly, is of plain but sturdy material. Both devices are quite ordinary, but, of course, quite efficient."
"Kajira of Gor" page 337"I saw the scabbard was set with six stones. Emeralds. Perhaps not of great value, but worth taking."
"Outlaw of Gor" page 176"Before Suleiman, now, there lay five stones, three sereem diamonds, red, sparkling, white flecked, and two opals, one a common sort, milky in color, and the other an unusual flame opal, reddish and blue. Opals are not particularly valuable on Earth, but they are much rarer on Gor; these were excellent specimens, cut and polished into luminscent ovoids; still, of course, they did not have the value of the diamonds."
"Tribesman of Gor" page 92"They are probably false stones," I said, "amber droplets, the pearls of the Vosk sorp, the polished shell of the Tamber clam, glass colored and cut in Ar for trade with ignorant southern peoples."
"Nomads of Gor" page 20"I thrust out the silver paga goblet, studded with rubies, and Telima, standing beside my thronelike chair, filled it."
"Raiders of Gor" page 223
Coinage "Every year at the Sardar Fair there is a motion before the bankers, literally, the coin merchants, to introduce a standardization of coinage among the major cities. To date, however, this has not been accomplished."
"Magicians of Gor" page 411"Gorean coinage tends to vary from community to community. Certain coins, such as the silver tarsk of Tharna and the golden tarn of Ar, tend, to some extent, to standardize what otherwise might be a mercantile chaos. This same standardization, in the region of the Tamber Gulf and south, along the shore of Thassa, tends to be effected by the golden tarn of Port Kar. Coin merchants often have recourse to scales. This is sensible considering such things as the occasional debasings of coinages, usually unannounced by the communities in question, and the frequent practice of splitting and shaving coins. It is, for example, not unusual for a Gorean coin pouch to contain parts of coins as well as whole coins."
"Savages of Gor" page 120"Business is often conducted by notes and letters of credit. Paper currency, however, in itself, is unknown."
"Savages of Gor" page 120
Banking "Sometimes, of course, certain areas specialize in, or are known for, given types of services or products. Each city usually has, for example, its �Street of Coins.� On such a street, or in such an area, its banking will largely be done. Similarly most cities will have their �Street of Brands,� on which street, or in which area, one would expect to find the houses of its slavers."
"Fighting Slave of Gor" page 214"�They are afraid,� he said. �The Street of Coins is almost closed.� This was actually a set of streets, or district, where money changing and banking were done. There are other types of establishments in the area, too, of course."
"Kajira of Gor" page 165"Many Gorean bankers, not only the fellows sitting on a rug in their booth on a street, their sleen about, but also those in the palaces and fortresses on the �Streets of Coins,� work with scales. Too, sometimes coins are literally chopped into pieces. This is regularly done with copper tarsks to produce, usually, the eight tarsk bits equivalent in most cities to the copper tarsk."
"Magicians of Gor" page 411"�Before you Lady Melpomene of Vonda,� said Philebus, �lie several papers, detailing the consolidation of your debts. These papers are certified by the bank of Bemus in Venna, and are witnessed by the signatures of two citizens of that city. Do you acknowledge that the tallies are correct and that the debts are yours?�"
"Fighting Slave of Gor" page 278"�And I,� said the Lady Florence, �herewith publicly sign this draft, marked in the same amount, drawn on the bank of Reginald in Vonda, and properly certified, made out to Philebus of Venna.�"
"Fighting Slave of Gor" page 278"The fellow from Venna, clad in white and gold, was Philebus, a bounty creditor. He was known to the merchants of several cities. Such men buy bills at discount and then set themselves to collect, as they can, their face value. They are tenacious in their trade."
"Fighting Slave of Gor" page 277"From the sea bag I drew forth the notes for fortunes, made out to Shaba, to be drawn on various of the banks of Schendi, and the false ring, that which he was supposed to carry to the Sardar in place of the true ring."
"Explorers of Gor" page 31"I then took what valuables and moneys there were in the chair, kept in the cabinets at its sides, and slung them, some scarfed and others placed in pouches, about the necks of the two slave girls. I was surprised. The owner of the chair had been rich indeed. There was a fortune there, and the notes for other fortunes."
"Beasts of Gor" page 118"Shaba handed him the notes. �You do not trust our broad-shouldered courier?� he asked.
�I trust as few people as possible,� said Msaliti. He looked at the notes, very closely. Then he handed them back to Shaba. �I know the seals and signatures,� he said. �They may truly be drawn on the banks indicated.�
�There are twenty thousand tarns of gold there,� I said.
�This business could be conducted in the morning,� I said, �at the banks in question. You might then verify the notes and withdraw or redeposit the gold as you please.�"
"Explorers of Gor" page 211"�What of the moneys, those vast sums wrought from the Kurii, the notes negotiated in Schendi?� I asked.
�They were to defray the costs of outfitting the expedition, of hiring the men,� he said. �Surely you do not object to my making use of the funds of Kurii for such a purpose. They should be pleased to have made their contribution to so noble a project.�"
"Explorers of Gor" page 434"�Will you return to Port Kar?� I asked.
�I have moneys here in Schendi,� he said, �notes which I have drawn upon my return from the Ua, moneys connected with my fees for accompanying Shaba�s expedition. They will last me many months.�"
"Explorers of Gor" page 463"I was pleased to hear this, for I was rather fond of the tall, regal Ulafi. Apparently they did not regard him as a likely fellow to be used in the purchase of stolen notes on speculation, to be resold later to their rightful owner. Many merchants, I was sure, would not have been so squeamish. Such dealings, of course, would encourage the theft of notes. It was for this reason that they were forbidden by the codes. Such notes, their loss reported, are to be canceled, and replaced with alternative notes."
"Explorers of Gor" page 148"In spite of having the respect, even to some degree the adulation, of almost all Goreans, the Players lived poorly. On the Street of Coins they found it difficult even to arrange loans. They were not popular with innkeepers, who would not shelter them unless paid in advance."
"Assassin of Gor" page 28"�Another possibility,� Samos was saying, �would be a loan to the Sa-Tarna merchants, at a reduced rate of interest. Thus we might avoid the precedent of a direct subsidy to a sub caste. To be sure, we might then encounter resistance from the Street of Coins.�"
"Savages of Gor" page 65"I must leave Port Kar tonight. I would go to my holding; I would make arrangements; I would obtain weapons, moneys, letters of credit. I could be gone in two Ahn, on tarnback, before Priest-Kings discovered the failure of their plans."
"Players of Gor" page 75
