Weaspons of the Torvaldslanders
A man of Torvaldsland never leaves His house unless He is armed; and,
within His house, His weapons are always near at hand, usually hung on
the wall behind His couch, at least a foot beyond the reach of a
bond-maid whose ankle is chained. Should she, lying on her back, look
back and up, she sees, on the wall, the shield, the helmet, the spear and
the ax, the sword, in its sheath, of her Master. They are visible symbol
of the force by which she is kept in bondage, by which she is kept only a
girl, whose belly is beneath His sword.
Marauders of Gor - pages 141 - 142
The Attire of a Man of Torvaldsland
All men of Torvaldsland, incidentally, even if otherwise unarmed,
carry a knife at their master belt. The sword, when carried, and it often
is, is commonly supported might be mentioned, the common Gorean practice.
It can also, of course, be hung, by its sheath and sheath straps, form
the master belt, which is quite adequate, being a stout heavy belt, to
hold it. It is called the master belt, doubtless, to distinguish it from
the ax belt and the sword belt, and because it is, almost always worn. A
pouch, of course, and other accoutrements my hang, too, from it. Gorean
garments, generally, do not contain pockets. Some say the master belt
gets its name be cause it is used sometimes in the disciplining of
bond-maids. This seems to be a doubtful origin for the name. It is true,
however, questions of the origin of the name aside, that bond-maids,
stripped, are often taught obedience under its lash.
Marauders of Gor - pages 50 - 51
Ax of Torvaldsland
Then from his chests, within the hall, he had given me a long,
swirling cloak of the fur of sea sleen; a bronze-headed spear; a shield
of painted wood, reinforced with bosses of iron; the shield was red in
color, the bosses enameled in yellow; a helmet, conical, of iron, with
hanging chain, and a steel nosepiece, that might be raised and lowered in
its bands; and, too, a shirt and trousers of skin; and, too, a broad ax,
formed in the fashion of Torvaldsland, large, curved, single-bladed; and
four rings of gold, that might be worn on the arm.
Marauders of Gor - page 96
There are many tricks in the use of the ax; feints are often used, and
short strokes; and the handle, jabbing and punching; a full swing, of
course, should it miss, exposes the warrior; certain elementary
stratagems might be mentioned; the following are typical; it is pretended
to have taken a full swing even to the cry of the kill, but the swing is
held short and not followed through; the antagonist then, if unwary, may
rush forward, and be taken, the ax turned, off guard, by the back cut,
from the left to right; sometimes it is possible, too, if the opponent
carries his shield too high, to step to the left, and, with a looping
stroke, cut off the shield arm; a low stroke, too, can be dangerous, for
the human foot as swift as a sapling, may be struck away; defensively,
of course, if one can lure the full stroke and yet escape it, one has an
instant to press the advantage; this is sometimes done by seeming to
expose more the body than one wary of the ax might, that to tempt the
antagonist, he thinking he is dealing with an unskilled foe, to
prematurely commit the weight of his body to a full blow. The ax of
Torvaldsland is one of the most fearful of the weapons on Gor. If one
can get behind the ax, of course, one can meet it; but it is not easy to
get behind the ax of one who knows its use; he need only strike one b
low; he is not likely to launch it until it is assure of its target."
Marauders of Gor - pages 101 - 102
Ax Belt of Torvaldsland
The Forkbeard, then grinning, slung his ax over his left shoulder, dropping it into the broad leather loop by which it may be carried, its head behind his head and to the left. This loop is fixed in a broad leather belt worn from the left shoulder to the right hip, fastened there by a hook, that the weight of the ax will not turn the belt, which firs into a ring in the master belt."
Marauders of Gor - page 50
Free Woman's Dagger
At her waist she wore a jeweled scabbard, protruding from which I saw
the ornamented, twisted blade of a Turian dagger; free women in
Torvaldsland commonly carry a knife; at her belt, too, hung her scissors,
and a ring of many keys, indicating that her hall contained many chests
or doors;..."
Marauders of Gor - pages 156
Master Belt of Torvaldsland
It is called the master belt, doubtless, to distinguish it from the ax
belt and the sword belt, and because it is, almost always, worn. A pouch
and other accouterments may hang too, from it. Gorean garments,
generally, do not contain pockets. Some say the master belt gets its name
because it is used sometimes in the disciplining of bond-maids. This
seems to be a doubtful origin for the name. It is true, however,
questions of the origin of the name aside, that bond-maids, stripped, are
often taught obedience under its lash."
Marauders of Gor - page 51
Short Bow of the Gorean North
Ten men had remained at the ship. Eight held bows, with arrows at the
string; none had dared to approach the ship; the short bow of the Gorean
north, with its short, heavy arrows, heavily headed, lacks the range and
power of the peasant bow of the south, that now, too, the property of the
rencers of the delta, but, at short range, within a hundred and fifty
yards, it can administer a considerable strike. It has, too, the
advantage that it is resembling somewhat the Tuchuk bow of layered horn
in this respect. It is more useful in close combat on a ship, for
example, than would be the peasant bow. Too, it is easier to fire it
through a the hole port, the oar withdrawn."
Marauders of Gor - pages 51 - 52
Gorean Spears
I hurled the spear. It had a shaft of seven foot gorean, a hand of
tapered bronze, some eighteen inches in length. At close range it can
pierce a southern shield, shatter its point through a seven inch beam...
Marauders of Gor - page 210
Sword Belt of Torvaldsland
The sword, when carried, and it is often is, is commonly supported in
its own belt, looped over the left shoulder, which is, it might be
mentioned, the common gorean practice. It can also, of course, be hung,
by its sheath and sheath straps, from the master belt..."
Marauders of Gor - pages 50 - 51
Shield and Helmets
They were led by a large man in swirling cape, and horned helmet, a
bearded man.
Marauders of Gor - page 218
Then from his chests, within the hall, he had given me a long,
swirling cloak of the fur of sea sleen; a bronze-headed spear; a shield
of painted wood, reinforced with bosses of iron; the shield was red in
color, the bosses enameled in yellow; a helmet, conical, of iron, with
hanging chain, and a steel nosepiece, that might be raised and lowered in
its bands; and, too, a shirt and trousers of skin; and, too, a broad ax,
formed in the fashion of Torvaldsland, large, curved, single-bladed; and
four rings of gold, that might be worn on the arm.
Marauders of Gor - page 96
The ship of Thorgard, Black Sleen, was no more than some fifty yards
away. I could see helmeted men at its gunwales, some five feet above the
water line. The helmets of the north are commonly conical, with a
nose-guard, that can slip up and down. At the neck and sides, attached by
rings, usually hangs a mantle of linked chain. The helmet of Thorgard
himself, however, covered his neck and the sides of his face. It was
horned. Their shields, like those of Torvaldsland, are circular, and of
wood. The spear points are large and heavy, of tapered, socketed bronze,
some eighteen inches in length. Many, too, carried axes.
Marauders of Gor - 73
The wooden shields of Torvaldsland no more stopped the great axes than
dried skins of larma fruit, stretched on sewing frames, might have
resisted the four-bladed dagger cestus of Anango or the hatchet gauntlet
of eastern Skjern.
Marauders of Gor - page 205
Short Sword
I carried my short sword. I carried, too, the great bow, unstrung,
with quiver of arrows.
The Forkbeard, too, and his men, were armed. Blows are not to be struck
at the thing, but not even the law of the thing, with all its might,
would have the temerity to advise the man of Torvaldsland to arrive or
move about unarmed. The man of Torvaldsland never leaves his house
unless he is armed; and, within his house, his weapons are always near
at hand, usually hung on the wall behind his couch, at least a foot
beyond the reach of a bond-maid whose ankle is chained. Should she,
lying on her back, look back and up, she sees, on the wall, the shield,
the helmet, the spear and ax, the sword, in its sheath, of her master.
They are visible symbols of the force by which she is kept in bondage,
by which she is kept only a girl, whose belly is beneath his sword.
Marauders of Gor - page 141
