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What Gor is about
Many people have many different ideas as to what Gor is actually all about. Gor is a fantasy world, also known as Counter-Earth, because it is supposed to spin on an orbit that's exactly opposite to the Earth, thus hiding it from us at all times as it sits on the other side of the Sun. The books were written by John Norman, and at the time of this writing, there are 25 of them, 8 of which are in print. While they are fantasy novels, the Chronicles of Gor espouse certain philosophies which speak to our inner natures, and for many people, are very natural. These are the things that we're going to look at here.
Gor is about living life to it's fullest. That means don't just read about it, watch it on the television, or pretend to do it over a computer. Gor is about living it, first hand, experiencing life and immersing in it. In the books, the characters do this constantly, aware of such minute things in their environment as the quality of the air around them, and the difference in gravity between Earth, and Gor.
Gor is about being who and what you are. In the books, those who pretend to be other than who they are, are always discovered in the end, and are the worse for it. It is about finding yourself, no matter what it takes, and then being the best you can be at who and what you are.
Gor is about the exaltation of gender. On Gor it is said, there are two genders, they are not the same. Earth tries to minimize the differences between gender, Gor maximizes them, and not just the physical differences but the mental, emotional, and spiritual differences as well. Men are men, women are women, and one should never confuse the two. A man treats a woman as a
woman, and vice versa, giving the respect due, if they other is Free, or treating them as a slave, if that is what they are.
On Gor, there is that one primary distinction, that between Free People, and kajir, or slaves. In ircGor, a Free Person has a capitalized nick, and a slave has no capitalized letters in their nick. A Free Person may command, a slave will obey. This is never to be confused, or forgotten. In the end, you yourself will have to decide what Gor is about for you.
The Difference between BDSM, irc Gor, and true Gor
Gor bears little relation to the BDSM groups from whence so many come to the Gorean venue. BDSM (Bondage/discipline, Dominance/submission, sadism/masochism) is an Earth fetish, while Gor is an entire lifestyle which may or may not include tying people up, disciplining them, and certainly not anything to do with sadism or masochism. The closest relation on Earth would be D/S, or Domination/submission. Gor is fully aware that most men are Dominant, and most women are submissive, and not only permits these relationships to occur, but insists on it when they are correct and right for the parties involved. On Gor, sadism and masochism are considered perversions, and are very rare. Many people come to Gor from the BDSM fetish, having glimpsed within BDSM the aspects which Gor exemplifies, discovering that Gor was what they truly desired all along.
On the computer you've discovered ircGor, and ircGor is a computer-specific virtual reality, only existing on the computer. Many of the things you will find and learn in ircGor are very relevant for personal growth, as well as training for being able to practice the Gorean Ways in real life. Bear in mind, of course, that many of the conventions that you'll find in irc Gor are not from the books, or even practical in real life. They are computer conventions for the medium that we are using, to make things work well over a computer. Take the time to think about the things you do in ircGor, and determine which things are real and possible in real life, and which are not. Ask questions, if you are unclear on the matter.
Always remember that true Gor is found in a book. All the knowledge about Gor that you will come across which is fantasy-novel specific, is precisely that, just things from a fantasy novel, bearing little relation to real life. While it?s all well and good to know the difference between paga and sul-paga (and many Masters will insist that you know this difference), Earth has no paga or sul-paga. In the end, the things which can only be found in true Gor are just gamer props. On the other hand, many of those same things are very handy training tools, and will be used as such in both ircGor and in real life. Remember not to over-do
it, and remember the venue of Gor that you are working in and with. Don't let it catch you up in foolishness that makes no sense whatsoever. When in doubt, ask a trusted Master, or better, a number of them, to get advice and then, make a good decision for your self.
The Difference between a Dom and a Master
In the BDSM venue there are Doms and Dommes, which refer to a male and female "Top", in relation to a "bottom" or "sub". The difference between a Dom and a Master is profound and absolute. A Dom only appears to be in control of a situation, in reality he is not. The BDSM venue uses "safe-words" by which the sub (submissive) may indicate that what the Dom is doing is unacceptable, hurting, or just simply something that the sub does not wish to do. In Gor, there are no safe-words. The Master is truly in charge, in all particulars. The Master owns the slave, the Master makes the decisions, the Master commands, and the slave obeys. A Master actually is in control, satisfying not only sexual appetite but emotional and spiritual needs as well.
A Master owns the entire kajir, not just her time in bed. He owns her body, her mind, her emotions, her very soul, and yes, even her thoughts. His ownership is total and absolute, she belongs to him. Likewise, his responsibility is absolute, and it is critical that the Master be both honourable, and intelligent. A stupid man cannot be a proper Master to kajir, he would not understand the fullness of his responsibility along with the power. The kajir's very life is in the
hands of the Master.
The Gorean Master is the real thing, accept no substitutes !
Nature and purpose of a kajira,
A kajira is a slave, and yet, a very special sort of slave, and not to be confused with the usual understandings of what a slave is. A normal slave has no choice, makes no decisions, their likes or dislikes, opinions and whatnot, are meaningless because they have none, when none have been given to them. Their love is worthless, because they have no choice in what they do or whom they love. They do as commanded, nothing more and nothing less. A kajira is also a slave, but a kajira is a slave by choice, and therein lies all the difference. A kajira loves deeply and fully, not only as commanded but because it is so absolutely a part of her. The essence of a kajira is devotion, nothing less is worthy of her, nothing less is acceptable to the Master. The kajira makes one choice, she may choose who her Master is. After that, the choices are his to make, it is well if the kajira chooses wisely. Her will becomes the will of the Master, his whims become her ardent desires. She is obedient in all things, and strives to always be pleasing to him. He in his turn, owns her, provides for her, ensures that she is the best that she can be, teaches her and upholds her, fulfills her need for her slavery even as she fulfills his Mastery.
The nature of ritual and symbolism, and why it is important
For this, I'm going to direct your attention to a quote from the Chronicles of Gor, John Norman explains this well.
24:213 Ritual is important. It is fulfilling and meaningful. It is beautiful. It is symbolic, mnemonic, and instructive. It establishes protocols. It expresses, defines, and clarifies conditions. It is essential to, and ingredient within, civilization. Similarly, do not overlook the significance and value of symbolism.
In Gor, you will often encounter things which are done as a ritual, or in a ceremonial fashion. Don't disregard these things, seek to find their meanings, and then when you perform them yourself, bear in mind what the ritual means, each step along the way. And each step will have a purpose, because otherwise it is meaningless and truly, a waste of everyone's time.
Proper decorum on IRC
When in Gor, it is appropriate for everyone, Free and slave alike, to be courteous when dealing with one's peers and those below you. This cannot be understated. Courtesy gives rise to basic respect, and as you respect others, so you in turn will be respected. Basic courtesy goes a very long way in Gor, whatever nature of venue of Gor you happen to be in.
A number of Gorean standards of behavior between Free and slave are to be covered at this time. First, when addressing a Free Person, always capitalize their nick, even as you use lower-case for the nicks of slaves. A Master tends to get a bit irritated if he sees a kajir addressing him with a lower-case nick, as though he were a slave. When greeting a Free Person, if you are also a Free Person, always use the greeting, "Tal". This is a Gorean address of greeting, similar to the Italian "ciao", it is appropriate for both greeting or wishing one farewell. If you are a slave, always use "greeting" instead of "Tal". And finally, if you are a Free Person, it is appropriate to refer to another Free Person as "Sir" or "Lady". If you are a slave, then you should be referring to the Free Person as Master, or Mistress.
In sum;
Free Person -> Free Person Tal, Sir or Lady
Free Person -> Kajir greetings
Kajir -> Free Person greetings Master/Mistress
Kajir -> Kajir greetings
Likewise, whenever a kajir speaks to a Free Person, always use the proper form of address in every sentence. Thus, respond with "Yes Master" or "No Mistress", not simply "Yes" or "No".
When a kajir is serving or speaking with a given Master or Mistress, it is expected that she focus completely on that Free Person. That means that she cannot be in other channels, when on-line, and it means that she does not even recognize that other people are speaking to her, or about her. Her attention on the Master or Mistress is absolute. She may beg permission to greet or respond, but even that shows the Master that she is not giving him her undivided attention, and that her devotion is less than it should be. |
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