Gorean
Encyclopedia
The Gorean philosophy is a philosophy espoused in the science fiction
novels by John Norman
. A number of fans of Norman's work have attempted to live their lives according to this philosophy
While the most conspicuous Gorean departure from mainstream modern norms is that Goreans promote sexual master-slave relationships
, many who espouse the Gorean worldview insist that being Gorean is not necessarily about either sex or slavery, but about the general Gorean philosophy (and so one would not have to participate in a master-slave lifestyle or relationship in order to be Gorean). Some of this philosophy is concerned with "order of nature" and the relations between men and women, which may or may not take the form of a master-and-slave dynamic.
in favor of an integrated comprehensive way of life), but do engage in certain practices also pursued by BDSM followers (see 24/7, Dominance & submission, Servitude (BDSM)
, Slave (BDSM), Total Power Exchange, etc.).
Note that Norman's non-fictional sex manual Imaginative Sex
presents a series of elaborate fantasy scenarios to be acted out (rather than advocating for a real-world "24/7" lifestyle), and recommends that symbolic substitutes (such as the sound of claps) should be used instead of actual physical chastisements (such as whippings). Most of the scenarios are maledom / femsub
, but a few portray men as the slaves of women, and anticipate the eroticised first-person male slave narratives of some of the Gorean novels.
, and "Order of Nature". Many who study and follow the Gorean morality do not own slaves. Slavery is not required to be Gorean.
A Home Stone is a rock, which can be plain and simple or even a large precious stone, such as a topaz
. It is about the size of a person's fist. It is carved with a letter in it, often the family sign. A Home Stone represents sovereignty
, and marks territory. Even peasants were considered a sovereign in their hut, such is the strength of the ideal of Home Stone. Villages, towns and cities also had Home Stones. Most Goreans would never stand in the way of a Man who carried a Home Stone, out of respect for the ideal of Home Stone, and the fierceness by which it would be defended.
Home Stones were displayed in the center of a hut, village or city. The Home Stone is held sacred by every city and settlement, and is displayed under guard. Any praise or insult to a Home Stone is taken personally by those who live in the city it symbolizes. The theft of a Home Stone is the gravest crime, and paradox
ically the most honorable enterprise that any Warrior could undertake.
The home is of prime importance to the Gorean, and this applies as much to the city-state
of origin, as to the current residence or camp. "A man's home is his castle" is translated in Gor
as, "Every man is an Ubar within the circle of his sword" (The Ubar is a war-leader, a General who takes power at a time of crisis, and whose rule is tantamount to tyrant
until the crisis is resolved.).
Living Goreans, those who follow Gorean Morality here on Earth, hold the ideal of Home Stone very high. Home Stone as embodied on Earth, is considered to be sovereignty over oneself, as well as good citizenship: the two must be well-balanced, so that neither the individual nor the community suffers.
The Gorean's occupation is formed and informed by their caste
. The Caste system establishes the Gorean identity as strongly as homeland. Because of the Gorean's work ethic and pride in caste, all castes are essentially equal. There is little social mobility because of this caste pride and identity; even the Peasant caste uphold their caste codes and firmly believe in their superiority to all other castes. But in actuality, a few castes are more equal than the others. Those of High Caste, including Scribes, Warriors, Physicians, Builders and Initiates (holy men) have access to privileged education and opportunities to leadership. The social order is further consolidated by social edict: "A man who refuses to practice his livelihood or strives to alter status without consent of the Council of High Castes is by definition an outlaw." A Gorean regards the welfare of their caste higher than their own, but in return, the caste provides welfare and charity when a caste member is in need.
The way in which many Living Gorean reflect the Gorean Morality, in their professions, is to establish a code for their profession that they follow. This, combined with striving for excellence in their profession, is a small reflection of the Caste system presented in the series.
Part of what Norman indicates as natural order, is that males have a predisposition to be more dominant, and females have a predisposition to be submissive. Norman indicates that with changes in society brought on by industrialization and feminism
, human instincts have become confused and suppressed.
in the Gorean language), the floral "dina" mark, and to a lesser extent other brands mentioned in Norman's Gor
books.
Some Goreans also use symbols not derived from Norman's books, most prominently the Chinese character for "slave" 奴 (Unicode
U5974), which contains the character for "woman" 女 as its left half and an old character for "right hand" as its right half, and so can be given the interpretation "woman under master's hand". (However, the main function of the "woman" character 女, here, is technically as a "phonetic" element indicating pronunciation, and the composite character "奴" is not always female-referring.)
of the setting holds that various humans were transported from Earth to Gor in ancient times, a process which continues at a low volume in the present mostly in the form of Earth women taken to Gor as slaves.
In the books, although most slaves on Gor are female, most females are actually free women. The ratio has been presented as approximately 40 free women to one slave girl (though the various hints about Gorean demographics given in different Gor novels are not entirely consistent and are difficult to reconcile with references in the novels to the cheapness and abundance of female slaves). Male slaves are less common than female, and are usually criminals, debtors or prisoners of war. Female slaves are called kajirae (singular: kajira
) and male slaves are called kajiri (singular: kajirus
) in the Gorean tongue.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novels by John Norman
John Norman
John Frederick Lange, Jr. , better known under his pen name John Norman, is a professor of philosophy and an author. He is best known for his Gor novel series.-Biography:...
. A number of fans of Norman's work have attempted to live their lives according to this philosophy
While the most conspicuous Gorean departure from mainstream modern norms is that Goreans promote sexual master-slave relationships
Domination and submission (BDSM)
Dominance and submission is a set of behaviors, customs and rituals involving the giving by one individual to another individual of control over them in an erotic episode or as a lifestyle....
, many who espouse the Gorean worldview insist that being Gorean is not necessarily about either sex or slavery, but about the general Gorean philosophy (and so one would not have to participate in a master-slave lifestyle or relationship in order to be Gorean). Some of this philosophy is concerned with "order of nature" and the relations between men and women, which may or may not take the form of a master-and-slave dynamic.
Relation to BDSM
The majority of Goreans who pursue a "lifestyle" approach often do not consider what they do to be BDSM or "kinky" as such (and reject the idea of isolated "scenes"Scene (BDSM)
In BDSM, a scene is the stage or setting where BDSM activity takes place, as well as the activity itself. The place where a BDSM activity takes place is usually called a dungeon. A BDSM activity can but need not involve sexual activity or sexual roleplay. A scene will vary, depending on the wishes...
in favor of an integrated comprehensive way of life), but do engage in certain practices also pursued by BDSM followers (see 24/7, Dominance & submission, Servitude (BDSM)
Servitude (BDSM)
In BDSM, servitude refers to performing personal tasks for their dominant partner, as part of their submissive role in a BDSM relationship.In domestic servitude roles, the submissive can receive pleasure and satisfaction from performing personal services for their dominant, such as serving as a...
, Slave (BDSM), Total Power Exchange, etc.).
Note that Norman's non-fictional sex manual Imaginative Sex
Imaginative Sex
Imaginative Sex is a non-fiction book by John Norman which includes a list of male-dominant heterosexual BDSM-type sexual fantasy scenarios, and suggested guidelines as to how a couple can act them out in order to improve their sex life...
presents a series of elaborate fantasy scenarios to be acted out (rather than advocating for a real-world "24/7" lifestyle), and recommends that symbolic substitutes (such as the sound of claps) should be used instead of actual physical chastisements (such as whippings). Most of the scenarios are maledom / femsub
Female submission
Female submission describes a relationship in which a female submits to the will of another person. The submission can be voluntary and consensual or may be obtained as a result of duress. The dominant partner is usually a man, but sometimes it is another woman, or more than one person, or...
, but a few portray men as the slaves of women, and anticipate the eroticised first-person male slave narratives of some of the Gorean novels.
Self-identity
The Gorean identity is founded on home, job, and social order. The 'Three Pillars' of Gorean society are described as "Home Stone, Caste SystemCaste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
, and "Order of Nature". Many who study and follow the Gorean morality do not own slaves. Slavery is not required to be Gorean.
A Home Stone is a rock, which can be plain and simple or even a large precious stone, such as a topaz
Topaz
Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine with the chemical formula Al2SiO42. Topaz crystallizes in the orthorhombic system and its crystals are mostly prismatic terminated by pyramidal and other faces.-Color and varieties:...
. It is about the size of a person's fist. It is carved with a letter in it, often the family sign. A Home Stone represents sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
, and marks territory. Even peasants were considered a sovereign in their hut, such is the strength of the ideal of Home Stone. Villages, towns and cities also had Home Stones. Most Goreans would never stand in the way of a Man who carried a Home Stone, out of respect for the ideal of Home Stone, and the fierceness by which it would be defended.
Home Stones were displayed in the center of a hut, village or city. The Home Stone is held sacred by every city and settlement, and is displayed under guard. Any praise or insult to a Home Stone is taken personally by those who live in the city it symbolizes. The theft of a Home Stone is the gravest crime, and paradox
Paradox
Similar to Circular reasoning, A paradox is a seemingly true statement or group of statements that lead to a contradiction or a situation which seems to defy logic or intuition...
ically the most honorable enterprise that any Warrior could undertake.
The home is of prime importance to the Gorean, and this applies as much to the city-state
City-state
A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as a part of another local government.-Historical city-states:...
of origin, as to the current residence or camp. "A man's home is his castle" is translated in Gor
Gor
Gor , the Counter-Earth, is the alternate-world setting for a series of 30 novels by John Norman that combine philosophy, erotica and science fiction...
as, "Every man is an Ubar within the circle of his sword" (The Ubar is a war-leader, a General who takes power at a time of crisis, and whose rule is tantamount to tyrant
Tyrant
A tyrant was originally one who illegally seized and controlled a governmental power in a polis. Tyrants were a group of individuals who took over many Greek poleis during the uprising of the middle classes in the sixth and seventh centuries BC, ousting the aristocratic governments.Plato and...
until the crisis is resolved.).
Living Goreans, those who follow Gorean Morality here on Earth, hold the ideal of Home Stone very high. Home Stone as embodied on Earth, is considered to be sovereignty over oneself, as well as good citizenship: the two must be well-balanced, so that neither the individual nor the community suffers.
The Gorean's occupation is formed and informed by their caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
. The Caste system establishes the Gorean identity as strongly as homeland. Because of the Gorean's work ethic and pride in caste, all castes are essentially equal. There is little social mobility because of this caste pride and identity; even the Peasant caste uphold their caste codes and firmly believe in their superiority to all other castes. But in actuality, a few castes are more equal than the others. Those of High Caste, including Scribes, Warriors, Physicians, Builders and Initiates (holy men) have access to privileged education and opportunities to leadership. The social order is further consolidated by social edict: "A man who refuses to practice his livelihood or strives to alter status without consent of the Council of High Castes is by definition an outlaw." A Gorean regards the welfare of their caste higher than their own, but in return, the caste provides welfare and charity when a caste member is in need.
The way in which many Living Gorean reflect the Gorean Morality, in their professions, is to establish a code for their profession that they follow. This, combined with striving for excellence in their profession, is a small reflection of the Caste system presented in the series.
Part of what Norman indicates as natural order, is that males have a predisposition to be more dominant, and females have a predisposition to be submissive. Norman indicates that with changes in society brought on by industrialization and feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
, human instincts have become confused and suppressed.
Symbols
Distinctive Gorean symbols include various artistic renditions of the "kef" symbol (Kef being the initial letter of kajiraKajira
Kajira is the term for female slave or "slave-girl" in John Norman's Gor novels. Slaves in the Gorean lifestyle will refer to themselves as kajirae...
in the Gorean language), the floral "dina" mark, and to a lesser extent other brands mentioned in Norman's Gor
Gor
Gor , the Counter-Earth, is the alternate-world setting for a series of 30 novels by John Norman that combine philosophy, erotica and science fiction...
books.
Some Goreans also use symbols not derived from Norman's books, most prominently the Chinese character for "slave" 奴 (Unicode
Unicode
Unicode is a computing industry standard for the consistent encoding, representation and handling of text expressed in most of the world's writing systems...
U5974), which contains the character for "woman" 女 as its left half and an old character for "right hand" as its right half, and so can be given the interpretation "woman under master's hand". (However, the main function of the "woman" character 女, here, is technically as a "phonetic" element indicating pronunciation, and the composite character "奴" is not always female-referring.)
In the novels
In the original novels, Goreans are simply those humans who live on the planet Gor. The back-storyBack-story
A back-story, background story, or backstory is the literary device of a narrative chronologically earlier than, and related to, a narrative of primary interest. Generally, it is the history of characters or other elements that underlie the situation existing at the main narrative's start...
of the setting holds that various humans were transported from Earth to Gor in ancient times, a process which continues at a low volume in the present mostly in the form of Earth women taken to Gor as slaves.
In the books, although most slaves on Gor are female, most females are actually free women. The ratio has been presented as approximately 40 free women to one slave girl (though the various hints about Gorean demographics given in different Gor novels are not entirely consistent and are difficult to reconcile with references in the novels to the cheapness and abundance of female slaves). Male slaves are less common than female, and are usually criminals, debtors or prisoners of war. Female slaves are called kajirae (singular: kajira
Kajira
Kajira is the term for female slave or "slave-girl" in John Norman's Gor novels. Slaves in the Gorean lifestyle will refer to themselves as kajirae...
) and male slaves are called kajiri (singular: kajirus
Kajira
Kajira is the term for female slave or "slave-girl" in John Norman's Gor novels. Slaves in the Gorean lifestyle will refer to themselves as kajirae...
) in the Gorean tongue.
External links
- "Kajira Hill"'s account of living a Gorean lifestyle
- The problem with Gorean by a Gorean Lifestyler
- For further links, see the "External links" section of the Gor article.
- Italian gorean community