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Gorean Book Quote Requests
Requests 1-173 were asked and answered back when there were only 25 books.
Also, some of the early questions were unintentionally truncated and cannot be restored. However, the answers are shown in their totality.
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| Q # | Question |
| 104 | "[girl] has had a situation in her home where a slave touched weapons of her Masters......a slave sister that [girl] knows if trying to locate anything in thebooks which might uphold the touch of weapons by a slave"
Answer
Hello,
I would suppose you are referring to the quotes which mention rules along these lines:
Too, a free person on Gor is almost never in any danger from a slave unless it be a guard slave, and he is attacking its master. In some cities a slave can be slain for so much as touching a weapon. Insubordination, slaves are quickly taught, is not acceptable, in any way, to the Gorean master.
Kajira of Gor Book 19 Page 12
It can be a capital offense on Gor, incidentally, for a slave to so much as touch a weapon.
Mercenaries of Gor Book 21 Page 57
Taken at face value, these quotes would say no slave may ever touch a weapon and live. However, notice what is pointed out in this quote. It is obvious that Sheera is not killed for holding the crossbow and was in fact assisting Tarl.
"Give me that crossbow," said one of my men to Sheera. She surrendered the weapon.
Slaves are not permitted weapons.
"Kneel," I told her.
She looked at me and, angrily, did so, at my thigh. She was only slave.
She had been of assistance, but she was only slave. It was the duty of a girl to be of use to her master.
Hunters of Gor Book 8 Page 286
Now, see how it is reasoned that slaves do need to handle knives when it comes to working in the kitchen.
"Why would the rence girl not do that?" he asked. "Surely she would expect to have to do that."
"I would not wish to place a weapon in her hands," I said. This seemed to me a plausible reply as she, supposedly a recent capture, might not yet be fully aware of the irrationality and uselessness of even token resistance. Similarly in many cities a slave may be slain, or her hands cut off, for so much as touching a weapon.
"Doubtless you would expect her, from time to time," he said, "to handle utensils, to serve, for example, in kitchens."
Vagabonds of Gor Book 24 Page 315
Lastly though is the example of Aphris, the former Free Woman of Turia, now a slave of Kamchak. If there was ever a time to use the "slave never touch weapons" rule, this would have been it. But Aphris is not killed.
Aphris looked at him in fury, but then smiled. "Certainly," she said and the proud Aphris of Turia, kneeling, bent forward, to eat the meat held in the hand of her master.
Kamchak's laugh was cut short when she sank her fine white teeth into his hand with a savage bite.
"Aiii!" he howled, jumping up and sticking his bleeding hand into his mouth, sucking the blood from the wound.
Elizabeth had leaped up and so had I.
Aphris had sprung to her feet and ran to the side of the wagon where there lay the kaiila saddle with its seven sheathed quivas. She jerked one of the quivas from its saddle sheath and stood with the blade facing us. She was bent over with rage.
Kamchak sat down again, still sucking his hand. I also sat down, and so, too, did Elizabeth Cardwell.
We left Aphris standing there, clutching the knife, breathing deeply.
"Sleen!" cried the girl. "I have a knife!"
Kamchak paid her no attention now but was looking at his hand. He seemed satisfied that the wound was not serious, and picked up the piece of meat which he had dropped, which he tossed to Elizabeth, who, in silence, ate it. He then pointed at the remains of the overdone roast, indicating that she might eat it.
"I have a knife!" cried Aphris in fury.
Kamchak was now picking his teeth with a fingernail.
"Bring wine," he said to Elizabeth, who, her mouth filled with meat, went and fetched a small skin of wine and a cup, which she filled for him. When Kamchak had drunk the cup of wine he looked again at Aphris. "For what you have done," he said, "it is common to call for one of the Clan of Torturers."
"I will kill myself first," cried Aphris, posing the quiva over her heart.
Kamchak shrugged.
The girl did not slay herself. "No," she cried, "I will slay you."
"Much better," said Kamchak, nodding. "Much better."
"I have a knife!" cried out Aphris.
"Obviously," said Kamchak. He then got up and walked rather heavily over to one wall of the wagon and took a slave whip from the wall.
He faced Aphris of Turia.
"Sleen!" she wept. She threw back her hand with the knife to rush forward and thrust it into the heart of Kamchak but the coil of the whip lashed forth and I saw its stinging tip wrap four times about the wrist and forearm of the Turian girl who cried out in sudden pain and Kamchak had stepped to the side and with a motion of his hand had thrown her off balance and then by the whip dragged her rudely over the rug to his feet. There he stepped on her wrist and removed the knife from her open hand. He thrust it in his belt.
"Slay me!" wept the girl. "I will not be your slave!"
But Kamchak had hauled her to her feet and then flung her back to where she had stood before. Dazed, holding her right arm, on which could be seen four encircling blazes of scarlet, she regarded him. Kamchak then removed the quiva from his belt and hurled it across the room until it struck in one of the poles of the frame supporting the wagon hides, two inches in the wood, beside the throat of the girl.
"Take the quiva," said Kamchak.
The girl shook with fear.
"Take it," ordered Kamchak.
She did so.
"Now," he said, "replace it."
Trembling, she did so.
"Now approach me and eat," said Kamchak. Aphris of Turia did so, defeated, kneeling before him and turning her head delicately to take the meat from his hand. "Tomorrow," said Kamchak, "you will be permitted after I have eaten to feed yourself."
Nomads of Gor Book 4 Pages 141 - 142
To summarize all of this, there are very few "hard fast rules" in the Gorean culture. Most of what is taken as "law" online is in fact a principle from the books. Are slaves permitted weapons? No. But is every slave that so much as touches a weapon then punished or even killed? Again, no.
Be well,
Fogaban
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