Domination & Submission: The BDSM Relationship Handbook (20 page)

Passion Slave.
 
A passion slave is one who has been specifically bred and trained in the arts
of lovemaking. As Gorean slave roles
go
, this one is immensely popular
for fairly obvious reasons.

Personal Serving Slave.
 
A personal serving slave is typically assigned to care exclusively for a
specific individual who may or may not necessarily be her owner. 

Pierced-Ear Slave.
 
On Gor, ear piercing is a symbol of low status or degradation.  A slave
that is marked by the piercing of her ears is considered the lowest of the low,
and will likely never win her freedom.  In Norman’s novels, this was often
portrayed as a unique and ironic problem for slave girls formerly from Earth:

“Many Gorean slave girls live in terror of having their
ears pierced... Woe to the Earth girl brought to Gor whose ears are
pierced.  She will be sold publicly, as a pierced-ear girl." (John
Norman, Prize of Gor, 2008)

Rent Slave.
 A
rent slave is a slave who is regularly rented out to others as a way of
generating income for her Master.

Seduction Slave
. 
A seduction slave is typically a male slave who seduces a female free woman
with the intent of placing her in a compromising situation that can be used to
put her into slavery.

Self Contract Slave.
 
A self contract slave is a free woman who enters into a temporary contract of
slavery in order to satisfy a debt or to learn what it is like to be a
slave.  Needless to say, this is an
uncommon
practice among Gorean
free women in John Norman’s novels.  It can, however, provide a credible
backstory for a uniquely
temporary slave role
for a novice Gorean role
player. 

Silk Girl.
 
Silk
girl
is a somewhat pejorative term used by the
bondmaidens
of the
northern climes (who typically wear
wool
) for
kajirae
, who
usually wear
silks
.

Silk Slave.
 
Silk
slaves
are male pleasure slaves owned by free women.  They are often
chosen for their virility and rugged good looks, though some slave owners
prefer silk slaves of a more
effeminate
variety.

State Slave.
 Refers
to any slave that is owned by the governing body of a province, territory or
state.

Whip Slave.
 
A
whip slave
is one who has been delegated by her Master the authority
to punish his other slaves with a whip or similar implement.

Work Slave.
 A
work slave
(sometimes referred to as a
field slave
or
stable
slave
) is a somewhat generic label for any slave whose duties include
laboring in the fields, cleaning stables, caring for livestock, or performing
other manual labor. 

A pretty compelling case could be made that we all
owe a great debt to John Norman for being the originator of the notion of
collaring
as the Master/slave alternative to traditional committed relationships.
 He was
certainly
largely responsible for the
popularization
,
if not the origination, of the concept.  Our Earthly BDSM culture may
recognize only a handful of different collar types, but on the planet Gor, a
collar has
dozens
of practical and symbolic purposes, not the least of
which are their
aesthetic
qualities.  In
Slave Girl of Gor
(1977)
,
John Norman wrote, “In the matter of collars, as in all things, Goreans
commonly exhibit good taste and aesthetic sense."  Elsewhere in the
same work, Norman commented on the
emotional
utility that a collar may
have for
both the Master and the slave:

“It is said, in a Gorean proverb, that a man, in his
heart, desires freedom, and that a woman, in her belly, yearns for love. The
collar, in its way, answers both needs. The man is most free, owning the slave.
He may do what he wishes with her. The woman, on the other hand, being owned,
is institutionally and helplessly subject, in her status as slave, to the
submissions of love.”

(John Norman, Slave Girl of Gor, 1977)

New slaves -
particularly slaves brought to Gor
from Earth
- are made to memorize the customs and cultural lore surrounding
the history and purpose of Gorean collars, and are expected to be able to
recite them upon her master’s command: 

"What is the common purpose of a collar?"

"The collar has four common purposes, Master,"
she said,

"First, it visibly designates me as a slave, as a
brand might not, should it be covered by clothing.

Second, it impresses my slavery upon me.  Thirdly,
it identifies me to my Master.

Fourthly," she said, "it makes it easier to leash
me."

(John Norman, Explorers of Gor, 1979)

Gorean merchant law defines a collar as anything
that is worn about the neck of an individual for the primary purpose of marking
the person as a slave, though as we are about to see, they can serve many other
purposes, as well.  Slave collars are not required by Gorean law, but they
are strongly recommended.  If a collar bears markings at all, it will
typically identify the slave’s owner, and bear the slaves given name.

Gorean collars can be made of just about any
material.  The most commonly used are steel, leather, rope, cord, and
fabric.  Gorean collars, like the slaves who wear them, are typically
categorized by their utility and purpose.  At times, those purposes can be
so specialized, that some of the collars described in the novels would have no
conceivable counterparts or utility on
Earth
except, perhaps, as collars
which are used solely for role play purposes.  On the other hand, many of
the most strikingly beautiful and exclusive collar designs on Earth have been
inspired by Norman’s colorful descriptions.  As you peruse the following
list of Gorean collar types, see if you can tell which might be better suited
for practical use in the
real-world.

Beaded Collar

The beaded collar was typically worn by slaves of
the “Red Savages of the Barrens.”  Many of these so-called
red savages,
or Red Hunters,
were the direct descendants of
American Indians and
Inuit
who had been brought to Gor hundreds of years ago by the insect-like
race of Priest Kings in order to populate the barren planet.  The collar
itself is described in the following fashion:

“She was barefoot. About her left ankle there was, about
two inches high, a beaded cuff, or anklet.  Her garb was doubtless
intended to suggest the distinctive, humiliating and scandalously brief garment
in which red savages are sometimes pleased to place their white slaves. 
One difference, however, must surely be noted.  The red savages do not use
steel collars.  They usually use high, beaded collars, tied together in
the front by a rawhide string.  Subtle differences in the styles of
collars, and in the knots with which they are fastened on the girls' necks,
differentiate the tribes.  Within a given tribe the beading, in its
arrangements and colors, identifies the particular master.  This is a
common way, incidentally, for warriors to identify various articles... they
own."  (John Norman, Savages of Gor, 1982)

Among the Red Hunters who are specifically descended
from
Inuit, their slaves and animals
are identified
by an
intricately knotted set of four leather strings, similar to a collar. These are
called
bondage strings
and, like the beaded collar, the different types
of knots used identify the specific owner.

Capture Collar

The capture collar consists of a loop of
chain
attached to two wooden handles in such a way that it is easy to block off a
slave's air supply as a measure of physical control while maintaining a safe
distance.  It was described by the author thusly:

"About my throat, closely looped, was a narrow
golden chain. It was controlled by two narrow wooden handles, in his
hands...  It was a girl-capture chain...  It is to be distinguished
from the standard garrote, which is armed with wire and can cut a throat easily. 
The standard garrote, of course, is impractical for captures, for the victim,
in even a reflexive movement, might cut her own throat."

(John Norman, Savages of Gor, 1982)

Coffle Collar

A coffle is a line of prisoners, chained
together.  Therefore, a coffle collar is a slave collar with a sturdy ring
attached to it which allows a chain to be threaded through the ring in order to
control multiple slaves on the same chain.  The chain may be permanently
attached or removable, depending on the number of slaves in the coffle, and
what they will be doing while chained in this fashion.

"The collars had front and back rings, were hinged
on the right and locked on the left. This is a familiar form of coffle collar.
The lengths of chain between the collars were about 3 to 4 feet long. Some were
attached to the collar rings by the links themselves, opened and then re-closed
about the rings, and some of them were fastened to the collar rings by snap
rings. Another common form of coffle collar has its hinge in the front and
closes behind the back of the neck, like the common slave collar. It has a
single collar ring, usually on the right, through which, usually, a single
chain is strung. Girls are spaced on such a chain, usually, by snap
rings."  (John Norman, Savages of Gor, 1982)

Coil Collar

A coil collar is constructed from a
coil of marsh
vine
.  The material is flexible and not as sturdy as a collar made of
metal, but is useful in establishing the ownership of a slave:

“It was hot, and the coils of the marsh vine about my
throat were hot. Beneath the coils my neck was red, and slippery with sweat and
dirt. I put my finger in the collar to pull it a bit from my throat.” 
(John Norman, Raiders of Gor, 1971)

Cord Collar

The cord collar consists of a light cord, which is
tied about the slave's throat and has, dangling from it, a small disk which
identifies the name of the slave’s master.  This type of collar is used in
areas of Gor where metal is scarce or too expensive to be used for slave
collars:

"On some rence islands I have heard, incidentally,
that the men have revolted, and enslaved their women. These are usually kept in
cord collars, with small disks attached to them, indicating the names of their
masters."   (John Norman, Vagabonds of Gor, 1987)

Dance Collar

The dance collar is a collar designed primarily for
its aesthetic value as adornment for Gorean dancers.  It consists
primarily of a collar with a largely ornamental light-weight chain attached,
which sometimes is also attached to wrist cuffs.  The design varies from
region to region and from dancer to dancer:

“A wrist ring was fastened on her right wrist. The long,
slender, gleaming chain was fastened to this and, looping down and up, ascended
gracefully to a wide chain ring on her collar, through which it freely passed,
thence descending, looping down, and ascending, looping up, gracefully, to the
left wrist ring. If she were to stand quietly, the palms of her hands on her
thighs, the lower portions of the chain, those two dangling loops, would have
been about at the level of her kneels, just a little higher. The higher portion
of the chain, of course, would be at the collar loop.”  (John Norman,
Kajira of Gor, 1983)

Kur Collar

The Kurii are an egg-laying, bearlike alien race at
war with the insect-like Priest-Kings of Gor.  They are described by
Norman as weighing 900 pounds, incredibly strong, and having seven clawed
fingers on each hand.  They occasionally enslave human women, but more
often than not, it is for the sole purpose of keeping them as a
food source.
 In fact, the Kurri maintain
slaughterhouses
just for humans.
 
Some Kurri even like to
play with their human food. 
 In
Blood
Brothers of Gor
(1982), a Kurrii is described as
swinging a kajira
around in circles above his head
before finally devouring her.  On the
bright side, Kur slave collars are considered to be a great way to improve
one’s
posture:

She approached me. From my pouch I drew forth a
leather Kur collar, with its lock, and sewn in leather, its large, rounded
ring. "What is it?" she asked apprehensively, I took it behind her
neck, and then, closing it about her throat, thrust the large, flattish bolt,
snapping it, into the locking breech. The two edges of metal, bordered by the
leather, fitted closely together. The collar is some three inches in height.
The girl must keep her chin up. "It is the collar of a Kur cow," I
told her.  (John Norman, Marauders of Gor, 1975)

Lock Collar

A lock collar is a typical Gorean slave collar which
locks at the back of the neck.  The lock usually has six pins or six disks
within, which have symbolic significance
: 

"A small, heavy lock on a girl's slave collar,
incidentally, may be of several varieties, but almost all are cylinder locks,
either of the pin or disk variety. In a girl's collar lock there would be
either six pins or six disks, on each, it is said, for each letter in the
Gorean word for slave, Kajira."   (John Norman, Assassin of Gor,
1970)

Message Collar

A message collar is a sewn leather collar with a
peculiar purpose.  The slave that wears it is often presented by her owner
as a gift to the recipient of the message: 

"Did you note the collar she wore?" He had not
seemed to show much interest in the high thick leather collar that the girl had
had sewn about her neck. "Of course," he said. "I myself,"
I said," have never seen such a collar." "It is a message
collar," said Kamback. "Inside the leather sewn within, will be a
message."  (John Norman, Nomads of Gor, 1969)

Northern Collar

The northern collar is comprised of an unmarked flat
black metal which is riveted with a hammer about the neck of a slave: 

"Look up at me," said the smith. The slender,
blond girl, tears in her eyes, looked up at him. He opened the hinged collar of
black iron, about a half inch in height. He put it about her throat. It also
contained a welded ring, suitable for the attachment of a chain. "Put your
head beside the anvil," he said. He took her hair, and threw it forward,
and thrust her neck against the left side of the anvil. Over the anvil lay the
joining ends of the two pieces of the collar. The inside of the collar was
separated by a quarter of an inch from her neck. I saw the fine hairs on the
back of her neck. On one part of the collar are two, small, flat, thick rings.
On the other is a single such ring. These rings, when the wings of the collar
are joined, are aligned, those on one wing on top and bottom, that on the other
in the center. They fit closely together, one on top of the other. The holes in
each, about three-eighths of an inch in diameter, too, of course, are perfectly
aligned. The smith, with his thumbs, forcibly, pushed a metal rivet through the
three holes.”  (John Norman, Marauders of Gor, 1975)

Plank Collar

A plank collar consists of a heavy wooden plank
which is split lengthwise, with each half containing five semicircular
openings.  When the two halves are joined, they form wooden stocks for
holding five slaves.  The assembled plank is then chained down wherever
needed:

"The primary holding arrangement for women on the benches,
however, [is] not chains. Each place on the bench is fitted with ankle and
wrist stocks, and for each bench there is a plank collar, a plank which opens
horizontally, each half of which contains five matching, semicircular openings,
which, when it is set on pinions, closed, and chained in place, provides thusly
five sturdy, wooden enclosures for the small, lovely throats of women. The
plank is thick and thus the girl's chins are held high. The plank is further
reinforced between each girl with a narrowly curved iron band, the open ends of
which are pierced; this is slid tight in its slots, in its metal retainers,
about the boards, and secured in place with a four-inch metal pin, which may or
may not be locked in place."   (John Norman, Savages of Gor,
1982)

Plate Collar

A plate collar is a heavy metal collar that is
typically used on males or untrained female slaves as a way of discouraging
escape.  It is hammered onto the throat and only a blacksmith or skilled
metal worker can remove it:

"I could see the heavy metal collar hammered about
the man's neck, not uncommon in a male slave. His head would have been placed
across the anvil, and the metal curved about his neck with great
blows."  (John Norman, Hunters of Gor, 1974)

Turian Collar

The
Turian
collar, unlike most collars which
fit closely to a slave’s skin, is a round metallic ring that fits so loosely
that the slave can turn within it.  The Turian collar style is a popular
design which is emulated by many real-world practitioners of the Gorean way.

"She wore the Turian collar, rather than the common
slave collar. The Turian collar lies loosely on the girl, a round ring; it fits
so loosely that, when grasped in a man's fist, the girl can turn within
it...  Both collars lock in the back, behind the girl's neck. The Turian
collar is more difficult to engrave, but...  like the flat collar, will
bear some legend assuring that the girl, if found, will be promptly returned to
her master."  (John Norman, Nomads of Gor, 1969)

Shipping Collar

A shipping collar is a usually a
temporary
collar used to identify a slave while he or she is in transit as cargo aboard a
slave transport ship.

"What sort of collar do you wear?"

"A shipping collar, Master.  It shows that I am
a portion of the cargo of the Palms of Schendi."

(John Norman, Explorers of Gor, 1979)

Sleeve Collar

A sleeve collar is one that is constructed from
cloth, and is typically used as a covering or liner for the less attractive
metallic collar worn by the slave.  On rare occasions, the sleeve collar may
be worn by itself, without the uncomfortable collar within.