Gorean questions & answers – 4
I wasn’t able to answer all the questions last time, and since then I’ve been asked a few more, so here are some new questions & answers!
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1- Do quilted tunics really protect?
Yes, they pretty do. Well, the religious prohibitions of the Priest-Kings say that armor isn’t good, but that mainly concerns the technology of metal armor. The Gorean warrior can wear a quilted tunic to protect himself from the elements, the sun, the cold and any nasty blows. This consists of two layers of solid fabric, padded with several thick layers of linen, for example, all with strong, tight seams. The result is a thick, protective garment that can stop an arrow, or protect against cuts caused by a sword. It’s no miracle, but it does make the difference between a bearable wound and a fatal blow!
3- Are there any transgender people in Gor’s world?
Yes, because there’s nothing cultural about gender dysphoria (the medical and biological basis of transidentity). It’s a syndrome that appears at birth in all mammals. Zoologists began to suspect this in the late 1970s, when they saw strange behavior in certain animals, and since then science has been able to make more than enough observations and experiments to confirm that this reality is biological and constant. So, yes, on Gor, there are some.
That said, transgender people are very rare, and only a small minority of them will attempt to live according to the gender they aspire to, with all the mortal risks one can imagine! And because it’s a complicated and difficult life, these people often find themselves on the bangs of society, out of sight. But what about the others? Well, they survive, as best they can, and live an unhappy and often short life, which was the lot of the vast majority of transgender people until the 2000s.
As for intersex people, they have external or internal traits belonging to both sexes at the same time (I’m simplifying a lot). It’s even rarer than transgenders, and one of nature’s oddities. And it’s so rare and exceptional that I don’t think even goreans know what to make of it. In my opinion, many are enslaved for their exoticism.
3- How do you brush your teeth on Gor?
A bit like us, these days. Romans, Egyptians and Mayans used fine wood fibers to rub their teeth, with a dental balm made from fragrant plants mixed with fine ash. And, as we know from seeing lots of jaws, it worked pretty well, and they had clean teeth. So I imagine that on Gor, we don’t do things any differently, but with more sophisticated dental balms, created by the phycisians caste.
4- Is soap common?
Completely. To make soap, you need a rich, fatty base, such as vegetable oil or animal fat, and a foaming surfactant containing potassium or sodium hydroxide. This may be a plant, such as saponin, or the soap shrub, or a mineral, such as saponite, or simply filtered ash. In Europe, it’s often said to have been invented by the Gauls, but it’s much older, they just imported it from the Middle East; the Egyptians knew soap well.
In the novels, we also find the Roman washing method, which doesn’t use soap, but bath oils, and strigiles, scrapers to remove oil and dirt. But even the Romans washed with soap, especially to maintain their hair. As soap is really easy to make, and very effective for washing colored clothes (white linen and clothe is washed with boiled urine, which therefore contains chlorine), it’s quite common.
5- Is it possible to catch an STD on Gor?
Yes, and that’s not good news, but it’s far less dramatic than if you’d caught one in the 19th century. Gor medicine knows all about antibiotics and vaccines, which greatly reduces the risk of epidemics. If you do fall ill, chances are you’ll be well looked after.
But now you know why slaves, especially those serving in taverns, baths or as public slaves, are required to undergo regular health checks. Because the risk of epidemics, in a world of great sexual freedom, even if codified, is a real risk that can wreak havoc.
6- Do Goreans have pets?
Yes, they do. That said, the most common pet for a Gorean is the kajira. And that’s its rank and status, even before talking about its social usefulness.
But Goreans also have frevets as pets, a kind of weasel with a pointed snout that hunts insects. They’re a much-loved pet, and quite common in the countryside. There’s also the leem, a kind of small, fluffy rabbit, which is also very popular. Then of course there’s the sleen, but it’s a rather large animal, and not really a gentle, peaceful pet. For more information, please read this article.
7- Is there such a thing as a wig on Gor?
I’ve never asked myself the question, but I can answer yes without hesitation. The trade in human hair is quite common on Gor. There are enough slaves to easily supply this market, and human hair is used for many purposes on Gor, from strong rope for bows and crossbows, for ties, nets and so on. And so, yes, wigs and hair extensions are not surprising either! There’s bound to be a demand for it, so, a supply.
8 – What does a merchandise cart on Gor look like?
There are a few descriptions of plains nomad carts, and a few military carts, in the novels, from which we can deduce a few details. Gor carts are sturdy, with a high level of technological know-how, and the axles of the richest carts have leaf-sprung suspension systems to smooth out the bumps in the road. But the itinerant merchant’s cart doesn’t have such luxuries, so straw is piled in the bottom and fragile goods are well wrapped.
Bosks can be used as pack animals, but the most common on Gor’s roads is the working tharlarion, a large warm-blooded quadruped reptile that looks like a herbivorous iguana, with a thick body and short, water-loving legs. Slow, placid and somewhat lymphatic, its size and power make it an excellent animal for pulling carts or towing boats along rivers. It can even be used as a mount on long journeys, as it is hardy and easy to feed, making do with the grasses and leaves it finds.
