Cyberisms

This list is comprised of common misconceptions that are found in cyber-Gor. They have no reference base from the original source text by John Norman.

  • The proper way for a "Gorean Warrior" to say "farewell" is to say "Winds and Steel" or just "Winds."

    False - This is a complete cyberism with no example in the books to back it up. There is not a single instance where the word "winds" is used as a farewell, not even in combination with any other words.

  • There are many different colored sugars on Gor, red included.

    FALSE - There is no red sugar mentioned in any of the books, only white and yellow.

    "She carried a tray, on which were various spoons and sugars. She knelt, placing her tray on the table. With a tiny spoon, its tip no more than a tenth of a hort in diameter, she placed four measures of white sugar, and six of yellow, in the cup; with two stirring spoons, one for the white sugar, another for the yellow, she stirred the beverage after each measure."
    Tribesmen of Gor, page 89

  • There are red, white, pink, purple, green, black and rainbow-silked girls on Gor, depending on their training and/or status.

    FALSE - There are only red and white silk girls in the books. The colors do not describe what the slave is wearing (or any type of "status"), but rather the girl's condition.

    "The expression "red silk," in Gorean, tends to be used as a category in slaving, and also, outside the slaving context, as an expression in vulgar discourse, indicating that the woman is no longer a virgin, or, as the Goreans say, at least vulgarly of slaves, that her body has been opened by men. Its contrasting term is "white silk," usually used of slaves who are still virgins, or, equivalently, slaves whose bodies have not yet been opened by men."
    Blood Brothers of Gor, page 472

  • Unowned/uncollared girls wearing silks.

    FALSE - A slave is unable to own any property, she cannot be in the posession of clothing, bells, silks, etc. She may own nothing, period.

    "Surely you are aware," said Saphrar, "that a slave cannot own property --- any more than a kaiila, a tharlarion or sleen."
    Nomads of Gor, page 132

  • Bazi tea is always served as part of a long drawn-out ceremony (online, that means 8-10 posts).

    FALSE - There is no such thing as a "Bazi Tea Ceremony". According to the books, it looked like this:

    "'Make me tea,' I said. 'Is it ready?' I asked. I looked at the tiny copper kettle on the small stand. A tiny kaiila-dung fire burned under it. A small, heavy, curved glass was nearby, on a flat box, which would hold some two ounces of the tea. Bazi tea is drunk in tiny glasses, usually three at a time, carefully measured. She did not make herself tea, of course. She lifted the kettle from the fire and, carefully, poured me a tiny glass of tea. I took the glass."
    Tribesmen of Gor, page 139

  • Kajira must always beg entrance in the position of karta before entering taverns.

    FALSE - In the books, slaves did not travel from tavern to tavern and did not beg entrance. There is also no reference to any position known as "karta".

    "`Slaves can enter taverns, can they not?' I asked. `If on an errand, or in the company of a free person,' he said..."
    Kajira of Gor, page 122

  • The word *rask* refers to a slave's buttocks.

    FALSE - No where in any of the books is this word used in such a manner. The only reference to *rask*, is Rask of Treve in Captive of Gor.

  • The correct way to nadu is always with "palms up."

    FALSE - In the books, girls are trained to nadu with both palms up and palms down. The "palms up" position can be interpretted as a silent plea to be used.

    "Then, delicately, in a graceful gesture, she turned her hands, putting their backs to the floor, exposing her palms, and the soft flesh of her palms, to him, indicating her surrender, her submission, her vulnerability and her readiness."
    Rogue of Gor, page 196

    "I had stopped near her and she had, immediately, knelt, for she was in the presence of a free man.....she had, suddenly, dropped her eyes. I saw a tiny movement in her hands, on her thighs, as though she would turn them, exposing the palms to me, but then she pressed them down on her thighs, hard."
    Explorers of Gor, page 81

    “Come now, my pretty slaves” said Ginger. “kneel straight. Back straight, heads up. Back on your heels there!. Spread those pretty knees. Yes, that is the way men like it. Put your hands, palms down, on your thighs. Good. Good. Excellent!”
    Savages of Gor, page 155

  • A free woman may be addressed how she wishes.

    Although this is true, the original source text tells us again and again how free women are to be addressed. This is in almost every book.

    "The Gorean slave girl addresses all free men as 'Master' and all free women as 'Mistress.'"
    Assassins of Gor, page 215

  • Slaves in the books always spoke in first-person. Making slaves speak in third-person is just an online thing.

    FALSE - Slaves speaking in third-person DID occur in the books.

    "Who!" she demanded. "I did," I cried. "I did!" "Speak as a slave!" demanded Ute. "El-in-or betrayed Ute!" I cried. "El-in-nor betrayed Ute!"
    Captive of Gor, page 287

  • Any slave even *touching* a weapon will be put to death.

    FALSE - There are many instances throughout the books where a slave touches weapons. The difference being the *intent*, when touching.

    "I recalled how a guard had once given me his spear, and it had been so heavy, I could throw it only a few feet. He had then taken it from me and hurled it into a block of wood, head deep, more then a hundred feet away. He then sent me to fetch it for him and I had scarcely been able to work it free of the wood."
    Captive of Gor, page 106

    "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.
    Nomads of Gor, page 142

    "Wasnapohdi thrust her knife in behind the neck, to make the first slash, from which the skin would begin to be folded back, to expose the forequarters on each side. Subsequently the hide, in the normal fashion, can be cut down the middle."
    Blood Brothers of Gor, page 57

  • There is no such thing as forgiving a slave. Slaves must always beg for mercy, never for forgiveness.

    FALSE - There are many instances where a slave begged to be forgiven.

    "Forgive me, Mistress," I begged. "Did you lie?" she asked. "Yes, Mistress," I said. "I lied! I lied! Forgive me, Mistress. Please, forgive me!"
    Fighting Slave of Gor, page 67

    "Do you bargain?" I asked. "No, Master," she cried. "No, Master! Forgive me, Master! Please forgive me, Master!"
    Fighting Slave of Gor, page 97

  • The word for "collar" is spelled ko-lar (or kollar).

    FALSE - The spelling "ko-lar" occurs ONE time to show how the word "collar" is pronounced.

    "Ko-lar," she said, indicating her collar. "It is the same word in English," I cried. She did not understand my outburst. Gorean, as I would learn, is rich in words borrowed from Earth languages; how rich it is I am not a skilled enough philologist to conjecture. It may well be that almost all Gorean expressions may be traced to one or another Earth language. Yet, the language is fluid, rich and expressive.
    Slave Girl of Gor, page 80

    Note: The word "Urth" is also not found in the books.

  • Every tavern has a "servery".

    FALSE - The word "servery" does NOT exist in the books at all.

  • All slaves must taste the drink before serving it to the free person.

    FALSE -

    He extended his goblet to me. “Drink,” he said, offering me the cup. I looked at the rim of the cup. I shook with terror. “A slave girl dares not touch with her lips the rim of that cup which has been touched with the lips of her master,” I whispered.
    Captive of Gor, page 302

    When I had served him wine he gave me, too, to drink of the cup. This was, in its way, a great honor, and a token of his recognition as to how I stood to him. I still, of course, did not dare to drink from the same edge of the cup as he, the master.
    Slave Girl of Gor, page 442

    One of the men lifted his cup and I hurried to him. I took the cup and filled it...then I pressed my lips to his cup as I must, as a slave girl, and handed it to him.
    Slave Girl of Gor, page 89

    `Why do you not drink? I asked her. `A girl does not drink before her master,' she said. `I see that you are not totally stupid,' I said. `Thank you, Master,' she said.
    Guardsmen of Gor, page 296

  • All slaves must learn how to do a "seven-step serve" including:

  • Taking "three steps back" before leaving a Master's feet.
  • How to "sweeten" a drink.
  • Holding the vessel against the "slave's heart for three beats".
  • Saying a prayer for the Master's safety.
  • FALSE - There is no such thing as a "seven-step serve" and NONE of the above occur in any of the books.(See Serves By the Book which has been graciously provided by Fogaban.)

  • If you "really want to be Gorean" you must learn the "Kassar language".

    FALSE - Although a few words of Kassar are in the books there is really no basis for a complete "language". It is usually only seen in online RP rooms.


    Compiled by Kashmir

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