Recollecting a Language

by Lionheart

Many of us have been exploring John Norman's Gor and what it means to us, for some time now. The journey has taken us down quite a few strange paths with unexpected twists and turns, and the various Gorean communities reflect those lessons learned in ways that are sometimes wonderful, but in other ways seem like empty houses. In the often obsessive pursuit of the meaning of the philosophy, it's possible that many have thrown out some of the gold while clearing away the dross.

One of the biggest obstacles to understanding the Gorean philosophy has always been the role-play. It starts out as something done for enjoyment, and perhaps, education. A way to vicariously experience something of the atmosphere, the flavor of Gor, a fantasy planet that we can never set foot upon except in our imaginations and hearts. The dark side of role-play is that people can lose sight of the validity of Gorean thought in their lives away from the computer, or waste the precious hours of their lives away in a shared fantasy that takes on a level of addiction we usually association with illicit drugs. Many of those who understand that there can be more than a game to Gor, have tended to be averse to the role-play, sometimes turning their backs completely upon it and upon those who indulge in it, focused on the reality of living their lives within the philosophy.

The pursuit of the philosophy meant discovering how it applied to your life, and then, proceeding to do so, not because you were following some checklist of 'Things Required to be Gorean', but rather because it was who and what you are. When enabled to naturally express your true nature, those things on the checklist happened without needing to know what they were, without any special effort. The fantasy of Gor was no longer necessary to actually be Gorean, and began to fall by the wayside.

That sounds like a good thing. Doesn't it? It's what has been spoken of for so very long, by me not the least. It's been the goal for many who pursued deeper understandings of the Gorean philosophy that speaks so clearly and insistently to both the mind and the heart.

But the house is looking rather empty these days. A chair here, a bed there, the TV in the corner, a microwave and fridge in the kitchen. That's about it.

One of the things I see less and less of are the rituals and protocols and symbols of Gor. Those gorgeous, sumptuous fantasy trappings that John Norman filled the Gor novels with. Most of it has been relegated away with the role-play as being non-essential to the philosophy. But does it mean that they have no value to us?

     •What need is there for a collar, real ownership lies within.

     •Why use fantasy greetings, just say 'hi' like a real person would.

     •Training slaves and ranking them in their progress is fantasy, there are no 'karate-silk' colors in reality.

     •Who cares about a 'Home Stone', in the real world we have flags.

     •Don't pay attention fantasy standards of castes or codes, they don't exist in reality.

     •Slaves shouldn't beg permission to enter a place, they're already there.

That list goes on and on, and one piece at a time, all those trappings were discarded. Perhaps a certain degree of purity is being achieved... but the house echoes with its emptiness.

The rituals of the Gor novels tended to be meaningful. They expressed deeper conditions and relationships with a clarity and heartfelt simplicity that words alone were too cumbersome to handle. Sometimes they constituted 'short-cuts', like a sign that indicates a wealth of information, or a symbol that represents many understandings which culminate in a single conclusion. And sometimes they reaffirmed and made manifest abstract ideas like loyalty or brotherhood. John Norman had something to say about this as well;

"Ritual is important. It is fulfilling and meaningful. It is beautiful. It is symbolic, mnemonic, and instructive. It establishes protocols. It expresses, defines, and clarifies conditions. It is essential to, and ingredient within, civilization. Similarly, do not overlook the significance and value of symbolism." - Vagabonds of Gor

In the Gor novels, there were rituals that existed between free people, and rituals that existed between slaves, and rituals that existed between free and embonded. There were rituals for getting up in the morning, rituals for going to bed. Rituals for beginning a journey and rituals for saying good-bye. There were protocols for behavior in many situations and relationships; there were signs by which people knew who other people were. There were symbols both physical and enacted which conveyed rich meaning to those who understood their language.

Beyond the books, within the on-line community there evolved new protocols that worked within that peculiar paradigm of interaction. Soon these too were under siege, derided as role-play or unrealistic, or perhaps the worst sin of all; they didn't originate in the Gor novels. Throwing those things away wholesale didn't make the people or the interactions 'more Gorean', but they did help to empty the house a bit more.

If you can speak and understand the language of Gor, and understand the meanings behind it's rituals, protocols, and symbols, then they can be used in a meaningful fashion. On the computer or off it, it isn't about where you are, it's about who you're interacting with. The meanings don't stop being valid because they aren't on the pages of a book, their reality and value depends on your understanding and ability to use them. And there's no reason that new rituals and protocols that are specifically applicable to our world around us, cannot be created and used to meaningfully express important relationships that were never dreamt of in John Norman's Gor.

Rituals, protocols, and symbols, are part and parcel of the Gorean language, within the Gor novels, and within the interactions of a Gorean community (off-line or on-line). They were once commonly used and understood, but these days it's not uncommon to encounter people see no value in it. Or at least, not enough value to speak, and use.

The Goreans in John Norman's novels had an interesting prejudice... not based on race, religion, or creed. It was based on language. If you couldn't speak and understand Gorean, you were a barbarian.