"Gor," he said, "is the name of this world. In all languages of this planet, the word means Home Stone." He paused, noting my lack of comprehension. "Home Stone," he repeated. "Simply that. "In peasant villages on this world," he continued, "each hut was originally built around a flat stone which was placed in the center of the circular dwelling. It was carved with the family sign and was called the Home Stone. It was, so to speak, a symbol of sovereignty, or territory, and each peasant, in his own hut, was a sovereign." "Later," said my father, "Home Stones were used for villages, and later still for cities. The Home Stone of a village was always placed in the market; in a city, on the top of the highest tower. The Home Stone came naturally, in time, to acquire a mystique, and something of the same hot, sweet emotions as our native peoples of Earth feel toward their flags became invested in it." My father had risen to his feet and had begun to pace the room, and his eyes seemed strangely alive. In time I would come to understand more of what he felt. Indeed, there is a saying on Gor, a saying whose origin is lost in the past of this strange planet, that one who speaks of Home Stones should stand, for matters of honor are here involved, and honor is respected in the barbaric codes of Gor.

...and so, I stand...

     As can be seen early on in the series, the importance of Honour is shown to Tarl Cabot. Along with this, is the representation of community, as embodied by the Home Stone.

     Just what is a Home Stone? To some, it is "just a rock". Nothing extravagant, just a small pebble they call their own. Or, for those who don't have one, and don't understand, they just see "some rock". Is it even a rock, in fact? I know of one man who has a beautiful piece of coral which is his Home Stone. And, later on in the same chapter as I quoted above, Tarl's father speaks of his small Home Stone, which encompasses a bit of soil from Earth - does this mean the stone is hollowed out, or perhaps is something he can see through to view the soil?

     There is a lot more to a Home Stone than just having "some rock" sitting on a table in the middle of your room. A Home Stone gives you focus, something that, no matter what, will always be yours. A Home Stone becomes the center of your household, the center of your community. Much as the cry has been "rally around the flag", for a Gorean, it is "Rally around your Home Stone". It gives you a sense of direction, knowing that behind you lies your home; or ahead of you, when you are returning from a journey.

"And what of Port Kar?" I asked.
"She has no Home Stone," said one of the men.
I smiled. It was true, Port Kar, of all the cities on Gor, was the only one that had no Home Stone. I did no know if men did not love her because she had no Home Stone, or that she had no Home Stone because men did not love her. The officer had proposed, as clearly as one might, that the city be abandoned to the flames, and to the ravaging seamen of Cos and Tyros. Port Kar had no Home Stone. "How many of you think," I asked, "that Port Kar has no Home Stone?" The men looked at one another, puzzled. All knew, of course, that she had no Home Stone. There was silence. Then, after a time, Tab said, "I think that she might have one." "But," said I, "she does not yet have one." "No." said Tab. "I," said one of the men, "wonder what it to be like to live in a city where there was a Home Stone." "How does a city obtain a Home Stone?" I asked. "Men decide that she shall have one," said Tab. "Yes," I said, "that is how it is that a city obtains a Home Stone." ...after the slave Fish was sent to retrieve a rock, and Bosk carved the initials of Port Kar into the surface of it, he held it up for all around him to see...(Greylin) "What have I here?" I asked. Tab said it, and quietly, "The Home Stone of Port Kar." "Now," said I, facing the man who had told me there was but one choice, that of flight, "shall we fly?" He looked at the simple rock, wonderingly, "I have never had a Home Stone before," he said. "Shall we fly?" I asked. "Not if we have a Home Stone." he said.

Raiders of Gor, pp 250-252

      As can be seen, with the introduction of a Home Stone to the society, the men who otherwise would have only thought of themeselves, now have something shared, something of more importance than just 'self', and no one that saw that simple rock would turn their back on it, lest they lose their respect from other men, or their inherent Honour.

     To speak of the Home Stone, is to speak of something that is far deeper than just the Home Stone itself. Just like the planet is made up of layers, there is something deeper, intangible, within one's Home Stone. It is something that, late at night around a campfire, or in the early morning hours within your home, you can share with your friends, pledge a common interest in maintaining the safety of each other, share a laugh, or a tear, and come away feeling the bonds of more than just friendship. To speak of the Home Stone is to speak of the bonds that have brought us together within this society, this community, this lifestyle...and share and grow from them.

     To have a Home Stone, in today's society, gives one a sense of belonging. It is a symbol of something otherwise intangible, something we might otherwise overlook and forget. Something that, when we gather together with others of like mind, we can share with them, something each person can see and hold. To have a Home Stone means to have a purpose, to have a dream...to have Life. Not just the motions of breathing, working, going from day to day, melding one into the next, for that is but an existence.

     A Home Stone is the embodiment of Life. Life for the person, the household, the community...it basically becomes the foundation, the heart and soul of the home.

     Just because I have a rock on my coffee table, does that automatically make me a Gorean now? ...No...for it is just a rock. However, by making that rock a symbol, something to look towards out of respect and awe, something to share only with those who you feel are close to you, that believe in the same basic principles you do. Living your life with respect for those around you, and conducting yourself with Honour in all that you do.

     Can you be a Gorean without a Home Stone? I believe that as you start on your journey of becoming Gorean, it might not be a necessity. But, as you start to understand more, and encompass more of the lifestyle within your heart, how can you live the lifestyle without one?

I wish you well,

Greylin `//olffe