For my first article in English on the Gor Archives, and I’m very happy to dare this exercise, we’re going to tackle the subject of slavery materials and equipment. I will then translate all the articles on Gor slaves that I have written into French.

What was created and designed by the Goreans to control, play with, embellish, discipline, coerce or maintain their slaves? Now you’re going to laugh, but if Norman has always denied being inspired by BDSM, we’ll soon realize that on the material and technical side, on the other hand, he’s cheerfully not only dipped into, but enthusiastically invented on this theme.

Remember, the fact is that slavery has absolutely nothing to do with BDSM: a kajira didn’t ask to become one, she doesn’t have the choice of saying “no” or going back, nor does she have the duty of constantly proving her nature and devotion, of reaffirming through hardship her total commitment to and abnegation of her master. Moreover, the kajira is owned as property by a master, for legal (and prestige) reasons, but more often than not this is for purely utilitarian purposes: the kajira is a tool, an object, a labor force to be exploited at will. And it is forced into the same obedience and devotion to any free individual, without any restrictive choice. The owner will simply decide to specify to his interlocutors a few limits concerning his property, such as not damaging it. A submissive in the BDSM world is a person protected by rights and the law. A Gorean slave is a commodity, in the form of an animal devoid of all rights and consideration. We’ll come back to this in detail in the last article, which will be dedicated to Gor slaves.

Having said that, before getting to the heart of the matter, one thing is clear: as much as Gor people are cruel brutes when it comes to slavery and its concepts in general, the life of a slave being ultimately worth very little (a little silver, more rarely a little gold and nothing more), they also show great finesse and creative imagination when it comes to their inventions and techniques for taking advantage of, playing with, nurturing and controlling their slaves. And, for example, there are clearly technical practices, such as flagellation or bondage, practiced totally by play by goreans with their slaves, and which are quite similar to BDSM techniques and practices, Norman be damned! You shouldn’t have written it if you didn’t want it to exist!

1- Means of control and maintenance

Tassa powder: In the form of a reddish powder, this is a powerful, fast-acting sleeping pill that has no antidote. It can be mixed with any liquid, but is most often used with red wine to disguise its color. The powder has no taste, and its effect is powerful enough for a pinch to knock out the strongest of men. Tassa powder is used by slavers to effectively secure a captive, but is also used to sedate and capture a target. The duration of the effect or its danger in case of overdose are not discussed in the novels, but we can assume that it’s best not to overdose too much and that, given its purpose, the effect is intended to last a few hours for a normal dose.

Dart anesthetics: slave hunters and slavers employ darts coated with an anesthetic substance that Norman doesn’t describe, however. The anesthetic drug does, however, have a powerful numbing effect, knocking out the victim within a minute. The drug can also be used on a stylet or dagger, injecting the substance into the bloodstream. While the benefits of this drug are clear, the perfume of capture (a kind of chloroform) is more effective, although it lasts only a few minutes, whereas this anaesthetic seems to last a good hour.

Perfume of capture: This is a kind of powerful chloroform, again used by slavers. Imbibed on a cloth and plastered over the nose and mouth, breathing it in renders the victim unconscious in less than ten seconds. A priori, Norman suggests that a strong man is more resistant than a woman to this effect and could evade it before becoming too weak, which would not be the case for a woman. The great advantage of the perfume of capture is that you can quickly overpower a struggling captive without the risk of injuring her. However, the effect lasts only a few minutes, about fifteen.

Slave tie: made of a braided mixture of leather and strong fibers (like silk), sometimes with steel wire mixed in, this is the most typical tie used by goreans for capturing and binding.  It’s impossible to cut without tools and time. Typically, a slave leash is about two meters long.

 

Mechanical retractable leash: while the appearance of this device is cruder than the retractable leash for Earth dogs, it’s much the same, and employs the same mechanical principles within the reach of goreans. A trigger behind the leash reel, usually a thin chain, winds up a portion or all of the leash. The mechanism is strong and powerful, so if the master holds the reel tightly, the slave is forced to follow the movement without being able to resist.

 

Capture tourniquet: This is nothing less than a tourniquet collar. It consists of a narrow chain ending in two wooden handles at each end. This chain will suffocate the victim without a blow, but unlike a real garrote, cannot cut the victim’s throat. The instrument is used to choke a captive into submission. And it can be used and held with one hand.

 

Chastity belt: I don’t think there’s any need to describe this object in greater detail. It’s only used to make sure that a white silk slave is kept clean, in case anyone wants to take advantage of her in the street, without asking the owner (and they often do, in fact).

 

Iron paddock: this is the generic name given to the cellars of slavers’ houses. “It refers to all the underground containment facilities in a slaver’s house; not just cages, but pits, steel drums, wall chains and the like; it’s the name of an area, as a whole, rather than a literal description of the nature of the one type of containment device found there.” (Assassin de Gor, p.122) ”

 

Leashes: Gor people are very fond of this accessory, and very often walk their slave on a leash when they’re out and about with her. The typical leash is a leather strap braided with wire to prevent it from being easily cut or worn. The leash is attached with a spring-loaded snap hook, and the leash itself ends with a sturdy loop for gripping. It also doubles as an effective improvised whip. A leash is usually two meters long, rarely more. There are also chain leashes and choke leashes, as well as longer leashes, often designed to allow the leashed slave to play sensually with the length of the leash to catch the eye. In fact, some collars are specially designed to accommodate the constant use of a leash.

 

Disinfectant bath: This product, poured into large tubs of water, is a powerful disinfectant, relatively toxic if ingested, used to cleanse slaves of parasites. Most often, it is used on slaves who are to be transported by boat. They will be immersed in this liquid to avoid infesting the ship’s other cargoes. The laws of many ports require all ships carrying slaves to take this precaution.

 

Depilatory balm: This is only mentioned in one or two late novels, although we learn the importance of hair removal fairly early on in Assassins of Gor. So, the Goreans use a particularly powerful depilatory balm for their slave-girls, described as capable of making all hair fall out in a matter of minutes, with hair growing back only as a fine, translucent fuzz. The effect is therefore virtually definitive and permanent. If it’s used on girls, free women also use it for coquetry. I imagine that, as with certain historical balms (the Romans and Chinese had similar recipes), the application of the balm, although quick-acting, must not be painless…

 

Slave hoods: the most common way of transporting slaves is to lock them up in small groups in cages, or bind them together in columns with chains. And more often than not, a hood was placed over their heads to blind them. The most common model is a simple jute or leather bag, fastened with a lace at the back. But it can also be a solid, elaborate hood, fitted with a gag and padded leather reinforcements to blind the slave completely and cover his ears to deafen him completely, pierced with fine holes for breathing and fitted with a padlock! Some hoods, especially for sale and display, also reveal the lower part of the face so that the mouth and jaw can be admired.

 

Slave whistle: Goreans like to shout, but a whistle carries a lot further. What’s more, it can also be used to remotely send precise codes to be obeyed by trained kajirae. It’s a tool often used by slavers.

 

Slave tube (feeding tube): yes, Gorean physicists invented this for slavers, to force-feed a captive who was too thin or wanted to starve herself to death. And the equipment is commonplace. It’s a three-part device: a sort of wide gag with a hole in the center to force the slave’s mouth shut and block her tongue and jaw; a long, flexible, semi-rigid tube, made of a material Norman doesn’t specify, that runs down the esophagus to the stomach; and finally, a plunger to inject semi-solid food into the tube. A captive fed in this way is bound to struggle, so she is always tied up and kept on her knees. The gag is only removed an hour later, to ensure that she cannot regurgitate, and she is kept with her hands tied behind her back to prevent her vomiting later.

 

Captive yokes: slave yokes are quite similar to animal yokes, and consist of a metal or wooden bar with three rings. The central ring is attached to the slave’s collar or neck ties, while the other two are used to bind the wrists. The yokes are used for transport, punishment and control, as well as for the sexual exploitation of a slave reduced to impotence. The posture and the object are so humiliating that most male captives, especially warriors, would rather find a way to die than let themselves be tied like this. Some yokes are two-part, wooden pieces that close around the neck and wrists with buckles and padlocks; those for female slaves often feature bells.

 

Slave perfumes: noted here, because slave perfumes – and there are hundreds of them, it’s a sought-after and prized trade – also have a function, in addition to sensually attracting men and adorning the kajirae: many of them are more or less aphrodisiac. Some are even specially designed to help slaves train for pleasure by keeping them constantly aroused, and are powerful enough that a free woman can’t contain herself from inhaling them.

 

2- Punishment equipment

 

Branding irons: not exactly a punishment, since most slave girls (much less often male slaves) are branded, to identify them as slaves and for legal reasons: in some cities, it is forbidden to sell an unbranded slave. Iron branding is an art for goreans, entrusted to specialists (no, not blacksmiths!) called iron masters, who belong to the slave-owning caste. An owner, unless he insists and is very sure of himself, won’t brand his own slave: for one thing, he might mess up the job, and for another, branding is impersonal and must remain so in the minds of goreans. The height of an iron mark is 2.5 to 5 cm, never more. It takes about 4 seconds to permanently brand a skin with a red iron, and the iron is cleaned between each branding, then heated again; it’s a time-consuming process. Slaves are always shown the red-hot iron before applying it to their skin, to give them an idea of what’s about to happen.

 

Irons of infamy: this applies to both free and enslaved people, although the examples in the novels mainly concern a slave guilty of great disobedience or of trying to escape. Branding for infamy leaves a permanent mark (the letter I in Gorean, small in size, usually one centimeter) and is only applied for three crimes: lying, theft or treason (a slave who runs away from her master betrays him). For a free person, it is often applied to the face, chest or shoulder. For a slave, often next to her slave mark, on the thigh. Cruel as this punishment may be, it is used to give the person being punished a chance: he or she will be punished with the lash or other corporal punishment, but will not be killed or mutilated, but warned that he or she cannot repeat the crime without paying a heavy price. A slave can certainly not expect to survive after two marks of infamy, for example.

 

Electric cattle prod: There are several types, but Norman mentions above all the one for tarns, and the one for slaves, invented by the Builders’ Caste, the one for slaves was designed with them by the Physicists’ Caste. The instrument, quite common if expensive, is an electrified rod for disciplining tarn and slaves, made to, in theory, cause no lethal damage, which is clearly contradicted by the use that can be made of it in the novels; the tip can become hot and shiny enough to burn the skin. A thumbwheel allows you to adjust the intensity, from barely unpleasant shocks to lethal ones in a matter of moments.

 

Kurt or (slave whip): the typical whip used to discipline slaves on Gor is in fact a kind of martinet, with five flat, wide straps of supple leather, about 90 cm long. The whip handle itself is around 30 cm long. The kurt floggers painfully and effectively, but the shape of the straps ensures that it leaves no permanent marks, unlike a real whip. As a result, it cannot injure or damage the slave, unless it is extremely brutal.

 

Snake-whip: the cruelest and most dangerous of all whips, the snake-whip is a whip made entirely of a tightly woven lacing of fine leather straps and fibers. Handling it takes practice. When a snake snaps, the strand of fibers that terminates it moves at the speed of sound. It can easily slash skin and flesh, and is only used for the cruellest punishments (including on free men and women) or, at dances, to play with the dancer, taking care not to hit her directly or injure her. For the record, such a whip can kill someone in twenty or thirty strokes, and few victims will remain conscious after five.

 

Other flogging instruments: the badine is the most common instrument used by slaves to educate or discipline other slaves: it’s a thin stick made of hard, flexible wood. A blow from the badine is terribly painful and leaves fine, deep bruises, more cruel, long-lasting and risky than kurt blows. The “quirt” is a wide, flat leather strap, about 60 cm long. The preferred instrument of free women, it produces cruel bites and leaves large bruises but no wounds. The last instrument used to train and discipline slaves, especially during deportment and dance classes, the bastinade is a fairly thin rope, knotted at the end, used to cruelly whip legs, feet and ankles.

 

Slave box: The slave box is a solid wooden or iron box, square and so narrow that the slave inside can only stand on all fours, practically unable to move.  The box, which can be opened at the front, has only one other opening: a hole at the top, another on the side to let air circulate, and a small trapdoor to provide food and water. It’s an effective form of supplication for breaking a slave or disciplining her effectively over a long, effortless period. In Slave-Girl of Gor, Elinor Brinton spends eighteen days there just after being branded, ending up eating live insects, the only food offered to stay alive. But then, Norman probably has no idea of the effect on the body and mind of such long, unhygienic confinement.

 

3- Necklaces

 

Typical slave collar: the most common collars are made of iron or steel, but leather, fabric and rope are also used. The most common collar for women is a smooth, one-and-a-half-centimeter-high, fairly thin and light steel band that fits snugly around the neck and locks at the nape with a six-bolt lock, each bolt engraved with one of the letters of the word Kajira. Some necklaces can be quite expensive and ornate, plated with silver or gold, or even made entirely of precious metals and decorated with precious stones. The more decorative and expensive a slave’s collar, the richer her master is, and the more certain he is that her slave has no desire to run away. Necklaces for male slaves and convicts are wider, thicker and much more basic. They are often riveted. All collars have at least one ring, sometimes several, and all are engraved with the slave owner’s name and town (and sometimes additional information) or with a metal plate attached to the ring, which mentions the owner’s name, town and info. While the slave mark is impersonal, the collar is very personal, and no Gorean neglects its meaning, security and appearance.

 

Posture collar: briefly described in Magician of Gor and Prize of Gor, this is a type of high collar, mainly made of leather, taking up the entire neck of the kajira, and considered an accessory of luxury and discipline. The kajira who wears it cannot lower her head and neck movements are restricted.

 

Transport collar: thick and rather basic, it has a large buckle in front and behind, and closes with a latch on one side, with a joint on the opposite side. It is designed to chain slaves together in single file for transport.

 

Dance collar: a thin, round collar, hinged at the front and closed at the nape of the neck, with several rings and a snap hook at the front. It is designed to hold up to six chains, which can be held by spectators attending the dance, or connected to wrist or ankle restraints, as a ceremonial feature of the dance.

 

Turian necklace: this is nothing more or less than a thin steel ring hinged at the front, closed at the nape by a fine, complex lock, with a ring at the front. As the Turian collar is rather thin, it is not easy to engrave.

 

4- Chains

 

Body chain: This item is often considered a type of slave jewelry, but is also frequently used as a control tool. Body chain consists of a length of fine chain, about 1.50 m long, which can be looped around a girl’s neck or body. This chain, if used as jewelry, can be adorned with wooden beads, semi-precious stones, pieces of leather and so on. It’s a kind of luxury leash. They are fitted with detachable snap hooks for attaching rings and shackles.

 

Dance chains: Starting from a dance collar (see above), these slender chains are generally 90 cm long and feature snap hooks for attaching leashes, rings or wrist and ankle restraints.

 

Slave buckle: This equipment is an oval buckle, made of steel, with a hinge that locks onto a girl’s waist. Two wrist restraints, on sliding buckles, are mounted on the buckle. Once fitted with this device, the slave can no longer use her arms. This one has a ring welded on the back to attach a tie.

 

Slave ring: the good old iron ring for attaching a slave. They’re everywhere in town, fixed to the wall or a low post, often with lengths of chain freely available for tying up slaves. Padlocks are not supplied. They can also be found in houses and apartments, even attached to furniture. And sometimes they’re even used by a gorean to tie up a free woman as a painful reminder of her place.

 

Slave strap: playing the same role as the slave buckle, this is a wide leather strap attached to the ring at the back of the collar to fall down the back. The strap forms a loop through which a chain with wrist restraints is passed.

 

Slave bar: a simple metal bar, with a slave collar at each end, and constrain them in this way, two by two. Each collar is fitted with a ring to restrain the captives’ wrists.

 

Walking chains: originating from Tahari, this common accessory is widely used in kajirae training, to constrain and discipline their stride if it is deemed too large or inelegant. It’s simply a thin chain connected to two ankle restraints, which can be adjusted in length from around 5 to 50 cm. In Tahari, even some free women use a walking chain to learn how to have a delicate stride.

 

5- Jewellery

 

Earrings: only slaves have their ears pierced to adorn them with earrings and pendants. A slave with pierced ears will even be mocked by other slaves, as she is condemned to remain a slave forever.

 

– Earrings,” I tell her, “are considered by Gorean women to be the ultimate degradation of a woman, suitable only for sensual slaves, for shameless, shameless women, happy that men have forced them to wear them and be beautiful.

 

– Don’t free women from Gor wear earrings?” asked Alyena.

 

– Never,” I said.

 

– Only slaves?

 

– Only the most degraded slaves,” I replied.

 

Other piercings : they are very rare, except for the ring that crosses the nose of certain nomadic tribes, and only among them. Free Gorean men and women never wear piercings. It seems that some exotic or pleasure kajirae wear jewelry piercing the navel or nipples, but this is something that is not common.

 

Navel chain: a decorative chain, often ornate, precious and adorned with bells, that runs around the slave’s waist, below her navel. Often padlocked, it frequently has a small medal with the K of kajira on the front.

 

Bells: pleasure slaves, paga tavern slaves and dancers all wear bells, an ornament that goreans adore. They produce a discreet but always audible sound that goreans associate with sensuality. They also serve to take away a slave’s ability to be discreet. They can be worn on ankles, wrists, waists and collars.

 

Sirik: this decorative jewel is in fact a set made up of a necklace, wrist and ankle bracelets and fine chains running from the necklace to the ankles and from the necklace to the wrists. Yes, goreans love chains and shackles. The length is adjusted so that the slave can move and dance with her chains, not without some constraints, but not so long that she gets her feet caught in them.

 

Waistbands: these exist, mainly for slaves, and are short girdles and corsets, fitted at the waist to accentuate a girl’s figure. There are many ways to tie them, and it is claimed that only men know how to tie them properly. Made of leather and fabric, some are sturdy and fitted with rings, and can also be used for discipline.

 

Slave harnesses: when I say Norman has dipped into fetishism and BDSM merrily! There are many different varieties of these harnesses, usually made of fine leather, adjustable with buckles and tightening straps, and they can often be differentiated by their function: some are intended for discipline, others for securing the slave, but some have a purely ornamental function. And, indeed, they do resemble the human version in the horse harness fetish.

 

Restriction harnesses: like slave harnesses, these allow you to enclose your arms and legs, or even your whole body, in a strong, supple leather harness, complete with suspension loops and rings. Ideal for playing with your slave, but also for transporting her in complete safety.

 

6- Bondage equipment

 

Blindfold: as detailed above for the hood, goreans have perfected this simple accessory. While a simple piece of cloth may suffice, there are blindfolds reinforced with padded parts that totally obstruct the view, and tied securely at the back of the head, some in leather with a padlock.

 

Gagging: similarly, while a simple scarf and a piece of cloth in the mouth gag effectively, goreans have all kinds of elaborate gags, the most common of which is a metal sphere covered in leather or rubbery material, with a metal rod running through it, connected by a leather band, or even a complete harness, which is fastened to the back of the head and can be padlocked. There are also spreader gags made of a metal ring that locks the jaw open, and choking gags that severely restrict the slave’s breathing and swallowing to discipline her.

 

Slave bracelets: basically all forms of wrist and ankle restraints and other handcuffs that goreans use on their slaves. They come in all shapes and sizes, including jewel-like ornaments and decorations, but, unsurprisingly, goreans prefer them strong, metal and lockable. While slave bracelets for girl slaves are elaborately crafted and generally of high quality so as not to damage them, this is not a concern for male slaves and convicts. Leather bracelets that can be fastened with simple buckles are common, and can be found in the alcoves of paga taverns for playing with girls.

 

Pleasure rack: as you’d expect, this instrument is designed for men’s pleasure, not that of slaves. It’s a kind of display easel, allowing you to use the girl attached to it as you please. While the simplest versions allow only a few attachment positions, the most complex are equipped with supports for ropes and ties, and mechanical rack and pinion and crank joints, to make the slave assume any kind of forced pose for the purpose of using her to her heart’s content, alone or with friends. It’s best to know how to use it, however, as a girl could end up with her limbs or kidneys broken by such machinery, and as for comfort, it’s usually only summarily thought out for the slave.

 

Slave mat: This is a small mat, woven from a rough, irritating material, on which a slave can be ordered to lie as a form of discipline or as a prelude to sexual intercourse, which will take place on the mat, leaving the slave with a painful memory of the moment. The slave cannot leave the carpet without the owner’s permission. This is a common accessory in a master’s house.

 

Spreaders: used for training or discipline, they are also used for play, and consist of a metal bar on which ankle and wrist restraints slide. The distance between the ankles and wrists can be adjusted by hand-screws which tighten the sliding restraints, allowing a girl’s legs to be held wide open, or even subjected to a severe ordeal, or simply used at her leisure.

 

Suspension rings: it’s all in the title, these rings that hang from the ceiling by a chain connected to a pulley to hoist a girl into the air are very common. They can be found everywhere, even in inns. In general, goreans suspend a slave by the feet or hands to whip her. But this may be for fun, and not necessarily as a punishment, or to leave her there, sometimes intricately bound, waiting for her fate, including, of course, in public!

 

7- Means of transport & storage

 

Slave transport boxes: yes, Goreans do transport some slaves in boxes. Which leaves me wondering about the medium-term chances of survival of the merchandise, but anyway. Boxes are generally made of steel or solid wood with steel straps, and small holes for air circulation. The boxes are locked with iron bars, and transport is facilitated by sturdy towing rings. These boxes are often marked with paint to identify their contents.

 

Slave bag: yes, bags are also used to transport girls. Made of thick textiles or leather, they’re big enough to fit inside. They’re also a simple and effective form of punishment.

 

Slave carts: to avoid having to transport a cage on a cart, slave carts feature a sturdy metal bar for securing girls with ankle restraints. The bar can be lifted for this purpose, then fixed to form an integral part of the cart’s structure. The cart is covered and, more often than not, sports the yellow and gold colors of the slavers who provide the transport. Often, the cart also has a metal display frame, to chain the girls upright for display and auction to customers, in front of the cart.

 

Slave kennel: the kennel is not the common name for the place where slaves sleep, but for their cages, found in slave pens, on private property or on ships. These are small cells, equipped (sometimes) with a chamber pot and bedding, generally one meter high by one wide and 1m20 long. The girl can only enter on all fours, through a grid that lifts up on one side. These cages are generally designed to be stacked.

 

Slave lockers: if you’re thinking of lockers in public places, it’s the same thing. Found in major cities, an owner slips a coin into the slot in the locker door, receives the locker key and lets his slave in while he goes about his personal business. These lockers are small, 90x90x90cm, and you can’t safely leave a slave inside for long, as in theory no one will come to look after her.

 

Slave enclosures: these are guarded enclosures, either public, in cities, or private. They differ from pleasure gardens in that you only hire a service to maintain and watch over your slave while you’re away. Some private enclosures, attached to a slave owner’s estate, also offer education and training services. However, with the strict, soulless discipline that reigns in these pens, no slave likes to be there.