Fina citizens respect the Home Stone
1. Theft of the Home Stone
2. Failure to stand when speaking of the Home Stone
(more on http://www.fina.moonfruit.com)
Showing posts with label Home Stone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home Stone. Show all posts
Friday, March 8, 2019
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Home Stone
"Do
not ask a Gorean what the Home Stone means because he will not understand your
question. It will puzzle him. It is the Home Stone." Magicians of Gor
To define the concept of a Home Stone is a difficult task. It is a cultural concept that resists definition by outsiders and needs no definition within its own society.
"It is not a word, or a sentence. It does not really translate. It is too important, too precious, to mean. It just is." Magicians of Gor
A Home Stone has very deep meaning to a Gorean. The very word "Gor" means Home Stone in all of the languages of Gor. I shall try to give one an idea of the basics of a Home Stone though this will be insufficient in actually truly defining the idea.
Goreans view their cities as almost living things. They see a city as an entity with a history, tradition, heritage, customs, practices, character, intentions, and hopes. To be "of" a city gives a person a sense of immortality though Goreans know that even a city can be destroyed. This love of their city is invested in the Home Stone, that in many respects is the very soul of a city. The Home Stone is a valuable symbol of sovereignty and territory.
Home Stones can be of various shapes, sizes, and colors. There is no standard for them. Some are intricately carved while others simply have a single letter etched into them, the initial letter of the city. Some large cities have small stones of great antiquity. The Home Stone of Ar is accepted by tradition as being the oldest Home Stone on Gor. It is allegedly over ten thousand years old. Other cities have only recently acquired a Home Stone. Port Kar acquired a Home Stone in 10120 C.A. A rock was picked up from one of the streets, Tarl Cabot etched the initials of the city into it and the people accepted it as their own.
Long ago, in peasant villages, each hut was built around a flat stone placed in the center of a circular dwelling. The stone was carved with the family sign and called the Home Stone. Each peasant within his hut thus became a sovereign. Later, Home Stones were used for villages, then towns and cities. In the villages, the Home Stone was commonly placed in the market area. In most cities, it is usually placed freely in the top of the highest tower, though it is well guarded. All it takes to have a Home Stone is for someone or a group to choose to have one.
There is no clear origin for Home Stones though there are several mythical accounts. One of the most popular legends involves Hesius, the mythical first man of Gor. Hesius once performed great labors for the Priest-Kings and was promised a reward greater than gold and silver. When he finished his toils, he was presented with a flat piece of rock with a single character inscribed upon it, the first letter of the name of his home village. Hesius confronted the Priest-Kings, feeling that he had been cheated. They told him that this item was truly more valuable than gold and silver and was called a "Home Stone."
Hesius brought the Home Stone to his war torn village, placed it in the market and told them what the Priest-Kings had said. A wise man stated that it must be very valuable if the Priest-Kings had so spoke. The warring factions wanted to know who's stone it was. Hesius told them that it belonged to all of them. All of the factions then put their weapons away and peace came to the village. This village was named Ar.
Where a man sets his Home Stone, he claims, by law, that land for himself.
"The Home Stone says this place is mine, this is my home." Magicians of Gor
There is also a hierarchy of Home Stones. Men who would fight each other over an acre of land will join together to protect their village or city.
"The sharing of a Home Stone is no light thing in a Gorean city."Slave Girl of Gor
The common bond of a Home Stone unites such people and they will support and protect all those who share their Home Stone. Some hope or dream of a single Supreme Home Stone for all of Gor. Others believe that the Priest Kings already have such a Stone and it is the source of their power.
"A palace without a Home Stone is a hovel; a hovel with a Home Stone is a palace." Slave Girl of Gor
The Home Stone is the center of various rituals in each city such as the Planting Feast of Sa-Tarna in Ar. Each city has a citizenship ceremony where children, who reach intellectual majority, swear an oath of allegiance to their city while touching or kissing the Home Stone. This ceremony may also require vouching by existing citizens. Another requirement may also be a questioning by a committee of citizens to determine your worthiness to the city. Nonperformance of this ceremony can be cause for expulsion from the city. You can renounce your Home Stone and change your citizenship to another city but this is rarely done. You cannot be a citizen of a city without pledging yourself to its Home Stone. You cannot belong to two Home Stones of different cities either.
You may have multiple Home Stones due to the hierarchical nature of such items. But those Home Stones must fit within the hierarchy to be acceptable. That is why you cannot belong to the Home Stones of two different cities as that would be outside the hierarchy. You could have your own personal Home Stone and also belong to the Home Stone of your city. If you once lived in a town or small city that was subsumed into a larger entity, such as Tetrapoli, then you muts also have a Home Stone for the town or small city as well as the larger entity. Thus, you might belong to three Home Stones.
Stealing a Home Stone is a heinous sacrilege and punishable by the most painful of deaths. It is also the greatest of glories to steal one from another city. In Tarnsman of Gor, Tarl Cabot steals the Home Stone of Ar. This earned him glory in the eyes of many though the city of Ar wished him to die horribly. Even when Tarl and Marlenus become almost friends, Marlenus cannot forgive him for the prior offense of stealing the Home Stone. As Ubar, Marlenus could never do so. The theft of a Home Stone does not automatically signal the death knell for a city.
While a Home Stone survives, then so does the city. When Koroba was destroyed by the Priest-Kings, Matthew Cabot retained the Home Stone, thus still keeping the city alive. Even though all of its people were scattered all over Gor and no building stood on the spot where the city once was, the survival of the Home Stone ensured that the city was still living. Ko-ro-ba was later rebuilt around its Home Stone at its same location.
Stealing a Home Stone is not an easy task as it engenders great reservoirs of strength in those who belong to it.
"One does not lightly dispute the passage of one who carries his Home Stone." Nomads of Gor
Even a trained warrior would be very wary of a mere peasant who was carrying his Home Stone. The loyalty and pride in your Home Stone seems to release the floodgates of hidden strengths. When it is directly threatened, a Gorean is able to overcome many obstacles to ensure its safety.
A Home Stone unifies the people of a city. It is more important than caste prejudices or other forms of prejudice. It inspires intense loyalty, great enough that everyone would die to protect it. There is a popular Gorean saying that:
"One who speaks of Home Stones should stand for matters of honor are involved." Tarnsman of Gor
This is taken to an extreme where a man might be killed who does not stand when he speaks of his Home Stone. There is no symbol on Earth which has a similar function to a Home Stone. Patriotism to our flag is but a pale analogy to the Home Stone. Flag burning would horrify Goreans who would treat it as a capital offense rather than an exercise of free speech. Goreans look down on Earth because it has no Home Stone. Thus there is no reason why Earth people cannot be enslaved.
In your role-play, you should try to put your Home Stone in its proper perspective. You should love your city and be intensely loyal to it. You should be proud of your city. You should participate in matters important to your city. You should unite with your fellow citizens against intruders and outsiders who threaten your city. Warriors will defend their city and Home Stone to the death. Take an active role in your city and make it worthy.
To define the concept of a Home Stone is a difficult task. It is a cultural concept that resists definition by outsiders and needs no definition within its own society.
"It is not a word, or a sentence. It does not really translate. It is too important, too precious, to mean. It just is." Magicians of Gor
A Home Stone has very deep meaning to a Gorean. The very word "Gor" means Home Stone in all of the languages of Gor. I shall try to give one an idea of the basics of a Home Stone though this will be insufficient in actually truly defining the idea.
Goreans view their cities as almost living things. They see a city as an entity with a history, tradition, heritage, customs, practices, character, intentions, and hopes. To be "of" a city gives a person a sense of immortality though Goreans know that even a city can be destroyed. This love of their city is invested in the Home Stone, that in many respects is the very soul of a city. The Home Stone is a valuable symbol of sovereignty and territory.
Home Stones can be of various shapes, sizes, and colors. There is no standard for them. Some are intricately carved while others simply have a single letter etched into them, the initial letter of the city. Some large cities have small stones of great antiquity. The Home Stone of Ar is accepted by tradition as being the oldest Home Stone on Gor. It is allegedly over ten thousand years old. Other cities have only recently acquired a Home Stone. Port Kar acquired a Home Stone in 10120 C.A. A rock was picked up from one of the streets, Tarl Cabot etched the initials of the city into it and the people accepted it as their own.
Long ago, in peasant villages, each hut was built around a flat stone placed in the center of a circular dwelling. The stone was carved with the family sign and called the Home Stone. Each peasant within his hut thus became a sovereign. Later, Home Stones were used for villages, then towns and cities. In the villages, the Home Stone was commonly placed in the market area. In most cities, it is usually placed freely in the top of the highest tower, though it is well guarded. All it takes to have a Home Stone is for someone or a group to choose to have one.
There is no clear origin for Home Stones though there are several mythical accounts. One of the most popular legends involves Hesius, the mythical first man of Gor. Hesius once performed great labors for the Priest-Kings and was promised a reward greater than gold and silver. When he finished his toils, he was presented with a flat piece of rock with a single character inscribed upon it, the first letter of the name of his home village. Hesius confronted the Priest-Kings, feeling that he had been cheated. They told him that this item was truly more valuable than gold and silver and was called a "Home Stone."
Hesius brought the Home Stone to his war torn village, placed it in the market and told them what the Priest-Kings had said. A wise man stated that it must be very valuable if the Priest-Kings had so spoke. The warring factions wanted to know who's stone it was. Hesius told them that it belonged to all of them. All of the factions then put their weapons away and peace came to the village. This village was named Ar.
Where a man sets his Home Stone, he claims, by law, that land for himself.
"The Home Stone says this place is mine, this is my home." Magicians of Gor
There is also a hierarchy of Home Stones. Men who would fight each other over an acre of land will join together to protect their village or city.
"The sharing of a Home Stone is no light thing in a Gorean city."Slave Girl of Gor
The common bond of a Home Stone unites such people and they will support and protect all those who share their Home Stone. Some hope or dream of a single Supreme Home Stone for all of Gor. Others believe that the Priest Kings already have such a Stone and it is the source of their power.
"A palace without a Home Stone is a hovel; a hovel with a Home Stone is a palace." Slave Girl of Gor
The Home Stone is the center of various rituals in each city such as the Planting Feast of Sa-Tarna in Ar. Each city has a citizenship ceremony where children, who reach intellectual majority, swear an oath of allegiance to their city while touching or kissing the Home Stone. This ceremony may also require vouching by existing citizens. Another requirement may also be a questioning by a committee of citizens to determine your worthiness to the city. Nonperformance of this ceremony can be cause for expulsion from the city. You can renounce your Home Stone and change your citizenship to another city but this is rarely done. You cannot be a citizen of a city without pledging yourself to its Home Stone. You cannot belong to two Home Stones of different cities either.
You may have multiple Home Stones due to the hierarchical nature of such items. But those Home Stones must fit within the hierarchy to be acceptable. That is why you cannot belong to the Home Stones of two different cities as that would be outside the hierarchy. You could have your own personal Home Stone and also belong to the Home Stone of your city. If you once lived in a town or small city that was subsumed into a larger entity, such as Tetrapoli, then you muts also have a Home Stone for the town or small city as well as the larger entity. Thus, you might belong to three Home Stones.
Stealing a Home Stone is a heinous sacrilege and punishable by the most painful of deaths. It is also the greatest of glories to steal one from another city. In Tarnsman of Gor, Tarl Cabot steals the Home Stone of Ar. This earned him glory in the eyes of many though the city of Ar wished him to die horribly. Even when Tarl and Marlenus become almost friends, Marlenus cannot forgive him for the prior offense of stealing the Home Stone. As Ubar, Marlenus could never do so. The theft of a Home Stone does not automatically signal the death knell for a city.
While a Home Stone survives, then so does the city. When Koroba was destroyed by the Priest-Kings, Matthew Cabot retained the Home Stone, thus still keeping the city alive. Even though all of its people were scattered all over Gor and no building stood on the spot where the city once was, the survival of the Home Stone ensured that the city was still living. Ko-ro-ba was later rebuilt around its Home Stone at its same location.
Stealing a Home Stone is not an easy task as it engenders great reservoirs of strength in those who belong to it.
"One does not lightly dispute the passage of one who carries his Home Stone." Nomads of Gor
Even a trained warrior would be very wary of a mere peasant who was carrying his Home Stone. The loyalty and pride in your Home Stone seems to release the floodgates of hidden strengths. When it is directly threatened, a Gorean is able to overcome many obstacles to ensure its safety.
A Home Stone unifies the people of a city. It is more important than caste prejudices or other forms of prejudice. It inspires intense loyalty, great enough that everyone would die to protect it. There is a popular Gorean saying that:
"One who speaks of Home Stones should stand for matters of honor are involved." Tarnsman of Gor
This is taken to an extreme where a man might be killed who does not stand when he speaks of his Home Stone. There is no symbol on Earth which has a similar function to a Home Stone. Patriotism to our flag is but a pale analogy to the Home Stone. Flag burning would horrify Goreans who would treat it as a capital offense rather than an exercise of free speech. Goreans look down on Earth because it has no Home Stone. Thus there is no reason why Earth people cannot be enslaved.
In your role-play, you should try to put your Home Stone in its proper perspective. You should love your city and be intensely loyal to it. You should be proud of your city. You should participate in matters important to your city. You should unite with your fellow citizens against intruders and outsiders who threaten your city. Warriors will defend their city and Home Stone to the death. Take an active role in your city and make it worthy.
Home Stone
"“Commonality of
Home Stone extends beyond concepts with which you are familiar, such as shared
citizenship, for example. It is more like brotherhood, but not so much in the
attenuated, cheap, abstract sense in which those of Earth commonly speak glibly,
so loosely, of brotherhood. It is more analogous to brotherhood in the sense of
jealously guarded membership in a proud, ancient family, one that has endured
through centuries, a family bound together by fidelity, honor, history and
tradition.”Prize of Gor
From time to time we find ourselves speaking of such matters as Gorean Home Stones. We discuss the topic of Home Stones because a rock, perhaps even a simple stone, is the foundation upon which we have chosen to build our lives. Within the traditions and customs we manifest both on and offline, we find something that can make us more, never less; that which would form something greater than the individual. We seek, we search, and if we happen upon a place wherein rests a Home Stone, we can find that which will enrich our lives.
Not every man, of course, will accept bounty, particularly on a woman. Callias, of Jad, was a warrior, an oarsman, at one time an officer. Bounty hunters are commonly low warriors, men without Home Stones, brigands, assassins, villains, thieves, reprobates, the recklessly impecunious, gamblers, the dishonored. Mariners of Gor
A Gorean Home Stone which is shared with other Goreans is something difficult to explain in mere words. Such a Stone, because it signifies so much, cannot be well talked about, but is perhaps is better felt than spoken of. It is the foundation upon which rests the wall. The Stone is the foundation; the Codes, the wall. And over it all the roof, which is to me the men who shield and cover the Home Stone.
"`Gor,' he said, `is the name of this world. In all the 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, 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.'
From time to time we find ourselves speaking of such matters as Gorean Home Stones. We discuss the topic of Home Stones because a rock, perhaps even a simple stone, is the foundation upon which we have chosen to build our lives. Within the traditions and customs we manifest both on and offline, we find something that can make us more, never less; that which would form something greater than the individual. We seek, we search, and if we happen upon a place wherein rests a Home Stone, we can find that which will enrich our lives.
Not every man, of course, will accept bounty, particularly on a woman. Callias, of Jad, was a warrior, an oarsman, at one time an officer. Bounty hunters are commonly low warriors, men without Home Stones, brigands, assassins, villains, thieves, reprobates, the recklessly impecunious, gamblers, the dishonored. Mariners of Gor
A Gorean Home Stone which is shared with other Goreans is something difficult to explain in mere words. Such a Stone, because it signifies so much, cannot be well talked about, but is perhaps is better felt than spoken of. It is the foundation upon which rests the wall. The Stone is the foundation; the Codes, the wall. And over it all the roof, which is to me the men who shield and cover the Home Stone.
"`Gor,' he said, `is the name of this world. In all the 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, 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.
`These stones,' said my father, `are various, of different colors, shapes, and sizes, and many of them are intricately carved. Some of the largest cities have small, rather insignificant Home Stones, but of incredible antiquity, dating back to the time when the city was a village or only a mounted pride of warriors with no settled abode.'
My father paused at the narrow window in the circular room and looked out onto the hills beyond and fell silent.
At last he spoke again.
`Where a man sets his Home Stone, he claims, by law, that land for himself. Good land is protected only by the swords of the strongest owners in the vicinity.'
`Swords?' I asked.
`Yes,' said my father, as if there were nothing incredible in this admission. He smiled. `You have much to learn of Gor,' he said. `Yet there is a hierarchy of Home Stones, one might say, and two soldiers who would cut one another down with their steel blades for an acre of fertile ground would fight side by side to the death for the Home Stone of their village or of the city within whose ambit their village lies.'" Tarnsman of Gor
One does not choose a Home Stone; if one has one, it has chosen him. Those who are of a Home Stone consider wisely those who would swear the oath and allegiance to a Home Stone. No one may claim "I am of this place," or "I am of that place," within which rests a Gorean Home Stone. For in reality, until one is allowed to utter oaths of loyalty to the Common Home Stone, shared by other Gorean men, they are guests, not citizens. In the Gorean tradition, men establish a Home Stone, and in so doing, decide who earns the privilege to share that Home Stone. Of course a slave, have no rights to anything does not belong to a Home Stone.
"Gor is dangerous, Lady!" said Cabot. "You are attractive, and you have no city, no village, no Home Stone. You might end up in the markets."
"In the markets?" she said.
"Being sold," he said. Kur of Gor
As you are a free woman," I said, "even though one of Earth, I have treated you with some circumspection. In the codes such matters are gray, for it is commonly supposed that a Home Stone would be shared. If you were a slave, of course, whether of Earth or not, the matter would not even come up. Swordsmen of Gor
The sharing of a Home Stone becomes a matter of the utmost importance to Goreans. It is never taken lightly, nor without deep and thoughtful deliberations.
"Sell them out of the city," said the officer. Women wept.
"Do you wish a record of this, Captain?" asked the fellow in the blue tunic, he with the scribe's box, on its straps, slung at his left side.
"No," said the captain. "Keep no record of this. They have shamed the city, and the Home Stone. Let them go their way. Let them not be remembered. Let it be, in the records of the city, as though they had never been." Witness of Gor
They were to be sold out of the city, I recalled. They would find themselves then at the mercy of strangers. Gone would be their privileged status, that of the free woman. Gone would be the protection of the law, of guardsmen, of the shared Home Stone. Witness of Gor
The meaning behind the term "Home Stone" is explained in great detail, and with deep reflection, by John Norman in several places within the Gor series. Why is it that so many fail to grasp that meaning? Is it so difficult a concept to understand? Perhaps so; perhaps it is not a concept which words alone can accurately convey. How might a man, one who dwells upon Earth, come to grips with the impact of choosing a Home Stone for himself? How can he begin to understand the importance of such a choice? You see, were we born Gorean on a planet far away, we would each possess a certain understanding regarding the prominence in our lives of family, city, and caste, and upon reaching maturity, we might claim the honor of citizenship. But we are not upon that fictional planet, nor will we ever be. So we must define our own traditions, our own codes, and yes, even our own Home Stones.
"Callias fought with us, and well," said Cabot, indicating me.
"Of course," said Lord Nishida. "He has, as I recall, what you speak of as a Home Stone."
"Yes," said Cabot, "he has a Home Stone." Mariners of Gor
What does a Home Stone symbolize? To me, the concept of a shared Home Stone has taken hold deep within us, and has come to symbolize a commitment to one other and to what we hold dear. We have forged a community of people who hold something other than ourselves to be of value. Something which has previously been spoken of only in a series of books is has become for us a lifelong commitment to uphold certain values, and through our individual actions, to create for ourselves a part of our reality which is worth more than the most precious of diamonds. A rock, one chosen by two men, which now belongs to and means so much to others.
Probably the easiest way to describe a Home Stone for a person of Earth is like a country flag ... we pledge alleigance ... fight for it ... die for it ... defend it with all our honor and might.
To some men, a rock is simply a rock... but to others, it is, or can be, a Home Stone, and can come to encompass a deeper, more emotional meaning. To hold such a Home Stone in your hands, to swear allegiance to it; to look upon it, and with total conviction swear your loyalty, your love, and your life to all that it symbolizes, can be one of the finest, and most defining, moments in a man's life. Ask those who have done so. Yet they may in fact be unable to explain how it effected and changed them, , for words are often not enough to express the meaning of such a seemingly simple action.
Perhaps the words you read below will explain the concept of such a thing, and will touch your emotions:
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 would 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.'
The men looked at one another.
`Send the slave boy Fish before me,' I said.
The men looked at one another, not understanding, but went to fetch the boy...
The boy, white-faced, alarmed, was shoved into my presence.
`Go outside,' I told him, `and find a rock, and bring to me.'
He looked at me.
`Hurry!' I said.
He turned about and ran from the room.
We waited quietly, not speaking, until he had returned. He held in his hand a sizable rock, somewhat bigger than my fist. It was a common rock, not very large, and gray and heavy, granular in texture.
I took the rock.
`A knife,' I said.
I was handed a knife.
I cut in the rock the initials, in block Gorean script, of Port Kar.
Then I held out in my hand the rock.
I held it up so that the men could see.
`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.
I held up the rock. `Do we have a Home Stone?' I asked the men.
`I will accept it as my Home Stone,' said the slave boy, Fish. None of the men laughed. The first to accept the Home Stone of Port Kar was only a boy, and a slave. But he had spoken as a Ubar.
`And I!' cried Thurnock, in his great, booming voice.
`And I!' said Clitus.
`And I!' said Tab.
`And I!' cried the men in the room. And, suddenly the room was filled with cheers and more than a hundred weapons left their sheaths and saluted the Home Stone of Port Kar: I saw weathered seamen weep and cry out brandishing their swords. There was joy in that room then such as I had never before seen it. And there was a belonging, and a victory, and a meaningfulness, and cries, and the clashing of weapons, and tears and, in that instant love." Raiders of Gor
`These stones,' said my father, `are various, of different colors, shapes, and sizes, and many of them are intricately carved. Some of the largest cities have small, rather insignificant Home Stones, but of incredible antiquity, dating back to the time when the city was a village or only a mounted pride of warriors with no settled abode.'
My father paused at the narrow window in the circular room and looked out onto the hills beyond and fell silent.
At last he spoke again.
`Where a man sets his Home Stone, he claims, by law, that land for himself. Good land is protected only by the swords of the strongest owners in the vicinity.'
`Swords?' I asked.
`Yes,' said my father, as if there were nothing incredible in this admission. He smiled. `You have much to learn of Gor,' he said. `Yet there is a hierarchy of Home Stones, one might say, and two soldiers who would cut one another down with their steel blades for an acre of fertile ground would fight side by side to the death for the Home Stone of their village or of the city within whose ambit their village lies.'" Tarnsman of Gor
One does not choose a Home Stone; if one has one, it has chosen him. Those who are of a Home Stone consider wisely those who would swear the oath and allegiance to a Home Stone. No one may claim "I am of this place," or "I am of that place," within which rests a Gorean Home Stone. For in reality, until one is allowed to utter oaths of loyalty to the Common Home Stone, shared by other Gorean men, they are guests, not citizens. In the Gorean tradition, men establish a Home Stone, and in so doing, decide who earns the privilege to share that Home Stone. Of course a slave, have no rights to anything does not belong to a Home Stone.
"Gor is dangerous, Lady!" said Cabot. "You are attractive, and you have no city, no village, no Home Stone. You might end up in the markets."
"In the markets?" she said.
"Being sold," he said. Kur of Gor
As you are a free woman," I said, "even though one of Earth, I have treated you with some circumspection. In the codes such matters are gray, for it is commonly supposed that a Home Stone would be shared. If you were a slave, of course, whether of Earth or not, the matter would not even come up. Swordsmen of Gor
The sharing of a Home Stone becomes a matter of the utmost importance to Goreans. It is never taken lightly, nor without deep and thoughtful deliberations.
"Sell them out of the city," said the officer. Women wept.
"Do you wish a record of this, Captain?" asked the fellow in the blue tunic, he with the scribe's box, on its straps, slung at his left side.
"No," said the captain. "Keep no record of this. They have shamed the city, and the Home Stone. Let them go their way. Let them not be remembered. Let it be, in the records of the city, as though they had never been." Witness of Gor
They were to be sold out of the city, I recalled. They would find themselves then at the mercy of strangers. Gone would be their privileged status, that of the free woman. Gone would be the protection of the law, of guardsmen, of the shared Home Stone. Witness of Gor
The meaning behind the term "Home Stone" is explained in great detail, and with deep reflection, by John Norman in several places within the Gor series. Why is it that so many fail to grasp that meaning? Is it so difficult a concept to understand? Perhaps so; perhaps it is not a concept which words alone can accurately convey. How might a man, one who dwells upon Earth, come to grips with the impact of choosing a Home Stone for himself? How can he begin to understand the importance of such a choice? You see, were we born Gorean on a planet far away, we would each possess a certain understanding regarding the prominence in our lives of family, city, and caste, and upon reaching maturity, we might claim the honor of citizenship. But we are not upon that fictional planet, nor will we ever be. So we must define our own traditions, our own codes, and yes, even our own Home Stones.
"Callias fought with us, and well," said Cabot, indicating me.
"Of course," said Lord Nishida. "He has, as I recall, what you speak of as a Home Stone."
"Yes," said Cabot, "he has a Home Stone." Mariners of Gor
What does a Home Stone symbolize? To me, the concept of a shared Home Stone has taken hold deep within us, and has come to symbolize a commitment to one other and to what we hold dear. We have forged a community of people who hold something other than ourselves to be of value. Something which has previously been spoken of only in a series of books is has become for us a lifelong commitment to uphold certain values, and through our individual actions, to create for ourselves a part of our reality which is worth more than the most precious of diamonds. A rock, one chosen by two men, which now belongs to and means so much to others.
Probably the easiest way to describe a Home Stone for a person of Earth is like a country flag ... we pledge alleigance ... fight for it ... die for it ... defend it with all our honor and might.
To some men, a rock is simply a rock... but to others, it is, or can be, a Home Stone, and can come to encompass a deeper, more emotional meaning. To hold such a Home Stone in your hands, to swear allegiance to it; to look upon it, and with total conviction swear your loyalty, your love, and your life to all that it symbolizes, can be one of the finest, and most defining, moments in a man's life. Ask those who have done so. Yet they may in fact be unable to explain how it effected and changed them, , for words are often not enough to express the meaning of such a seemingly simple action.
Perhaps the words you read below will explain the concept of such a thing, and will touch your emotions:
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 would 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.'
The men looked at one another.
`Send the slave boy Fish before me,' I said.
The men looked at one another, not understanding, but went to fetch the boy...
The boy, white-faced, alarmed, was shoved into my presence.
`Go outside,' I told him, `and find a rock, and bring to me.'
He looked at me.
`Hurry!' I said.
He turned about and ran from the room.
We waited quietly, not speaking, until he had returned. He held in his hand a sizable rock, somewhat bigger than my fist. It was a common rock, not very large, and gray and heavy, granular in texture.
I took the rock.
`A knife,' I said.
I was handed a knife.
I cut in the rock the initials, in block Gorean script, of Port Kar.
Then I held out in my hand the rock.
I held it up so that the men could see.
`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.
I held up the rock. `Do we have a Home Stone?' I asked the men.
`I will accept it as my Home Stone,' said the slave boy, Fish. None of the men laughed. The first to accept the Home Stone of Port Kar was only a boy, and a slave. But he had spoken as a Ubar.
`And I!' cried Thurnock, in his great, booming voice.
`And I!' said Clitus.
`And I!' said Tab.
`And I!' cried the men in the room. And, suddenly the room was filled with cheers and more than a hundred weapons left their sheaths and saluted the Home Stone of Port Kar: I saw weathered seamen weep and cry out brandishing their swords. There was joy in that room then such as I had never before seen it. And there was a belonging, and a victory, and a meaningfulness, and cries, and the clashing of weapons, and tears and, in that instant love." Raiders of Gor
Friday, January 31, 2014
Home Stone
"Do not ask a Gorean what the Home Stone means because he will not understand your question. It will puzzle him. It is the Home Stone."
(Magicians of Gor, p.485-6)
To define the concept of a Home Stone is a difficult, if not impossible, task. It is a cultural concept that resists definition by outsiders and needs no definition within its own society. Thus, it is almost a contradiction to try to define it here, as it may be unfathomable to non-Goreans. Clarification will be attempted as to the basics of the Home Stone though this may be insufficient in truly defining the concept. Goreans view their cities as almost living things. They see a city as an entity with a history, tradition, heritage, customs, practices, character, intentions, and hopes. To be "of" a city gives a person a sense of immortality though Goreans know that even a city can be destroyed. This love of their city is invested in the Home Stone, which in many respects is the very soul of a city. The Home Stone is a valuable symbol of sovereignty and territory. The very term "Gor" means Home Stone in all of the languages of Gor. It should also be mentioned that in the books, the term "Home Stone" is always capitalized and separated into two words. Cities are vitally important to Goreans, far greater than the average Earth person considers his own city or country. A city is considered to be almost a living entity, one with a past, present and future. It is a complex entity, with many varied layers. Cities instill great loyalty and pride within their citizenry. As many Goreans rarely travel, their city may be the only location they ever truly know. Thus, the city is the center of their lives, the focal point of their existence. And thus, citizens work hard to defend their city and make it prosper. A Home Stone is an actual stone and can be of various shapes, sizes, materials and colors. There are no standards for them and a Home Stone could be the most simple and common of rocks. A Home Stone could also be an intricately carved, valuable stone while others simply have a single letter etched into them, often the initial letter of the city. Some large cities have small stones, though the stones are of great antiquity. By tradition, the Home Stone of Ar, allegedly over ten thousand years old, is accepted as being the oldest Home Stone on Gor. Other cities have only recently acquired a Home Stone. For instance, Port Kar only acquired their Home Stone in 10120 C.A., during the events of Raiders of Gor. A rock was picked up off the street and given to Tarl Cabot who then etched the initials of the city into it. Next, he presented it to the people of Port Kar who chose to accept it as their own. The acquisition of a Home Stone can be that simple. Basically, all it takes to create a Home Stone is for someone or a group to choose to have one. When Tarl offered the Home Stone to the people of Port Kar, it transformed them, unifying them when they faced a dire enemy who sought to conquer their city. It may seem like merely a rock, but it is a very potent symbol. The history of the concept of the Home Stone extends back thousands of years. Its actual origin is unknown but there are some theories as to its creation. It is said that long ago, peasants used to construct circular huts, built around a flat stone. This stone would be carved with their family sign and eventually was called a Home Stone. Thus, each peasant, within his own hut, became a sovereign. Over time, as communities developed and expanded, the use of Home Stones extended to cover and unite villages, then towns and cities. In a village, the central Home Stone would be commonly placed in the central market area. In a city, the central Home Stone was usually placed freely in the top of the highest tower, often the Central Cylinder, though it was kept well guarded. There are also several mythical accounts of the origin of the Home Stone. One of the most common of these stories revolves around the actions of Hesius, the mythical first man of Gor.
"One popular account has it that an ancient hero, Hesius, once performed great labors for Priest-Kings, and was promised a reward greater than gold and silver. He was given, however, only a flat piece of rock with a single character inscribed upon it, the first letter in the name of his native village. He reproached the Priest-Kings with their niggardliness, and what he regarded as their breach of faith. He was told, however, that what they gave him was indeed worth far more than gold and silver, that it was a 'Home Stone.' He returned to his native village, which was torn with war and strife. He told the story there, and put the stone in the market place.
'If the Priest-Kings say this is worth more than gold and silver,' said a wise man, 'it must be true.' 'Yes,' said the people. 'Whose Home Stone is it?' asked the people, 'yours or ours?' "Ours,' responded Hesius.Weapons were then laid aside, and peace pledged. The name of the village was Ar.'Dancer of Gor, p.302
Where a man sets his Home Stone down on a piece of land, he is claiming by law that land for himself. The Home Stone is integrally linked to a certain territory, from as small as a tiny hut to as large as a great city. Yet its power extends beyond that territory as well. For a Home Stone can be moved though that is rarely done. It most often occurs when the territory covered by the Home Stone is seriously threatened. Rather than allow the Home Stone to be conquered, taken as booty, the Home Stone may be secreted away. Thus, if a city is attacked, conquered and destroyed, then it may not signal a final death knell as long as the Home Stone survives. For example, when Ko-ro-ba was completely destroyed by an edict of the Priest-Kings, Matthew Cabot retained the Home Stone, thus keeping the city alive. Even though its citizens were scattered all over Gor and no building stood on the spot where the city once was, the survival of the Home Stone ensured that the city still survived. Ko-ro-ba would later be rebuilt around its Home Stone at its original location.
There is a hierarchy of Home Stones as a person could be subject to multiple Home Stones. For example, a man may possess a household Home Stone but also live in a village that possesses its own Home Stone. The common bond of the Home Stone unites its people and they will support and protect all those who share their Home Stone. Even bitter enemies will assist each other to defend a shared Home Stone. Some Goreans desire a single supreme Home Stone for all of Gor though such a dream, considering the fierce independence of Goreans, is very unlikely to ever occur. Some people though believe that the Priest-Kings possess such a Home Stone, which is also the source of their great power.
The Home Stone is the center of various rituals within the cities such as the Planting Feast of Sa-Tarna. Each city has a citizenship ceremony where individuals, who reach the age of intellectual majority, swear an oath of allegiance to their city while touching or kissing the Home Stone. You cannot be a citizen of a city without pledging yourself to its Home Stone and you may not be pledged to the Home Stones of two different cities. You cannot possess such a split loyalty. You can renounce your Home Stone and change your citizenship to another city but this is rarely done. Loyalty to one's Home Stone is firmly engrained in most people so such an idea is almost incomprehensible. Stealing a Home Stone is a heinous sacrilege and punishable by the most painful and torturous of deaths. But, it is also considered one of the greatest glories to steal a Home Stone from another city. In Tarnsman of Gor, Tarl Cabot stole the Home Stone of mighty Ar. This earned him glory in the eyes of many though the city of Ar wished him to die horribly. Even when Tarl and Marlenus became almost friends, Marlenus could not forgive him for the prior offense of stealing the Home Stone. As Ubar, Marlenus could never do so. The theft of a Home Stone is devastating to a city, almost as if you have torn its very soul from it. It most often means the death of a city, or at least a terrible decline. But, stealing a Home Stone is not an easy task as it engenders great reservoirs of strength in those who cherish it. Even a trained warrior would be very wary of the lowest of Castes who were carrying their Home Stone. The loyalty and pride in your Home Stone seems to release floodgates of hidden strengths. When it is directly threatened, a Gorean is able to overcome many obstacles to ensure its safety. A Home Stone unifies the people of a city. It is more important than caste prejudices or other forms of prejudice. It inspires intense loyalty; great enough that most would die to protect it. It is said that:
"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."(Tarnsman of Gor, p.27)
This is sometimes taken to an extreme where a man might even be killed if he does not stand out of respect when he speaks of his Home Stone. There is no symbol on Earth that has a similar function to a Home Stone. Patriotism to a flag is but a pale analogy to the Home Stone. Goreans look down on Earth because there are no Home Stones there. They also believe that the lack of a Home Stone means that there are no legal reasons why the people of Earth cannot be enslaved.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Free Companionship and Other Ceremonies
Free Companionship and Other Ceremonies
There following are some ceremonies that are
used within a city.
"AND" Ceremony
This ceremony is done between two people, Rarius usually. The more experienced or knowledgeable one usually does the asking. (Before asking in public it is best to discuss this privately) Taking a blade and making a Honor cut on your forarm, the one you are bonding with does similar. Grasping one another's forearms allowing the blood to mingle, you state an oath.
This is an example of the oath:
"My blood and yours mingle to be one
My Honor and Your Honor become one
My foes and Your foes become one
From this day forward know that you will always have
...a sword to guard your back
...a Brother to turn to when in need
...no matter what the need or circumstances
Till the City of Dust claims us
This is my vow and oath to you."
Blood Brothers of Gor pg 475
Branding Ceremony
The Master secures the slave in the branding rack (shaped rather like an X-shaped table, with either snap-bracelets (manacles) for her wrists and ankles at the ends of the X, or metal rings set into the wood so her wrists and ankles might be secured with binding fiber. A removable vise-like clamp fitted with spinning twist handles to adjust the tension can be attached to the left leg platform, to hold the slave's left thigh motionless during the actual branding. The Master holds up the heated branding iron, white hot, for the slave to see and says, "You will soon be branded, girl." When the brand is ready, he holds it above her left thigh and says, "You are now to be branded, slave girl." He then brands the slave, pressing it firmly into her skin for five full Ihn (seconds), then swiftly and cleanly removes it. He examines the mark closely, hoping that it was clean and deep enough to create an excellent brand. It is common Gorean practice to allow the slave the luxury of screaming, since it is in effect her final act as a free person. Sometimes assistants are standing by with small vials of oil and salve, which they then dab onto the brand to reduce the chance of infection and promote faster healing. The Master then frees the slave from the rack.
Explorers of Gor pg 71
Colaring Ceremony
Slaves assumes the submission position, (kneeling in front of the Free, arms extended, wrists crossed, head falling between arms leaving the neck bare). Slave then repeats the following after the Free. Here is an example and can be changed by the Free.
I once [insert name] herewith submit myself, completely and totally, in all times to him who is known as [position in city and city name] to be his girl, his slave, an article of his property, his to do with as he pleases.
Then the Free puts on the colar and then the slave can be named if the Free desides to do so.
Tribesmen of Gor pgs 359-360
Disownment Ceremony
A parent, who is of same Caste places His/Her hand on the hilt of his sword or symbol of Their Caste, the other hand is placed on the symbol of the city or homestone of the family and says the words, "This person is disowned and no longer a member of our family or caste." The person named is then without family or caste.
Hunters of Gor pg 148
Free Companion Ceremony
For a Free Woman, realize that you are now under you Free Companion. You have entrusted him to now protect you. He will take care of you. But you also lose some of the freedom you have acquired, as he is your Free Companion. His word does become your law. A Free Companion can be chained to the end of the bed, usually the Free Women is the one chained there. When you have found the one you feel you want to Free Companion with, there is normally an announcement made, in the room, that you are commencing to court. During that time, really get to know your partner. There is no set time limit for courting, as it is between the two of you. When you both decide this is what you want, then go to the bride-to-be's Father, brother or Ubar/Jarl and he will set a bride price that must be fulfilled, when this is done you will announce a date for the ceremony. Below is a example of the contract, which may be changed.
Contract between [insert both names]
Date
I, as [insert your name] of [insert your homestone], have the following possessions which I bring into this relationship:
To You [name of your soon to be Free Companion], I pledge these things:
1. To be faithful to You and Our Free Companionship
2. To uphold Your honor
3. To protect You and heal You in times of need
4. To share with You the ownership of My slaves and My homes
5. To honor You above ALL others
6. To bring honor to Your name and Our joined households
7. To respect You, [enter Free Companion's name], as my Companion and as My protector
8. To discuss with You any acquisition of new property
9. That I share with You, [enter Free Companion's name], the decision and responsibility, in reguard to slaves, of any harsh punishments, branding, tattooing, and piercing
10. To love You as my Free Companion, Lover, Friend, and Brother/Sister through the bad times as well as the good times.
This contract is for one year and it is to be renewed at the end of the year if We both so agree.
[insert your name and homestone]
Signed this day [insert date]
Tarnsman of Gor pgs 213 & 216, Outlaw of Gor pg 59
Funeral Ceremony
The common ceremony of a warrior is one where a pyre is built by his friends and caste members of ka-la-na wood, which are trimmed and squared. The pyre takes the form of a structured, tiered, truncated pyramid. Free women then carry jars of perfumed oils and sprinkle it on the pyre. The body of the Warrior is borne on the shoulders of 4 Warriors, on crossed spears, lashed together. The body is wrapped in scarlet leather. The funeral prosession follows, they do not chant, or sing, or carry the boughs of ka-la0na nor play an musical instrument. At such times Goreans do not sing or speak, they are silent, for at such times words mean nothing, and would demean or insult. For Goreans there is only silence, memory and fire. A family member or one who was close to the person lights the pyre.
Dancer of Gor pg 426 & Assassin of Gor pg 2
Swearing of Oaths (Coming of Age)
When coming of age young men and women participate in a ceremony which involves the swearing of oaths, sharing of bread, fir and salt. The Homestone is held of each young person and is kissed. Only then are the laurel wreaths and the mantle of citizenship conferred. They must also pass certain examinations. In most cities the young must be vouched for by the citizens of the city which are not blood related to them and be questioned before a committee of citizens. The intent is to determine worthiness or lack of to take the Homestone of the city as their own.
Slave Girl of Gor pg 394
"AND" Ceremony
This ceremony is done between two people, Rarius usually. The more experienced or knowledgeable one usually does the asking. (Before asking in public it is best to discuss this privately) Taking a blade and making a Honor cut on your forarm, the one you are bonding with does similar. Grasping one another's forearms allowing the blood to mingle, you state an oath.
This is an example of the oath:
"My blood and yours mingle to be one
My Honor and Your Honor become one
My foes and Your foes become one
From this day forward know that you will always have
...a sword to guard your back
...a Brother to turn to when in need
...no matter what the need or circumstances
Till the City of Dust claims us
This is my vow and oath to you."
Blood Brothers of Gor pg 475
Branding Ceremony
The Master secures the slave in the branding rack (shaped rather like an X-shaped table, with either snap-bracelets (manacles) for her wrists and ankles at the ends of the X, or metal rings set into the wood so her wrists and ankles might be secured with binding fiber. A removable vise-like clamp fitted with spinning twist handles to adjust the tension can be attached to the left leg platform, to hold the slave's left thigh motionless during the actual branding. The Master holds up the heated branding iron, white hot, for the slave to see and says, "You will soon be branded, girl." When the brand is ready, he holds it above her left thigh and says, "You are now to be branded, slave girl." He then brands the slave, pressing it firmly into her skin for five full Ihn (seconds), then swiftly and cleanly removes it. He examines the mark closely, hoping that it was clean and deep enough to create an excellent brand. It is common Gorean practice to allow the slave the luxury of screaming, since it is in effect her final act as a free person. Sometimes assistants are standing by with small vials of oil and salve, which they then dab onto the brand to reduce the chance of infection and promote faster healing. The Master then frees the slave from the rack.
Explorers of Gor pg 71
Colaring Ceremony
Slaves assumes the submission position, (kneeling in front of the Free, arms extended, wrists crossed, head falling between arms leaving the neck bare). Slave then repeats the following after the Free. Here is an example and can be changed by the Free.
I once [insert name] herewith submit myself, completely and totally, in all times to him who is known as [position in city and city name] to be his girl, his slave, an article of his property, his to do with as he pleases.
Then the Free puts on the colar and then the slave can be named if the Free desides to do so.
Tribesmen of Gor pgs 359-360
Disownment Ceremony
A parent, who is of same Caste places His/Her hand on the hilt of his sword or symbol of Their Caste, the other hand is placed on the symbol of the city or homestone of the family and says the words, "This person is disowned and no longer a member of our family or caste." The person named is then without family or caste.
Hunters of Gor pg 148
Free Companion Ceremony
For a Free Woman, realize that you are now under you Free Companion. You have entrusted him to now protect you. He will take care of you. But you also lose some of the freedom you have acquired, as he is your Free Companion. His word does become your law. A Free Companion can be chained to the end of the bed, usually the Free Women is the one chained there. When you have found the one you feel you want to Free Companion with, there is normally an announcement made, in the room, that you are commencing to court. During that time, really get to know your partner. There is no set time limit for courting, as it is between the two of you. When you both decide this is what you want, then go to the bride-to-be's Father, brother or Ubar/Jarl and he will set a bride price that must be fulfilled, when this is done you will announce a date for the ceremony. Below is a example of the contract, which may be changed.
Contract between [insert both names]
Date
I, as [insert your name] of [insert your homestone], have the following possessions which I bring into this relationship:
To You [name of your soon to be Free Companion], I pledge these things:
1. To be faithful to You and Our Free Companionship
2. To uphold Your honor
3. To protect You and heal You in times of need
4. To share with You the ownership of My slaves and My homes
5. To honor You above ALL others
6. To bring honor to Your name and Our joined households
7. To respect You, [enter Free Companion's name], as my Companion and as My protector
8. To discuss with You any acquisition of new property
9. That I share with You, [enter Free Companion's name], the decision and responsibility, in reguard to slaves, of any harsh punishments, branding, tattooing, and piercing
10. To love You as my Free Companion, Lover, Friend, and Brother/Sister through the bad times as well as the good times.
This contract is for one year and it is to be renewed at the end of the year if We both so agree.
[insert your name and homestone]
Signed this day [insert date]
Tarnsman of Gor pgs 213 & 216, Outlaw of Gor pg 59
Funeral Ceremony
The common ceremony of a warrior is one where a pyre is built by his friends and caste members of ka-la-na wood, which are trimmed and squared. The pyre takes the form of a structured, tiered, truncated pyramid. Free women then carry jars of perfumed oils and sprinkle it on the pyre. The body of the Warrior is borne on the shoulders of 4 Warriors, on crossed spears, lashed together. The body is wrapped in scarlet leather. The funeral prosession follows, they do not chant, or sing, or carry the boughs of ka-la0na nor play an musical instrument. At such times Goreans do not sing or speak, they are silent, for at such times words mean nothing, and would demean or insult. For Goreans there is only silence, memory and fire. A family member or one who was close to the person lights the pyre.
Dancer of Gor pg 426 & Assassin of Gor pg 2
Swearing of Oaths (Coming of Age)
When coming of age young men and women participate in a ceremony which involves the swearing of oaths, sharing of bread, fir and salt. The Homestone is held of each young person and is kissed. Only then are the laurel wreaths and the mantle of citizenship conferred. They must also pass certain examinations. In most cities the young must be vouched for by the citizens of the city which are not blood related to them and be questioned before a committee of citizens. The intent is to determine worthiness or lack of to take the Homestone of the city as their own.
Slave Girl of Gor pg 394
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