Brands
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"The brand was on Gor legal, institutional status; that which it marks it makes an object; its victim has not rights, or appeal, within the law." Eta smiled. She pointed to her brand. "Kan-lara," she said." ..Slave Girl of Gor, page 80 |
Bond-maid Brand :
This brand consists of a half circle with a steep, diagonal line at its right tip. The half circle is about an in and a quarter in height and the brand, like many, is symbolic.
"The brand used by Forkbeard is not uncommon in the north, though there is less uniformity in Torvaldsland on these matters than in the south, where the merchant caste, with its recommendations for standardization, is more powerful. All over Gor, of course, the slave girl is a familiar commodity. The brand used by the Forkbeard, found rather frequently in the north, consisted of a half circle, with, at its right tip, adjoining it, a steep, diagonal line. The half circle is about an inch and a quarter in height. The brand is, like many, symbolic. In the north, the bond-maid is sometimes referred to as a women whose belly lies beneath the sword" - Mauraders of Gor, page 87
Chemical Brand :
"A small chemical brand," she said, "which you will wear in your flesh, something by which our agents in Cos will recognize you."
"Chemical brand?" I said. "It will remain invisible until the proper reagent is applied," she said. "Can it be removed?" I asked.
"Yes," she said, "but you cannot remove it. It requires the proper combination of chemicals." "Will it be removed?" I asked.
"Of course," she said, "after it has done its work, identifying you for our agents. It would be foolish to leave it fixed in your body, would it not, to arouse the puzzlement of the curious, perhaps even to identify you as our message girl to the agents of the enemy?"
The physician swabbed a transparent fluid on my arm. Suddenly, startling me, elating the men, there emerged, as though by magic, a tiny, printed sentence, in fine characters, in bright red. It was on the inside of my elbow. I knew what the sentence said, for my mistress, the Lady Elicia of Ar, had told me. It was a simple sentence. It said: "This is she." It had been painted on my arm with a tiny brush, with another transparent fluid. I had seen the wetness on the inside of my arm, on the area where the arm bends, on the inside of the elbow, and then it had dried, disappearing. I was not even sure the writing had remained. But now, under the action of the reagent, the writing had emerged, fine and clear. Then, only a moment or so later, the physician, from another flask, poured some liquid on a rep-cloth swab, and, again as though by magic, erased the writing. The invisible stain was then gone. The original reagent was then again tried, to check the erasure. There was no reaction. The chemical brand, marking me for the agents with whom the Lady Elicia, my mistress, was associated, was gone. The physician then, with the second fluid, again cleaned my arm, removing the residue of the second application of the reagent. The men looked at one another, and smiled. Slave girl of Gor, page 201
Dina Brand :
This brand uses the dina flower as its design. The flower is a short stemmed flower indigenous to hillsides. It is a small, lovely, multiply petaled flower which blooms in a turf of green leaves in the northern teperate zones of Gor. Also called the 'slave flower'.
"A small short-stemmed flower indigenous to hillsides, it is sometimes called the 'slave flower' and is often used as a design for slave brands. the dina is a small lovely, multiply petaled flower, short-stemmed, and blooming in a turf of green leaves, usually on the slopes of hills, in the northern temperate zones of Gor; it is and exotic, alien flower; it is also spoken of, in the north, where it grows most frequently, as the slave flower; it was burned into my flesh” - Slave Girl of Gor, page 61
Kassar Brand :
This brand is a stylized representation of a bola, consisting of three circles joined at the center by lines. It is used to mark the slaves and bosks of the Wagon Peoples known as 'The Blood People'.
"One of the four Tribes of the Wagon Peoples, they are are known as the Blood People. Their brand, which is used on both slaves and bosk, is a stylised representation of a bola, three circles joined at the center by lines. The standard of the Kassars is that of a scarlet, three-weighted bola, which hands from a lance; the symbolic representation of a bola, three circles joined at the center by lines, is used to mark both their bosk and slaves "- Nomads of Gor, page 106
Kataii Brand :
Their brand is one of a bow facing the left.
"One of the four tribes of the Wagon Peoples. Their brand is a yellow bow, facing to the left. ..the standard of the Kataii is a yellow bow, bound across a black lance; their brand is also that of a bow, facing to the left." - Nomads of Gor, page 106
Kef Brand :
It is beautiful, flowerish, with extended upturned frondlike curls, delicate, cursive, very feminine but nonetheless stills visibly being a k when used on girls. The first two curls mean feminility and beauty, the staff refers to discipline and the upturned curls show that the slave is open and vulnerable. When used on lads it is a block simple k.
“A letter of the Gorean alphabet analogous with the Earth letter 'K'; the first letter of the Gorean words for male and female slaves and hence often used as a brand. It is sometimes called the "staff and fronds" due to its appearance. I had now been branded, a small, graceful mark burned into my left thigh, high, under the hip. It had a vertical bar, a rather strict one, with two curling, frond like extensions, rather near its base, as though in submission to it. It looked a little like a 'K.'” -Magicians of Gor, pg 67
"…in the slave brand, the "Kef", though clearly a Kef and in cursive script, is more floral, in the extended, upturned, frond like curls, than would be the common cursive Kef. This tends to make the mark very feminine. It is at this point that symbolism of the brand becomes more clear. The two frond like curls indicate femininity and beauty; the staff, in its uncompromising severity, indicates that the femininity is subject to discipline; the upturned curves on the frond like indicate total openness and vulnerability. It is a very simple, lovely brand, simple, as it befits a slave, lovely as it befits a woman." Explorers of Gor P.12
Knife Brand :
This brand is more like a tattoo as and appropriate design is cut into the thigh of a slave and a colored powder is rubbed into it. It is generally used in the jungles of Schendi.
"Rather like a tattoo, an appropriate design is cut into the thigh of a slave and a colored powder is rubbed into it. Used in the jungle of Schendi. From the box he then took a small, curved knife and a tiny, cylindrical leather flask. I gritted my teeth, but made no sound. With the small knife he gashed my left thigh, making upon it a small, strange design. He then took a powder, orange in color, from the flask and rubbed it into the wound." - Explorers of Gor, page 330
Paravaci brand :
This brand is used by the Wagon Peoples know as the 'Rich People'. It appears as a stylized representation of a bosks head, which would be a semi-circle resting on an inverted isosceles triangle.
"One of the four tribes of the Wagon Peoples, the Paravaci are known as The Rich People. The Paravaci brand is a stylized representation of a bosk head: a semi-circle resting on an inverted isosceles triangle. the Paravaci standard is a large banner of jewels beaded on golden wires, forming the head and horns of a bosk its value is incalculable; the Paravaci brand is a symbolic representation of a bosk head, a semicircle resting on an inverted isosceles triangle". - Nomads of Gor, page 106
Passage Brand :
A tiny brand in the form of spreading bosk horns found on the forearm of goreans, it's presence guaranteeing their safe passage, at certain seasons, across the plains of the Wagon People. The stigma attached with such a brand is that the one who wears it approaches the Wagon People as a slave. If the offering of the person of wearing the brand, be it the song of a singer or merchandize from a merchant, is rejected than the bearer is slain out of hand.
"The street was lined by throngs of Tuchuks and slaves. Among them, too, were soothsayers and haruspexes, and singers and musicians, and, here and there, small peddlers and merchants, of various cities, for such are occasionally permitted by the Tuchuks, who crave their wares, to approach the wagons. Each of these, I was later to learn, wore on his forearm a tiny brand, in the form of spreading bosk horns, which guaranteed his passage, at certain seasons, across the plains of the Wagon Peoples. The difficulty, of course, is in first obtaining the brand. If, in the case of a singer, the song is rejected, or in the case of a merchant, his merchandise is rejected, he is slain out of hand. This acceptance brand, of course, carries with it a certain stain of ignominy, suggesting that those who approach the wagons do so as slaves." - Nomads of Gor, page 34
Penalty Brands :
These brands are mostly in the shape of a letter, and no more than a quarter of an inch, are useful to prevent people from the punished slave in question.
Liar ; "This is a penalty brand,' he said. 'It marks you as a liar." - Captive of Gor P.310
Thief ; "This penalty brand," said Rask of Treve, lifting another iron from the brazier, again with a tiny letter at its glowing termination, "marks you also as what you are, as a thief." - Captive of Gor P.310
Traitor ; "This third iron," said Rask of Treve, "is, too, a penalty iron. I mark you with this not for myself, but for Ute." Through raging tears I saw, white hot, the tiny letter. "It marks you as a traitress," said Rask of Treve. He looked at me, with fury. "Be marked as a traitress," he said. Then he pressed the third iron into my flesh. As it entered my flesh, biting and searing, I saw Ute watching, her face betraying no emotion. I screamed, and wept, and screamed." - Captive of Gor P.310
Priest Kings and the Kurii:
There are two brands which are RARELY seen on Gor. These are those of the Priest Kings and those of the Kurii. "Incidentally, there are many brands on Gor. Two that almost never occur on Gor, by the way, are those of the moons and collar, and of the chain and claw. The first of these commonly occurs in certain of the Gorean enclaves on Earth, which serve as headquarters for agents of the Priest-Kings; the second tends to occur in the lairs of Kurii agents on Earth; the first brand consists of a locked collar and, ascending diagonally above it, extending to the right, three quarter moons; this brand indicates the girl is subject to Gorean discipline; the chain-and-claw brand signifies, of course, slavery and subjection with the compass of the Kur yoke." Explorers of Gor, page 12
Thief's Brand :
This brand is worn on the cheek of those in the Caste of Thieves, whom are only found it Port Kar. It appears as a tiny, 1/4th inch three pronged brand that is burned into the face over the right cheekbone.
"Tiny 1/4 inch three-pronged brand worn on the cheek of those of the Caste of Thieves, who are found only in Port Kar. The thieves scar in Port Kar is a tiny, three-pronged brand, burned into the face over the right cheekbone. It marks the members of the Cast of Thieves in Port Kar. That is the only city in which, as far as I know, there is a recognized caste for thieves".- Mercenaries of Gor, page 239
Treve Brand :
It is the first letter of the city of Treve in cursive script.
"I have never seen a brand of Treve," I said. "It is rare," said Ena, proudly. "May I see your brand?" I asked. I was curious. "Of course," said Ena, and she stood up and, extending her left leg, drew her long, lovely white garment to her hip, revealing her limb. I gasped. Incised deeply, precisely, in that slim, lovely, now-bared thigh was a startling mark, beautiful, insolent, dramatically marking that beautiful thigh as that which it now could only be, that of a female slave. "It is beautiful," I whispered. Ena pulled away the clasp at the left shoulder of her garment, dropping it to her ankles. She was incredibly beautiful. "Can you read?" she asked. "No," I said. She regarded the brand. "It is the first letter, in cursive script," she said, "of the name of the city of Treve." - Captive of Gor, page 277
Tuchuk Brand :
One of the Wagon Peoples who's brand appears in the sign of four bosk horns that is only an inch high and resemble an 'H'. It is used to mark both slaves and bosks.
"One of the four tribes of Wagon Peoples. Their brand is the sign of the four bosk horns, that of the Tuchuk standard, it is only an inch high and resembles an 'H'. It is used to mark both their bosk and their slaves. the brand of the Tuchuk slave, incidentally, is not the same as that generally used in the cities, which, for girls, is the first letter of the expression Kajira in cursive script, but the sign of the four bosk horns, that of the Tuchuk standard; the brand of the four bosk horns, set in such a manner as to somewhat resemble the letter 'H', is only about an inch high; the common Gorean brand, on the other hand, is usually an inch and a half to two inches high" - Nomads of Gor, page 62
