Gorean Dictionary: B

Bakers, Caste of: colors are yellow and brown.

Baleen Whale (noun): bluish white spotted whale, blunt fin.

Bakahs (noun): a minor tribe of the Tahari, they are a vassal tribe of the Kavars

bana (noun): jewelry, of precious metals and stones, worn by free persons.

bar (noun): struck in a certain pattern by an iron hammer. When heard, it signifies the divisions of the day in certain houses. May also serve as an alarm.

bara (command; lit. 'belly'): command where the slave foes to their bellies, their head to the left, their wrists crossed behind their backs, their ankles also crossed. It is a common binding position.

barbarian (noun): a native of the planet Earth; usually used in a derogatory sense in reference to slave girls from that planet .

bargemen, Cartius (noun): interrelated clans of fathers and sons, claiming Caste for themselves, who operate the barges that cross the Cartius River. The barges are constructed of layered timbers of Ka-la-na wood and are towed by teams of river tharlarion. Their passengers are bound for Turia.

bark cloth (noun): the inner bark of the pod tree dyed scarlet and plaited and pounded into a cloth akin to burlap but softer; it has a variety of uses including a rough wrap around the hips of a slave.

Barrens, the (noun): a vast tracts of rolling grasslands, lying east of the Thentis Mountains. They have extreme seasonal temperatures; bitterly cold winters and long, hot, dry summers. Their climate can also include booming thunderstorms and tornadoes and blizzards in which snow can drift as high as the mast of a light galley. The grasses, shorter at it's western edge, can reach a height of several feet as one moves further east.

bastinado (noun): a punishment not otherwise described, however the earth translation is a beating, especially with a stick or cudgel. The beating may be specifically to the soles of the feet.

ba-ta (noun): second letter of the Gorean alphabet; corresponds to the Earth letter 'B'

Bazi plague (noun): a deadly, rapidly- spreading disease with no known cure; its symptoms include pustules which appear all over the body, and a yellowing of the whites of the eyes.

Bazi tea (noun): an herbal beverage served hot & heavily sugared; traditionally drunk 3 tiny cups at a time, in rapid succession.

Beast (noun): a Kuriian military formation consisting of two Hands (six Kur) and two Eyes (leader of a Hand), is called a Beast of Kur. It's military leader is a Blood.

beheading (noun): this ancient form of execution is seen as an option when the offender is of the same Home Stone; it consists of stripping, beating and beheading the offender and is considered a merciful death.

below-deck girl (noun): the term used for slave girls transported in the hold of a ship. They are held in individual cages and because of infestations of lice, all of their body hair is shaved. The term 'below-deck girl' is used derisively especially by those slave girls allowed to remain on deck in cages, who need not have shaved heads, though all slaves on a slaver ship are unclothed.

bina (noun, lit. 'slave beads'): slave jewelry, usually consisting of plain metals, colored string, wooden or cheap glass beads; sometimes used as a slave name

binding fiber (noun): stout twine made of strips of leather or of a fiber like hemp; a piece long enough to circle a slave girl's waist 2-3 times is often used as a belt for her slave tunic .

binding strap (noun): a strap 3/4" wide and 18" long commonly used for binding the wrists and/or ankles of prisoners and slaves .

bint (noun): small carnivorous freshwater fish which inhabits the rivers of the rain forests inland of Schendi; a large school of bints can strip a carcass in minutes; similar to the piranha of Earth .

biscuits (noun): a dried pressed biscuits described as baked in Kailiauk from Sa-Tarna flour.

black wine (noun): very strong coffee. traditionally served with colored sugars and powdered bosk milk in tiny cups.

blanket (position): when a blanket or cloak or covering of any sort is thrown over a slave girl she may not speak or rise; she must remain silent until the blanket is lifted by a free person.

blindfold, gorean (noun): consists of two rounded pieces of soft felt, three to four inches in diameter, and the binding which is several turns of a dark thick, folded cloth, tied behind the head. The rounded pieces fit over the eyes, held in place by the scarf or tie. It is not normally used in transportation, the slave hood being preferred in those instances.

Block Melodies (noun): melodies commonly used in slave markets in the display of merchandise.

Blood (noun): in Kuriian military organizations; a leader of a military unit of varying sizes and strengths depending on his rank; the smallest Unit led by a Blood is 'Kur' or 'Beast' followed by 'Band' 'March' and 'People' each unit a large multiple of the former.

blotanhunka (noun): the term for a war party leader of the red savages; he tends to be more experienced and mature, and exerts more control over the larger group.

Blubber Hammer (noun): wooden handled, stone head;  used to pound the whale blubber to loosen the oil which is used in flat oval lamps.

Blue Flame (noun): controlled by the Priest-Kings seemingly emerging from the heavens this flash of energy literally burns it's victims to wisps of ash in an instant enveloping him in a fierce blue combustive mass.

Blue Sky Song (noun): a refrain from the Wagon Peoples which says in part 'though I die yet there will be the bosk the grass and sky'.

Blue-Sky Riders (noun): a warrior society of the Fleer Tribe of Red Savages represented by a semi circle curved blue line over a black horizontal line on the flanks of their kaiila.

body chain (noun): closely meshed length of chain about 5 feet in length which can be used in a variety of ways to bedeck or secure a slave. Some are decorated with semi-precious stones and wooden beads. Detachable lock and snap clips allow the chain to be transformed from slave jewelry to slave restraint.

bola (noun): weapon consisting of three long straps of leather, each about five feet long, each terminating in a leather sack, which contains, sewn inside, a heavy, round metal weight.

bondage knot (noun): a knot, tied by a slave girl in her hair on the right side of her face; it is a silent plea to her master that she be raped .

bond-maid (noun): the term for a slave girl used in Torvaldsland.

bond-maid circle (noun):a female who enters the circle, drawn in the dirt for example, is declaring herself a bond-maid by the laws of Torvaldsland. She may enter voluntarily or be thrown into it bound and naked.

bond-maid gruel (noun): see slave porridge

bones (noun): game; Each player, in turn, drops a bone, one of several in his supply. Each of the bones is carved to resemble an animal, such as an arctic gant, a northern bosk, a lart, a tabuk or sleen, and so on. The bone which remains upright is the winner. If both bones do not remain upright there is no winner on that throw. Similarly, if both bones should remain upright, they are dropped again. A bone which does not remain upright, if its opposing bone does remain upright, is placed in the stock of him whose bone remained upright. The game is finished when one of the two players is cleaned out of bones.

bosk (noun): an ox like creature. It is a huge, shambling animal with a thick, humped neck and long shaggy hair. It has a wide head and tiny red eyes, a temper to match that of a sleen, and two long, wicked horns that reach out from its head and suddenly curve forward to terminate in fearful points. Some of these horns, on the larger animals, measured from tip to tip, exceed the length of two spears.

bota (noun): a bag with a reclosable stopper or cork commonly made of verrskin leather; used to transport liquids and is often utilized by serving slave girls especially in the camps.

Bound by the Master's will (phrase): refers to a slave being commanded to hold position, as though bound, hands clasping opposite wrists until she is released.

bow, horn, of the Innuit (noun): bow formed with split pieces of tabuk horn, bound with sinew which is not effective beyond thirty yards, used in the land of the Innuit to hunt tabuk on the tundra.

bow, horn, of the Wagon Peoples (noun): favored by the Wagon peoples, it hangs from their saddles. It does not have the range or force of the more powerful long bow or cross bow, but it is a fearsome weapon at close range. The young men of the Wagon Peoples are not given a name until they have mastered the bow, the lance and the quiva.

bow, long (noun): the Gorean long bow is the height of a tall man. It has a flat back and a round belly and may be made of supple Ka-la-na wood. A proficient bow man should be able to loose 19 arrows in a Gorean ehn. It is not as popular among Goreans because of some impracticalities of use. It cannot be used from the saddle, and the warrior must be standing or kneeling to aim, making him a target. It is favored by the peasants who make them and is also known as the peasant bow.

bow, northern (noun): a short bow, with short, heavy arrows, heavily headed, it is accurate with a short range of a hundred and fifty yards. It somewhat resembles the Tuchuk bow of layered horn in it's accuracy and striking ability, which is about a hundred and fifty yards. It is useful for close combat on a ship, and can easily be fired through a thole port with the oar withdrawn.

bow, ship (noun): short stout maneuverable bow, easy to use in crowded quarters easy to fire across the bulwarks of galleys locked in combat.

bow, small (noun): used with great skill by the Red Savages from kaiila back. No Gorean weapon can match it's rate of fire. A skilled warrior can fire ten arrows into the air, the last leaving the bow before the first has returned to the earth. It is highly maneuverable and easy to conceal. It can easily be swept from one side of the kaiila to the other.

bracelets, hook (noun): leather cuffs with locks on them and snaps; they are soft and the snaps require no key. Some men enjoy them on their slaves; by means of the straps the girl may be variously secured by the locked cuffs.

bracelets (command): basic pleasure slave position. The slave girl on command thrusts her hands behind her back wrists together in preparation to be braceleted.

bracelets, slave (noun): any of a variety of handcuff type restraints; used to restrain the wrists of slaves and others; usually metal.

brak bush (noun): a shrub whose leaves when chewed have a purgative effect, thought that the pitch and branches discourage the entry of bad luck into the house, which are nailed to the door during the last five days of the old year. (the last Waiting Hand).

Brand (noun): a mark burned into the flesh of animals and slaves to mark them as property specific brands include the kef (common kajira brand), Dina, Palm, mark of Treve, mark of Port Kar, mark of the Tahari, mark of Torvaldsland (a girl whose belly lies under the sword), and Tuchuk brand of the 4 bosk horns.

brand, bond-maid (noun): described as a half circle about an inch and a quarter in width, adjoined at it's right tip by a steep, diagnonal line an inch and a quarter in height. In the north, the bond-maid is reffered to as a woman whose belly lies beneath the sword.

brand, merchant (noun): a tiny brand in the form of spreading bosk horns for any wishing to do business with the Wagon Peoples that allows their passage over the plains; the stigma connected with this brand is that it suggests that any approaching the wagons do so as slaves.

brand, passage (noun): 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.

brand, penalty (noun): small 1/4 inch brands that mark a convicted liar, thief, traitor etc.

brand, thief's (noun): 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.

branding rack (noun): a device to which a new slave girl is chained for branding; her hands are chained above her head, but the rest of her body is free to move, except for whichever thigh is to be branded, this being held motionless in a large vise.

bracelets (Command): A command whereby the girl immediately turns her head to the side and slips her wrists behind her back as if for binding.

bread, black (noun): A type of Gorean bread

bread, Sa-Tarna (noun): gorean bread made from Sa-Tarna grain, described as yellow, and since it is usually described as being cut in wedges, probably baked in a round flat pan.

breeding cell (noun): also called a breeding stall. A slave who is designated to be bred is taken there. Both kajira and kajirus are hooded and though they will never know the other's identity their coupling is public, observed by Masters and others.

breeding wine (noun): a sweet beverage which counteracts the effects of slave wine, making a slave girl fertile; also called second wine.

bride price (noun): this fee is one paid by a Free Man to her family, for a Free Woman as he takes her as a Free Companion. If a man frees a slave, the slave's family is bound by honor to grant her to him without bride price.

Brundisium (noun): one of the largest and busiest ports of Gor and a commercial metropolis, it is 100 pasangs south of the Vosk Delta on the Thassa. The Genesian Road links it with other coastal cities.

Builders, Caste of (noun): the caste which includes architects, draftsmen, stonemasons, etc. the Builders are one of the five High Castes; their caste color is brown.

burnoose (noun): the loose, billowing outer robes favored by the men of the Tahari in caravan, it is invariably white in color, to reflect the rays of the sun. It's billowing, flowing movement aids in cooling the body, as it circulates over damp skin.

buttons (noun): a 'recent' innovation for slave attire, not used on the garments of Freepersons. Most garments are fastened with hooks, pins or brooches. Buttons are considered rather sensuous on Gor.

Quote from Assassins of Gor

Echoes of Tragedy

The day had been a long one, and thankfully the village was settling down for the night. The warriors had been served and fed, and gradually each one stumbled off with their favorite sluts to tumble eagerly into the freshly beaten furs. The Free Women had long since retired to their respective homes in search of relaxation and quiet before retiring for the evening while the village slaves finished cleaning up the Long Hall.

Tala, the second slave of the village and slave to the Cheiftan, wiped her brow and sighed with relief as she slipped out of the Long Hall with the bucket of scraps to feed to the livestock and get them settled for the evening. Once this last chore was done, she would have just enough time to slip to the waterfall and bathe the evening's dirt and grime away before making her way back to her Jarl's home to help her chain sister Chy, the First Girl, prepare their Jarl's bath and furs for the night.

Humming softly to herself, an ancient ballad as old as the Northern lands themselves, she made her way eagerly to the barn where the animals waited impatiently to be tended.  As the last mournful notes of the ballad drifted away on the Northern winds, she let herself into the barn and spoke softly to the irritable animals, promising them an extra handful of grain as well as sweet grass for their patience.

Moving to the large barrel of grain, she scooped out two cups of the grain and scattered them along the open area of the barn and then opened the vulo coop, jumping back quickly to avoid the flurry of eager birds as they scrambled for the most feed. While they were busy battling over their evening meal she quickly cleaned out the coop, tossing the dirty hay into a large wheelbarrow nearby to take to the compost pile on her way out and replaced it with fresh hay. The eggs she carefully placed in one of the many hand-crafted wicker baskets stored in the corner, with a small amount of hay inside to cushion them on their way to the cold shed. She occasionally stuffed handfuls of discarded feathers into a small sack at her waist, knowing they would please the Free Women, who often cleaned them and used them to stuff pillows and pincushions.  Her job done, she moved back to where the vulo were squabbling over the last bits of grains and shooed them back into the coop, chuckling softly as the battle continued inside, this time over nesting rights.

Shaking her head over the continued noise coming from the vulos she milked the bosk and brushed her down, talking softly to her as she worked. She knew the beast had no knowledge of the mindless chatter, yet the sound of her soft voice seemed to soothe her irritation for the late tending and a large head turned to nuzzle her hip as she worked, almost as if to say she was forgiven .. for this time at least.  She made quick work of mucking out her stall, eager for her evening bath as the three moons of Gor rose higher in the sky, casting an eerie glow across the village. She filled the water trough with fresh water and added an extra armful of the sweet grass for the bosk as promised and then secured the barn on her way out, after pushing the wheelbarrow of mucked hay to the compost pile around back.  Making one last stop, she put away the basket of fresh eggs in the cold storage for the morning meal, locking the shed behind her as she hurried to her anticpated destination.

The last of the evening chores completed she moved quickly to the waterfall, a smile of pure excitement lighting her delicately carved features.  This land was new to her yet, their village having been moved recently to better grazing, stronger forests and a nearly inpenetrable mountain that only the bravest of warriors would face to ravage. The ongoing war between the North and the South had intensified, and her Jarl had decided it was time to move further into the forbidding mountains, to protect the village He loved and cared for so well.  Her wide, emerald eyes peered into the heavy darkness, only the light of the moons showing her way to the waterfall where she preferred to bathe.  Ducking to avoid the grasping branches of the ancient oaks and pines, she quickened her step as she heard the roar of the water, shivering slightly as the air chilled considerably the closer she got.

Tala frowned, a bit surprised at the sudden chill that swept over her, leaving a trail of small bumps along her exposed skin. She had not bothered to put on her kirtle after serving in the Long Hall, knowing that she would soon be bathing. With the Northern winds crossing the spray of the waterfall, she was used to the drop in temperature, yet something seemed different this time. The chill seemed not from the air or the water, but from an inner sense of despair, though why she was suddenly so melancholy she could not say considering she normally had a very cheerful disposition.  The roar of the waterfall became louder and her steps slowed, depsite her earlier eagerness to bathe in the cold waters of the lake.  She stopped suddenly, a small hand going to her chest as if to quiet the loud beating of her frantic heart and she glanced fearfully in all directions.  The overwhelming urge to weep confused her, and the sudden unexplained fear caused her to remain motionless in the silent forest as she gazed at the waterfall in the distance.

Her eyes widened as she saw what appeared to be a Free Woman standing at the edge of the lake, almost motionless except for the obvious wringing of her hands. The sound of weeping could be heard, so faint as to make Tala think it was only the wind in the Northern pines combined with her fanciful imagination.  She moved slowly forward, her curiosity stronger than her fear as she strained to get a better glimpse. The woman had her back to Tala, but her clothes were obviously those of one that was High Caste, and even more odd they were Southern. Silver clasps that held the woman's veil to hair shone in the glow of the moonlight, and the weeping grew louder as Tala ventured closer.

"Mistress? I beg forgiveness for disturbing You this night, but Your weeping pulls at my heart. Is there something I may help You with? Are You lost perhaps? or injured?"

The weeping stopped abruptly and the woman turned slowly, as if reluctant to speak. Tala saw only her eyes, the wispy veil covering the rest of her face, and they shone brightly.. too brightly... from tears she suspected.. and yet... the skin around Her eyes was so pale, nearly transluscent.  Her arms rose and spread wide, and her palms turned upward in a pleading gesture which caused Tala to stop and stare in shock. A Free Woman would never plead with a lowly slave, yet the utter despair that radiated from the pale, slender form suggested urgency and she slowly moved closer wondering why the Free Woman had not spoken once she stopped her weeping.

An audible gasp slipped from her full lips as she got closer and saw the woman was soaked. The heavy gown dripped and it must be too long for it disappeared right into the ground at her feet. A small hand flew to her mouth as she saw the heavy chain wrapped around the Woman's waist and trailed down the sodden gown, dissapearing into the lake behind her.

"Mistress, what has happened, how did this befall You? You are soaked to the bone and who would dare to chain a Free Woman such as Yourself?"

She started to rush forward but a loud wail from the Woman froze her in her tracks.  In her shock she had not realized that the Waterfall and craggy rocks that surrounded it were visible.. not behind the woman.. but THROUGH the woman.  She whispered softly "Odin save me" as she stared at the woman, finally realizing that the woman was a spirit of her former self, her despair and sorrow having kept her bound to the Gorean realm.

She trembled in shock and fear, unable to run from the utter desperation in the Woman's eyes, and she strained to hear the words that floated out to her.

"Thor.. I must find Him.. He is in danger.. my Father.. he will kill Him.. you must find Him girl, find Him and tell him that His Elenore offers this warning. He must not come for me, for it is a trap laid well by my Father and His warriors...."

Tala was shaking so hard she feared she would faint dead away, yet the Woman's words were laced with urgency and terrible fear. Tala felt as if she WERE this woman... she could feel her sorrow and fear as if it were her own.  Unable to speak she nodded but remained still, unsure of what to do.  The Woman pointed to a large ancient oak near the edge of the lake, the gnarled branches twining and twisting as if to mimic Her own agony.  Tala moved closer, having finally found the courage to speak and asked in a quavering voice,

  "Mistress.. what tragedy has befallen You? Who has done such a terrible thing and who is Your Father?"

Yet no answer was given as the Woman turned slowly and moved forward, drifting across the deep waters of the lake and slowly faded out of sight. Tala stood there gazing at the still waters, as a mixture of fear, confusion, and overwhelming curiosity consumed her. She moved quickly to the ancient tree that the Woman had pointed to, and dropped to her knees, slender fingers digging frantically at the damp soil that covered the roots.

She felt the edges of a box as she dug deeper and her clawing at the soil became more frantic. She finally pulled a silver box free, as clumps of dirt and leaves clung stubbornly to the ornate box. A tiny silver lock kept the lid firmly closed and she cried out in dissapointment as she rose to her feet, her anticpated bath long forgotten after the evening's disturbing events. Clasping the box to her naked breasts, she ignored the pain of the sharp corners as they dug into the plump mounds of flesh and made her way slowly back to the village.... as she contemplated how to explain to the Jarl Thor the odd message that she had recieved......


TO BE CONTINUED.......