Survival of the name, continuance of patrilineal (male) line are important
to Goreans.
Free Women cannot pass on the gens name.
Too, of course, daughters,
unlike sons, are seldom economic assets to the family. Indeed they cannot
even pass on the gens name. They can retain it in companionship, if they
wish, if suitable contractual arrangements are secured, but they cannot
pass it on. The survival of the name and the continuance of the patrilineal
line are important to many Goreans.
Mercenaries
Free Women remain who they were (keep their names) even after Free Companionship
A Gorean free woman does not change her name in the ceremony of the Free
Companionship. She remains who she was. In such a ceremony two free
individuals have elected to become companions. The Earth woman, as a
consequence of certain mating ceremonials, may change her last name. The
first and other names, however, tend to remain constant. From the Gorean
point of view the wife of Earth occupies a status which is higher than that
of the slave but lower than that of the Free Companion.
Explorers
High castes use their names followed by the name of their city (such as
Bosk of Port Kar, Lady Telitsia of
At the level of the Second Knowledge, of course, the High Castes, at
least in general, recognize the baseless superstition of the Lower Castes
and use their own names comparatively freely, usually followed by the name
of their city."
"The Lower Castes, incidentally, commonly believe that the names of the
High Castes are actually use-names and that the High Castes conceal their
real names."
Tarnsman Page 59
Names are precious and not to be wasted on one who is likely to die
Among Wagon Peoples, the sons are taught the bow, quiva and lance before
given a name. It was said a youth of the Wagon Peoples was taught the bow, the quiva,
and the lance before their parents would consent to give them a name, for
names are precious among the the Wagon Peoples, as among goreans in
general,
and they are not to be wasted on one who is likely to die, one who cannot
handle the weapons of the hunt and war. Until the youth has mastered the bow,
the quiva, and the lance he is simply known as first, or the second, and
so on , son of such and such a father.
Nomads
Sensitivity to names
Goreans are sensitive about names and who may speak them.
Those of low caste (possibly some of high caste) have use names
"Mercy, Masters!" cried Hup, squealing, struggling in the grasp of his
captor.
The other three men, hired swords, perhaps once of the Caste of Warriors,
laughed at the frantic efforts of the tiny, sniveling wad of flesh to
free itself.
Many in the crowd laughed at the small fool's discomfort. Hup was indeed
an ugly thing, for he was small, and yet thick, almost bulbous, and under
the dirty tunic, perhaps that of the potters, there bulged the hump of
some grotesque growth. One of his legs was shorter than the other; his
head was too large for his body, and swollen to the left; one eye was
larger than the other. His tiny feet thrashed about, kicking at the man
who held him. "Are you truly going to kill him?" asked one of the patrons at the low
table.
"This time he dies," said the man who held Hup. "He has dared to speak
the name of Portus and beg a coin from him."
Goreans do not generally favor begging, and some regard it as an insult that
there should be such, an insult to them and their city. When charity is
in order, as when a man cannot work or a woman is alone, usually such is
arranged through the caste organization, but sometimes through the clan,
which is not specifically caste oriented but depends on ties of blood
through the fifth degree. If one, of course, finds oneself in effect
without caste or clan, as was perhaps the case with the small fool named
Hup, and one cannot work, one's life is likely to be miserable and not of
great length.
Moreover, Goreans are extremely sensitive about names, and who may speak them.
Indeed, particularly those of low caste, even have use names, concealing
their true names, lest they be discovered by enemies and used to conjure
spells against them.
Assassin
Slaves do not address free men by their names. Similarly, slaves on the whole, do not address free men by their names.
Assasssin page 12
Those of low caste commonly believe that the names of those of High Caste are
use-names At the level of the Second Knowledge, of course, the High Castes, at
least in general, recognize the baseless superstition of the Lower Castes
and use their own names comparatively freely, usually followed by the name
of their city."
"The Lower Castes, incidentally, commonly believe that the names of the
High Castes are actually use-names and that the High Castes conceal their
real names."
Tarnsman
Among the Red Hunters, men who will not speak their own names will reveal the
name of a friend. Red hunters, though they are reticent to speak there own names, have little reservation
about speaking the names of others. This makes sense, as it is not their
name, and it is not as if , in their speaking it, the name might somehow
escape them. This is also fortunate. It is sometimes difficult, if not
impossible, to get one of these fellows to tell you his own name. Often
one man will tell you the name of his freind, and his freind will tell
you his name. This way you learn the name of both, but from neither
himself. The names of the red Hunters, incidently have meaning.
Beasts
Slave names
Feminine Earth names are used as slave names on Gor Feminine first names of Earth are often used on Gor as slave names.
Sometimes they are even given to slave girls of Gorean origin. They tend
to excite masters, and often improve the girls price. The origin of the
custom is probably a simple one. Most girls brought to Gor are brought as
slaves, It is thus natural that their original names be regarded as the
names of slaves. Many Goreans, even those educated to the second knowledge,
that afforded the higher castes, find it hard to believe that the
delicious Earth women who show up in markets could possibly have been free
on their native world. They are just too obviously marvelous slave meat.
"If they were free, they should not have been," say many Goreans. "At
any rate," they add, "they are now in the collar where they belong, and
they will stay there!"
Explorers
Earth-girl names are given to Gorean female slaves. They are almost
uniformly regarded as suitable slave names. Similarly, girls who wear
them are taken to be slaves. It is sometimes amusing to Goreans when an
Earth girl shows up in a Gorean slave market, insisting that her name is
such and such, a name taken on Gor to be a slave name. It was though they
were confessing to their bondage. She may be given a name afresh, but now
to be worn as a slave name chosen by her master, or, sometimes, presumably
that she may better understand her dependence on men’s will, and her
subjection to male domination, she may be given another Earth-girl name."
Mercenaries
The "a" sound is a common ending of feminine names on Gor "E-liz-a-beth-card-vella" he would try to say, adding the "a" sound
because it is a common ending of feminine names on Gor. He could never,
like most native speakers of Gorean, properly handle the "w" sound, for
it is extremely rare in Gorean, existing only in certain unusual words of
obviously barbarian origin.
Nomads
Then the name had been taken from her. She was then only an
animal in bondage. In Gorean courts her testimony would normally be
exacted only under torture. In such courts she could not, legally, be
named, but would rather be described as, say, Ilene, the slave of
Hesius of Laura, or Ilene, the slave of Bosk of Port Kar. Her name
might be changed, or altered, as often as a master wished. Indeed, he
need not even give her a name. Changing a girl's name, or taking it away,
are common modes of Gorean slave discipline.
So I would call her Ilene.
But this was not her old name, though in sound it was the same. This was
now a Gorean slave name. It carried no dignity nor civil significance. It
might be changed; it might be wore that name now, and she knew it, only
by the whim of her master. That was the name to which he had decided she
would answer. Thus, simply, but his will, it was her name. The first name,
Ilene, had been a proud Earth name; the second name, Ilene, was only a
Gorean slave name. It was the second name to which she would answer; it
was the second name which she would now wear; it was the second name
which was now, by my will, hers.
Hunters
Names, on Gor
