Subjects covered herein:

Female Physician - Free Companionship and the Female - Free Women and Robes - Free Women and Face Stripping – Free Women and Pleasure Silks - Free Women and Kaissa – Rite of Knives and Females - Free Woman and Captor Rights – Free Women and Imbondment as Slaves – Couching Laws – Free Women as Debtors - Free Woman and unbecoming behaviour – Accusing a Free Woman of being a slave - Collaring a Free Woman - Free Woman and Self-Contracting Slavery – Saving a Free Woman’s Life - Free Person’s  Offspring (Free Woman was formally slave) - Free Woman’s Right to punish a Slave – Male slave touching a Free Woman – Slaves laughing at Free Women – Veils and Free Women 

Female Physician

Women in the Physician's Caste cannot engage in the full practice of medicine until they have first bore two children. In many cities, at age fifteen, women of the Physician's Caste will place two bracelets on their left wrist. One is then removed for each child that she bears. When both bracelets are removed, she can then engage in the full practice of medicine.

Free Companionship and the Female

A Free Companionship, the Gorean form of marriage, lasts for a single year. If it is not renewed by the twentieth Ahn of the anniversary date, it will automatically dissolve.

A Free Companionship will dissolve earlier than one year if one of the parties is either enslaved or dies. The books do not state if the contract can be legally dissolved prior to the year end if the parties so agree. It seems likely most Goreans would simply wait out the year.

A woman does not change her name in a Free Companionship.

The "gens" name is the clan name (derived from an ancient Roman term). The gens can only pass through the male line. Females can keep their gens in a Free Companionship, if it is part of their contract, but they can never pass on the gens.

A person may have only one Free Companion at a time. In the equatorial jungles, men may possess multiple companions. For example, Bila Huruma possessed over two hundred companions.

Port Kar does not recognize the institution of Free Companionship. Free women in that city are simply known as the women of their men.

Free Women and Robes

Robes of concealment and veils may or may not be required by law for free women. In some cities, such as Ar and Ar's Station, it is only custom while in others it is actual law. In some cities, an unveiled free woman is susceptible to being taken into custody by guardsmen, then to be veiled, by force if necessary. Repeated offenses can even lead to enslavement. Even where it is only custom, it is strongly recommended that all free women wear robes and veils in public.

In cities where robes and veils for free women are not legally mandatory, there are other pertinent laws restricting how much bare skin a free woman may show. If too much skin is shown, then the woman is subject to possible enslavement. "If you would be stripped as a slave, then be a slave, it is said." (Dancer of Gor, p.157)

Free Women and Face Stripping

Face stripping a free woman, forcefully removing her veils against her will, is a serious crime.

Free Women and Pleasure Silks

In some cities, it is a crime to bring pleasure silk in contact with the flesh of a free woman. It is considered to be too exciting and sensuous.

Free Women and Kaissa

Free women are rarely, if ever, permitted to play Kaissa. It also does not appear that women may belong to the Caste of Players.

Rite of Knives and Females

There is a method of dispute resolution called the "rite of knives." Unfortunately, there is little information on its application. It is essentially a fight to the death and is used in place of a trial. The fight may be just with daggers. As it is called a rite, it may not have any true legal effect but may instead be an ancient custom. This might even be a part of the Warrior Code. We do know though that a freed Panther Girl asked to participate in this rite against another woman. Tarl Cabot granted her request. Thus, this rite apparently may include female participation.

Free Woman and Captor Rights

Free women are permitted to escape from a captor as long as they have not yet been enslaved. The point of this law is to maintain slaves in a state of bondage while also encouraging men to be bold. "The average man of this world would no more think of stealing a slave within his own city, or a host city, one which has extended the courtesy of its walls, than he would of any other act of illicit and dishonorable brigandage." (Witness of Gor, p.497)

If a captured free woman submits to her captor, she will become his slave. "It had been within the context of his capture rights that she had, as a free woman, of her own free will, pronounced upon herself a formula of enslavement. Automatically then, in virtue of the context, she became his. The law is clear on this. The matter is more subtle when the woman is not within a context of capture rights." (Players of Gor, p.21)

A free woman who submits to a particular man, when there is no capture involved, may or may not become a slave. This will be dependent upon city law. "The matter is more subtle when the woman is not within a context of capture rights. Here the matter differs from city to city. In some cities, a woman may not, with legal recognition, submit herself to a specific man as a slave, for in those cities that is interpreted as placing at least a temporary qualification on the condition of slavery which condition, once entered into, all cities agree, is absolute. In such cities, then, the woman makes herself a slave, unconditionally. It is then up to the man in question whether or not he will accept her as his slave. In this matter he will do as he pleases. In any event, she is by then a slave, and only that." (Players of Gor, p.21)

Free Woman and Imbondment as Slave

"In other cities, and in most cities, on the other hand, a free woman, may, with legal tolerance, submit herself as a slave to a specific man. If he refuses her, she is then still free. If he accepts her, she is then, categorically, a slave, and he may do with her as he pleases, even selling her or giving her away, or slaying her, if he wishes." (Players of Gor, p.21)

In some cities, a free woman who kneels before a man or addresses him as Master effects legal imbondment on herself. Such actions are considered to be gestures of submission.

A free woman can sell herself into slavery. But, once the sale is complete, the woman cannot then revoke it.

Couching Laws

"Any free woman who couches with another's slave, or readies herself to couch with another's slave, becomes herself a slave, and the slave of the slave's master." (Magicians of Gor, p.7)

This is known as the "couching law" and exists in Ar, though it may have been adopted by other cities as well. There are clearly though some cities, like Vonda, that do not have such a law because reference is made to free women freely lending their male slaves to a female guest. The couching law does not prevent a woman from having sex with a slave she owns. It is important to note that a violation can occur even though actual sex never occurs. Simply preparing to have sex is sufficient.

"By such an act, the couching with, or readying herself to couch with, a slave, as though she might be a girl of the slave's master, thrown to the slave, she shows herself as no more than a slave, and in this act, in law, becomes a slave." (Magicians of Gor, p.303); . Special seduction slaves are used by some slave owners to trap free women. Milo, from Magicians of Gor, is a prime example of a seduction slave. His owner, Appanius, used Milo to entrap numerous free women. Tarl Cabot would also use Milo to entrap Talena and enslave her.

Free Woman as Debtor

A free woman who cannot pay her own debts will be enslaved. Under the redemption laws, a person can pay the woman's debts and thus claim ownership of her. That owner could free the woman if he so desired, or keep her as a slave. If no one redeems a female debtor within a certain time period, not specified in the books, she will then be sold to Slavers.

Free Woman and unbecoming behaviour

There is no law that states a man may enslave a free woman of his Home Stone because she has insulted or disrespected him.

Free women may be legally enslaved if they engage in "conduct indicating suitability for the collar." "The principle he had alluded to pertains to conduct in a free woman which is taken as sufficient to warrant her reduction to slavery. The most common application of this principle occurs in areas such as fraud and theft. Other applications may occur, for example, in cases of indigence and vagrancy. Prostitution, rare on Gor because of female slaves, is another case. The women are taken, enslaved, cleaned up and controlled. Indulgence in sensuous dance is another case. Sensuous dance is almost always performed by slaves on Gor. A free woman who performs such dancing publicly is almost begging for the collar. In some cities the sentence of bondage is mandatory for such a woman." (Renegades of Gor, p.372). Other actions can qualify as well. "In many cities, such actions, attempting to spy on masters and slaves, disguising oneself as a slave, garbing oneself as a slave, even in the supposed secrecy of one's own compartments, lingering about slave shelves and markets, even exhibiting an interest in, or fascination with, bondage, can result in a reduction to bondage. The theory is apparently that such actions and interests are those of a slave, and that the female who exhibits them should, accordingly, be imbonded." (Magicians of Gor, p.50) Even wearing slave beads could be a reason for enslavement. This principle only deals with actions and not thoughts. "Conduct indicating suitability for the collar, of course, can be interpreted in various ways, and more broadly and narrowly. It is almost always understood, of course, fortunately for women, and as I suppose the phrase itself makes clear, in the special legal sense of the phrase, as having to do with overt behavior rather than psychological predispositions and such." (Renegades of Gor, p.372)

Falsely accusing a Free Woman

Falsely accusing a free woman of slavery carries with it the penalty of impalement

The test (if she was a slave) may be as simple as removing a girl’s tunic and telling her to walk across a room. It may be as simple as telling her to present her lips to those if a warrior. Similarly, slave girls, attempting to escape, can be separated out from free women, even when all are veiled and wear the robes of concealment. Again, the tests may be simple. Once, in Ko-ro-ba, I saw a slaver, before a magistrate, distinguish such a girl, not even one of his own, from eleven free women. Each, in turn, was asked to pour him a cup of wine, and then withdraw, nothing more. At the end, the slaver rose to his feet and pointed to one of the women. "No!" she had cried. "I am free!" officers of the court, by order of the magistrate, removed her garments. If she were free, the slaver would be impaled. When her last garment had been torn away, there was applause in the court. The girl stood there. On her thigh was the brand. She was braceleted and leashed, and given to the slaver. He led her, weeping, away to his slave chain. Hunters of Gor

Collaring a Free Woman

It is illegal for a person on their own to collar a free woman for "conduct indicating suitability for the collar." Free women who may have violated this legal principle must be brought before a magistrate or judge for a legal determination as to whether there has been a violation sufficient to warrant a reduction to slavery.

Free Woman and Self-Contracting Slavery

A free woman may do a form of limited self-contracting where she legally becomes a slave for a specific time period, commonly ranging from one night to one year. She cannot end this contract earlier than the specified time period. Once the contract takes effect, she becomes a slave with no legal powers at all. This curious contractual arrangement is not described in great detail. It raises numerous legal dilemmas that can only be speculated about. The books do not state that the contract covers any contigencies or limits the slavery in any way. The woman becomes an actual slave. That would seem to mean she could be freely killed. What would happen is she was sold? Does the contract prevent that? Would the time period still apply if she was sold? What would happen if she was stolen? This passage seems to raise far more questions than it answers.

Saving a Free Woman’s Life

 "And yet it was not a strange thing, particularly not on Gor, where bravery is highly esteemed and to save a female's life is in effect to win title to it, for it is the option of a Gorean male to enslave any woman whose life he has saved, a right which is seldom denied even by the citizens of the girl's city or her family. Indeed, there have been cases in which a girl's brothers have had her clad as a slave, bound in slave bracelets, and handed over to her rescuer, in order that the honor of the family and her city not be besmirched." (Priest-Kings of Gor, p.161) It is unknown whether this is codified in city law or whether it simply exists as custom.

Free Person’s  Offspring (Free Woman formerly a slave)

By the law of Tharna, a person conceived by a free person on another free person is a free person, even if later carried and borne by a slave. Thus, slaves would often be temporarily freed for the purpose of conception and then reenslaved afterwards.

Free Woman’s Right to punish a Slave

A slave, on threat of torture and impalement, must endure whatever abuse a free person cares to inflict on her. This is stated to apply within Ar and on Gor in general.

Any free person may discipline an insolent or errant slave, even one who is in the least bit displeasing. If the slave is killed or injured, the free person need only pay compensation to the master and only if the master requests such compensation. This does not give you the right to injure or kill someone else's slave. It simply states the penalty for such a violation. "One did not have the right, for example, to kill or maim the slave of another, any more than any other domestic animal which might belong to someone else. In this sense the slave is accorded some protection from free persons who do not own her in virtue of certain general considerations of property law." (Magicians of Gor, p.330)

Male slave touching a Free Woman

A male slave may be slain for touching a free woman without permission.

Slaves laughing at Free Woman

A slave may not laugh at a free woman and may be whipped for such an action.

Non Citizen Free Woman entering Tharna

In Tharna, after its revolution, any free women entering the city, who are non-citizens, must temporarily don slave collars, slave tunics and leashes while she remains within the city.