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 Codes - HonorThese are relevant references from the Books where Codes are mentioned as they pertain to Honor. I make no pronouncements on these matters, but report them as I find them. Arrive at your own conclusions. I wish you well, Fogaban "If you wish to land," said Sana, apparently determined to see me compensated in some fashion, "I will serve your pleasure." It occurred to me that there was at least one reply which she, bred in the honor codes of Gor, should understand, one reply that should silence her. "Would you diminish the worth of my gift to you?" I asked, feigning anger. Tarnsman of Gor Book 1 Page 72 It was possible, too, of course, that the Kurii had become gentle beasts, fond of farming, renouncing their warlike ways, and turning humbly to the soil, and the labors of the earth, setting perhaps therein an excellent example for the still half-savage human animals of Gor, so predatory, so savage, so much concerned with wars, and their codes and honor. Marauders of Gor Book 9 Page 176 They also gave her some understanding of the social arrangements common in what were called the "high cities," in particular, the caste system, and the existence of codes of honor, and such, apparently taken seriously on this world. Prize of Gor Book 27 Page 48 The myth that all are equal when obviously they are not tends to ferment unrest. Each desires to climb the invisible ladder he claims does not exist. In Gorean society, with its emphasis on locality and neighborhood, with its diverse Home Stones, each with its own history and traditions, with its many castes and subcastes, each with its acknowledged privileges and rights, and obligations, respected by all, political upheavals, social disruptions, are not only rare, but to most Goreans almost incomprehensible. There is little cause for such things, little interest in them, little place for them. They just do not fit. In Gorean society there is no nameless, faceless, anonymous, ponderous, swarming many ruled by a secret few. Too richly formed, too proud, too self-respecting, too intricately structured, too much like nature herself, is Gorean society for that. Too, there are the codes, and honor. Prize of Gor Book 27 Pages 69 - 70 "What is "gentlemanliness"?" he asked, as Ellen, in her consternation, had used the English expression. "There is no exact word for it in Gorean," said Ellen. "I think I have heard the word," said the man. "It seems to be a word for a male who subscribes to, and conforms to, codes of behavior requiring, among other things, substituting convention for nature, propriety for power, self-conquest for self-liberation, restraint for command, inaction and conformity for dominance and mastery, and, in short, a word for one who denies his biological birthright, his powers, pleasures and delights, for one who forgoes, or pretends to forgo, his manhood in order to do, or seem to do, what women pretend will please them. He belongs to his culture, and not to himself, rather like the insect to the nest, the bee to the swarm. He is unhappy, as are the confused, unwitting, lovely tyrants whom he refuses to resist, whom he refuses to take in hand and conquer, putting them to his feet, as naked, bound slaves." Prize of Gor Book 27 Page 275 "She is pretty," he said. "She is not muchly trained," I said, "and there are doubtless thousands who would bring higher prices." "Still, she is very pretty," he said. "Do you wish to challenge for her?" I asked. "No," he said. "I have a better." Unless there should be some misunderstanding here, one might observe that such challenges are not frequent, and normally require almost a ritual of circumstances. For example, aside from the usual impropriety of challenging one with whom one might share a Home Stone, Gorean honor militates against, if it does not wholly preclude, casual or unprovoked challenges. Swordsmen of Gor Book 29 Page 27 Animals are innocent, I thought. They kill, and feed. Men smile, and soothe, and praise, and then kill, and feed. Is it honor and the codes, I wondered, which separate us from animals, or, rather, is it they which bring us closer to the innocence of the animals. Swordsmen of Gor Book 29 Page 430 "Might it not be a grander gesture to unsheathe the ritual knives, in their thousands?" asked Lord Okimoto. "That is a death for heroes, a noble death, scorning life, preferring honor. Would not rushing about, when all is hopeless, and known to be such, be undignified, even shameful, an act of desperation, contemptible, base, and disgraceful, like the bound tarsk squirming and squealing on the sacrificial altar? If our foes break into the holding and discover, to their dismay, only death and honor, we have cheated them of their victory; they will be awed and the victory will be ours. That would be a grand gesture, an act that would be retold about the fires for a thousand years." Rebels of Gor Book 33 Page 12 "It is at least within our power to die honorably," said Lord Okimoto. "You think of ritual knives?" said Lord Nishida. "Of course," said Lord Okimoto. "Better they repose in the lacquered case," said Lord Nishida. Rebels of Gor Book 33 Page 20 I did understand facing a foe, a weapon drawn. I suppose there are various honors, as there are various men. Yet that each has an honor seemed to me significant. Those without an honor I found it difficult to comprehend. Yet perhaps they were the wisest, or most clever. The urt often survives where the larl perishes. And yet I did not think the urt the better for this. It remains an urt. Rebels of Gor Book 33 Page 31 If one were to think of the ritual knife it seemed to me a more plausible occasion for its employment would have been upon the failure to obey the order. From my point of view, of course, living was a more plausible route to honor than death. I was never an enthusiast for leaping on one's sword, and such. Better to die with it in one's hand, facing the enemy. On the other hand, who am I, who once abandoned honor, long ago in the delta of the Vosk, to speak of it to others? Paths are many; let each seek his own. Rebels of Gor Book 33 Page 77 On the Prison Moon, a largely automated prison, it had been intended by the Priest-Kings that I should be defeated and broken as a warrior, by means of an ingenious torture consisting of the counterpoising of desire and honor. In my small, cylindrical, transparent cell, supplied with oxygen, water, and nourishment administered by means of tubes and valves, were two exquisite free women, as unclothed and helpless as I. It was no mistake that I had been confined with precisely these two women. Each, unbeknownst to herself, had her role to play in the machinations of Priest-Kings. It was not a simple matter of placing two stripped beauties within my power, beauties such as one might conveniently take off any slave block on Gor. Surely that would have been cruel enough, but each had been brilliantly selected, with the end in view of my suffering, that I should be torn between desire and honor, suffering indefinitely until, inevitably, I should succumb to the implacable imperatives of nature, and put them to my pleasure. Had they been slaves, there had been no dilemma but a feast of joy, but both were free women. Rebels of Gor Book 33 Pages 188 - 189 "Those who are eager to die," I said, "are likely to be obliged by the foe." "What of honor?" he said. "Death and honor seldom have much to do with one another," I said. "It is easy to die honorably. To live honorably is much more difficult." Rebels of Gor Book 33 Page 389 Free women in jeopardy, say, a blade at their throat, rather than accept an honorable death as a free person, as is prescribed, may declare themselves slave, after which they are stripped and bound, and, despised as the slaves they now are, are held for the iron and collar. Rebels of Gor Book 33 Page 431 "We must loosen steel," said Nodachi. "I insist." "It is improper," said Lord Yamada. "You are a peasant, a charlatan, a magician, a mountebank. I would dishonor my steel." Rebels of Gor Book 33 Page 568 "I have studied men much," said Lord Nishida "and I do not understand them." "Nor I," I said. "There is always love and honor, and greed and gold. Some ascend the steps of blood and paint the black dagger. Others grasp at sparkling pebbles and tiny disks of yellow metal. Others will die for a Home Stone." Rebels of Gor Book 33 Pages 607 - 608 |       
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