Tips for a Mistress

1. Gor is one place where the strong rule the weak. Women need to remember that. A woman on gor in a position of power is there because she either earned it thru her wits or skills - or because some man is amused by her being there.

2. More freewoman info >>> freewomen who do not wear veils are going to be thot of usually as slaves....or certainly potential slaves. The robes of concealment are not mandetory...but if you do not have strong protectors, you are a fool not to wear them. The exception are those who are out for sport - a tunic and hose, a light veil and gloves and high boots are worn then. and of course, barberians don't count...but are usually thot of as natural slaves.

3. Never, NEVER, act the slut in It's an open invitation to be considered no better than the lowest coin girl - ie, a cheap whore. Never alude too openly to having sex, tho behaving in a soft, sensual manner is permitted - but Gorean men do not respect lustful women.

4. A free lady would not be caught in a paga tavern normally, but since most places (on irc) style themselves as such, some allowances have to be made if freewomen are to be included.

5. Never go into an alcove - that's for slaves.

6. If they can't afford a room for you both....they just aren't classy enough to be seen with you anyway.

7. Do NOT let men enslave you...a freelady always travels with guards. You would not be defenseless. If you want to be enslaved, fine, but don't go around whining that you were forced.

8. Freewomen can carry weapons if they like. they can do just about anything they like.

9. Many women don't practice caste. but there are many female merchants - they tend to work in the cities of their homestone while their male counterparts travel - travel is dangerous for women. there are NO female initiates....don't ask me how they get more.

10. Females are often found in the other high castes, tho, excepting, again, Warriors - it's just not very practical to have a woman Warrior for the same reason there were only one or two actual historical female knights - they just are not as good infighters as the men when all you are considering is muscle. It would not surprize me to find out a lot of the wild women, the Panthergirls, were once of that caste and were forbidden entry.

11. Scribes and physicians are mentioned as female in a couple of the books.

12. I don't recall any builders, but of the lower castes, there were merchants, slavers, corders, peasants, rencers...

13. A woman who wishes her lover, be he husband or whatever, to come to her lights a special lamp in her window. when those lamps are lit, the lamps of love, generally, neighbors know better than to come over to see if you want to go to the races.

14. And yes.... the man of the house is considered the absolute ruler of his house. Females are considered, even the esteemed freecompanion, to be chattel - property - in most ways, tho not, of course, a slave. if any other man tried that, he'd be in BIIIIIG trouble. But your husband can do as he pleases - he is your master because, frankly, he's going to be bigger than you.

15. If a woman CAN slay a man, what prevents her? - only the laws of the city. - if murder is against the law, she will be tried.

16. pearl{LN}> so when the 2 freepersons take the vows.. they are not equal.. Master is still the Master.
Megera> GENERALLY.
Megera> but she does not call him master.
Megera> and ...she only has to wait until the end of the year.
Megera> if she refuses to renew the freecompanionship - he has lost her.
pearl{LN}> heard that before...
Megera> her property is hers, not his.
Megera> the particulars would be worked out, I presume, in a contract if there was a lot of property.
Megera> since many gorean marriages are arranged, most, infact, the arrangements would be like a buisness deal.

17. Women who want to be freewomen on gor would be advised to watch a movie called 'a lion in winter'. Elenor of Aquitaine was a very powerful woman. yet her husband kept her locked in a tower. he could do nothing with her properties or anythying else becaus of the way the marriage was. But she could not get away from him, really, either.

18. ALL gorean women kneel except barberians and panthergirls.
pearl{LN}> have not seen many Mistresses so this one is not sure what they do that is wrong.
pearl{LN}> did not know that about the kneeling. this one sees many come into tavens and say they sit.
Megera> sitting on your butt is for men - who cares if their asses get dirty?
Megera> slave girls do not want their butts to get dirty or creased - and neither do free women.
pearl{LN}> can they sit if they want to ?
Megera> sure, if they want to be thot of as crude and barberic and graceless.

19. A good hostess would NEVER allow a man to go thristy at her table - if there are no girls to serve in an inn, and a woman is a friend of the innkeeper, serving with dignety and grace is an honor they give their male friends.

20. One thing I cannot stress enough. Do NOT feel that you have to be a slave to be gorean. Do not let men talk you into it if you do not yearn for a collar. In many taverns and gorean channels ... once you are seen as a slave, a certain amount of respect and dignety is lost and never regained. Do not switch. If you are a switch... then what you do in the privacy of your room is your biz. But: do NOT NOT NOT take a collar.