-Mentor... to others who have need of his example.
First and foremost among the traits of any warrior is his honor. It is his singularly most precious possession... once lost or damaged, it can only be regained through rigorous trial or longterm atonement, and sometimes not even then. A warrior's honor is a beautiful, fragile, powerful, and often fleeting thing, and so it is the responsibility of the warrior to maintain it at all costs. The concept of a warrior's honor is difficult to put into words, especially for those who have never sought it or possessed it. It is a highly personal matter.
Perhaps the best way to explain honor is through example, and comparison.
The honor of a Gorean warrior is similar in many respects to what some would define as "character." For example:
A Gorean warrior values highly such personal traits as courage, determination, and honesty. He even values these traits when they are manifested by enemies, and will admire and respect such an enemy even when locked in deadly combat with him. Through the very act of engaging in combat, and fighting honorably, with the respect for one who dares to take up arms against him, a warrior acknowledges the belief that honor transcends even boundary lines of caste, city and code. This is character; this is honor.
When all persons in a room defer to the judgement of one individual, due to respect of his wisdom and/or fear of his weaponry, they are, in effect, doing him honor. It is not the weaponry in itself which is feared...without the hand which wields it, a weapon is merely an object, an empty symbol. What makes a weapon fearsome is the certain knowledge that the person who carries it is willing to use it when necessary. When those who meet a warrior know that he is prepared to instantly enforce his decisions and defend his personal code at all cost, then it would be foolish for any to stand in his way unless they, too, have declared such an objective. You may not agree with a warrior, but any attempt by you to prevent him from taking action will have immediate consequences. A warrior is prepared to face those consequences at any time. Others honor his commitment, and take it seriously, whether they agree with it or not. In fearing the warrior, they do him honor.
When a warrior is taken at his word by others, and earnestly fulfills every vow, every promise, every letter of his codes though perhaps none are at hand to enforce his adherence to these things, then, too, he is said to be a man of honor.
When in the course of combat his enemy is reduced by chance or circumstance to defeat, and is stripped of the means by which to die well in service to his codes, an honorable warrior will, if possible, provide his enemy with an opportunity to stand and be counted until the bitter end. This, also, is honor.
It should be remembered that those who disregard honor and behave dishonorably, through lies, treachery, or other such base acts, have in effect abandoned their right to honorable treatment by men (and women) of honor. If identified as being without honor, such dishonorable persons are seldom treated with respect or afforded the right to an honorable end. If an honorable person decides to treat honorably one who literally does not deserve to be treated in such a fashion, then that is something apart from honor... that is chivalry.
Chivalry, also a difficult concept for many to grasp, is similar to the honor codes of the Gorean warrior. However, chivalry is not honor... it is merely an applicable system to enhance the practical dealings of those who possess a highly developed sense of honor. Chivalry is, in effect, a set of rules which govern the dealings of those who possess a certain code of honor with those who are honorable, but weaker, than the chivalric one, and those who are not capable (due to choice, bad luck or unfortunate circumstance) of dealing with the chivalric warrior on equal footing. Chivalry is also deeply rooted in social class structure, and applies primarily to interaction between "peers" or social equals.
WARRIOR'S CASTE
Of all the five Gorean High Castes, the most romanticized and probably the most often misinterpreted caste is the scarlet caste... the Caste of Warriors. Too many foolish young men seem compelled to pronounce themselves "warriors" simply because they like to think of themselves as dangerous, mysterious and chivalrous. This not only is an insult to those who truly are of that caste, it tends to result in the delivery of many such braggarts to the Cities of Dust by the able hands of those who truly know and follow the codes. Although upon the world of Gor Warrior is a social caste title, in truth social position tends to matter little in dictating who shall be true warriors. Nor does physical size determine who may consider themself a warrior. The fact of the matter is that being a warrior is almost completely dependent upon learning, and maintaining, a specific "mindset" which applies to all things in your life, a set of rules which you strive to live by.
First and foremost among the traits of any warrior is his honor. It is his singularly most precious possession... once lost or damaged, it can only be regained through rigorous trial or longterm atonement, and sometimes not even then. A warrior's honor is a beautiful, fragile, powerful, and often fleeting thing, and so it is the responsibility of the warrior to maintain it at all costs. The concept of a warrior's honor is difficult to put into words, especially for those who have never sought it or possessed it. It is a highly personal matter. Perhaps the best way to explain honor is through example, and comparison. The honor of a Gorean warrior is similar in many respects to what some would define as "character."
For example: A Gorean warrior values highly such personal traits as courage, determination, and honesty. He even values these traits when they are manifested by enemies, and will admire and respect such an enemy even when locked in deadly combat with him. Through the very act of engaging in combat, and fighting honorably, with the respect for one who dares to take up arms against him, a warrior acknowledges the belief that honor transcends even boundary lines of caste, city and code. This is character; this is honor.
When all persons in a room defer to the judgement of one individual, due to respect of his wisdom and/or fear of his weaponry, they are, in effect, doing him honor. It is not the weaponry in itself which is feared...without the hand which wields it, a weapon is merely an object, an empty symbol. What makes a weapon fearsome is the certain knowledge that the person who carries it is willing to use it when necessary. When those who meet a warrior know that he is prepared to instantly enforce his decisions and defend his personal code at all cost, then it would be foolish for any to stand in his way unless they, too, have declared such an objective. You may not agree with a warrior, but any attempt by you to prevent him from taking action will have immediate consequences. A warrior is prepared to face those consequences at any time.
Others honor his commitment, and take it seriously, whether they agree with it or not. In fearing the warrior, they do him honor. When a warrior is taken at his word by others, and earnestly fulfills every vow, every promise, every letter of his codes though perhaps none are at hand to enforce his adherence to these things, then, too, he is said to be a man of honor. When in the course of combat his enemy is reduced by chance or circumstance to defeat, and is stripped of the means by which to die well in service to his codes, an honorable warrior will, if possible, provide his enemy with an opportunity to stand and be counted until the bitter end. This, also, is honor. It should be remembered that those who disregard honor and behave dishonorably, through lies, treachery, or other such base acts, have in effect abandoned their right to honorable treatment by men (and women) of honor. If identified as being without honor, such dishonorable persons are seldom treated with respect or afforded the right to an honorable end.
One of the greatest and most important points of personal honor is a person's word. This is the yardstick whereby personal honor may be measured.
Naturally, it is not always wise to tell the truth, and in certain circumstances the unfailing adherence to veracity can cause great complications, the death or injury of the speaker not withstanding. However, there is a difference between always telling the truth and breaking one's word. A person's word, is, quite literally, his word of honor.
