Laws of gor
@Caste of Scribes are the over seers of these laws, and also Magistrates and lawyers.
The laws of Gor, as described throughout John Norman’s Chronicles of Counter-Earth, are not codified in one unified legal system. Instead, they vary from city to city—each city-state on Gor is an autonomous polity with its own magistrates, traditions, and codes of justice. Still, there are strong common themes and customs that shape what’s considered “lawful” across the civilized parts of the planet.
Here’s a breakdown of the main principles that govern Gorean life:
1. City-State Sovereignty
Each Gorean city is independent—there’s no overarching empire or central authority. The “law of Ar” may differ from that of “Ko-ro-ba” or “Turia.”
Citizenship is sacred: only citizens enjoy legal protections. Foreigners and outlaws are often treated as having no rights at all.
2. Caste Law and Hierarchy
Society is organized into castes, each with specific duties and privileges. High castes—Warriors, Builders, Scribes, Physicians—wield the most authority.
Caste law dictates social order: a man must not act beneath the dignity of his caste. For example, a Warrior who refuses battle or flees dishonorably may be stripped of caste and outlawed.
3. The Law of Slavery
Slavery is completely legal and central to Gorean society.
A free person may enslave another under certain conditions, such as capture in war or punishment for debt or crime.
A slave (called a kajira for women or kajirus for men) has no legal personhood—they are property.
Slaves can be bought, sold, punished, or killed by their owners, though wanton killing of valuable property may be frowned upon as wasteful.
4. The Law of the Home Stone
Every city is centered around a Home Stone, a sacred symbol of community and loyalty.
Stealing or desecrating a Home Stone is among the gravest crimes, punishable by death.
A man who renounces or loses his Home Stone becomes an outlaw, stripped of protection and identity.
5. Justice and Punishment
Gorean justice is swift, often brutal, and public.
Common punishments include enslavement, exile, mutilation, or death.
Trials are presided over by magistrates or councils. Proof of guilt often depends on witness testimony or caste honor rather than forensic evidence.
6. The Warrior Code
Though not a “law” in the civic sense, the Warrior Code acts as a moral and social law among fighting men. It emphasizes:
Courage and loyalty to one’s Home Stone
Respect for worthy enemies
Honor in combat
Breaking the code—cowardice, treachery, or failure to protect one’s people—is socially and spiritually ruinous.
7. Trade and Contract Law
Commerce is respected. Oaths and contracts sworn on a Home Stone are binding.
Merchants have their own caste laws ensuring fair trade, measurement standards, and caravan protection.
Fraud is treated as a crime of dishonor, often punished by exile or enslavement.
8. Religious Law of the Priest-Kings
The Priest-Kings, godlike alien overseers, enforce only one absolute law:
No advanced technology.
Weapons beyond a primitive level are forbidden. Cities that attempt to develop such tech risk annihilation.
Beyond that, the Priest-Kings rarely interfere in human law, caring only that their own rules are obeyed.
9. Law of Capture and War
During war or raids, captives can legally be enslaved or executed.
There’s no concept of “prisoners of war” in the Earth sense. Defeated enemies are booty; free women become slaves, men become laborers or are slain.
Victory itself often justifies the legal status of actions afterward.
In sum, the laws of Gor reflect a world where might, caste, and honor outweigh modern ideas of equality or human rights. Justice is tribal, property-based, and deeply entwined with ritual loyalty to one’s city and caste. Civilization on Gor survives not by mercy but by structure—a fragile balance maintained by fear, pride, and the iron weight of tradition.
If you’d like, I can summarize how enforcement and courts actually work day to day in Gorean cities—it’s a fascinatingly brutal bureaucracy.