Port of Jasmine

Gender: Joined: 26 May 2007 Posts: 47 Location: Australia

An issue going on that I have seen in second life is regarding outlaw women. More precisely, were there in Gor outlaw women that fought, and if there were, were there any that had a commanding role?

In order to answer this question, first we must answer what an outlaw
is in Gor. The answer is simple: anybody who doesn't rcognize the
homestone or caste system is an outlaw. In that respect, John Norman uses the
word outlaw not in the modern sense (criminal) but in the old roman and
greek sense: somebody who is outside the law, who doesn't recognize the
establised legal system, and has no protection from the law.

From the books we know there are outlooks in four regions in Gor: the
Northern Forest, the Voltai, the Jungles of Schendi and the Tahari.

Also from the books we know of two groups of female outlaws: Panthers
and Talunas. So in a broad general sense, yes there are female outlaws. Also one might include as a third group the she urts of Port Kar who were free women who survived in the canals by being thieves and also offering their bodies.

We also know of a band of outlaws in the Tahari, that not only
contained female outlaws, but was led by one, Tarna. Though this seem to be
considered an aberration by Goreans (woman leading a band of outlaws) it
shows it is something possible in Gor. However this is a tricky example, as she was also a pawn of the Kurii, was actually placed there by the salt Ubar and had no real skills with weapons. In fact she was easily deposed by Tarl Cabot. So not a good example to use in my opinion.

Also we know that male outlaws have companions with females. Not as
formal and institucionalized as the free companionship, but still some
sort of union of male and female. My impresion is outlaws don't have many
slaves as they would slow them down or constitute a problem (in this
respect they must be like the rencers). Free women would fight for their
freedom while slaves would run to the attackers as it would be
preferably a life in a city (with chances of being the slave of a merchant or
somebody of high caste) rather than in the wild, barely surviving.

Now, if logic shows that outlaws would prefer their women to be free,
then they would also want rhem to have some ability with weapons (again
here the paralel with the rencers appears) as it would be useful for
hunting and defending themselves. There is a false sensation in online
gor that women don't touch weapons. This is true in the cities, but
outside of them there are examples of women handling or touching weapons:
the rencers, Tarna's band in the Tahari and the fact that women of the
wagon people would prepare the weapons for the warriors when the camps
are attacked (something unthinkable in the northern cities).

So I wouldn't rule, from a logical perspective, outlaw women fighting (already panthers and talunas do it). We know there is a 27th book in the making (Prize of Gor is the thought name), and John Norman might surprise us. However having the chance of being a panther or a taluna, why make a controversy and decide to be something that is not quoted in the books. Also there are plenty of female characters in 26 books. So I wouldn't think possible for a woman to be an outlaw fighting woman. Yes to be a companion of an outlaw (which we know exists) and eventually wielding a weapon (which we know in some cases women touched them, and we know Free Women had daggers in their clothes) to defend herself but not being at par with a warrior or a mercenary.

Posted: 24.07.2007, 15:50

Women fighting