Gorean Society

The majority of the population is made up of peasants. A Gorean caste
is identified by its colors, The castes were created to identify a persons
profession or occupation in which He/She held in Gorean society.
Most Goreans belong to a caste except for two groups: slaves and
outlaws.

HIGH CASTES:

Initiates:   the representatives of the Priest Kings in  Gorean society; the Initiates are one of the five High Castes, and are the religious branch of the government; their caste
color is white.  --Tarnsman of Gor pg. 41 & 62
  • Initiates attempt to purify themselves by the study of mathematics.--Magicians of Gor pg. 17
  • Converse amongst themselves in archaic Gorean. --Marauders of Gor pg. 26
  • Are not permitted by their caste codes to bear arms; nor are they permitted to injure or kill  hire men for such purposes. --Assassin of Gor pg. 267
    • Scribes: the caste concerned with history, accounting, record keeping, etc.; one of the five High Castes which make up Gorean government; their caste color is blue
    --Tarnsman of Gor pg. 41 & 62
  • Lawyers, Scholars, Record Keepers, Teachers, Clerks, Historians and Accountants are also members of the Scribes --Assassin of Gor pg. 208
  • Geographers - Cartographers are members of the Scribes. --Explorers of Gor pg. 213
    • Builders: the caste which includes architects, draftsmen, stonemasons, etc.; the Builders are one of the five High Castes included in the government of Gor; their caste color is yellow. --Tarnsman of Gor pg. 41 & 62

    Physicians: the caste which practices the healing arts; the Physicians are one of the five High Castes which make up the Gorean government; their caste color is green.  --Tarnsman of Gor pg. 41 & 62

    Warriors: the caste which includes infantry, tharlarion cavalry, and tarnsmen; one of the five High Castes which make up Gorean government, and as such the military branch of the government; their caste color is red. --Tarnsman of Gor pg. 41 & 62

    LOW CASTES:

    Assassins: the caste of those who kill for pay; exists only in Ar;  their caste color is black.  --Assassin of Gor, page 6

    Bakers:  colors are yellow and brown.   --Nomads of Gor pg. 237

    Carrier's of Wood:   individuals in this Caste are often very large and can frequently be seen carrying burdens of wood.  This Caste, with the Caste of Charcoal Makers, provides fuel for the cities. -- Outlaw of Gor ,page 27

    Charcoal Makers:  production of charcoal for use in Gorean forges and ovens. Caste colors: Black and Gray. --(searching for quote)

    Guardsmen: A sub-caste of the caste of Municipal Servants. This caste is responsible for patrolling the city or village streets, arresting those who violate local ordinances and laws, and insuring the general well-being of the citizenry. They are the Gorean equivalent of a police force. They have no caste colors, and typically wear uniforms provided them by the city or village in which they work, in that settlement's traditional colors. The guardsmen of Ar, for instance, wear Red and Gold, while those of Cos traditionally wear Blue, and guardsmen of Tyros wear Yellow --(searching for quotes)

    Lamplighters: A sub-caste of the caste of Municipal Servants. Concerns itself with lighting the tharlarion oil lamps used to provide illumination to the city streets. --(searching for quote)

    Merchants:   the caste of those who deal in merchandise and trading; their caste colors are white and gold. -- Tarnsman of Gor pg. 41 & 62

  •      the gold of merchants, in most cities, exercises its not imponderable influence  -- Nomads of Gor pg. 84
  •      regard themselves as the highest caste on Gor
  •      are in their way brave, shrewd, skilled men
  •      develop and enforce a body of Merchant Law
  •      only common legal arrangements existing among  Gorean cities
  •      in effect, arrange and administer to the four great fairs, near the Sardar Mountain


    • Metal Workers:  A sub-caste of the Artisans. Concerned with the production of most metal items fabricated upon Gor. The sub-castes of this caste include the caste of Sword makers and the caste of Armorers.  Their caste color is Gray. --(searching for quote)

    Municipal Servants: A large caste category which contains many specific sub-castes, all concerned with providing various public services to the inhabitants of a particular city or village. Their caste color is Gray. --(searching for quote)
     

    Musicians, Caste of:  czehar players have the most prestige; next follow the flutists and then the players of the kalika; the players of the drums come next; and the farthest
    fellow down the list is the man who keeps the bag of miscellaneous instruments, playing them and parceling them out to others as needed

  • are never enslaved; they may be exiled, tortured, or slain
  • it is said, that he who makes music must, like the tarn and  the Vosk gull, be free --Nomads of Gor pg. 154
  • Flute players names usually occurs on the theatrical  advertisements immediately AFTER that of the major  performer or performers --Magicians of Gor post scripts  pg. 378
    • Peasant:   the basic caste of Gor; they regard themselves as the "Ox on Which the Home Stone Rests"  -- Outlaw of Gor pg. 27 & 66

    Perfumer, Caste of:   (mentioned but no description given) --Fighting Slave of Gor pg. 209

    Players:  a member of a caste like society who plays Kaissa professionally; their caste colors are red and yellow. They are made up of men from various castes who often have
    little in common but the game.  --Assassins of Gor pg. 27

  • It is a criminal offense to enslave one of the Caste of Players
    • Poets:   One of  the low castes. On Gor the singer or poet is regarded as a craftsman who makes strong sayings he has his role to play in the social structure celebrating battles and histories singing of heroes and cities but also he is expected to sing of living and of love and joy not merely of arms and glory; and too it is his function to remind the Goreans from time to time of loneliness and death lest they should forget that they are men. This Caste is outlawed in Tharna.
    -- Outlaw of Gor, page 103

    Pot Makers: A sub-caste of the caste of Artisans. They are involved in the production of containment vessels. Their caste colors are Brown and Green --(searching for a quote)

    Growers of the Rence, caste of: -- Raiders of Gor pg. 21

    Saddle Makers:  A sub-caste of the caste of Artisans. They produce the saddlery, harness and tack used to manage all of the various riding and draft beasts of Gor. Their caste color is Tan. --(searching for a quote)

    Singers: One of  the low castes. On Gor the singer or poet is regarded as a craftsman who makes strong sayings he has his role to play in the social structure celebrating battles and histories singing of heroes and cities but also he is expected to sing of living and of love and joy not merely of arms and glory; and too it is his function to remind the Goreans from time to time of loneliness and death lest they should forget that they are men. The Caste name is interchangeable with Caste of Poets.
    -- Outlaw of Gor, page 103

    Slavers:   the sub-caste of the Merchants one who deals in human merchandise, their colors are blue and yellow. -- Magicians of Gor page 315

    Slavers, League of Black: a branch of the Caste of Slavers; they work out of Schendi -- Explorers of Gor, page 16

    Sleen Trainers:  Professionals, colors brown and black.  --Beasts of Gor pg. 78

    Tarn Keepers:   A sub-caste of the caste of Animal Handlers. This caste concerns itself with the care, feeding and training of the Gorean tarn, the fierce winged saddle-bird of Gor. Caste colors: Grey and Green --Tarnsman of Gor, page 52

    Thieves, caste of: Those who make their living by stealing, robbery, picking pockets, etc.; exists only in Port Kar. --Raiders of Gor pg. 104

    Vintners:  wine makers, white garment with a representation in green cloth of leaves about the collar and down the sleeves.-- Assassins of Gor pg. 29

    "Though one is commonly born into a caste one is often not
    permitted to practice the caste craft until a suitable
    apprenticeship has been served. This guarantees the quality of
    the caste product. It is possible, though it is seldom the case,
    that members of a caste are not permitted to practice specific
    caste skills, though they may be permitted to practice
    subsidiary skills."
    --Fighting Slave of Gor pg. 209 - 210

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