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Merchant Law
Merchant Law is the only common legal arrangements
existing among the Gorean cities. (1) Merchants also, in effect, arrange and administer the four
great fairs that take place each year near the Sardar Mountains. (2) It is here that Merchant Law
is drafted and stabilized. (3) Weights and measures are standardized throughout the Gorean cities
by Merchant Law. (4)
Certain defensible stockades on main trade routes are governed under
Merchant Law, legislated and revised, and upheld, at the Sardar Fairs. (5) Some free port cities
like Lydius, Helmutsport, Schendi and Bazi also subscribe to Merchant Law which controls things like wharfage and proof of
registration. (6) Businesses, too, complying with Merchant Law are aided in acquiring contracts,
even with both sides of a conflict at the same time. (7) And yet, Merchant law has been unsuccessful,
in introducing such things as patents and copyrights between cities. (8)
What receives the
most attention throughout the books, though, is how Merchant Law pertains to slaves.
Long before Tarl coming to Gor
and for about a generation, a series of wars, loosely referred to as the Slave Wars had occurred. Out of these wars grew much
of the Merchant Law pertaining to slaves. (9) Probably foremost among these has to do with the brand
and collar. A prisoner is not the same as being a slave. “I have been neither branded nor collared, nor have I performed
a gesture of submission.” (10) Merchant Law upholds the self-pronouncement that one is slave,
after which it is binding. (11)
Merchant Law defines permissions of enslavement, at least
two of which are making one a slave when not sharing a Home Stone and any Earth girl. (12) Merchant
Law also dictates that sometimes, in the fall of a city, girls who have been enslaved, girls formerly of the now victorious
city, will be freed. The rescuer has no obligation to free the girl. In having been enslaved she has lost all claim to her
former Home Stone. (13)
Merchant Law prescribes the brand and collar. (14)(15) And, while some men do not do so this, it is contrary to the laws of most cities and to Merchant Law, as well. (16) Following the recommendations of Merchant Law, the three standard marking places for the brand are
the thighs and the lower left abdomen. (17)(18)
Referenced Quotes
(1)
“The fairs incidentally are governed by
Merchant Law and supported by booth rents and taxes levied on the items exchanged. The commercial facilities of these fairs,
from money changing to general banking, are the finest I know of on Gor, save those in Ar’s Street of Coins, and letters
of credit are accepted and loans negotiated, though often at usurious rates, with what seems reckless indifference. Yet perhaps
this is not so puzzling, for the Gorean cities will, within their own walls, enforce the Merchant Law when pertinent, even
against their own citizens. If they did not, of course, the fairs would be closed to the citizens of that city.”
Priest-Kings
of Gor, Page 10
(2)
“There is a saying on Gor, “Gold has no caste.” It is a saying of which the
merchants are fond. Indeed, secretly among themselves, I have heard, they regard themselves as the highest caste on Gor, though
they would not say so for fear of rousing the indignation of other castes. There would be something, of course, to be said
for such a claim, for the merchants are often indeed in their way, brave, shrewd, skilled men, making long journeys, venturing
their goods, risking caravans, negotiating commercial agreements, among themselves developing and enforcing a body of Merchant
Law, the only common legal arrangements existing among the Gorean cities. Merchants also, in effect, arrange and administer
the four great fairs that take place each year near the Sardar Mountains. I say “in effect” because the fairs
are nominally under the direction of a committee of the Caste of Initiates, which, however, largely contents itself with its
ceremonies and sacrifices, and is only too happy to delegate the complex management of those vast, commercial phenomena, the
Sardar Fairs, to members of the lowly, much-despised Caste of Merchants, without which, incidentally, the fairs most likely
could not exist, certainly not at any rate in their current form.”
Nomads of Gor, Page 84
(3)
“The
fairs, too, however, have many other functions. … It is here that Merchant Law is drafted and stabilized.”
Beasts
of Gor, Page 44
(4)
“The Weight and the Stone, incidentally, are standardized throughout the Gorean cities
by Merchant Law, the only common body of law existing among the cities. The official “Stone,” actually a solid
metal cylinder, is kept, by the way, near the Sardar. Four times a year, on a given day in each of the four great fairs held
annually near the Sardar, it is brought forth with scales, that merchants from whatever city may test their own standard “Stone”
against it.
…
As in the case of the official “Stone”, so, too, at the Sardar is a metal rod, which
determines the Merchant Foot, or Gorean foot, as I have called it.”
Raiders of Gor, Page 127 and 128
(5)
“The
Merchants have, in the last few years, on certain trade routes, between Ar and Ko-ro-ba, and between Tor and Ar, established
palisaded compounds, defensible stockades.
…
Various cities, through their own Merchant Castes, lease land for
these stockades and, for their fees, keep their garrisons, usually men of their own cities, supplied. The stockades are governed
under Merchant Law, legislated and revised, and upheld, at the Sardar Fairs.”
Captive of Gor, Page 219
(6)
“The
representative of the Merchants, to whom I reported my business, and to whom I paid for wharfage, asked no questions. He did
not even demand the proof of registration of the Tesephone in Tabor. The Merchants, who control Lydius, under merchant law,
for it is a free port, like Helmutsport, and Schendi and Bazi, are more interested in having their port heavily trafficked
than strictly policed.”
Hunters of Gor, Page 43
(7)
“He himself resided, I understood, in Telnus,
the capital of Cos, where his company had its headquarters. His work chains, however, were politically neutral, understood
under merchant law as hirable instruments. They might, accordingly, and sometimes did, work for both sides in given conflicts.”
Dancer
of Gor, Page 322
(8)
“Merchant law has been unsuccessful, as yet, in introducing such things as patents and
copyrights on Gor. Such things do exist in municipal law on Gor but the jurisdictions involved are, of course, local.”
Magicians
of Gor, Page 394
(9)
“She was referring to a series of wars, loosely referred to as the Slave Wars, which
occurred among various cities in the middle latitudes of Gor, off and on, over a period of approximately a generation. They
had occurred long before my coming to Gor. Although large-scale slaving was involved in these wars, and was doubtless a sufficient
condition for them, hence the name, other considerations, as would be expected, were often involved, as well, such as the
levying of tribute and the control of trade routes. Out of the Slave Wars grew much of the merchant law pertaining to slaves.”
Vagabonds
of Gor, Page 272
(10)
“It is my understanding, following merchant law, and Tahari custom,” I said,
“that I am not a slave, for though I am a prisoner, I have been neither branded nor collared, nor have I performed a
gesture of submission.”
Tribesmen of Gor, Page 196
(11)
“In the case of the girl, Rowena, of course,
as she was already a self-pronounced slave, the brand and collar were little more than identificatory formalities. Nonetheless
she would wear them. They would be fixed visibly and clearly upon her. This is in accord with the prescriptions of merchant
law.”
Players of Gor, Page 36
(12)
“You understand further, of course,” said he, “that
under Gorean merchant law, which is the only law commonly acknowledged binding between cities, that you stand under separate
permissions of enslavement. First, were you of Ar, it would be my right, could I be successful, to make of you a slave, for
we share no Home Stone. Secondly, though you speak of yourself as the Lady Elicia of Ar, of Six Towers, you are, in actuality,
Miss Elicia Nevins of the planet Earth. You are an Earth girl and thus stand within a general permission of enslavement, fair
beauty quarry to any Gorean male whatsoever.”
Slave Girl of Gor, Page 394
(13)
“The legal point,
I think, is interesting. Sometimes, in the fall of a city, girls who have been enslaved, girls formerly of the now victorious
city, will be freed. Technically, according to Merchant Law, which serves as the arbiter in such intermunicipal matters, the
girls become briefly the property of their rescuers, else how could they be freed? Further, according to Merchant Law, the
rescuer has no obligation to free the girl. In having been enslaved she has lost all claim to her former Home Stone.”
Explorers
of Gor, Page 409
(14)
“Girls such as I must expect to be marked,” she said. “It is in accord
with the recommendations of merchant law.”
Kajira of Gor, Page 46
(15)
“You’re going to be
branded,” he said, “and put in a collar.” I regarded him with disbelief.
“But so too, will the
other girls,” he said. “You will all have your brands and collars.”
I could not speak.
“Such
things are prescribed by merchant law,” he said.
Dancer of Gor, Page 62
(16)
“Some fellows do not
brand their slaves,” I said.
“That is stupid!” she said.
“It is also contrary to the laws of
most cities,” I said, “and to merchant law, as well.”
Vagabonds of Gor, Page 188
(17)
“But
her left thigh worn no brand. Her right thigh, too, as I soon noted, did not wear the slave mark, nor did her lower left abdomen.
These are the three standard marking places, following the recommendations of Merchant Law, for the marking of Kajirae, with
the left thigh being, in practice, the overwhelmingly favored brand site.”
Fighting Slave of Gor, Page 312
(18)
“The
thighs and the lower left abdomen are the brand sites recommended by Merchant Law.”
Fighting Slave of Gor, Page 349
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