Tuchuks on ear piercing

[~Dylan~]

Recently I re-read Nomads, and they talk about how Tuchuks do not pierce the ears of their slaves, considering it barbaric.  In contrast, Turians take great pleasure in piercing the ears of Tuchuk slaves that they trade for, capture, or win in the games of love and war.


Thoughts?  Feelings?


~Dylan~

[Terran]

I never was a fan of the whole ear piercing concept. Lets say a slave is pierced and set free sometime down the line. The ears will always be pierced from that point forward, forever labelling them a slave, even if they become Free.

Now, over time, the piercing may close and heal over but the slight dent will always be there. Even with those small scars, they will forever be seen as a slave, even if freed. So, if anything, ear piercing should only be used as a form of punishment

But that is just the opinion of one Man.

[familure{TD}]

not sure if a slaves thoughts on the subject matters...


with so many from so many places, now calling MTC home...alot of cultural line blurring is something that would be expected to follow suit. it would stand to reason that ear piercing would be one of those things. though...in the books...it also mentions how the act was once something only done in Turia...and had spread over time to further reaches of Gor (due to wars, trading, raids, slavers caravans, ect.)

the act of piercing a girl's ears itself is a profoundly humiliting one. as my Master pointed out already...it is a mark of slavery that can not be hidden here on the plains. personally...i think that's the point...to hammer home the fact you are always going to be a peice of property. in some cases (such as a former panther or a captured high ranking FW), it might be used in breaking the willfullness of the girl.

anyways...just the thoughts of a rambling blonde

[snare]

I agree with Master Terran and lure to a degree. Thus I took what was being done last night as punishment from Master Raziel. Though that is but my thoughts as I was disrespectful and came to terms with that being something to shame and break me - permanent slavery. So I rolled with it and will live with it.

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time per se. I knew full well what could happen last night and I did what I did, because I am me. Even if you're marked a slave and freed one day - It is you who sees whether you're slave or you're free - Along with those of your home. In the end - Marks do not matter. It's how you carry yourself - Though risks come with leaving ones home if they are freed and bear such brands and marks that show you were a slave. Some will still consider you such and others will see you for you and why you were freed.

They may be used as a form of punishment and humiliation to put someone in their place. But if you rise above that place in future dealings and you're deemed free by those who did this to you - Then you have proven, despite the marks - that you are indeed worthy as an equal. Physical marks are no more shameful and binding than that of one's past, ones memories, ones experiences. You live with them. You learn from them. You move on. It is but another scar upon your person that shows what you've been through. It can be taken as shameful while collared - Yet once one proves themselves then why consider it shameful? It shows you lived through it and didn't just give up. It shows what you've done. While it may be constant reminder at times of the shame you brought upon yourself - It is also a reminder of what you should work forward to and improve upon.

As with all things in life it's a balancing act and finding an even keel. Everyone has different thoughts on piercings and everyone is entitled to that. One can hide the marks if they left their hair down to fall over them and conceal it. Thus, unless you were bathing with someone or they actually got close enough to look at your ears, then no one would know save for you and those who knew you bore this mark. In the cities one wears a concealment cloak and they are therefore hid. On the plains - It is different.

But in my eyes - Why hide it? If someone hid it from me I would believe them to be a runaway slave or ashamed of their marks. Thus, they'd be collared in a heartbeat. As would many others even if you didn't hide it. Gor is harsh. Gor is not a place for pussy footing. There is a time to fight with word, claw, hands, or steel...You choose when you fight and what you fight with. You know full well you could die. That is life.

I'm aware of the actions I've done over the past few days and I was fully aware of the consequences and what could happen to me. I am in a new Home. I made mistakes and I learned from them. Shame or no - Even as  a slave I will have some bit of pride no matter what I am told. But I will learn to bite my tongue when there's no cause to say more and escalate it. I know my place in Gor. A place that I take pride in. Mistakes happen. You learn. You live on. You don't. You die a wayward soul who squandered the kindness offered from a Home and Family.

Just my thoughts though....

p.s. It's still early...Forgive the ramble.

[Raziel]

And thus, the ear piercing lesson is learned.

At any given point in time, I will always, ALWAYS, have a different meaning to what I do than what other people perceive.  As can be seen by snare's response and even the response of familure, the punishment was given and for each slave, there is a different punishment to deal with.  Each person is unique and different weaknesses.

What a masters duty must entail, is how to read that slave or for the warrior, their opponent. 

I have to shake my head from time to time when I see the reaction of FM in camp to what a slave may or may not do.  Many FM of places tend to not pay attention to what a slave actually does.  Every slave in Tuchuk knows I watch them.  Sometimes new ones are notified right off the bat, and others, I simply lay in wait.  Snare is a slave that plays her personality and from what I have seen, follows her history.

Each instant I reacted to her last night had a reason.  The snatching of her hair for the snorting, the command for an apology to my Brother, the choking, the tossing, the order for the brand and the specific order for the pierced ears. 

Yes, pierced ears are barbaric and was used as a form of punishment last night.  How often are the mutterings of a slave ignored?  Degradation stripes indeed.  Why panther degradation stripes?  To embarass their capture.  Will it heal?  Yes because it will grow back.  Pierced ears, depending on how long they are kept and cared for will remain with little scarring or no scarring.  Pierced ears are a humiliating punishment and was thusly used.  Will it heal, depends on my mood.

Raz

[Arlon]

It is also of interest, that in later books ear piercing among slaves spread like wildfire as Turian refugees spread out over the face of Gor, and eventually was actually thought to enhance the value of certain slaves, to the extent that some slavers had it done to all their slaves as a matter of course. The slaves still found it shameful and humiliating for reasons already given by others (except for newly collared barbarians, who wonderd what the fuss was about), but the Masters buying them felt that it enhanced the beauty of the slaves. Whether the views the Wagon Peoples held of that custom changed or not is not clear to Me, for as of this point I have yet to read any in-depth storyline on them after the custom became commonplace.
(IC: Arlon, being originally City-bred, cares little one way or the other for ear piercing. If a girl's ears are pierced, then they are pierced; if not, no matter to Him. I cannot for the life of Me remember whether or not I had ariella's ears done; I think not, though I did consider the idea more than once.)

...Arlon

[Medi]

i have just finished reading 'Witness of Gor' and 'Kajira of Gor', and am re-reading 'Captive of Gor'.  they all involve ear piercing, but the central girls are all earth barbarians, and we don't see ear piercing the same as Gorean girls.  even if we intellectually understand what it means to have pierced ears in Gorean society, we don't feel the sense of shame and degradation that a Gorean girl would feel.  i find it interesting, as i recall, that elinor britten gets her ears pierced after arriving on Gor, and isn't bothered, but when she gets her nose pierced she is very upset.  <fingering nose ring>  i think that, after i finish 'Captive', that i should read 'Nomads of Gor' so that i can internalize the Wagon society better.  the 'Tuchuk Pages' help, and r/p is the best, even though i get frustrated because i keep making mistakes.  i have the other four 'earth kajira' books in my possession, and will be reading them.  if anyone can suggest other sources, or approaches, i will welcome them.  <fingering my double pierced ears, and missing my earrings>  if i am to wear earrings again, that will be the choice of my owner.  but, i will not see it as a punishment.  i have seen that some Masters see 'pierced ear' girls as being very desirable...so, if i am fitted with them, i will be pleased to see His pleasure, as the hoops will show off my cheeks and my shapely ears.

amanda

[kelsey]

definitely read Nomads.  We don't as a practice pierce ears, though we have done so as a punishment.  Once the ears are pierced, the slave will always be a slave.  She would never be freed, from my understanding anyway

[Medi]

thank You, Mistress, i have ordered 'Nomads' from amazon.com, and will read it next.

amanda