Gorean slave positions
Some positions for Gorean slaves (kajirae) described in the Chronicles of Gor series of science fiction books written by John Norman.
Note that there is no absolute standarization of such positions across the planet Gor, and a number of slight variants exist, due to regional differences, or due to the individual preferences of each master, or due to adjusting to the particular circumstances in which a position is performed. There are also variations in the names used for some positions, and positions are actually relatively infrequently referred to by name in the Gor books. However, the basic essential features of the Nadu position, the Female Submission position, and the Obeisance positions seem to remain the same everywhere, and all three of these positions (however they are referred to) play a somewhat prominent role in Gorean culture. The Nadu position is a constant accompaniment of being a kajira "of interest to men", while entering the Female Submission position, or performing a full Obeisance, can be legally equivalent to a formal admission of captive or slave status.
| Pleasure Slave or Nadu | One of the most often used of all of the Gorean slave positions, and one of the first that a kajira learns. The word Nadu is a command meaning "kneel" in the Gorean language, and commonly gives its name to the position. It is also known as the position "of the pleasure slave" or "of a woman who is of interest to men". In this position, the kajira kneels back, sitting on her heels, with her back and shoulders straight, her chest out, belly in, and her head up. Her knees are open, widely spread. By default, she averts her eyes to the floor, and her hands rest upon her thighs, palms down, although there are variations. Sometimes a kajira places her hands palms upwards to signify humble supplication. Usually the head is held up (with chin high) so that the kajira's beauty may be fully exposed to view, but in some circumstances the head may be lowered to express deference and submission. Also, in some cities on Gor, the kajira usually holds her hands crossed behind her.
In the Gor books, whenever a kajira first encounters a free man in various contexts (such as when her owner re-enters the house, or she is addressed by a man in the street etc.) she is generally required to assume the nadu position (or in some cases the obeisance position, depending on circumstances). Kajirae tend to develop a quasi-reflex reaction of semi-automatically kneeling whenever they hear themselves being addressed by the voice of a man whom they have not been previously recently interacting with, so that kajirae sometimes have to be specifically instructed not to kneel, if the free man does not desire this. |
| Tower Slave | (Also called "the position of the house slave".) This is another variant of the pleasure slave position, in which the kajira kneels the same way, but with her knees modestly together. If the hands are not occupied with some task, then typically they rest loosely in front, with wrists crossed. This position is associated with slaves whose duties do not prominently include sexual services; also, pleasure slaves might kneel in this position before free women. Gorean free women commonly use a similar position to simply sit on the floor or the ground (without expressing any submission), but in much less revealing garments than kajirae, and never with wrists crossed. |
| Bara, or Belly | Bara is the Gorean word for "belly". In response to this command, the kajira falls to her stomach, with her head down to the floor and turned to the left, crosses her wrists behind her back, and similarly crosses her ankles, her legs straight, in preparation for binding. (This is the "standard binding position" for a woman lying prone.) |
| Sula, or Supine | In this position, a kajira lays upon her back, her hands at her sides, palms upward, her legs widely spread, to await her Master's pleasure. |
| Lesha, or leashing | The Gorean word Lesha translates as "leash". In this position, the kajira remains either standing or kneeling (depending upon her previous posture). She turns and puts her back to her Master, her chin up, her back and shoulders straight, and her head turned to the left, so that a leash may be attached to her collar. Her wrists are held behind her about two inches apart, in a position to be locked into chained slave bracelets. |
| Obeisance (i.e. obedience), or prone | This can refer to several quasi-prone face-down positions. Either the kajira goes down on her hands and knees (palms on the floor) with her head held down, or she lies on her stomach (i.e. fully on the floor). In either case, her hair often falls on the floor. The purpose of the position can be completed by the kajira crawling or "bellying" forward to the master, and turning her head and placing her cheek against his feet, kissing them lightly in a symbolic gesture of love and submission (or alternatively she simply licks and kisses the master's feet). |
| The "posture of Female Submission" | Also called "the submission of the captive female". In this position the woman kneels back on her heels, with her arms extended forward, crossed at the wrists (which are thus ready to be bound together), and her head between them lowered in submission. In Gorean culture, this is the classic position by which a woman who has been captured in war etc. submits herself as a captive to her captor, or a kajira submits herself as a slave to a new owner (there is not much practical difference between the two situations, since the rights of a Gorean captor over his captive are much the same as the rights of a master over his owned slave). According to the traditional codes of the Gorean warrior caste, if a woman submits herself to a warrior, he must then and there on the spot either take her as his own slave or kill her. Kajirae often use a similar position to serve beverages or hand over small items, except that the wrists are not crossed, and the cup or bowl or item to be delivered is held in the hands; also, the knees will be widely spread if the kajira is a pleasure slave serving free men (which is less often the case when a woman submits to a captor or new owner).
Sometimes among on-line Gorean fandom, it is said that the arms are held vertically above the head, but this is not correct to the descriptions in Norman's books. |
| Leading | The kajira stands a little behind and usually to the left of her Master, bending deeply at the waist. She places her hands behind her (if they are not already bound or braceleted) and puts the side of her head to her Master's hip, so that he might lead her easily, with his left hand gripping her hair or collar, while walking a relatively short distance. |
| Bracelets, or Chaining | In this position the kajira stands gracefully before her Master, with her hips slightly turned to one side, her back and shoulders erect, her wrists crossed behind her back and her head turned to the left, in anticipation of having slave bracelets attached to her wrists. |
| Hair | In this position the slave stands, her feet flat on the floor, and bows gracefully at the waist, that her hair might fall forward for display, or to be shorn, seized, or used for any purpose that the Master desires. |
| Whipping | In this position the slave first assumes the Nadu position, though with her arms crossed in front of her. She then leans forward and places her head to the floor, first sweeping her hair forward over her shoulders in order that her back might be utterly exposed to the whip. |
| She-Sleen | Also known as "assuming the modality of the she-quadruped". In this position, the slave falls to her hands and knees, her head down on the floor, her hindquarters upthrust for viewing and/or her Master's pleasure. "Serving in the modality of the she-quadruped" is an instruction whereby the slave performs her regular duties upon hands and knees, without the benefit of the use of her hands. In this mode she may not rise to her feet and may use only her mouth and teeth to grasp and manipulate objects. |
| "Slaver's Kiss" | The slave falls to the floor upon all fours, and lowers her head to the ground, with her buttocks thrust upward and her thighs widely spread, exposing her hindquarters fully in preparation for the caress of the leather against her body. |
| Common Gorean Usage | The slave falls to the floor upon all fours, and keeps her head straight, her eyes looking forward, with her buttocks thrust upward and her thighs widely spread in preparation for sexual use by the Master. |
| Run | In the Gor books, some kajirae are specially trained to run in a stylized manner considered particularly appropriate to slaves. The kajira runs by taking short rapid steps, with her legs almost straight, her feet hardly leaving the floor. As she moves, her back is straight, her head is turned to the left, and her arms are at her sides, her palms facing outward at a 45 degree angle to her body. Unless other orders have been given, upon reaching her objective she drops gracefully to her knees and typically resumes the position of Nadu. |
| Walk | When this command is given, the slave turns in a graceful pirouette, her hair swinging. She then walks, gliding across the room, her feet hardly seeming to leave the floor, her hips swaying sensually, her body erect and proud. When she reaches her objective she halts and stands, her body erect, her shoulders back, her chest thrust forward, her belly in. She turns her hip out a bit, her hands at her sides, and points one foot. Her head is up and her eyes are lowered. |
| "Slave Lips" | When this command is given, the slave turns her head up to the Master, her lips pursed in a sensual kissing position. She remains motionless, her lips thusly puckered, and may not move until she is granted the kiss of a Master. |
| Sula-Ki, or "Alternative Sula" | This position is almost identical to the Sula position, except that once the slave has assumed the Sula position she slowly lifts her hips up off the floor, as if beckoning him with her body, encouraging her sexual use by him. This was invented by Gorean fandom (from the words Sula "supine" and Ki "not" or negative), and is not found in the Gor books (though it has some similarity to the "Gorean love bow" or arched back positions mentioned in the books). |
Some of these positions (including nadu) are also used by kajiri (male slaves), but there are far fewer kajiri than kajirae (female slaves) on Gor, and the majority of kajiri are used for hard labor on work-gangs out of sight of most free people (while by contrast kajirae are a common sight in Gorean cities), so that slave positions are stereotypically associated with kajirae.
See also
| This page uses content from SM-201; the original article can be viewed here. |
