Gor, John Norman: A place across the sun

Sometimes playing God can bring enlightening revelations. Moreover if the creative and imaginative capacity is used to spread ideologies which raise discussions among hundreds of thousands of lovers readers of "literature of anticipation"-genre of imaginary narratives that can not happen in the world we know because of a transformation of setting, based on the scientific alteration of, spatial, temporal, social or coordinates descriptive but recounted so rational that are acceptable as speculation. Shining example of the genre is the monumental work of John Norman novels-reactionary American thinker of the last century, entitled under the general name of The Chronicles Of Counter-Earth, saga of twenty volumes published since the late 60s until recent years.

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John Norman is the nom de guerre of John Frederick Lange, Jr., born in Chicago, Illinois on June 3, 1931. He began his academic career in 1953, earning the degree of Bachelor of Arts at the University Of Nebraska. In 1957, he graduated as Master of Arts at the University Of Southern California, and in 1963 he earned a doctorate in philosophy at Princeton University. He married Bernice L. Green on January 14, 1956, and has three children, John, David and Jennifer. Norman has been associated in Philosophy at Queens College in New York teacher.

Follower of Edgar Rice Burroughs and his works on the character John Carter of Mars novels the author contain long sociological and psychological dissertations, which highlights the ills that affect us from insincerity to nuclear holocaust. Just do not speak directly to our planet.

A BETTER WORLD?

What, then, Gor, also known as the Counter-Earth? This is a fictional celestial body located on the other side of our sun, that is, rotated in the same orbit as Earth but on the opposite end. That is why their existence a secret. Chronicles of Counter-Earth thoroughly describe its geography, its society and its diverse cultural elements. Also support the ethical, metaphysical and epistemological system prevailing there; system that could be applied to great effect in our lives.

In all the languages ​​of Gor, this name means "home stone". Its ecosystem is governed by the "natural state" that will advocate Nietzsche. It is a little smaller and has three moons, so its gravitational field is lighter. On Gor, a man can jump higher, carry more weight and throw objects faster-so Gorean fighting usually fatal. Nevertheless, Gor is a beautiful planet and wild time, not damaged by industrial pollution. The atmosphere is clean and bright. It is a world on which Homer could have written, singing about the clash of metal warriors and wine sweetness Thassa Sea.

(Forgive the digression to note that the idea of ​​a planet rotating in the same orbit as Earth but on the opposite end, is not entirely original John Norman was designed by the pre-Socratic philosopher Philolaus, then informed by the school Pythagorean.)

PRIESTS-KINGS VS. KURII

In the beginning, there was only emptiness and endless possibilities. Then the Universal Consciousness thought it would be interesting to share their knowledge with lower consciousness, take a chance and fill the void. It was thus that the heavens and the earth were created. And he placed in them creatures that inhabit and evolve. But the creatures desired the power of the Creator and fell into sin. The Universal Consciousness grieved to see that their gifts rejection produced in the minds of repressed Earth and decided to try again. This created the Counter-Earth, and called Gor. He put it to the Priest-Kings for the spec and possessed with an iron hand.

These Kings Priests have a highly developed intelligence, which have brought to Gor their home galaxy and indigo were located across the sun in the same orbit as Earth, to run their mysterious plans. For this reason, restrict and control the technological development on Earth, in order to avoid disasters caused by the self-destructive human nature.

Gorean warriors can not use full-armor and light shields helmets only, to promote strength and skill on the technology and economic factors. The rulers of Gor scheduled trips so-called Acquisition, kidnapping individuals on Earth for use as agents or slaves, according to his purposes.

But Gor is not safe. Neither the Earth. A race of alien creatures seeks to conquer both worlds: kurii, whose world got rid of its own wars, so that the only survivors were those who were in space at the precise moment cataclysmic. As the Priest-Kings not to let them get into Gor, have continued to live in their spaceships, which circumnavigate the outer space of Gor.

STRINGS FOR PLEASURE

The Gorean philosophy is simple. Male gender, being stronger, bigger and faster generally, is dominant. Goreans are city dwellers, are tribal, settle on the plains, in the northern landscapes of the planet, but where they live, without exception, the man is the ruler, and makes war. Gorean mythology that, on one occasion, when there was no social order that a war between men and women was unleashed, and they lost. The Priest-Kings, not wishing to be exterminated, made them beautiful, but as the price of this grant decreed that they and their daughters were slaves of men until the end of time.

On Gor, men are masters of their own destiny, not slaves. A slave, kajira, is property that is given affection and importance, a creature that is allowed the luxury of breathing for one reason: submission. This does not mean that it is devoid of intelligence object. A real slave's hot, feminine and beautiful. It is your duty to create his master when he needs you. The art of dance is your main creative and emotionally communicative instrument. The slave he used to tell stories, to express provocation, begging attention. A kajira seeks, serves, goes, stays, follow guide as ordered. She does these things with instant, unquestioned and absolute obedience. When does not do your skin feels the scourge of punishment or stomach pain of starvation. A kajira understands that his natural predisposition to be the service. It lacks the freedom to determine the course of their actions and are happy to delegate this control in men of Gor.

If a woman is abducted land on one of the trips Acquisition, metamorphosis takes place towards kajira drastically after being away from your lifestyle, and subjugated in bondage. All rights, and even identity are stripped by dominant men who inevitably indoctrinated in the ideology of the new society that has been built.

A CULTURE? Barbarism?

The humanity of Gor emulates ancient Earth cultures: Greeks, Romans, Vikings, Amerindians, Inuit hunters in the African jungle tribes, Mongols, Huns, Tartars and inhabitants of unexplored deserts of Arabia. There are variations, but all come from the same vein. Gorean language is no less complex than any of the languages ​​of the communities of the earth. It is, incidentally, a beautiful language: as subtle as Greek, as direct as Latin, as expressive as the Russian, as rich as English, as strong as the German. To Goreans, this sweet, fierce, liquid language is the common bond that tries to keep them together. It is the common property of the members of the different castes of city-state as Ar, Thentis, Cos, Turia and Ko-ro-ba. Calligraphy is Gorean zigzag: the first line from left to right, the second from right to left, the third again from left to right ...

Gorean society is divided into castes. Each profession or occupation comprises its own caste, and each is classified according to its particular place in the system of social interaction. Castes are hereditary, which means that an individual is born in the same caste of his father. Although the social structure is quite rigid in their requirements, it is possible for a person to change caste, or descend / ascend according to ability or aptitude. All Goreans belong to a particular caste, but three types of people: slaves, outlaws and Priest-Kings. Many major castes of Gor have their own unique and color. This color is often used by members of that caste banners, flags, buildings and even in costumes, all to identify themselves as members of a particular clan. For example, the scarlet robe is a symbol of a member of the warrior caste, a scribe, however, wearing blue clothes.

As the Priest-Kings, Norman has produced a planet where male domination, lust, honor, and the struggle for survival, are as real as thought. Still, it's hard to understand his philosophy in a global sense, without having read the books. And when you consider that the entire saga of Counter totals approximately 10,000 pages, this reading is a less than daunting task. So what is Gor and what it means to be Gorean could generate as many answers as representations has an idea. For now, we venture to suggest one: Gor is Hades, if you're Terran, is Paradise, if you are Gorean.

Jorge Antonio Buckingham