HomeWarfar of Red Savages
Page 1 of 1
Warfar of Red Savages
by Guest Sat May 04, 2013 10:22 pm
"The red savage does not take an industrial or arithmetical approach to warfare. He would rather rescue one comrade than slay ten of the enemy. This has to do with the fact that they are members of the same tribe and, usually, of the same warrior society. They will have known one another almost all of their lives; as children and boys they have played together and watched the kaiila herds in the summer camps together; they may even have shared in their first kailliauk hunt; now, as men, they have taken the warpath together; they are comrades, and friends; each is more precious to the other than even a thousand coups."
"Savages of Gor" page 47
"in actual warfare itself large-scale conflicts almost never occur. The typical act of war is the raid, conducted usually by a small group of men, some ten to fifteen in number, which enters enemy country, strikes, usually at dawn, and makes away, almost at soon as it came, with scalps and loot, sometimes, too, a woman or two of the enemy is taken; men of most tribes are fond of owning a woman of the enemy; male prisoners are seldom taken; because of their camaraderie and the sporting aspect of their warfare a group of red savages will usually refuse to follow even a single enemy into rock or brush cover; it is simply too dangerous to do so; similarly the red savages will almost never engage in a standing fight if they are outnumbered; often, too, they will turn their backs on even an obvious victory if the costs of grasping it seem too high; sometimes, too, a large number of red savages will retreat before an unexpected attack of a small number of enemies; they prefer to fight on their own terms and at times of their own choosing; too, they may not have had time to make their war medicine."
"Savages of Gor" page 48
"It is a belief of the red savages that if they are unworthy, or do not speak the truth, that their shield will not protect them, it will move aside or will not turn the arrows and lances of enemies. Many warriors claim to have seen this happen. The shields, too, are made of the hide of the kailiauk from the thick hide of the back of the neck, where the skin and musculature are thick, to support the weight of the trident and turn the blows of other tridents, especially in the spring buffetings, attendant upon which follows mate selection.
"Savages of Gor" page 50/1
"Red savages are not wont to conduct their altercations in dignified silence. There is a purpose to such things, of course. They serve to heighten aggression and ventilate emotion. They may also have a role to play in the intimidation, and consequent inhibition, of the enemy, perhaps in virtue of making one seem a more fearsome or terrible foe. Most interestingly, such cries, particularly if unexpected, may freeze, or startle, the enemy, thus, for a brief, valuable moment, providing the aggressor with a relatively inactive, stationary target for a particular stab or thrust."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 233
"Several times in the afternoon had the battle whistles formed from the wing bones of taloned Herlits, blasted in the air, and the feathered battle staffs raise and lowered, communicating their signals to the combatants, not only to the Kaiila but to the Yellow Knives, as well. I did not know the codes, nor, for the most part, did Cuwignaka, as he had not been trained in the whirling, shifting tactics of his people, but Hci, and others, knew them well, much as Gorean soldiers know the meaning and the beating of tarn drums. We followed their lead."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 238
"I heard men about me. Some recounted their coups aloud to themselves. Some called upon their medicine helpers for assistance, usually birds and animals. Others sang their medicines of war. Still others spoke to their shields and weapons, telling them what would be expected of them. Many sang their death songs. “Though I die it is true the sun will blaze in the sky. Though I die it is true the grass will grow. Though I die it is true the kailiauk will come when the grass is high.”"
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 239
"Red savages, on the whole, prefer to avoid fighting in darkness. In the darkness it is difficult to be skillful and, in the absence of uniforms, friends my be too easily mistaken for foes. Some savages, too, prefer to avoid night combat for medicine reasons. There are many theories connected with such things. I shall mention two. One is that if an idividual is slain at night, he may, quite literally, have difficulty in the darkness in finding his way to the medicine world. Another is that the individual who is slain at night may find the portals of the medicine world closed against him. These beliefs, and others like them, it seems clear, serve to discourage night combat."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 251
Go to Top
Medicine World
"“I do not believe in the medicine world,” I said. “I do not think it exists.” “I know the medicine world exists,” said Hci.
“How do you know that?” I asked.
“Once,” said he, “I grievously lied. Later, in battle, my shield betrayed me. It would not obey me. I could not control it. It refused to protect me. Of its own will it rose, exposing me to the lance of my enemy.”"
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 373
"The rider, tall on the kaiila, singing medicine, disdaining to lift his shield, rode past, below us.
“I recognize him,” said Cuwignaka. “He is one of the war chiefs who delt with Watonka,”"
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 414
"“Medicine drums,” said Hci.
“Soldiers are leaving the camp,” I said.
“Yes,” said Hci."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 434
Go to Top
Wakanglisapa
“He fears that it could only have been the work of Wakanglisapa,” said Cuwignaka.
“Wakanglisapa?” I asked.
“Yes, Wakanglisapa, ‘Black Lightning,’ the Medicine Tar,” said Cuwignaka. “That is foolish, Hci, my friend,” I said.
“I do not think so,” he said. “While I crouched in the grass, awaiting the landing of the tarn, I found something. I would like to show it to you.” Neither Cuwignaka nor myself spoke. We watched Hci return to the place in the grass where he had waited, bow ready, for the landing of the tarn. In a moment or two he had returned to where we stood.
In his hands he carried a large feather.
“It is black,” said Cuwignaka.
“There are many black tarns,” I said.
“Consider its size, Tatnkasa, Mitakola,” said Cuwignaka, in awe.
“It is large,” I granted him. It was some five feet in length. It could only have come from a very large tarn.
“It is the feather of Wakanglisapa, the Medicine Tarn,” said Hci.
“There is no such beast,” I said.
“This is his feather,” said Hci.
I said nothing."
"Savages of Gor" page 344
"“It is said that Wakanglisapa prizes his feathers and is jealous of them, for they contain powerful medicine.”"
"Savages of Gor" page 346
Go to Top
Kaiila Riders
"To be sure, these folk are superb riders. A child is often put on kaiilaback, its tiny bands clutching the silken neck, before it can walk. Sometimes a strap dangles back for a few feet from the throat loop. This is to be seized by the warrior who may have been struck from his mount, either to recapture the beast or, using the strap, being pulled along, with the momentum of the racing steed, to vault again to its back. This strap, incidentally, is used more often in hunting than in warfare. It could be too easily grasped by an enemy on foot, with the result of perhaps impeding the movement of the kaiila or even causing it to twist and fall. Needless to say, it is extremely dangerous to fall from one's kaiila in hunting kailiauk, because one is often closely involved with numerous stampeding beasts, or the given beast one is pursuing may suddenly turn on one."
"Savages of Gor" page 47
"The ear of his kaiila is notched," I said to Grunt. "Is that an eccentric mutilation or is it deliberate, perhaps meaningful?"
"It is meaningful," said Grunt. "It marks the kaiila as a prize animal, one especially trained for the hunt and war."
"Savages of Gor" page 261
"Bareback riding, incidentally, is common in war and the hunt. In trading and visiting, interestingly, saddles are commonly used. This is perhaps because they can decorate lavishly, adding to one’s apperance, and may serve, in virtue of the pommel, primarily, as a suppot for provisions, gifts and trade articles."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 26
Go to Top
Stealing Kaiila
"first actual war parties, though common, are formed less often than parties for stealing kaiila; in this sport the object is to obtain as many kaiila as possible without, if possible, engaging the enemy at all; it is a splendid coup, for example, to cut a kaiila tether strap which is tied to the wrist of a sleeping enemy and make off with the animal before he awakens; killing a sleeping enemy is only a minor coup; besides, if he has been killed, how can he understand how cleverly he has been bested; imagine his anger and chagrin when he awakens; is that not more precious to the thief than his scalp;"
"Savages of Gor" page 47/8
Go to Top
Kaiila bridle
"The bridle used by the red savages, incidentally, usually differs from that used by the white men. The most common form is a strap, or braided leather tie, placed below the tongue and behind the which two reins, or a teeth, tied about the lower jaw, from single double rein, a single loop, comes back over the beast's neck. The jaw tie, serving as both bit and headstall, is usually formed of the same material as the reins, one long length of material being used for the entire bridle."
"Savages of Gor" page 163
Go to Top
Counting coup
"The most highly regarded battle exploit among most tribes, for which the highest honors are accorded, is not to kill an armed enemy but to touch or strike one with the open hand. The more danger and risk that is involved in a deed, on the Whole, the greater is the concomitant glory of accomplishing it. Killing the enemy, thus, in the heraldry of the red savages, ranks far beneath the besting of the enemy, and in a way that supposedly demonstrates one's greater prowess and courage. It is thus understandable that touching an armed enemy with the open hand counts among most tribes as a first coup. The second and third man to accomplish such a deed would then receive second coup and third coup. Killing an enemy with a bow and arrow from ambush, on the other hand, might be counted as only a fifth or seventh coup."
"Needless to say, the counting of coup, which is reflected in the feathers and adornments to which one is entitled, is a matter of great importance to the red savages. Indeed, there are also, in many tribes, practical considerations, which also become involved in these matters. For example, it is unlikely that one can advance within a tribe, or become a leader or chieftain, unless one has frequently counted coup. Too, in many tribes, a man who has not counted coup is not permitted to mate. In other tribes, such a man, if he is over twenty-five, is permitted to mate, but he is not allowed to paint his mate's face. Thus will her shame before the other women be made clear."
"Savages of Gor" page 45
"In most tribes, incidentally, a man who refuses to go on the warpath is put in women's clothes and given a woman's name. He must then live as a woman. Henceforth he is referred to in the female gender. Needless to say, she is never permitted to mate. Sometimes she must even serve the members of a warrior society, as a captive female."
"Savages of Gor" page 46
"Interestingly enough, whites stand outside the coup structure. This is something that few of them will object to. It seems they are simply not regarded, on the whole, as being suitable foes, or foes worthy enough to stand within the coup structure. It is not that the red savages object to killing them. It is only that they do not take pride, commonly, in doing so. Similarly a man of the high cities would not expect to be publicly rewarded for having speared a tarsk or slain an urt, Accordingly the red savage will seldom go out of his way to slay a white person; he commonly sees little profit in doing so; in killing such a person, he is not entitled to count coup."
"Savages of Gor" page 46
Go to Top
Scouts
"It is seldom wise to silhouette oneself against the sky. A movement in such a plane is not difficult to detect. Similarly, before entering a terrain, it is sensible to subject it to some scrutiny. This work, whether done for tribal migrations or, war parties, is usually done by a scout or scouts. When a man travels alone, of course, he must be his own scout. Similarly it is common for lone travelers or small parties to avoid open spaces without cover, where this is possible, and where it is not possible, to cross them expeditiously. An occasional ruse used in crossing an open terrain, incidentally, is to throw a kailiauk robe over oneself and bend down over the back of one's kaiila. From a distance then, particularly if one holds in one's kaiila, one and one's mount may be mistaken for a single beast, a lone kailiauk."
"Savages of Gor" page 41/2
"Scouts are sometimes called sleen by the red savages. The sleen is Gor's most efficient and tenacious tracker. They are often used to hunt slaves. Too, the scout, often, in most tribes, wears the pelt of a sleen. This pelt, like a garment, which is at one time both cowl and cape, covers both the head and back. It is perhaps felt that something of the sleen's acuity and tenacity is thus imparted to the scout. Some scouts believe that they become, when donning this pelt, a sleen. This has to do with their beliefs as to the mysterious relationships which are thought to obtain between the world of reality and the medicine world, that, at times, these two worlds impinge on one another, and become one. To be sure, from a practical point of view, the pelt makes an excellent camouflage. It is easy, for example, to mistake a scout, on all fours, spying over a rise, for a wild sleen. Such animals are not uncommon in the Barrens. Their most common prey is tabuk."
"Savages of Gor" page 42
Go to Top
Scalps and mutilation
"The tops of the skulls, and parts of the tops of the skulls, in the back, of several of the bodies were exposed. It was here that the scalp and hair, in such places, had been cut away. These things could be mounted on hoops, attached to poles, and used in dances. They could be hung, too from fringes, lodge poles, and parts of them, in twisted or dangling friges, could decorate numerous articles, such as shields and war shirts."
"Savages of Gor" page 160
"I do not understand all the cutting," I said, "the slashing, the mutilation." "That sort of thing," said Grunt, "is cultural, with almost all of the tribes. The tradition is an ancient one, and is largely unquestioned. Its origins are doubtless lost in antiquity." "Why do you think it is done?" I asked. "There are various theories," said Grunt. "One is that it serves as a warning to possible enemies, an attestation of the terribleness of the victors as foes. Another is that the practice is connected with beliefs about the medicine world, that this is a way of precluding such individuals from seeking vengeance later, either because of inflicted impairments or because of terrorizing them against a second meeting."
"Savages of Gor" page 160
Go to Top
Death Song
" Though I die it is true the sun will blaze in the sky. Though I die it is true the grass will grow. Though I die it is true the kailiauk will come when the grass is high."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 239
Go to Top
Shields
"It is a belief of the red savages that if they are unworthy, or do not speak the truth, that their shield will not protect them, it will move aside or will not turn the arrows and lances of enemies. Many warriors claim to have seen this happen. The shields, too, are made of the hide of the kailiauk from the thick hide of the back of the neck, where the skin and musculature are thick, to support the weight of the trident and turn the blows of other tridents, especially in the spring buffetings, attendant upon which follows mate selection."
"Savages of Gor" page 50/1
"One's shield might betray one," said Cuwignaka.
I regarded Cuwignaka.
"Yes," said Cuwignaka. "It is a well known fact. One's shield may choose not to defend one, if one is a liar."
"Shields do not behave like that outside of the Barrens," I told Cuwignaka, smiling.
"You are skeptical, I see," said Cuwignaka. "Well, be assured, my friend, I am speaking of the shields of the peoples of the Barrens and within the Barrens. These are not your ordinary shields. These are made with the aid of spells. The medicines of war are important in their construction and designs. They are not merely equipment, not merely contraptions of metal or leather. They are holy. They are precious. They are friends and allies. Surely you have seen them suspended from tripods behind the lodges, being sunned?"
"Yes," I admitted.
"That is to soak up power from the sun."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 175/6
"'Hci is a liar," I said. "No," said Akihoka. "Why not?" I asked. "He has sworn by his shield," said Aikhoka."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 187
"'Hci swears it," said Aikhoka. "Hci swears falsely," I said. "Hci swears by his shield," said Aikhoka.
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 188
"I swear that is is not," said Cuwignaka. "Had I a shield I would swear by it." Hci looked at him, startled. "That is a most hold and sacred oath," said one of the Sleen Soldiers, frightened. "Would you truly swear by a shield?" ask Hci. "Yes," said Cuwignaka. "And when one so swears, then one is to be believed, is one not?" "Yes," said Hci. "One is then to be believed." "No one would betray the shield oath," said a man."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 209
"I noted that Hci's shield, almost as though it were alive, seemed to move. It seemed he had to hold it steady, close to him. I had never seen anything precisely like this before."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 229
"'Did you see the movement of his shield before?" asked Cuwignaka. "Yes," I said. "I have never seen anything like that. It is eerie."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 232
"I glanced over to Hci. I saw his shield move, as though by itself. Then he steadied it. I felt the hair rise on the back of my neck. I felt goose flesh. This movement of the shield had not been unnoticed by Mahpiyasapa. He rode to Hci. "What is wrong with your shield?" he asked. "Nothing," said Hci. "Fall back," said mahpiyasapa. "Do not fight." Then he rode from him."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 249
"I saw Hci struggle for a moment to again control of his shield. Then, again, he had steadied it."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 252
"'Beware", I cried. It was almost as though Hci did not see the man, almost as though he was looking through him, almost as though the very real man, and the physical poit of the lance, of sharp bronze, were little more than tokens or emblems of something he feared far more. Hci did not bring his kaiila about. He did not set himself to repel the charge. The Yelow Knife hesitated, frightened, puzzled. This inactivity, so unepxected, so unnatural, so eerie, unsettled him. Did he see a man before him or something else, perhaps a guest from the medicine world, something through which he might charge, touching nothing, something that might disappear like smoke behind him? The Hci cried out in anguish. His shield began to rise. It seemed, for a moment, that he tried to struggle with it, but, inexorably, as though with a will of its own, it rose. The Yellow Knive aligned his lance. Hci, resigned, no longer fighting, calmly, not moving, sat astride his kaiila, his arms lifted to the moons of Gor. "Look out!" I cried. The Yellow Knife's lance took him low in the left side, hurling him from the kaiila, and then the Yellow Knife, with a whoop of victory, whirled away. "His shield would not defend him," said Cuwignaka, in horror. "His shield betrayed him! I have heard of such things. I never saw it until now!"
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 266/7
"I lied", said Hci.
He lay in the darkness, in Grunt's lodge. I had wished to return to this lodge. There were objects in it which remained of interest to me. In it, too were stocks of dried meat and wakapapi, pemmican.
"It was I who took the arrow of Canka," he said. "It was I who feigned an attack on Mahpiyasapa. It was I who accused Canka of attempting to kill him."
"That is known to us," said Cuwignaka. "I think, too, it is understood by Mahpiyasapa, and many others."
"I swore upon my shield," said Hci.
Cuwignaka did not respond.
"It knew," said Hci. "It fought me. Dishonored, it would not defend me."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 268/9
"Once," said he, "I grievously lied. Later, in battle, my shield betrayed me. It would not obey me. I could not control it. It refused to protect me. Of its own will it rose, exposing me to the lance of my enemy."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 372
"It was late afternoon. This would be the time for sunning of shields, hanging on the shield tripods behind the lodges, the entrance of the lodge facing east, the back of the lodge facing west."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 301
"It is not uncommon for a warrior to keep his shield in it's case or cover when not fighting. It is removed from the case, or cover, also, of course, when it is sunned, set forth to draw in power and medicine from the yellow, life giving, blazing star of two worlds, Sol or Tor-Tu-Gor, Light Upon the Home Stone."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 302
"I stood for a long time on that late-summer day, looking at the shield, hanging on the shield tripod. It turned, slightly , in the breeze, back and forth. I took care, in deference to the feelings of the red savages, not to let my shadow fall accross it, while it was being sunned. Similarly, one does not pass between a guest and the fire in a lodge without begging his pardon."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 302
"Cugwignaka's upward thrust, however, was easily turned by the Yellow Knife's stout war shield, of rawhide thickened and hardened by shrinking over heated stones, from the neck, between the shoulders, or the humped back, behind the head, bearing the trident of the bull kailiauk."
"Blood Brothers" page 227
Go to Top
Refusing War
"What is your name?" asked Grunt.
"Your people called me 'Urt,'' he said. "The Dust Legs called me 'Nitoske'." "Woman's Dress," said Grunt. "Quick, Lad, what do the Kaiila call you? We cannot call you 'Woman's Dress."'
“Cuwignaka,” said the lad.
Grunt spit disgustedly into the grass.
"What is wrong?" I asked.
"It means the same, only in Kaiila," said Grant. "Moreover, in both dialects, it is actually the word for a white woman's dress."
"Wonderful," I said. "What shall we call you?" I asked the lad.
"Cuwignaka," he said. "Woman's Dress."
"Very well," I said.
"It is my name," he said."
"Savages of Gor 309/310
"He would not carry arms," said Canka. "He would not take the warpath."
"I had no quarrel with the Fleer," said Cuwignaka.
"We put him in the dress of a woman and called him Cuwignaka," said Canka.
"I had no quarrel with the Fleer," said Cuwignaka.
"You shamed the Isbu," said Canka.
"I had no quarrel with the Fleer," said Cuwignaka.
"When again we went against the Fleer we gave him the opportunity to join us, the right to wear the breechclout and be a man. Again he refused. We then bound him in his women's dress and sold him to the Dust Legs."
"I had no quarrel with the Fleer," said Cuwignaka.
'The Kaiila have a quarrel with the Fleer, and you are Kaiila'' said Canka.
"The Fleer have not injured me," said Cuwignaka.
"Your grandfather was killed by Fleer," said Canka.
"And we, too, killed Fleer," said Cuwignaka.
"Savages of Gor page 322
"Do you think you are a man?" asked Canka.
"I am a man," said Cuwignaka.
"You do not wear the breechclout," said Canka.
"It is not permitted to me." said Cuwignaka.
"Because you are a woman," said Canka. "I am not a woman," said Cuwignaka.
"If you return to camp," said Canka, "you will live as a woman. You will wear the dress of a woman and do the work of a woman. You will scrape hides and cook. You will tend lodges. You will please warriors."
"I will not please warriors," said Cuwignaka.
"I think that I will give you as a female slave to Akihoka," said Canka.
"I will not please warriors," said Cuwignaka.
"That is the first duty of a woman," said Canka, "to obey men, and be pleasing to them."
"Savages of Gor" page 322/3
Go to Top
"Savages of Gor" page 47
"in actual warfare itself large-scale conflicts almost never occur. The typical act of war is the raid, conducted usually by a small group of men, some ten to fifteen in number, which enters enemy country, strikes, usually at dawn, and makes away, almost at soon as it came, with scalps and loot, sometimes, too, a woman or two of the enemy is taken; men of most tribes are fond of owning a woman of the enemy; male prisoners are seldom taken; because of their camaraderie and the sporting aspect of their warfare a group of red savages will usually refuse to follow even a single enemy into rock or brush cover; it is simply too dangerous to do so; similarly the red savages will almost never engage in a standing fight if they are outnumbered; often, too, they will turn their backs on even an obvious victory if the costs of grasping it seem too high; sometimes, too, a large number of red savages will retreat before an unexpected attack of a small number of enemies; they prefer to fight on their own terms and at times of their own choosing; too, they may not have had time to make their war medicine."
"Savages of Gor" page 48
"It is a belief of the red savages that if they are unworthy, or do not speak the truth, that their shield will not protect them, it will move aside or will not turn the arrows and lances of enemies. Many warriors claim to have seen this happen. The shields, too, are made of the hide of the kailiauk from the thick hide of the back of the neck, where the skin and musculature are thick, to support the weight of the trident and turn the blows of other tridents, especially in the spring buffetings, attendant upon which follows mate selection.
"Savages of Gor" page 50/1
"Red savages are not wont to conduct their altercations in dignified silence. There is a purpose to such things, of course. They serve to heighten aggression and ventilate emotion. They may also have a role to play in the intimidation, and consequent inhibition, of the enemy, perhaps in virtue of making one seem a more fearsome or terrible foe. Most interestingly, such cries, particularly if unexpected, may freeze, or startle, the enemy, thus, for a brief, valuable moment, providing the aggressor with a relatively inactive, stationary target for a particular stab or thrust."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 233
"Several times in the afternoon had the battle whistles formed from the wing bones of taloned Herlits, blasted in the air, and the feathered battle staffs raise and lowered, communicating their signals to the combatants, not only to the Kaiila but to the Yellow Knives, as well. I did not know the codes, nor, for the most part, did Cuwignaka, as he had not been trained in the whirling, shifting tactics of his people, but Hci, and others, knew them well, much as Gorean soldiers know the meaning and the beating of tarn drums. We followed their lead."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 238
"I heard men about me. Some recounted their coups aloud to themselves. Some called upon their medicine helpers for assistance, usually birds and animals. Others sang their medicines of war. Still others spoke to their shields and weapons, telling them what would be expected of them. Many sang their death songs. “Though I die it is true the sun will blaze in the sky. Though I die it is true the grass will grow. Though I die it is true the kailiauk will come when the grass is high.”"
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 239
"Red savages, on the whole, prefer to avoid fighting in darkness. In the darkness it is difficult to be skillful and, in the absence of uniforms, friends my be too easily mistaken for foes. Some savages, too, prefer to avoid night combat for medicine reasons. There are many theories connected with such things. I shall mention two. One is that if an idividual is slain at night, he may, quite literally, have difficulty in the darkness in finding his way to the medicine world. Another is that the individual who is slain at night may find the portals of the medicine world closed against him. These beliefs, and others like them, it seems clear, serve to discourage night combat."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 251
Go to Top
Medicine World
"“I do not believe in the medicine world,” I said. “I do not think it exists.” “I know the medicine world exists,” said Hci.
“How do you know that?” I asked.
“Once,” said he, “I grievously lied. Later, in battle, my shield betrayed me. It would not obey me. I could not control it. It refused to protect me. Of its own will it rose, exposing me to the lance of my enemy.”"
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 373
"The rider, tall on the kaiila, singing medicine, disdaining to lift his shield, rode past, below us.
“I recognize him,” said Cuwignaka. “He is one of the war chiefs who delt with Watonka,”"
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 414
"“Medicine drums,” said Hci.
“Soldiers are leaving the camp,” I said.
“Yes,” said Hci."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 434
Go to Top
Wakanglisapa
“He fears that it could only have been the work of Wakanglisapa,” said Cuwignaka.
“Wakanglisapa?” I asked.
“Yes, Wakanglisapa, ‘Black Lightning,’ the Medicine Tar,” said Cuwignaka. “That is foolish, Hci, my friend,” I said.
“I do not think so,” he said. “While I crouched in the grass, awaiting the landing of the tarn, I found something. I would like to show it to you.” Neither Cuwignaka nor myself spoke. We watched Hci return to the place in the grass where he had waited, bow ready, for the landing of the tarn. In a moment or two he had returned to where we stood.
In his hands he carried a large feather.
“It is black,” said Cuwignaka.
“There are many black tarns,” I said.
“Consider its size, Tatnkasa, Mitakola,” said Cuwignaka, in awe.
“It is large,” I granted him. It was some five feet in length. It could only have come from a very large tarn.
“It is the feather of Wakanglisapa, the Medicine Tarn,” said Hci.
“There is no such beast,” I said.
“This is his feather,” said Hci.
I said nothing."
"Savages of Gor" page 344
"“It is said that Wakanglisapa prizes his feathers and is jealous of them, for they contain powerful medicine.”"
"Savages of Gor" page 346
Go to Top
Kaiila Riders
"To be sure, these folk are superb riders. A child is often put on kaiilaback, its tiny bands clutching the silken neck, before it can walk. Sometimes a strap dangles back for a few feet from the throat loop. This is to be seized by the warrior who may have been struck from his mount, either to recapture the beast or, using the strap, being pulled along, with the momentum of the racing steed, to vault again to its back. This strap, incidentally, is used more often in hunting than in warfare. It could be too easily grasped by an enemy on foot, with the result of perhaps impeding the movement of the kaiila or even causing it to twist and fall. Needless to say, it is extremely dangerous to fall from one's kaiila in hunting kailiauk, because one is often closely involved with numerous stampeding beasts, or the given beast one is pursuing may suddenly turn on one."
"Savages of Gor" page 47
"The ear of his kaiila is notched," I said to Grunt. "Is that an eccentric mutilation or is it deliberate, perhaps meaningful?"
"It is meaningful," said Grunt. "It marks the kaiila as a prize animal, one especially trained for the hunt and war."
"Savages of Gor" page 261
"Bareback riding, incidentally, is common in war and the hunt. In trading and visiting, interestingly, saddles are commonly used. This is perhaps because they can decorate lavishly, adding to one’s apperance, and may serve, in virtue of the pommel, primarily, as a suppot for provisions, gifts and trade articles."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 26
Go to Top
Stealing Kaiila
"first actual war parties, though common, are formed less often than parties for stealing kaiila; in this sport the object is to obtain as many kaiila as possible without, if possible, engaging the enemy at all; it is a splendid coup, for example, to cut a kaiila tether strap which is tied to the wrist of a sleeping enemy and make off with the animal before he awakens; killing a sleeping enemy is only a minor coup; besides, if he has been killed, how can he understand how cleverly he has been bested; imagine his anger and chagrin when he awakens; is that not more precious to the thief than his scalp;"
"Savages of Gor" page 47/8
Go to Top
Kaiila bridle
"The bridle used by the red savages, incidentally, usually differs from that used by the white men. The most common form is a strap, or braided leather tie, placed below the tongue and behind the which two reins, or a teeth, tied about the lower jaw, from single double rein, a single loop, comes back over the beast's neck. The jaw tie, serving as both bit and headstall, is usually formed of the same material as the reins, one long length of material being used for the entire bridle."
"Savages of Gor" page 163
Go to Top
Counting coup
"The most highly regarded battle exploit among most tribes, for which the highest honors are accorded, is not to kill an armed enemy but to touch or strike one with the open hand. The more danger and risk that is involved in a deed, on the Whole, the greater is the concomitant glory of accomplishing it. Killing the enemy, thus, in the heraldry of the red savages, ranks far beneath the besting of the enemy, and in a way that supposedly demonstrates one's greater prowess and courage. It is thus understandable that touching an armed enemy with the open hand counts among most tribes as a first coup. The second and third man to accomplish such a deed would then receive second coup and third coup. Killing an enemy with a bow and arrow from ambush, on the other hand, might be counted as only a fifth or seventh coup."
"Needless to say, the counting of coup, which is reflected in the feathers and adornments to which one is entitled, is a matter of great importance to the red savages. Indeed, there are also, in many tribes, practical considerations, which also become involved in these matters. For example, it is unlikely that one can advance within a tribe, or become a leader or chieftain, unless one has frequently counted coup. Too, in many tribes, a man who has not counted coup is not permitted to mate. In other tribes, such a man, if he is over twenty-five, is permitted to mate, but he is not allowed to paint his mate's face. Thus will her shame before the other women be made clear."
"Savages of Gor" page 45
"In most tribes, incidentally, a man who refuses to go on the warpath is put in women's clothes and given a woman's name. He must then live as a woman. Henceforth he is referred to in the female gender. Needless to say, she is never permitted to mate. Sometimes she must even serve the members of a warrior society, as a captive female."
"Savages of Gor" page 46
"Interestingly enough, whites stand outside the coup structure. This is something that few of them will object to. It seems they are simply not regarded, on the whole, as being suitable foes, or foes worthy enough to stand within the coup structure. It is not that the red savages object to killing them. It is only that they do not take pride, commonly, in doing so. Similarly a man of the high cities would not expect to be publicly rewarded for having speared a tarsk or slain an urt, Accordingly the red savage will seldom go out of his way to slay a white person; he commonly sees little profit in doing so; in killing such a person, he is not entitled to count coup."
"Savages of Gor" page 46
Go to Top
Scouts
"It is seldom wise to silhouette oneself against the sky. A movement in such a plane is not difficult to detect. Similarly, before entering a terrain, it is sensible to subject it to some scrutiny. This work, whether done for tribal migrations or, war parties, is usually done by a scout or scouts. When a man travels alone, of course, he must be his own scout. Similarly it is common for lone travelers or small parties to avoid open spaces without cover, where this is possible, and where it is not possible, to cross them expeditiously. An occasional ruse used in crossing an open terrain, incidentally, is to throw a kailiauk robe over oneself and bend down over the back of one's kaiila. From a distance then, particularly if one holds in one's kaiila, one and one's mount may be mistaken for a single beast, a lone kailiauk."
"Savages of Gor" page 41/2
"Scouts are sometimes called sleen by the red savages. The sleen is Gor's most efficient and tenacious tracker. They are often used to hunt slaves. Too, the scout, often, in most tribes, wears the pelt of a sleen. This pelt, like a garment, which is at one time both cowl and cape, covers both the head and back. It is perhaps felt that something of the sleen's acuity and tenacity is thus imparted to the scout. Some scouts believe that they become, when donning this pelt, a sleen. This has to do with their beliefs as to the mysterious relationships which are thought to obtain between the world of reality and the medicine world, that, at times, these two worlds impinge on one another, and become one. To be sure, from a practical point of view, the pelt makes an excellent camouflage. It is easy, for example, to mistake a scout, on all fours, spying over a rise, for a wild sleen. Such animals are not uncommon in the Barrens. Their most common prey is tabuk."
"Savages of Gor" page 42
Go to Top
Scalps and mutilation
"The tops of the skulls, and parts of the tops of the skulls, in the back, of several of the bodies were exposed. It was here that the scalp and hair, in such places, had been cut away. These things could be mounted on hoops, attached to poles, and used in dances. They could be hung, too from fringes, lodge poles, and parts of them, in twisted or dangling friges, could decorate numerous articles, such as shields and war shirts."
"Savages of Gor" page 160
"I do not understand all the cutting," I said, "the slashing, the mutilation." "That sort of thing," said Grunt, "is cultural, with almost all of the tribes. The tradition is an ancient one, and is largely unquestioned. Its origins are doubtless lost in antiquity." "Why do you think it is done?" I asked. "There are various theories," said Grunt. "One is that it serves as a warning to possible enemies, an attestation of the terribleness of the victors as foes. Another is that the practice is connected with beliefs about the medicine world, that this is a way of precluding such individuals from seeking vengeance later, either because of inflicted impairments or because of terrorizing them against a second meeting."
"Savages of Gor" page 160
Go to Top
Death Song
" Though I die it is true the sun will blaze in the sky. Though I die it is true the grass will grow. Though I die it is true the kailiauk will come when the grass is high."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 239
Go to Top
Shields
"It is a belief of the red savages that if they are unworthy, or do not speak the truth, that their shield will not protect them, it will move aside or will not turn the arrows and lances of enemies. Many warriors claim to have seen this happen. The shields, too, are made of the hide of the kailiauk from the thick hide of the back of the neck, where the skin and musculature are thick, to support the weight of the trident and turn the blows of other tridents, especially in the spring buffetings, attendant upon which follows mate selection."
"Savages of Gor" page 50/1
"One's shield might betray one," said Cuwignaka.
I regarded Cuwignaka.
"Yes," said Cuwignaka. "It is a well known fact. One's shield may choose not to defend one, if one is a liar."
"Shields do not behave like that outside of the Barrens," I told Cuwignaka, smiling.
"You are skeptical, I see," said Cuwignaka. "Well, be assured, my friend, I am speaking of the shields of the peoples of the Barrens and within the Barrens. These are not your ordinary shields. These are made with the aid of spells. The medicines of war are important in their construction and designs. They are not merely equipment, not merely contraptions of metal or leather. They are holy. They are precious. They are friends and allies. Surely you have seen them suspended from tripods behind the lodges, being sunned?"
"Yes," I admitted.
"That is to soak up power from the sun."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 175/6
"'Hci is a liar," I said. "No," said Akihoka. "Why not?" I asked. "He has sworn by his shield," said Aikhoka."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 187
"'Hci swears it," said Aikhoka. "Hci swears falsely," I said. "Hci swears by his shield," said Aikhoka.
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 188
"I swear that is is not," said Cuwignaka. "Had I a shield I would swear by it." Hci looked at him, startled. "That is a most hold and sacred oath," said one of the Sleen Soldiers, frightened. "Would you truly swear by a shield?" ask Hci. "Yes," said Cuwignaka. "And when one so swears, then one is to be believed, is one not?" "Yes," said Hci. "One is then to be believed." "No one would betray the shield oath," said a man."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 209
"I noted that Hci's shield, almost as though it were alive, seemed to move. It seemed he had to hold it steady, close to him. I had never seen anything precisely like this before."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 229
"'Did you see the movement of his shield before?" asked Cuwignaka. "Yes," I said. "I have never seen anything like that. It is eerie."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 232
"I glanced over to Hci. I saw his shield move, as though by itself. Then he steadied it. I felt the hair rise on the back of my neck. I felt goose flesh. This movement of the shield had not been unnoticed by Mahpiyasapa. He rode to Hci. "What is wrong with your shield?" he asked. "Nothing," said Hci. "Fall back," said mahpiyasapa. "Do not fight." Then he rode from him."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 249
"I saw Hci struggle for a moment to again control of his shield. Then, again, he had steadied it."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 252
"'Beware", I cried. It was almost as though Hci did not see the man, almost as though he was looking through him, almost as though the very real man, and the physical poit of the lance, of sharp bronze, were little more than tokens or emblems of something he feared far more. Hci did not bring his kaiila about. He did not set himself to repel the charge. The Yelow Knife hesitated, frightened, puzzled. This inactivity, so unepxected, so unnatural, so eerie, unsettled him. Did he see a man before him or something else, perhaps a guest from the medicine world, something through which he might charge, touching nothing, something that might disappear like smoke behind him? The Hci cried out in anguish. His shield began to rise. It seemed, for a moment, that he tried to struggle with it, but, inexorably, as though with a will of its own, it rose. The Yellow Knive aligned his lance. Hci, resigned, no longer fighting, calmly, not moving, sat astride his kaiila, his arms lifted to the moons of Gor. "Look out!" I cried. The Yellow Knife's lance took him low in the left side, hurling him from the kaiila, and then the Yellow Knife, with a whoop of victory, whirled away. "His shield would not defend him," said Cuwignaka, in horror. "His shield betrayed him! I have heard of such things. I never saw it until now!"
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 266/7
"I lied", said Hci.
He lay in the darkness, in Grunt's lodge. I had wished to return to this lodge. There were objects in it which remained of interest to me. In it, too were stocks of dried meat and wakapapi, pemmican.
"It was I who took the arrow of Canka," he said. "It was I who feigned an attack on Mahpiyasapa. It was I who accused Canka of attempting to kill him."
"That is known to us," said Cuwignaka. "I think, too, it is understood by Mahpiyasapa, and many others."
"I swore upon my shield," said Hci.
Cuwignaka did not respond.
"It knew," said Hci. "It fought me. Dishonored, it would not defend me."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 268/9
"Once," said he, "I grievously lied. Later, in battle, my shield betrayed me. It would not obey me. I could not control it. It refused to protect me. Of its own will it rose, exposing me to the lance of my enemy."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 372
"It was late afternoon. This would be the time for sunning of shields, hanging on the shield tripods behind the lodges, the entrance of the lodge facing east, the back of the lodge facing west."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 301
"It is not uncommon for a warrior to keep his shield in it's case or cover when not fighting. It is removed from the case, or cover, also, of course, when it is sunned, set forth to draw in power and medicine from the yellow, life giving, blazing star of two worlds, Sol or Tor-Tu-Gor, Light Upon the Home Stone."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 302
"I stood for a long time on that late-summer day, looking at the shield, hanging on the shield tripod. It turned, slightly , in the breeze, back and forth. I took care, in deference to the feelings of the red savages, not to let my shadow fall accross it, while it was being sunned. Similarly, one does not pass between a guest and the fire in a lodge without begging his pardon."
"Blood Brothers of Gor" page 302
"Cugwignaka's upward thrust, however, was easily turned by the Yellow Knife's stout war shield, of rawhide thickened and hardened by shrinking over heated stones, from the neck, between the shoulders, or the humped back, behind the head, bearing the trident of the bull kailiauk."
"Blood Brothers" page 227
Go to Top
Refusing War
"What is your name?" asked Grunt.
"Your people called me 'Urt,'' he said. "The Dust Legs called me 'Nitoske'." "Woman's Dress," said Grunt. "Quick, Lad, what do the Kaiila call you? We cannot call you 'Woman's Dress."'
“Cuwignaka,” said the lad.
Grunt spit disgustedly into the grass.
"What is wrong?" I asked.
"It means the same, only in Kaiila," said Grant. "Moreover, in both dialects, it is actually the word for a white woman's dress."
"Wonderful," I said. "What shall we call you?" I asked the lad.
"Cuwignaka," he said. "Woman's Dress."
"Very well," I said.
"It is my name," he said."
"Savages of Gor 309/310
"He would not carry arms," said Canka. "He would not take the warpath."
"I had no quarrel with the Fleer," said Cuwignaka.
"We put him in the dress of a woman and called him Cuwignaka," said Canka.
"I had no quarrel with the Fleer," said Cuwignaka.
"You shamed the Isbu," said Canka.
"I had no quarrel with the Fleer," said Cuwignaka.
"When again we went against the Fleer we gave him the opportunity to join us, the right to wear the breechclout and be a man. Again he refused. We then bound him in his women's dress and sold him to the Dust Legs."
"I had no quarrel with the Fleer," said Cuwignaka.
'The Kaiila have a quarrel with the Fleer, and you are Kaiila'' said Canka.
"The Fleer have not injured me," said Cuwignaka.
"Your grandfather was killed by Fleer," said Canka.
"And we, too, killed Fleer," said Cuwignaka.
"Savages of Gor page 322
"Do you think you are a man?" asked Canka.
"I am a man," said Cuwignaka.
"You do not wear the breechclout," said Canka.
"It is not permitted to me." said Cuwignaka.
"Because you are a woman," said Canka. "I am not a woman," said Cuwignaka.
"If you return to camp," said Canka, "you will live as a woman. You will wear the dress of a woman and do the work of a woman. You will scrape hides and cook. You will tend lodges. You will please warriors."
"I will not please warriors," said Cuwignaka.
"I think that I will give you as a female slave to Akihoka," said Canka.
"I will not please warriors," said Cuwignaka.
"That is the first duty of a woman," said Canka, "to obey men, and be pleasing to them."
"Savages of Gor" page 322/3
Go to Top
Guest- Guest
Similar topics» Government of Red Savages
» Camps of the Red Savages
» Free Men Red Savages
» Weapons of Red Savages
» Other Information of Red Savages
» Camps of the Red Savages
» Free Men Red Savages
» Weapons of Red Savages
» Other Information of Red Savages
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum|
|
|