Children of Free Women

[Guest]

But a vital function of the free women of Gor is to reproduce, to provide children to give longevity to their family and Caste. The child of a slave is most often legally considered a slave. Few free men will thus have children with their slaves. That is considered a privilege of free women. In general, it is free women who care for and teach the children in their crucial beginning years of development. Slaves are not permitted to teach free people so they could not teach even children. Slaves are limited to lesser roles with children, more a playmate than much else. Children will thus learn a lot from their free mothers so it is the obligation of their mothers to ensure they learn the proper information. It is likely they are the ones that begin to teach children about the Caste Codes, their proper modes of behavior.
Goreans are fond of children and rarely would cause them harm or suffering. Even slave children are seldom abused. Slave children may not even realize they are slaves until they are in their teenage years. Despite this general love of children, there is also a dichotomy involved as well. Some free women sell their infant children into slavery, mostly their daughters. Some women even do this on a regular basis. The standard price for an infant girl is about two tarsk bits, a very low value. Some infants, if they appear sickly or too weak, may be left out to die, exposed to the elements. Some children are left in the Voltai Mountains, a wooden skewer through their heels. Goreans do not consider this to be cruelty.
Female children learn many ways to please men, including such matters as the preparation of exotic dishes, the arts of walking, standing and being beautiful, the care of a man's equipment, and certain dances. These dances may include the love dances of their city and the stately dances of free maidens. These stately ones might be performed to honor and welcome visiting dignitaries. It is a slow and graceful dance, very modest. Female children must also learn how to submit to a man as they never know when that might save their life one day. The threat of enslavement is a very real danger for all women. Thus, they want to be prepared as most women would prefer slavery to death.