Directions - two main directions to Gorean thinking. Ta-Sardar-Var: "turning to the Sardar" which appears on all maps, and Ta-Sardar-Ki-Var: "not turning to the Sardar" which never appears on a map as any direction not towards the Sardar is this. Gorean compass divided into 8 main quadrants. If one considers Ta Sardar like the North Pole, the directions listed as the nearest Earth approximation. Beginning with North and going eastward: Ta-Sardar-Var, Ror, Rim, Tun, Vask, Cart, Klim, Kail.
Ehn - 80 Earth seconds, 80 Ihn
Gorean foot - 12.5 Earth feet. Has 10 Hort. At Sardar a metal rod which determines the official Merchant Foot, or Gorean foot.
Hesius - the second month of the year, following the first passage hand (mentioned in Ar) and also a legendary hero. *25
Hort - 1 1/4", unit of measurement
Huda - 5 tefa
Ihn - second
Kail - NorthWest, if one considers Ta Sardar like the North Pole
Klim - West, if one considers Ta Sardar like the North Pole
latitude and longitude - figured on the basis of a Gorean day.
Month - 5 weeks.
Month of Autumnal Equinox - Se'Kara-Lar-Torvis, said usually simply "Se-Kara." Meaning, "The Second Kara" or "The Second Turning"
month names - differ from city to city, but the months associated with equinoxes and solstices and the great fairs at the Sardar do have common names.
moon - Kantasawi, moon during which the Bento herd enters the country of the Kaiila.
moon, autumn moon - Wayuksapiwi, Corn-Harvest moon. the moon when the wind shakes off the leaves.
moon, Autumnal Equinox - Canwapegiwi, the moon in which the leaves become brown
moon, early spring - Magaksicaagliwi, Moon of Returning Gants.
moon after Magaksicaagliwi - Wozupiwi, Planting Moon
moons, winter - winter moons are Waniyetuwi and Wanicokanwi
New Year - celebrated at En'Kara for most cities, but celebrated at summer solstice for Turia, and at the Season of Snows for the Wagon Peoples.
Omen Year - actually a season, not a year, which occupies a part of two of the Wagon Peoples regular years. Once every two hands of years this occurs. A time of gathering for Wagon Peoples.
pasang - 0.7 miles. Gorean unit of land measurement.
Passage Hand - 5 day period.
Rim - East, , if one considers Ta Sardar like the North Pole
Ror - Northeast, if one considers Ta Sardar like the North Pole
Se-Var - winter month in the northern hemisphere
Season of Little Grass - Wagon People's measurement of the time of spring.
Stone - unit of measurement, about 4 Earth pounds. Both the Stone and the Weight are standardized throughout cities by Merchant Law. The official "Stone" is actually a solid metal cylinder kept near the Sardar. At the great fairs the official Stone is brought forth with scales, that merchants may test their own Stone against it.
Summer Solstice - En'Var-Lar-Torvis or common En'Var (The First Resting)
Ta-Sardar-Var - North, if one considers Ta Sardar like the North Pole
talu - approximately 2 gallons
Tef - handful with five fingers closed
Tefa - 6 tef. A tiny basket.
third month - called Camerius in Ko-ro-ba.
Tun - SouthEast, if one considers Ta Sardar like the North Pole
Vask - sometimes spoken of as Verus Var, or the true turning away. South, if one considers Ta Sardar like the North Pole
Vernal Equinox - First day of the month of En'Kara, "The First Kara," more fully (but not used in speech) En'Kara-Lar-Torvis, "The First Turning of the Central Fire"
Waiting Hand - a 5 day period prior to the vernal equinox
Winter Solstice - Se-Var-Lar-Torvis or common Se-Var (The Second Resting)
Week - 5 days.
Weight - unit of measurement, about 10 Stone
Year - 12 months. Between each month is a Passage Hand. 12th passage hand is followed by a Waiting Hand.
Year (Wagon Peoples) - tend to vary in length due to the chronological conventions. Their calendar is based on the phases of the largest moon. A calendar of 15 moons, named for the 15 varieties of bosk. Functions independently of the tallying of years by snows. For example, the Moon of the Brown Bosk may at one time occur in the winter, at another time, years later, in the summer.
Gorean Year
Gorean Currency
There is little standardization in currency exchange rates throughout Gor. These ratios vary from city to city. The bankers, or literally the coin merchants, try to standarize coinage at each Sardar Fair but their motion never passes. Certain coins though are respected and accepted throughout the civilized cities. These include such coins as the gold tarns of Ar, Ko-ro-ba and Port Kar, golden staters from Brundisium, and the silver tarsk of Tharna.
On Gor, the basic unit of currency is the tarsk coin, made of copper or silver. Each city then decides on the ratio between such coins. A tarsk bit is the smallest unit of currency. From four to twenty tarsk bits equals one copper tarsk. From forty to one hundred copper tarsks equals one silver tarsk. Ten silver tarsks equal one gold tarn disk. Gold tarn disks are also made in double weight. Some coins may be split into pieces to make change. A coin is about 1.5" in diameter and 3/8" thick. There is a tarn or tarsk on one side and usually a letter to identify the city of origin on the other side. There is no paper currency on Gor.
The early novels mentioned the existance of copper and silver tarn disks but the later books, especially when discussing exchange rates, omit these coins. If you moniter the appearance of these tarn disks, they begin to disappear from the books as they progress. And the initial books neglect to mention tarsk disks. This seems to be another area where Norman chose to change matters in the latter books. The latter books should be taken as more authoritative in this matter as they are the ones where the issue of coinage is more throroughly described. Tribesman of Gor, #10, may be the last book to mention a copper or silver tarn disk.
To most Goreans, a silver tarsk is a coin of considerable value. A gold tarn disk is more than many common laborers earn in a year. A gold tarn may buy a tarn or five slave girls. Five pieces of gold is a fortune and one can live in many cities for years on such resources. For the most part, many items on Gor will sell for copper tarsks. Business is often conducted by notes and letters of credit. Most cities have their own mints. Coins are struck, one at a time, by a hammer pounding on the flat cap of a die. Coins are not made to be easily stacked. In some cities, such as Tharna, coins are drilled so that they might be stringed.
A coin is a way in which a government certifies that a given amount of precious metal is involved in a transaction. It saves the need of weighing and testing each coin, thus making commerce much easier. But, some less scrupulous people may shave coins, slicing slivers of metal off of them. This is akin to theft and fraud. The coin is worth less than it should be.
Money comes in 5 forms, with the the basic unit being the copper tarsk bit.
The copper tarsk bit Basic unit of currency.
The copper tarsk Equivalent to 8 tarsk bits.
The copper tarn Equivalent to 2 and a half copper tarsks or 20 copper tarsk bits.
The silver tarsk Equivalent to 40 copper tarns, 100 copper tarsks or 800 copper tarsk bits.
The gold tarn Equivalent to 10 silver tarks, 400 copper tarns, 1000 copper tarks or 8000 copper tarsk bits.
MONEY
tarn disk, copper
a unit of currency. Book 5: Assassin of Gor, page 160
tarn disk, gold
a unit of currency of the highest value on Gor; also made in double- weight; many cities on Gor mint their own money but the gold tarn disk of Ar is the standard for much of Gor. Book 1: Tarnsman of Gor, page 191 the gold tarn disk of Ar is considered to be the standard by which other cities, such as Ko-Ro-Ba and Port Kar. set the value of their own coinage. It is worth, generally, 10 silver tarsks, but standardization is slight due to the shaving or splitting of the coin as well as faulty scales that contribute to the debasing of the coinage. Book 15: Rogue of Gor, page 155
tarsk
a copper coin (see tarsk silver and tarsk bit). Book 13: Explorers of Gor, page 54
tarsk, silver
a coin considered to be of much value by most goreans. It is worth 100 copper tarks in most cities. Ten silver tarks is the equivalent of one gold piece of one of the high cities. Many gold pieces are standardized against the golden tarn disk of Ar. Book 13: Explorers of Gor, page 54 Book 15: Rogue of Gor, page 155 Book 17: Savages of Gor, page 120
tarsk bit
a large coin worth from 1/10 to 1/4 of a copper tarsk depending on the city which mints the coin (see tarsk copper). Book 13: Explorers of Gor, page 54