I've been reading a bit about ancient cultures and have discovered something of interest. While it is very easy to determine when a girl becomes a woman....it's not so easy for a boy to become a man. Ladies, no cracks about boys never becoming men...this is serious.

In ancient cultures he was often sent out into the woods with a spear and would not be allowed back into the village until he killed enough game to support a family, or a specfic type of animal. We see a bit of the same idea expressed with the nomadic tribes and the "courage scars" in Norman's work.

I am curious to see what you think about this idea either in RP context or in RL.

I'm thinking of this in context of my children. I have two sons; one is 21, and the other is 15. In many aspects, the 15 yo is more mature than the 21 yo is, yet I would not consider him to be a man yet. I think that society has many qualifications for manhood, such as reaching a certain age, holding a job, leaving home, being responsible.

But does a person automatically become a man when he turns 18? No.
Does it mean that a person isn't a man if he lives with his parents? No.
Does it mean he isn't a man if he loses a job? No.

For me, I will probably consider my 15 yo son a man when he can fulfill his responsibilities. In earlier societies, he was sent out to kill an animal, not just to prove his skill in hunting, but to prove that he could be responsible.

Not what I mean Deer.

Although I see your point. In the confines of Gor, other than the wagon people, Norman never brings up any sort of Rite of Passage for the males in his books.

Which leaves a whole new avenue for RP in the Gorean sense of the world. "Go kill a sleen and you will be a man my son."



Is modern man somehow lacking because we don't have that rite of massage?

I'm not sure that Gorean men, and for that matter Gorean women don't have a rites of passage. Surely the investiture to caste and to the homestone would count as that rite of passage?

As to lacking, well, again I believe that while it may not be as set in stone, surely there is a sort of grey area where a rite of passage, culturally happens? Maybe your driver's license, your first house, etc etc?

In RL there is a less definitive sign of adulthood then there was in ancient cultures that's true, yet there are more legal ones. Places have minimum drinking age, age to vote, as Sacha mentioned a drivers license is a big rite of passage for most, a sign of independance and adulthood.

Personally I'm not sure I fully became an adult until I had children of my own. That's not to say childless people aren't mature or grown up, but something in that moment you are put in charge of the life of another that is definitevely adulthood.

For Gorean women it may also be that, child bearing, at least for the free women. Perhaps Gorean also measured female adulthood much the same way ancient cultures did, or how we do with animals, once their bodies are physically capable of bearing children, puberty.

Gorean men, depending on culture and caste, I think would have some symbols and signs or rituals. Perhaps I'm getting them confused though, but isn't trying chain luck in there somewhere? That might be just to prove you are a warrior and not necessarily adulthood but a warrior.

I do think it would be fun for a father to give his son a task to complete, a measure of adulthood, before being allowed to enter the caste or gaining his adulthood. That would be great RP. I've always wondered about the age of maturity myself. North american it's roughly 18 to 21. Gorean technically could be similar, their bodies developed about the same, but seeing as how they live a LOT longer, I would think 35 would still be considered a spring chicken.

I couldn't find anything that gave a time period, but this home stone ceremony seems a fairly involved thing, with the 'youth' needing to be vouched for by one of the city who is not related to them, passing examinations, and several other things. My guess would be that it falls into the 16-18 range, or perhaps a bit younger.

Among the wagon people, of course, it says the children were taught the saddle before they could walk.

Just because it is on topic.....
http://artofmanliness.com/2010/02/21/male-rites-of-passage-from-around-the-world

I have to go with the Caste thing. I believe this also applies to the various 'class' of peoples too. For instance in the peasant caste the boy may be deemed a man when he can plow and cultivate the fields. We see much in our own stories and history books about young boys of thirteen having to take the reins of man of the house after a tragic accident of their father dying or something. This boy would have to take up responsibility of taking care of the family.

However I think in the more upper class castes, the high castes, it would involve more of an educational standpoint. There seems to be more of a formal education and training that would need to be completed before he 'became a man'. Maybe the rite of passage of becoming a man has to do with the culture of both caste and class.

Food for thought anyway.

I think when an individual in Gor swears to take responsibility for his family, his caste (if applicable), and his Home Stone, and understands the seriousness of such an act, then he becomes a man.



I think the pilgrimage to Sardar is an important milestone for those transitioning from child to adult. Especially since it something that must be completed before the age of 25. It's an act where Goreans risk their life, proving that there is a reason for their survival as an adult:

In RL we do have such rites of passage but they have been so watered down over the years they mean nothing anymore

The Bar Mitzvah, Confirmation, all of these were meant as passing into adulthood at one time.