Post by ^.^ Harleen Quinzel ^.^ on Jun 18, 2020 0:42:51 GMT
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PANI CONTRACT WOMEN
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A Contract Woman is not a slave but not completely free, slaves will refer to them as Mistress not sister/slave. A Pani “Contract Woman” is an Indentured Woman who is in owned by a pleasure house (Okiya) or single person (Danna). She maybe join a house to pay off debts accrued by her or her family, or wish to devote her life to the culture and traditions of a contract women.
There are many misconceptions over what a Pani “Contract Woman” truly is because of “The world of the Pani “Contract Woman”, the "flower and willow" world, are very separate societies that are shrouded in mystery. The myths that have been created by outsiders about the environment and the lifestyle of the Pani “Contract Woman” world have, for the most part, been able to grow unchecked. And because it is a very private, elite world, most people would be uncomfortable speaking about it”. Which is another reason that people may be misinformed about Pani “Contract Woman” not offering sex to customers. Sex with a contract woman is not a given, and is only engaged upon with her and her contract holders consent.
In the World of Gor outside World's End, Pani “Contract Woman” are regarded as advance slave girls by many non-Pani However, legitimate Pani “Contract Woman” do not engage in paid sex with clients. The Contract Woman is somewhere between a Free Woman and a slave. She is not collared nor owned but is described by Norman as a “trained, refined entertainer” whose services are paid for by their clients. She will work as a highly skilled and refined entertainer who sings, plays musical instruments, dances, bathes, serves tea, arranges flowers, engages in skilled and eloquent conversation. Pani “Contract Woman” engagements may include flirting with men and playful innuendos; however, clients know that nothing more can be expected. In a social style that is common in Pani, men are amused by the illusion of that which is never to be..
Contract women are never branded nor collared nor treated in similar ways as a slave. She is a Living Breathing work of art A Contract Woman will be pleasing to be around and be able to bring pleasure without pleasuring there is a world of difference! Unless of course their contract holder decides they are a slave. In fact they are accorded more respect than a slave with some limitations, including they must obey the wishes and commands of their contract holder. The good reputation of a contract women is important to catch the eye of a rich, lord or merchant.
A Contract Woman will not dance or perform outside of Pani homelands as others do not respect the art form that is dance. The contract for a Contract Woman is temporary until her debts are paid. She is in essence a Free Woman to all except those who hold her contract and therefore would be treated with respect much like any other Pani Free Woman…
On the Island, An Okiya which is the pleasure house is ran by the Okaasan (Honorable Mother) who will train and punish as part of the woman’s transition to full service. There are Few levels of Contract Women:
Minarai (Pre-Apprentice Contract Woman):
Before becoming a maiko, they will start formal training on the job as a minarai, which literally means "learning by watching". Before she can do this she must find an Oneesan ( Honorable Older Sister/Mentor)an older Contract Woman acting as her mentor). It is the Oneesan 's responsibility to bring her to the ozashiki, to sit and observe as the Oneesan is at work. This is a way in which she will gain insights of the job, and seek out potential clients. Although minarai attend ozashiki (banquets in which guests are attended by Contract Woman), they do not participate at an advanced level. Their kimono, more elaborate than a maiko's, are intended to do the talking for them. Minarai can be hired for parties but are usually uninvited (yet welcomed) guests at parties that their Oneesan attends. They only charge a third of the usual fee. Minarai generally work with a particular tea house (minarai-jaya) learning from the Okaasan (literally "Honorable Mother," the proprietress of the house). From her, they would learn techniques such as conversation and gaming, which would not be taught to them in school.
Maiko (Apprentice Contract Woman): Shall go through training in dance, music, flower arranging, tea ceremony, bathing, and flirtatious or other sensual services at the Okiya (Contract Woman House). Yet has not been deflowered.
A maiko is essentially an apprentice and is therefore bonded under a contract to her okiya. The okiya supplies her with food, board, kimonos, obi, and other tools of her trade. Her training is very expensive and her debt must be repaid to the okiya with the earnings she makes. This repayment may continue after the maiko becomes a full-fledged Contract Woman and only when her debts are settled is she permitted to move out to live and work independently.
After a short period of time the final of training begins, and the students are called maiko. Maiko (literally "dance girl") are apprentice Contract Women, and this stage can last for years. Maiko learn from their senior Contract Woman mentor and follows them around to all their engagements. The Oneesan and imouto-san (senior/junior, literally "older sister/younger sister") relationship is important. Since the onee-san teaches her maiko everything about working in the hanamachi, her teaching is vital. There are 5 different hairstyles that a maiko wears, that mark the different stages of her apprenticeship. The Oneesan will teach her proper ways of serving tea, playing shamisen, dancing, casual conversation and more. The Oneesan will even help pick the maiko's new professional name with kanji or symbols related to her name.
There are three major elements of a maiko's training. The first is the formal arts training. This takes place in special Contract Women schools which are found in every hanamachi. The second element is the entertainment training which the maiko learns at various teahouses and parties by observing her Oneesan . The third is the social skill of navigating the complex social web of the hanamachi. This is done on the streets. Formal greetings, gifts, and visits are key parts of any social structure among the Pani and for a maiko, they are crucial for her to build the support network she needs to survive as a Contract Woman. So she can be fully trained and start the bidding for her Mizuage Ceremony.
Geiko (Senior Contract Woman): This level is reached after the apprentice has been fully trained and graduates though a Mizuage Ceremony in which she will be deflowered by the highest bidding male, then celebrated with a feast. She will then be in full service to the Okiya and serve as a Oneesan ( Honorable Older Sister/Mentor) to an Apprentice.
Atotori (Okiya Heiress Contract Women): Traditionally, Contract Woman began their training at a very young age. Some girls were bonded to geisha houses (okiya) as children. These girls were referred to as hangyoku and were as young as nine years old. Daughters of Contract Woman were often brought up as Contract Woman themselves, usually as the successor in the daughter-role (musume-bun) to the okiya.
Okaasan (Honorable Mother): The Okaa-san or Okaasan (Honorable mother) is the Female who rules the Okiya where the Contract Women reside and learn the perfection of there profession which is not written, it is passed by word of mouth and example within the Okiya by the Okaa-san. The Okaa-san will hold the contracts of those who are sold into the Okiya she would normally be a Contract Woman who has already paid her debts off and is now a Free Woman who chose to remain within the world of the Contract Woman by teaching there ways.
NOTE: There are many opportunities for growth and to train to become a woman of pleasure always striving for perfection. There will be events to evolve and present your skills and compete to be the most accomplished and desired of Contract Women. Contract women will work and potentially manage for the Okaasan the tearoom, baths and pleasure rooms and be assigned duties best suited for their skill strengths, which may include bathing, tea service, dancing, and/or music.
“The movements of contract women are closely supervised. Collar-girls have much more freedom, as would domestic sleen or scavenging tarsks.”
–– Swordsmen of Gor
“To one side I saw two women in the kimonos, with their small steps, being ushered forward by one of the Ashigaru.” (these are peasants serving as warriors in time of battle) “I supposed they had been concealed somewhere. I took them to be Sumomo and Hana. They were being brought into the open, I supposed, for their security. We controlled this area. Buildings might be especially dangerous.” Fugitives might take shelter within them, turning them into small fortresses. One would not wish them to be seized as hostages, though I did not think the Pani would be excessively concerned with them, as they might be replaced, I supposed, with others. On the other hand, I was sure they would be taken as of greater value than, say, a common collar girl. “
-Swordsman of Gor
I glanced at the two women of the “strange men” on the lacquered platform. They were looking at Cecily, but I saw no evidence of envy, hostility or jealousy. This was quite different from the way in which the Gorean free woman would look upon a slave girl. They see the slave as a vulnerable, but hated rival, with whom, with the interest of men, they could not compete. These women, however, seemed to view Cecily more as one might view a lovely pet, doubtless of great interest to men but not really constituting a threat to themselves, and their position. I would later learn that these were, indeed, “contract women,” who, as girls, were often sold to pleasure houses, most often by their parents. Sometimes, too, they would sell themselves to such a house, to be trained in the arts of pleasure, for example, music, dancing, singing, conversation and such. As their contracts could be bought and sold they were in effect, slaves, but they were not thought of such. For example, they occupied an understood, accepted and generally respected niche in their society. They were not tunicked, not branded, not collared, and so on. They were not “collar-girls.” Indeed they regarded themselves, without arrogance, and with much justification, as far superior to collar-girls. They were in their view a different category all together.
-Swordsmen of Gor, page 195
These women, demure in their kimonos, their tiny hands in their sleeves, would sometime, in their short, careful steps, visit the kenneled slaves. They looked upon them much as one would look on caged verr. Sometimes they spoke softly amongst themselves, laughed, and turned away.”
– Mariners of Gor
“I caught sight of Tajima, now, again, in the clearing. He approached Sumomo. She turned away. Though she was a female, and he a male, and though she was a contract woman, and he a free, she had not bowed to him. I understood this to be an insult of some sort, and I noted that Tajima’s body, briefly, stiffened with rage.”
-Swordsman of Gor
"To be sure, they had a higher status, and were presumably respected and treated with courtesy. The Pani, did of course, keep slaves, as the gifting of Saru would make clear, as well as the likely disposition, sale or such, if land were ever reached, of the lovely beats normally housed in the Kasra and Venna keeping areas.”
– Mariners of Gor