The word Gor means HomeStone and where a man sets his HomeStone, he claims, by law, that land for himself. The Central Fire or Sun is known to Goreans as Tor-Tu-Gor : Light Upon the HomeStone. There is a saying on Gor, a saying whose origin is lost in the past of this strange planet, that one who speaks of the HomeStone should stand, for matters of honor are here involved, and honor is respected in the barbaric world of Gor. Although it is not unknown for a person to change Homestones, it is extremely rare. To a City, the HomeStone is what life is to man. While the HomeStone survives, so, too, must the City. These stones are various, of different colors, shapes and sizes, many of them intricately carved. Some of the largest Cities have small, rather insignificant HomeStones, but of incredible antiquity, dating back to the time when the City was a village. Each City has its HomeStone. But also, the simplest and humblest village, even the most primitive hut in that village, perhaps only a cone of straw, will contain its own HomeStone, as will the fantastically appointed chambers of the Administrator of so great a City as Ar.   "Gor," he said, "is the name of this world. In all the languages of this planet, the word means Home Stone. He paused, noting my lack of comprehension. "Home Stone," he repeated. "Simply that." "In peasant villages on this world," he continued, "each hut was originally built around a flat stone which was placed in the center of the circular dwelling. It was carved with the family sign and was called the Home Stone. It was, so to speak, a symbol of sovereignty, or territory, and each peasant, in his own hut, was a sovereign." "Later," said my father, "Home Stones were used for villages, and later still for cities. The Home Stone of a village was always placed in the market; in a city, on the top of the highest tower. The Home Stone came naturally, in time, to acquire a mystique, and something of the same hot, sweet emotions as our native peoples of Earth feel toward their flags became invested in it." My father had risen to his feet and had begun to pace the room, and his eyes seemed strangely alive. In time I would come to understand more of what he felt. Indeed, there is a saying on Gor, a saying whose origin is lost in the past of this strange planet, that one who speaks of Home Stones should stand, for matters of honor are here involved, and honor is respected in the barbaric codes of Gor. "These stones," said my father, "are various, of different colors, shapes, and sizes, and many of them are intricately carved. Some of the largest cities have small, rather insignificant Home Stones, but of incredible antiquity, dating back to the time when the city was a village or only a mounted pride of warriors with no settled abode." My father paused at the narrow window in the circular room and looked out onto the hills beyond and fell silent. At last he spoke again. "Where a man sets his Home Stone, he claims, by law, that land for himself. Good land is protected only by the swords of the strongest owners in the vicinity." Tarnsman of Gor, pages 26-27     "'Gor,' he said, 'is the name of this world. In all the languages of this planet, the word means Home Stone.' He paused, noting my lack of comprehension. 'Home Stone,' he repeated. 'Simply that.' 'In peasant villages on this world,' he continued, 'each hut was originally built around a flat stone which was placed in the center of the circular dwelling. It was carved with the family sign and was called the Home Stone. It was, so to speak, a symbol of sovereignty, or territory, and each peasant, in his own hut, was a sovereign.' 'Later,' said my father, 'Home Stones were used for villages, and later still for cities. The Home Stone of a village was always placed in the market; in a city, on the top of the highest tower. The Home Stone came naturally, in time, to acquire a mystique, and something of the hot, sweet emotions as out native peoples of Earth feel towards their flags became invested in it.'" "Tarnman of Gor" page 26     "'It is the occasional dream of a conqueror or statesman,' he said, 'to have but a single Supreme Home Stone for the planet.' Then, after a long moment, not looking at me, he said, 'It is rumored that there is such a stone, but it lies in the Sacred Place and is the source of the Priest-Kings' power.'" "Tarnman of Gor" page 28     "As he spoke, my father often referred to the planet Gor as the Counter-Earth, taking the name from the writings of the Pythagorean who had first speculated on the existence of such a body. Oddly enough, one of the expressions in the tongue of Gor for our sun was Lar-Torvis, which means The Central Fire, another Pythagorean expression, except that it had not been, as I understand it, originally used by the Pythagorean to refer to the sun but to another body. The more common expression for the sun was Tor-tu-Gor, which means Light Upon the Home Stone." "Tarnman of Gor" page 28     "Indeed, there is a saying on Gor, a saying whose origin is lost in the past of this strange planet, that one who speaks of Home Stones should stand, for matters of honor are here involved, and honor is respected in the barbaric codes of Gor." "Tarnman of Gor" page 27