Vor of Barrayar

The Vor of Barrayar are a fictional military caste and essentially the aristocracy of the planet Barrayar in the sci-fi book series the Vorkosigan Saga.cite news |author=Terri Sutton |title=With her complicated hero, Miles Vorkosigan, Minnesota science-fiction writer Lois Bujold leads an expedition into inner space |url=http://www.citypages.com/databank/19/943/article6892.asp |publisher=City Pages |location=Minneapolis/St. Paul |date=1998-11-30 |accessdate=2008-02-12 |language= |quote= |archiveurl= |archivedate= ]

On Barrayar, there exist major classes: the Vor and everyone else, occasionally referred to in the books as plebes or proles. Vor status is considered genetic, hereditary, and inescapable. All Vor surnames begin with the syllable "Vor-", often prefixed to a recognizable surname from some Earth nation (e.g. "Vorsmythe").

Because it is an honorific, the prefix "Vor-" is dropped at the Imperial Service Academy (though not in the service itself) to emphasize the ideal of meritocracy. While the Vor men are generally involved in military or government service the women often lead sheltered lives at home raising children.

One Vor privilege is the right to carry weapons, a stunner Hunting weapon, sword or knife. Even low Vor women carry a "Vorfemme" knife, presumably to defend their honor from rapacious males. In the novel "Barrayar", when Cordelia Vorkosigan buys the crippled Lt. Koudelka a sword-stick to improve his self-confidence, he protests that he cannot carry it. Admiral Aral Vorkosigan gets around this by "issuing" it to him as his commanding officer (and sworn vassal to the Emperor).

Origins of "Vor"

These are obscure, but the word exists in Russian, one of four languages spoken on Barrayar. As _ru. Вор "Vor" means thief, it means "thief" or "thief-lord" or Thief in law ("Vor v zakone"). Most aristocracies arise from warlords, who in turn tend to arise from competing bands of brigands, so this explanation is plausible.

The Russian "dvor" means "court", and "dvoryanin" were the "new nobles" created by Ivan The Terrible and Boris Godunov to counterbalance the boyars (old nobles). See the entry on Muscovy.:"Vor "does" mean 'thief'!" — "Duv Galeni, in the novel "Memory".

In the Russian translations of the Vorkosigan saga, though, Vor is rendered as For (Фор); the novel "The Vor Game" is called "Igra Forov/Игра Форов" ("The Game of the Fors") in Russian.

Levels of Vor

High Vor

The term "High Vor" does not appear to have official standing within Barrayaran society, but is used informally by characters to refer to the upper-most, aristocratic portion of the Vor. The Vor are a military caste, and while all Vor have certain legal privileges and responsibilities Vor status does not necessarily denote wealth or political power. It appears that all aristocrats are Vor, but only a small portion of Vor are aristocrats; similar social arrangements have existed on Earth, e.g. the samurai of Japan or knights in Medieval Europe.

There are 60 Districts on Barrayar, each governed by a Vor with the title Count. On Barrayar, "Count" derives from "accountant", as they were originally Imperial Tax Collectors and Accountants.

Members of a Count's immediate family have titles roughly parallel to those of a British Marquess's family. The heir, usually the eldest son of the Count, is "Lord (Surname)"; his wife is "Lady (Surname)". Other children of a Count are called Lord or Lady (Forename) (Surname), e.g. Lord Mark Vorkosigan or simply Lord Mark. While Miles' grandfather, Count Piotr Vorkosigan, lived, Miles Vorkosigan was known as Lord Miles, and his father Aral Vorkosigan was Lord Vorkosigan. Upon Piotr's death and Aral's assumption of the count-ship, Miles immediately became Lord Vorkosigan.

According to the author, other Vor can be referred to as "Lord (Surname)", and considered High Vor, as a mark of some other form of authority or historical idiosyncrasy. For example, according to Bujold, Ivan Vorpatril is not heir to the Vorpatril Countship, but he, and especially his mother, Alys Vorpatril, are High Vor. This is largely because Padma Vorpatril, Alys's husband and Ivan's father, was descended from Prince Xav Vorbarra (and thus next in line after Aral Vorkosigan as a potential claimant to the throne) and also because Alys's role as Gregor's social caretaker gives her a measure of power and respect. In some cases the title is tied to a position, notably the Imperial Auditors are styled "Lord Auditor (Surname)".

If a military rank is used together with Count's or Lord's title, the rank precedes the title: "General Count Piotr Vorkosigan", "Admiral Count Aral Vorkosigan", "Captain Lord Padma Vorpatril", "Colonel Lord Vortala" etc.

Oaths of the Vor

The Vor Caste can offer varyingly strong oaths and promises.

Of course, they pledge an oath of service to the emperor and the Imperium when they enter the Military. Additionally, Armsmen swear an oath for life to their Count when taking up their service.

Any man can offer his own personal promise. How serious this is can vary but it is usually equivalent to "I promise."

But most of the Vor have a high ideal of honor. When they swear by "their word as Vor_name" it is much more equivalent to a serious and heartfelt "I swear to God." It is so strong that men, including Aral Vorkosigan, have been known to kill others for calling them on their word.

Vor Names

The Vor Counts

The following is a list of all Vor names that are confirmed to have a district associated with them. There are 60 such names. These names are not in any particular order though more important names tend to be towards the top.

*Vorbarra - The Imperial family.
*Vorkosigan - A line of ten Counts (Miles will be No. 11), but few collateral descendants. Thanks to former Regent Aral Vorkosigan, the family enjoys special favor with the Emperor.
*Vorpatril - A large clan with a link to the Vorbarra line through Ivan Vorpatril's late father, Padma Xav, a grandson of Prince Xav Vorbarra.
*Vordarian - Soon after the death of Emperor Ezar, the then Count Vordarian attempted to usurp the throne from the child Emperor Gregor.
*Vorhalas - Compensating for the treason of his sons Evon and Carl in Vordarian's Pretendership, the current Count Vorhalas is the most loyal, upright and conservative member of the Council, but no friend to the Vorkosigans.
*Vorrutyer - A large clan infamous for erratic or insane personalities. Aral Vorkosigan's first wife, who took many lovers and committed suicide, was a Vorrutyer, as was Aral's male lover, the corrupt and sadistic Ges Vorrutyer. Aral himself is descended from Count Pierre "Le Sanguinaire" Vorrutyer, or Bloody Pierre. The last Count Vorrutyer, also Pierre, was eccentric if not actually mad. His sister Lady Donna went to Beta Colony to be surgically changed into a man so she could inherit the title as Lord Dono, over her malicious cousin Richars, while her foppish drunkard cousin Byerly used his contacts to lay the groundwork at home.
*Vortala - Count Vortala was Emperor Ezar's last Prime Minister, a reformer who mistakenly tried to fix Barrayaran society from the top down.
*Vordrozda - Miles Vorkosigan exposed a Count Vordrozda as a traitor, who attempted to have his cousin Ivan conveniently disappear as the opening act of a Byzantine plot to become heir to the Imperium.
*Vorbretten - Friends of Miles, the current Count was discovered to have a Cetagandan ancestor, leading to an impeachment trial before the Council of Counts, and it also led to him being ridiculed, often called René ghem-Bretten. The Vorbrettens born after the Cetagandan occupation manifested musical talents, no doubt a result of inheriting carefully designed Cetagandan genes.
*Vorsmythe - Industrialist. Miles Vorkosigan told his clone-brother Mark to speak with Vorsmythe about his "Butter Bugs"
*Vorvolk - The current Count, Henri, is one of Emperor Gregor's close friends and one of only a few Counts near in age to the Emperor.
*Vortrifrani - The current count was suspected of a plot to crash an empty space freighter onto the Imperial Palace, though ImpSec were unable to link him to the actual saboteurs.
*Vorlopoulos - Famous for "Vorlopoulos's Law" which limits each Count to only 20 armsmen and makes starting a private army treason for a Vor Lord.
*Vorbataille - Lord Vorbataille is mentioned as Count's heir in "Winterfair Gifts".
*Vortugalov
*Vorinnis
*Vorkalloner
*Vormoncrief
*Vorville
*Vorpinski
*Vortaine
*Vorvolynkin
*Vormuir
*Vorgarin
*Vorfolse
*Vorlakial
*Vortashpula
*Vortienne
*Vorharopulos

Other Vor names

The following is a list of Vor names that come up during the series but do not appear to have a district on Barrayar associated with them. It is possible, even likely, that all Vor names represent a district, however the novels have been very ambiguous with respect to these names. These names are in no particular order.

*Voraronberg - member of Emperor's staff
*Vorberg - The unfortunate lieutenant that gets his legs lopped off as a result of Miles's seizure disorder shortly before the events of the novel "Memory".
*Vorbohn - Lord in charge of the Municipal Guard in Vorbarr Sultana. [Barrayar, Chapter 7]
*Vorgier - The ImpSec Captain on the civilian transfer station during the novel "Komarr"
*Vorgorov - Lady Cassie may or may not have dumped Ivan Vorpatril at one point or another
*Vorgustafson - Imperial Auditor, former industrialist
*Vorhovis - Imperial Auditor
*Vorkeres - Tatya Vorkeres was wife of Count Vorbretten in "A Civil Campaign"
*Vorkraft - inferred from the "General" class warship "General Vorkraft"
*Vorlaisner - Imperial Auditor
*Vorlightly - A historical 'Lady Vorlightly' was married to the sitting emperor, serving as precedent for the social and ceremonial protocol of Gregor's marriage to Laisa Toscane.
*Vormurtos - Lord
*Vorob'yev - Lord Vorob'yev was the Barrayaran Ambassador to Cetaganda during the novel "Cetaganda". ("Vorob'yev" is an actual Russian surname derived from "vorobey" meaning "sparrow". Apparently some Vor got the privilege by having convenient surnames that mimicked the prefix.)
*Vorparadijs - Imperial Auditor, retired general
*Vorreedi - A Lord Vorreedi was the "protocol officer" (local chief of ImpSec) on Cetaganda during the novel "Cetaganda".
*Vorsoisson - Etienne Vorsoisson was Ekaterin's first husband.
*Vortalon - A (in-universe) fictional holovid hero
*Vorthalia - Mentioned as a heroic legend, such as "Vorthalia the Bold" or "Vorthalia the Loyal".
*Vorthys - Lord Auditor Professor Dr. Vorthys. Before becoming an Imperial Auditor, he was a professor of engineering who specialized in failure analysis; he is perhaps to some extent based on Bujold's father, an engineering professor who edited a multivolume "Nondestructive Testing Handbook" [http://www.dendarii.com/tribute.html] .
*Vortorren
*Vorvane
*Vorvayne - Ekaterin's maiden name.
*Vorventa - "Lord Vorventa the Twice Hung" was one of only a few people tried for a crime after death.
*Vorwyn
*Vorzohn - Eponym of "Vorzohn's dystrophy". No person bearing this name is ever mentioned.

Vorvayne and Vorvane are related, but split at least five generations before Miles Vorkosigan's time. [A Civil Campaign, Chapter 3,]

ee also

http://www.nwlink.com/~dtilque/Bujold/CountNotes.html

http://www.nwlink.com/~dtilque/Bujold/vorcount.html

Fan Designed Versions of Logos:http://hem.bredband.net/b104699/books/vor.htm

A Vor Genealogy based on books through 2000: http://home.st.net.au/~carlill/fiction/docs/vorkosigan.pdf

References

*"The Vorkosigan Saga" by Lois McMaster Bujold