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TSR :
O&P Wiki : Collar: history
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This is the version from 27 May 07, 1:22 AM. The full history of this article will show any more recent versions.
Collar
The traditional collar is a neck band, normally in leather, metal
or rubber. Collars can vary widely - from the decorative to the purely
function and although often removable, some are a permanent fixture.
The wearing of a collar generally indicates that the wearer is a
submissive, and in the Ownership
Subculture, that both the collar and
wearer are owned.History
Collars were used as part of metal restraints in ancient times. (For
example, the well-preserved iron coffle or "chain
for six slaves" on display in the
Manchester Museum
from the 1st century BC.) However, iron collars were also used by the
Romans to identify slaves and even give instructions for their return:
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I am Asellus, a slave of Praeiectus an official of the prefect of the
grain harvest. I have gone outdoors, beyond the walls. Hold me fast,
because I have run away. Return me to the barber's shop near the temple
of Flora. (CIL 15.7172)
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Collars were also used in the 18th century to identify slaves in Britain
(even though the legality of slavery on English soil, at least, was
hotly disputed during this period), and to some extent in American
plantation slavery.
It is likely that these historical precedents led to the association of
slavery with collars in subcultures like Old Guard leather and in BDSM
fiction, such as the Story of O and the Gor series.
Gay leathermen traditionally used a padlocked chain to collar their
slaves. A tradition
developed in some leather bars in the 1980s of wearing a collar with an
open padlock to
indicate that one was seeking a partner, and a closed padlock to
indicate that
one was in a relationship. This symbolism became less common in the
1990s as even in gay
leather bars, many men began wearing collars for reasons of fashion
rather than to indicate a
relationship (or desire for a relationship). Also, many older leathermen
were quite offended
when younger men began flagging with unlocked collars. Traditionally,
the top owned the
collar and locked it on his slave. Slaves or potential slaves did not
collar themselves. Collar designs
A padlocked chain is the simplest type of
collar. Collars made of solid metal can largely be divided into
flat (a thick metal band) and
Turian (circular in cross-section) styles. A
wide variety
of leather collars are available from BDSM retailers, including special
purpose designs such as posture collars.
Many collars have
D-ring attachments so the neck can be either bound to another part of
the body, to a fixed object, or so the submissive can be led on a leash.Slave and ownership collars
In the Ownership Subculture the wearing of a collar signifies that the
wearer is a
submissive, and almost always that they are in a relationship with a
dominant: it can be used to represent the relationship in
much the same way a wedding band does.
Some submissives wear a "symbolic collar", often a bracelet or ankle
chain, which is more subdued than the traditional collar and can pass in
vanilla situations. It is not uncommon for a submissive to have several
collars for special occasions.
It is generally agreed that ownership collars are continue to be owned
by the dominant for the during of the relationship, and should be
returned to them if it ends.Other use of collars
Collars are also used in bondage and the effectiveness
of using such an intimate restraint in a bondage scene should not be
underestimated, as restraining the neck restrains the head, and the
apparent seat of consciousness behind the eyes. As well as being
very effective in holding the submissive immobile it also reinforces the
subject's sense of helplessness and loss of control.
Collars are often used in role-playing games involving humiliation
because they have connotations of control and pet-like or animalistic
status, especially when worn with a leash. They may also be useful
during play as a physical tethering restraint.
It is important to remember that the punk rock and goth scenes have also
adopted collars as a purely fashion item, so one cannot assume that all
people wearing collars are into D/s or BDSM.See also External links
(This article incorporates text from the
Collar
article in Wikipedia,
and the
Collars
article in Wipipedia.)
This article is published under the terms of the
GFDL. People with profiles on
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for details.
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