“Slaves have no limits”. We hear this spouted far and wide all over online spaces and places such as Facebook and Fetlife but have we ever stopped for a moment to ponder where this belief comes from and the implications that arise from it? Could this belief perhaps be due to a desire to live out some sort of fantasy/roleplay or perhaps live out a pseudo consensual nonconsent scene? More importantly, are we being conscious of the differences between consensual and chattel slavery and not mixing up the two when we propose such beliefs? In order to answer these questions perhaps we should first take a look at the history of involuntary/chattel slavery and work our way from there.

Firstly, what is involuntary slavery? The Merriam-webster dictionary defines this as the act of holding a person as legal property of another. Orlando Patterson’s Slavery and Social Death (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1982) takes this definition one step further and argues that slavery is not simply a matter of treating a person as property but instead is a specific type of relationship where one person has the power to treat another as property. In order to maintain this power, involuntary slaves were (and in many cases still are) subjected to tremendous amounts of violence, anientation, and dishonor.

Firstly, involuntary slavery requires violence. Peter Tupper’s essay in Our Lives, Our History (New York City: Perfectbound Press, 2016) expands upon Patterson’s work by defining this as meaning a literal or symbolic application of force both to make a person a slave and to keep that person enslaved. Furthermore, the continual violence involved in slavery is not just seen in the punishment for slave’s misbehavior, it also becomes a ritual that reminds everybody where they stand in the social order, or in other words literally what end of the whip they are on.

Secondly, involuntary slaves are alienated. According to Tuppers essay (page 3) Any ties or claims to a parent, child, spouse, or sibling may be respected by other involuntary slaves, however they hold no weight outside of that. An involuntary slave’s only recognized and respected link to the rest of society is his or her Master. In other words, an involuntary slave is socially dead. As a matter of fact, in ancient Egypt, the word for captive literally translates to “living dead”. An involuntary slave has no social status and within that has no real contact or involvement with the outside world apart from whatever their Master demands of them.

Thirdly involuntary slaves are without honor. Within Tupper’s essay (Our Lives, Our History pg 3) he states that the slave could have no honor because he or she had no power and no independent social existence, hence no public worth. They can only defend their Master’s worth and their Master’s name. To put it a different way, an involuntary slave can not defend themselves against disparaging or disrespectful remarks from others. They are often forced to endure tremendous ridicule and verbal abuse with little to no way to fight back so to speak.

To put this three part definition a different way, an involuntary slave had no rights, could be publicly beaten, ridiculed, and sold, were forced (either by brute force or by coercion) to perform labor, serve sexually, and were otherwise seen as merely objects whose sole purpose is to be of total and complete use to their Master(s). While much of this has evolved to become what is consensual slavery, there is still a clear and definite difference between an involuntary slave and a consensual one.

So where did slavery originate? According to Dr TammyJo Eckhart in her essay found in Our Lives, Our History, ancient writers have traced the ultimate origin of slavery to war, in which the conquered were spared death in exchange for accepting the legal status of slave. Unsurprisingly most of the slaves in both ancient Greece and Rome came from warfare. As wars expanded, so too did the unique challenges associated with the rising number of slaves for the victorious side. As Greeks tended to start wars with other Greeks, the newly enslaved were fortunate enough to be able to understand their owners and the needs therein whereas Roman slaves were not so lucky. As Rome expanded further and further into Europe, Asia, and Africa, those captured and sold were not only ripped from their homes and families but also from their culture and languages, forcing them to have to learn Latin to survive. Slavery in ancient times was a means of survival, and how well you survived depended on how well you adapted as well as how lucky you were. Warfare was a factor in New World slavery as well, but aside from the subjected natives, most slaves in the Americas were not captured by those who ended up owning them but by neighboring people’s.

Now that we have touched on the history of involuntary slavery, what are the differences between it and consensual slavery? Well for starters, a consensual slave has basic human rights. They are given shelter, food, their own sacred space, clothing, creature comforts, and yes even limits. An involuntary slave is either deprived of these things, is only granted them as an arbitrary reward, or has these taken away as punishment. In an involuntary slave dynamic, the Master generally has no regard for the needs, wants, or desires of the slave and instead is typically solely coming from a place of looking out for themselves and only themselves.

If history has taught us anything, it is that an involuntary slave is an object, a piece of flash destined only for fantasy or labor fulfillment, completely devoid of care for safety or well being. The slave is often treated as being worth less than even a head of cattle meaning that they were, and in many cases are, sold or discarded once they are no longer of any discernible use or value to the Master. A consensual slave is loved and cared about and is treated as, while not an equal, a partner and sacred property of their Master. A consensual slave is part of the family, sometimes even literally. They spend quality time with their owner(s) and commonly have a close bond and connection with them. An involuntary slave on the other hand rarely has such a luxury and are instead only given attention when it comes time for discipline and correction or when the Master has an order for the slave.

An involuntary slave frequently has to suffer in silence and is not granted the ability to speak up, oftentimes being subjected to severe corporal punishment for speaking out of turn. A consensual slave however does not have to silently suffer and instead are given an ability to voice concerns and issues, in a respectful and timely fashion, without fear of repercussions or backlash. The voice of the consensual slave is treasured and valued as it gives a way for the Master to check in with their property and ensure that they are well taken care of and do not suffer any harm to themself. The involuntary slave’s voice is not only unwanted but also angers the Master as it more times than not is perceived as back talk or disrespect.

A consensual slave only becomes a Master’s slave after rigorous and thorough negotiation as well as vetting, both of which are done on an equal footing and playing field. An involuntary slave is a slave merely by existing and under the decision of their Master with little to no input from the slave. An involuntary slave’s slavery is oftentimes based on fear of and intimidation from the Master whereas a consensual slave’s slavery is in most instances based on respect and sometimes even love for one’s Master. An involuntary slave has no safeword, frequently being put through gruesome torture and egregious harm without a way to make it stop. The consensual slave not only has a safeword but is also encouraged to use it whenever it is necessary. After all, the number one golden rule of consensual slavery is to protect the Master’s property, even if that means protecting one’s self from the Master themself. The contrast between consensual slavery and chattel slavery can be seemingly endless but one of the biggest differences of all may very well be that consensual slaves have limits whereas involuntary slaves do not.

Which brings us to the ongoing debate of whether or not slaves do in actuality have limits. For context, and according to Master Denis and his slave Xiaoyi Drake, the idea of slaves having no limits very likely spawned from the books of Gor and stoic Masters in the gay community having a “my way or the highway” mentality due to slaves treating them like kink dispensers. This “traditionalist” belief has remained strong to this day perhaps due to the fact that it plays into a fantasy of CNC and a total loss of control on the part of the slave or a total acquisition of power on the part of the Master. It is this idea that very often causes a divide between the “old guard” and the new generation as well as is the topic of very heated debates between both supposed mind sets. While the idea of a no limits slave is alluring to the mind and plays with the emotions behind a person’s surrender, it simply isn’t realistic. At the end of the day the lifestyle that we live is not one that is law binding nor something that can be totally lived 24/7 365. Real life, the past, present and the future, often bleeds into the lifestyle and necessitates a need for boundaries and yes even limits being established and re-established between the Master and the slave. I would even argue that the idea of a no limits slave is in fact contradictory to the safe, sane and consensual moniker that we oftentimes preach to newbies and veterans alike. As a matter of fact there are many reasons why slaves not only should have limits but also need limits.

The first of these reasons is for the slaves mental and emotional well being. According to Master Wulf, ( via conversations with slave Xiaoyi ) “limits are like an owner’s manual or warning labels for the Master. They give guidelines on how not to harm/break the property.” Slaves are experts on themselves and therefore need to be able to express what makes them tick. As stated in Vince Andrews book (The Leather and BDSM Handbook pg 123) limits exist as a way to “not wake a sleeping dragon” within a slave. Slaves very often come with baggage and trauma and that frequently also means there are a vast array of triggers, both seen and unseen, that can be set off if limits are not established and respected. For a personal example, I struggle with biting as depending on how hard the bite is I can have anywhere from a mild freakout to full on age regression due to an unknown trigger that I myself have. It is important to be respectful and mindful of exactly what a slave can and cannot take, which is why the prime directive of protecting Master’s property, even from Master, exists.

Which brings me to the second reason why slaves need to have limits, the prime directive. A slave above all else must protect and keep themselves safe, even from their own Master. This quite literally means that a slave must have a limit when it comes to their own health and welfare. Masters are human and as such are also not mind readers. No matter how experienced they may be in a multitude of different areas and arenas, they cannot know all when it comes to even their own property. There are going to be accidents and mishaps as well as good intentions gone awry. It is not fair nor ethical to place all the responsibility of care of the property on the Master. For instance if a slave is severely adverse to even the thought of needles, with the mere sight of them sending the slave into a full on panic attack, it is imperative that the slave speak up and say that they cannot handle needles and make that a limit.

The third reason why slaves need limits is for the safety and physical well being of that slave. As attractive and erotic the idea of a Master doing as they wish with a slave, it is not only unrealistic but also potentially dangerous. There are a multitude of different ways scenes and interactions could go wrong when it comes to the slave. For example, the slave could have allergies or health problems that if not discussed and respected could cause lasting physical repercussions as well as potential mental and emotional scarring. The activities we take part in as part of this lifestyle very often have an element of risk and danger to them. Rope can cut circulation leaving lasting damage. Canes, floggers and other implements used for impact can break skin and even cause internal damage if proper technique and care is not taken. We should at all times be aware of the risks we are taking when we chose to play.

A fourth reason why slaves should have limits is because those who have been in the lifestyle for a substantial amount of time and have gone through tremendous trial and error agree that a slave should have limits. Mama Vi Johnson , mother, grandmother and auntie to countless members of the community, writes in her book To Love, To Obey, To Serve “we all have a personal responsibility to our own safety and to respect our own limitations”. As someone who is considered an elder in the community, has been a slave herself and has had a hand in being a part of countless people’s personal journeys, her words and beliefs carry much weight and significance in this lifestyle. On the other side of the slash we have Dominants such as Master Arcane who outlines in his book, Igniting The Fire: The Art of Romantic Submission just how important it is for both the Master and the slave’s limits to be outlined in the contract. He goes on to clearly define what a hard and soft limit are as well as explain how they apply to both Masters and slaves. While it may be a firm belief in the traditionalist lifestyle that slaves don’t have limits, the old guard and the elders that make up that generation tend to agree that it is important that limits are established for the slave.

While slavery, both consensual and involuntary, may look similar in practice and appearance, it is important to not confuse one with the other. One way we can achieve this is through the understanding and allowance of the limits of the slave. A consensual slave, in order to truly be consensual, must have limits. The well being of the slave as well as the prime directive and the expertise of those who are elders in the lifestyle demand it. A consensual slave is more than a piece of flesh and bone, they are treasured and honored property who deserve to have their limits acknowledged and respected. A slave needs to have limits.

Bibliography:

Tupper, P. (2016). Our Lives, Our History: Consensual Master/Slave Relationships from Ancient Times to the 21st Century. Perfectbound Press.

Johnson, V. M. (1999). To Love, to Obey, to Serve: Diary of an Old Guard Slave.

Arcane, Master (2018) Igniting The Fire: The Art of Romantic Submission. ‎Crow Academy Publishing

Andrews V. (2023). The Leather and BDSM Handbook. Adynaton Publishing

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