Is the area of dance, singing, and other artistic pursuits predominantly seen as a female area? I noticed that on Sabira's route, I only saw women from that area. I like that, since it highlights my male MC, hehe
In any case, if this area is seen as something more feminine, could a male MC at IF face some prejudice? Or some strange looks?
Time for some lore!
The short answer is that being a performer in dancing or singing can be viewed as feminine, but also has a connotation as being a disreputable profession. An MC could/will face some prejudice, however a male MC could/will especially receive some scorn for additional reasons.
Here is a more detailed answer.
Everyone sings and dances. There are folk dances, and specific dances for celebration, and even religious ones, however being a performer has a certain connotation, especially after the reign of Emperor Avith.
During the reign of King Kauket, when the term, 'master of the three arts' was coined, being proficient artistically was very prized. The king's mother was a renowned singer, his wife a dancer, and he himself was gifted as a musician. As such it became almost an expectation for nobility to have some level of proficiency and entertainers became teachers. Being a talented performer was a sign discipline and also upward mobility. For the nobility, things fell mostly within the bounds of the example set by the royal family, with young noblemen learning instruments along with their studies and young noblewomen learning to sing and dance.
A quote attributed to King Kauket during this time period:
"It is true that I dream of calm pastures and music made instead of war. But dear council, our sons do not all need to play the harp."
As more groups joined Hashind and brought their cultures with them, more and men at the common level began to appear as performers. Folk dances associated with masculinity, war dances, martial art techniques, etc, began to be adapted for audiences.
By the end of Kauket's reign, Hashind was thriving culturally, with people traveling to established performing houses to receive instruction in the same way they would a scholar or warrior. Some houses only accepted women, others only accepted men, however, because usually a man inherits his fathers land and/or occupation, there were fewer male performers.
As time passed however, those looking to sell other things had long caught onto the lucrative opportunities presented by performing houses. Some dancers became courtesans, willingly or unwillingly, regardless of anatomy. Exploitation and sham houses increased and as they did, the reputation of performers decreased. The golden age was over. Now, unless you apprenticed under an established master or were a part of a reputable house, the assumption was that you were plying a different trade. That connotation decreased the amount of men present even more.
This thought process was entrenched by the time Avith came to power. Additionally, the nobles he chose to elevate, along with the intense martial focus of his reign, meant that the arts and scholarship were no longer as prized by the nobility for their sons and their daughters did not venture out to the schools to learn it, but rather the instructors were brought in. After all, in theory, they would only perform for their husbands.
Finally, at one point during Avith's reign, he sent a rebellious noble's son to a dance house, and not one of the reputable ones. This became a widespread disgrace for that family and also linked a son having to perform to a family having fallen into ruin, an idea that didn't cling strictly to men. It also became a tool of the trade for the exploitative houses and drew many merchants and new nobility to them. Some young performers were rebranded and given tragic backstories. Fallen nobles, long lost royalty, etc. Avith and some of his nobles leaned into this, both intimidating the soldiers of Hashind with a defeat that did not only end in death, but humiliation, but also incentivizing the conquest of others.
Avith stated, toward the end of his reign, during an address to soldiers before a military campaign:
"To be victorious is to have all that belonged to your enemy. His legacy destroyed by yours. Fight bravely, and the only place an enemy may look for his children will be a pike at our gates, or the bottom of our dancehalls. Fight savagely, and you will sire babes with princesses and queens. If you die well, your line will be rewarded. But if you attempt to flee from battle or engage in treachery; if you look upon your enemy as if they are anything but that, you will no longer be men. Your lives will be forfeit and your sisters, mothers, daughters, entertainment. Fight or die with some honor."
People still remember the prestige performers held and in some areas they still do. The songs and dances are not forgotten, and during Aretas's reign, while stigma remains, nobles, especially the newer ones, hire performers as a display as prestige. Playing an instrument, because many nobility associate it with their grandfathers and fathers, as well as many doing so as a hobby, has managed to come out of this somewhat unblemished. However certain songs are not considered something a man should play. Everyday people do not have as big of a hangup about performers, except that they do not want their children to catch the eye of someone and end up being forced to perform or any thing else. Street performers are favored by the common people, as actual performance houses began to be viewed as dangerous. Traveling troupes have grown in popularity because of this.
*(You will meet other male performers. In fact, you already have at the Silken Sands. Shout out Huan. Extra fun fact, he's good friends with Sefu, and possibly you, if you choose an option that comes up later. He's very briefly mentioned, but you know I love my supporting characters.)
