Welcome to Gaia! ::

As you walk into this room, you see a room full of women in traditional kimono sitting upon their knees and watching a full-fledged geisha as she teaches you about geisha history. If you choose this class, you will learn the ways of the geisha and how they came to be. You will also learn a few historical geisha that have brought honor to the word. Won't you join us?

If you are joining us late, do not fear. We will not bite and we would love to have you.

((OOC: Alright. ^^ I am getting the first lesson ready...I have to have it approved by a mod, first. Then, if they say it's alright, I'll post it.))

(( I would like to be in this class.

- Kikaru ))

((OOC: Feel free to ask any questions at any time about matters concerning geisha of the past. Roleplay along, as well, as you are listening to the teacher geisha's words.))



Sayuri laid out her books in front of her as she knelt before the class in a graceful manner. Her eyes flicked up towards the small class as she pulled out her fan. It had become a habit for her to use the fan more as a pointer, than as the artistic tool it was intended to be, while teaching the young maiko at the school anything.

"Welcome to this class, everyone," Sayuri greeted, her soft tone running through the words as if it were a leaf drifting amongst the steady waters of a brook. "This is the part of the day where you will learn about the geisha of your past and the part that you will one day play to many maiko who will look up to you. I will not lie. There are many maiko here who will not make successful geisha. Geisha are not only of the arts, but they are well-educated women who awe men with their beauty and talents. You must be clever to keep the patron entertained, as well as smart enough to know when you should let yourself sound silly.

"I will show you the history here, which will give a better understanding to all of you about the geisha of your past and how they survived..."

Lesson 1 (1100AD - 1750AD):

Geisha have been mostly a modern group of artists who have been thought to have started around the 1700's. There were two predecessors who may have helped the geisha to have become the women we know them as today: The Saburuko and the Shirabyoshi.


1.
The Saburuko appeared around the end of the 7th century. Saburuko is a term that means "ones who serve" and they were the result of an increasing social displacement that took place in the late seventh century. These were made up of women who became wanderes and, in order to survive, resulted to selling their bodies. Most of these women were lower class, though some were from women who were quite educated and talented. These Saburuko were talented dancers and singers, who often found themselves invited to entertain at aristocratic gatherings.


2.
The Shirabyoshi, who emerged during the late Heian era/early Kamakura period (1185 AD - 1333 AD), took their name from the dance that they performed. They appeared when the social structure in Japan began to dissolve. The lack of funds in aristrocratic families usually resulted in the daughters of these families becoming Shirabyoshi in order ot survive. These women became valuable for the talents of dance and poetry that they were able to perform. Many aristocratic families supported these women, including the Fujiawara and the Taira, and some of them even gave birth to noble children.
The Shirabyoshi wore outfits in the Shinto-style and would play the drum/fife as well as dance. They were also recognizable for their ability to recite Buddhist prayers that had earlier been introduced by China. The most famous Shirabyoshi were Shizuka, or the concubine of Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-1189) and Kamagiku, who was the favorite concubine of the retired Emperor, Gotoba (1189-1239).

"Yes?" Sayuri replied, pointing to Momoko.

"I believe that each were equally important to the creation of geisha, though the Shirabyoshi are the ones to whom geisha are most related to. Since the social structures broke down so frequently in early Japanese history, women were forced to find means of their own to survive in a world where men ruled. Though both the Saburuko and the Shirabyoshi found ways to entertain men, the Shirabyoshi were more proper and less prostitution was involved, though it was not obsolete. The Shirabyoshi were well-educated and because the social structure had earlier broken for the Saburuko, the Shirabyoshi were able to use new ways to survive that led to less discrimination upon themselves.
"They were women of a new era. I believe that if Japan had not had their social disorder problems, we geisha may never have come to exist. There would have been another class like ours, but nothing devoted to merely the arts. Removing the vulgar things from the way of the geisha may be attributed to the Shirabyoshi and finding out that there is more to entertaining men than the ways of prostitution," Sayuri explained in great depth. "Does that answer you question? If so, are there anymore questions amongst our class?"

Keiko knelt there quietly and took notes vigorously. She was determined to become something more and hoped to do well in her classes.