Difference between revisions of "Arts and Majesty"

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|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
 
|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]
 
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'''''Arts and Majesty''''' is a work of literature which according to [[Vorinism]] defines what constitutes the masculine and feminine arts.
 
   
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[[Jenet]] notes that equestrianism is absent from the arts mentioned which allows both women and men to work with horses equally.{{book ref|sa2|25}}
 
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'''''Arts and Majesty''''' is an ancient work of [[Roshar]]an literature that has come to define the [[Vorinism|Vorin]] ideas of masculine and feminine arts.{{wob ref|6245}} It defines certain topics and practices as masculine or feminine; the feminine arts are generally those that can be practiced with a single hand, while the masculine arts involve both hands, associating delicacy with women and brute force with men.{{wob ref|4447}} The idea of the [[safehand]] comes from this distinction between one-handed and two-handed arts.{{wob ref|6245}} In modern Vorin culture, practices that are not explicitly mentioned in the book (and are not too similar to ones that are) may be properly performed by anybody.{{book ref|sa2|25}}
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== History ==
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''Arts and Majesty'' was written by a female artist{{wob ref|6245}}{{wob ref|4447}} well before the [[Day of Recreance]].{{wob ref|900}} It may not have had much influence on culture before the Recreance; soon afterward, however, some men in power came across it and began emphasizing it to justify keeping [[Shardblade]]s and [[Shardplate]] away from women.{{wob ref|5898}}{{wob ref|12662}} As retaliation, a movement of women caused writing and literacy to move into the domain of women.{{wob ref|6245}}
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The division between masculine and feminine arts became part of Vorin culture over the next few decades{{wob ref|900}} and remained solidly in place even thousands of years later, with the safehand and the femininity of writing being especially prominent in day-to-day life. ''Arts and Majesty'' itself also stayed well-known despite its age, at least among upper-class lighteyes.{{book ref|sa2|25}} In some cases, the distinction between the arts moved beyond a mere cultural norm and gained religious overtones; men who could write, for example, could actually be seen as blasphemous and not just strange.{{book ref|wor|12}}
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== Arts ==
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{{columns|count=2|
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=== Unspecified ===
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* horseback riding and the care of horses{{book ref|sa2|25}}
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* knitting{{wob ref|6564}}
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* singing{{book ref|sa1|57}}
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=== Feminine ===
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* reading and writing{{book ref|sa1|3}}
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* painting and drawing{{book ref|sa1|5}}
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* science{{book ref|sa1|3}} (e.g., zoology, botany, and natural history{{book ref|sa1|7}})
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* logic{{book ref|sa1|3}}
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* playing musical instruments{{book ref|sa1|57}}
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=== Masculine ===
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* combat{{book ref|sa1|26}} (facetiously, "hitting things", according to [[Navani Kholin]]{{book ref|sa1|28}})
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* tactics{{book ref|sa3|39}}
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* politics{{book ref|sa3|65}}
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* carpentry{{book ref|sa1|31}}
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* commerce{{book ref|sa1|8}}
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}}
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== Trivia ==
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* The idea of the safehand and the division between one-handed and two-handed arts arose from [[Brandon]]'s fascination with different taboos across real-life cultures.{{wob ref|5898}}
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* LEGO building would probably be considered a feminine art; since it is difficult to do one-handed, though, it might end up being mostly done with two hands behind the scenes anyway.{{wob ref|13264}}
   
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==

Revision as of 06:41, 13 August 2020

Arts and Majesty
World of Origin Roshar
Universe Cosmere


Arts and Majesty is an ancient work of Rosharan literature that has come to define the Vorin ideas of masculine and feminine arts.[1] It defines certain topics and practices as masculine or feminine; the feminine arts are generally those that can be practiced with a single hand, while the masculine arts involve both hands, associating delicacy with women and brute force with men.[2] The idea of the safehand comes from this distinction between one-handed and two-handed arts.[1] In modern Vorin culture, practices that are not explicitly mentioned in the book (and are not too similar to ones that are) may be properly performed by anybody.[3]

History

Arts and Majesty was written by a female artist[1][2] well before the Day of Recreance.[4] It may not have had much influence on culture before the Recreance; soon afterward, however, some men in power came across it and began emphasizing it to justify keeping Shardblades and Shardplate away from women.[5][6] As retaliation, a movement of women caused writing and literacy to move into the domain of women.[1]

The division between masculine and feminine arts became part of Vorin culture over the next few decades[4] and remained solidly in place even thousands of years later, with the safehand and the femininity of writing being especially prominent in day-to-day life. Arts and Majesty itself also stayed well-known despite its age, at least among upper-class lighteyes.[3] In some cases, the distinction between the arts moved beyond a mere cultural norm and gained religious overtones; men who could write, for example, could actually be seen as blasphemous and not just strange.[7]

Arts

Unspecified

  • horseback riding and the care of horses[3]
  • knitting[8]
  • singing[9]

Feminine

  • reading and writing[10]
  • painting and drawing[11]
  • science[10] (e.g., zoology, botany, and natural history[12])
  • logic[10]
  • playing musical instruments[9]

Masculine

Trivia

  • The idea of the safehand and the division between one-handed and two-handed arts arose from Brandon's fascination with different taboos across real-life cultures.[5]
  • LEGO building would probably be considered a feminine art; since it is difficult to do one-handed, though, it might end up being mostly done with two hands behind the scenes anyway.[19]

Notes

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