Courtesans Across Eorzea: Headcanons
While courtesans obviously have a rich history and a place in any culture with a sufficiently-developed upper class, it behooves us to remember that Eorzea’s city-states have their own cultures, and that the roles of courtesans may differ significantly between each of them.
The following, it should be noted, is all headcanon - it is not aggressively supported by lore except where indicated as such.
Ul’dah
Most people who think of courtesans having a place in FF14 are going to think of Ul’dah. With its established tradition of dancers and entertainers and a wealthy upper-class elite, courtesans are going to be prominent and in great number. Many of the suggestions listed above are appropriate here - rich performers whose favors and time are sought by the rich as status symbols, women acting as kept mistresses and advisers, etc.
The presence of the Syndicate and its many fingers in the shadier side of Ul’dahn culture also provides opportunities for the darker aspects of the profession to be examined (within the limits of individual player comfort-zones, to be clear). The training and acquisition of girls to become tayuu and oiran in particular can be helpful here. Even the Tawaif fits well in the setting for Ul’dah, as they often start as children and are trained to host the elite of a desert empire.
Gridania
With its more rustic culture, Gridanians may not seem to have much in the way of a courtesan culture. Indeed, they seem to frown upon luxury and excessive frivolity, if their reactions to the existence of Haukke Manor is any indication.
Kisaeng-type courtesans might fit well in Gridania’s social setting; more for public entertainment than kept women, their appearance could be considered important in certain festivals and meetings.
During harvest, for example, these women could be hired by the city or by a few wealthy patrons and perform grand harvest dances and songs to help appease the elementals.
There being some sort of nobility class (Lady Amandine for example), perhaps some of the few nobles left in Gridania are patrons to the arts that these courtesans perform- perhaps keeping some as personal entertainers, or offering pensions as benefactors to others.
Limsa Lominsa
La Noscea clearly has a culture of hired entertainers and prostitution, as anybody who has ever escorted a Cute Courtesan out of Costa Del Sol can attest. Limsa itself, however, has a rowdier atmosphere than that of Ul’dah, and as such elite courtesans of the sort mentioned above may be harder to justify.
One possibility may be that the hiring of an elite courtesan is a status symbol for pirate bands the same way that it would be for members of the Ul’dahn elite. A wealthy captain who is able to maintain both control over their ship and retain the services of a desirable courtesan is an effective captain indeed.
Of course, one of the most powerful powerful pirates in real life was Ching Shih, a prostitute who commanded over three hundred ships and terrorized China. A courtesan could also be a pirate, vying to that elusive title of Pirate Queen. One could try to aim for this by getting cozy with the right Captains.
Ishgard
We don’t really know what Ishgard is all about aside from the fact they really love Halone, really hate dragons, and are very medieval in their ways of dealing with heretics.
In fact, much of their architecture reminds me of medieval castles.
With a noble system, strict theocracy, a war against giant fire-breathing lizards, and a cold snap that could make Manitoba shudder in fear, I have plenty of ideas on how courtesans may be implemented.
There is a quest where you return a token to an Ishgardian man to inform him of his sons death- the last of his line.
This is clearly not the only incident in which this may have happened, and so I see a perfect opportunity for the courtesan to flourish in their cold, snowy forests.
Nobles of fair wealth but lacking in heirs could take courtesans as second, third, or even fourth wives, aka mistresses, to try and pad their line with plenty of children.
I personally don’t feel like Ishgard is all that interested in fantastical parties and hedonism, so the women who might be chosen to warm the beds of nobles and bear them children would probably more likely to be intellectuals and and philosophers who try and advise their patrons in the difficult times.
Some mistresses, of ambitious and malicious nature, might try to use the war and declarations of heresy against rivals in and out of the home- which can work out so that they may take a higher ranking, or be thrown herself into Witchdrop.
Garlea
Garlea is a bit of a mystery to us, aside from being a tyrannical empire with more advanced war-based technology.
They seem to be very roman in nature, considering their names (Livius, Gaius, Nero) and the fact that the roman empire expanded relentlessly in it’s hayday.
Based on that, perhaps the Hetaira model could be used- kept women of generals in the Garlean army who follow their lovers/patrons to their expansion efforts.
They would have to be smart, quick thinking, well versed in military efforts, and politically up to date on both their homeland and the nations taken over by them.
Strong women, though perhaps a little more soft once out of the armor, they might keep the stress from becoming too much for their patrons in what ever way they knows to work.
Military is a hard life, especially when assigned to a foreign state for campaigns.
Up next: Closing thoughts!
