History of Geisha

During the early 11th century, two women of noble birth created a new dance to entertain the warrior's circles. Representing the court dress of the warriors, they wore white costumes. They wore a tall hat, long white gown, and sword at their waist. The dance caught on and over time the costume changed to a black hat and red skirt. Then both the hat and sword disappeared. Many people believe that these women were the early predecessors of geisha However, others believe geisha were originally men who entertained in a society called the "water world." This world contained prostitutes, entertainers and their patrons. Eventually, there was a transformation from all male geisha to all female geisha. After geisha became more popular, they began entertaining in tea houses and began defining what was in, in Japanese culture. In 1779, authorities were angry with the conduct of the geisha. They were upset that they did not pay taxes on their wages. Disciplinary rules were formed and a code of conduct was created, which is still upheld today.