Why do Southern Scadrians wear masks?

[Atlas333]

Do we know why the southern scadrians wear masks? Is it mostly a culture thing? Or is there another reason?

I'm curious because why would an entire culture to suddenly start wearing masks. Was it a thing before the Ice Death? Or did the Sovereign start it? Or does it benefit them some other way?

I haven't been able to find anything concrete but also don't have time reread the books. Anyone know?

[Treamayne]

On 5/19/2024 at 2:03 AM, Atlas333 said:

Do we know why the southern scadrians wear masks? Is it mostly a culture thing?

It is a Culture thing. Though we have not yet had the origin of the practice revealed yet. 

On 5/19/2024 at 2:03 AM, Atlas333 said:

Was it a thing before the Ice Death?

Definitely before the Ice Death (BoM Epilogue):

Spoiler

Ahead stood a bunkerlike stone dwelling. Long and narrow, it reminded him of something—not something Wax knew, but a memory in the mind of the man storing this experience. A memory of something long ago that flickered in his consciousness, then was lost in a moment.

The traveler continued, stepping up to the doorway, which was open. They’d burned the door.

Inside, a mass of people huddled together for warmth, wrapped uselessly in blankets. No fires left.

They’d burned even their masks.

The traveler moved among them, drawing some concern, though most people stared with dull eyes. Awaiting death. He found the leaders near the center, the elders, aged and wearing cloth masks on their faces—the only things they had left. 

 

On 5/19/2024 at 2:03 AM, Atlas333 said:

does it benefit them some other way?

We have not yet had a Malwish viewpoint to learn more, so we only have Allik's quotes and Marasi's suppositions. BoM Ch 30:

Spoiler

There was no way to tell what Captain Jordis thought, her expression hidden behind that mask. When she did speak, she made a few curt gestures—but those could be faked far more easily than facial expressions, Marasi figured. What did one make of a society where everyone hid their true feelings behind a mask, only letting out calculated reactions?

While she may think they have a 'Political cause' the original cause may be something else, and the politics of calculated reactions may just be a cultural adaptation after-the-fact. 

Edited May 20 by Treamayne
SPAG

[+hwiles]

In a word, "No."

It appears to be a cultural evolution, most likely related to their historical tendencies to, apparently VERY severely, manipulate, control, and exploit their people's Identity and Connection for survival (and eventually warfare, once survival was a given).

If any random stranger who sees your face is liable to perform soul-severing witchcraft on you for the good of the state, you might want to wear a mask too...

[Atlas333]

16 hours ago, hwiles said:

It appears to be a cultural evolution, most likely related to their historical tendencies to, apparently VERY severely, manipulate, control, and exploit their people's Identity and Connection for survival (and eventually warfare, once survival was a given).

That actually makes a decent amount of sense. I was just curious if we had anything official, but this seems a good enough answer for now. Thank you

[+robardin he/him]

Well it's not an "entire culture", there are multiple nations and cultures in the Southern Hemisphere, often at odds with each other. But many of them do seem to share the mask-wearing practice, to different degrees (the Hunters who NEVER remove them, versus those like Allik who do so, but infrequently and momentarily, as a gesture of respect or intimacy - where his airship captain regarded him as being particularly "free" with that).

But we also know that there is a group in the Southern Hemisphere Allik referred to as "The Deniers of Masks" in BoM who were "really dangerous" as compared to the Set who just captured, tortured, and killed a number of his ship's crew, that we don't see or hear mention of at all in TLM. "The Maskless" (of who the DoMs may be synonmyous, or a subgroup thereof) are shown as having an entire region in the lower right of the Era 2 "Map of Scadrial", extending to an unknown degree off the map.

Whether or not their refusal or "denial" of mask-wearing is at all related to them being "really dangerous", is also up for question!

[The Stormfather He/Him]

I think (for some of them at least) The Masks show what station they have in the structure of their cities.