Man of Iron, Man of Gold

The saying “man of iron, man of gold” is so common in Farath culture of the modern day that most forget the tale it is attached to. The saying itself is used to compare two individuals; affording them qualities perceived in the two different metals. The “man of iron” in this is viewed as stalwart, cool, and useful. Whereas the “man of gold” is seen as flirty, aloof, and frivolous. Akin to how gold has little practical use.
Other variations of the saying cut the comparison in favor of telling the person who the speaker wishes them to be. Like, “don't be a man of gold” or, “you are a woman of iron”. It is rare for the other three metals in the tale to be referenced at all in conversation.

Summary

The tale itself is rather simple: a calligrapher woman is offer the hand of one in group of merchant brothers. Each brother was involved in working some kind of metal; one iron, one gold, one copper, one silver, and one lead. Wishing to choose the man most suited to be her husband, she took her time carefully analyzing each brother. A pattern occurred to her over her observations: each man seemingly took on the qualities of the metal he worked.
She noted that the brother who worked iron was strong, bound solely to logic, and cold. All he conversed with bent to his will, and he never, ever yielded anything.
The brother of gold was flashy and shallow. The calligrapher noted that he never changed in the slightest, and was useless in performing mundane tasks. He was envied and sought after, but none appreciated his utility, for he had none.
The brother of copper was a beautiful man, one who did not change no matter who was around him. He was honest, yet also meek, and would bend to the desires of others.
The brother of silver was soft and held a presence of mystery. He changed depending on who was around him, reflecting their personalities akin to a mirror.
Finally, the brother of lead was unbelievably dull on his own, but would become colorful in certain environments. Many saw him as a man of profound luck, and he was riddled with tales.
Most versions of the story say that the calligrapher went with the brother of iron, though the ending is rarely seen as significant to the tale. Rather, it is supposed to teach that people take on qualities of what they do.

Cultural Reception

Most of the myth today is foregone in favor of the saying “man of iron/gold”. And the qualities of both men have been altered to be purely positive and negative. With iron's coldness being understated, and gold's sociality being forgotten.

Date of First Recording

Sometime around 200 PS

Date of Setting

The days of united Faramine, around 1000 PS