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Bowing is a traditional gesture of respect and gratitude in European cultures. Since the 17th century, bowing has been a primarily male practice. [1] Women instead perform a curtsy, a related gesture that diverged from the bow during the early modern period.
According to Herodotus in his Histories, a person of equal rank received a kiss on the lips; someone of a slightly lower rank gave a kiss on the cheek; and someone of a very inferior social standing had to completely bow down to the other person before them. [4] To the Greeks, giving proskynesis to a mortal was seen as barbaric and ludicrous.
The word proskuneo - "to worship" - means to bow down (to Gods or to kings). [2] Mass is the central act of divine worship in the Catholic Church. [4] The Congregation for Divine Worship at the Vatican publishes a Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy. [5]
Bowing is the lowering of the head and torso towards the person or object of reverence, often briefly. The extent of a bow ranges from a simple head nod to a 90–degree bending at the waist. The extent of a bow ranges from a simple head nod to a 90–degree bending at the waist.
A curtsy (also spelled curtsey or incorrectly as courtsey) is a traditional gendered gesture of greeting, in which a girl or woman bends her knees while bowing her head. In Western culture it is the feminine equivalent of bowing by males, although men will commonly curtsy in some churches as a simplified genuflection.
The Latin word genuflectio, from which the English word is derived, originally meant kneeling with both knees rather than the rapid dropping to one knee and immediately rising that became customary in Western Europe in the Middle Ages. It is often referred to as "going down on one knee" or "bowing the knee". [5] In Western culture:
The word "kowtow" came into English in the early 19th century to describe the bow itself, but its meaning soon shifted to describe any abject submission or groveling. The term is still commonly used in English with this meaning, disconnected from the physical act and the East Asian context. [note 1]
The traditional, full Yoruba prostration involves the prostrator lying down almost prone with his feet extended behind his torso while the rest of his weight is propped up on both hands. This traditional form is being replaced by a more informal bow and touching the fingertips to the floor in front of an elder with one hand, while bending ...