Bowing

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Different degrees of bowing and prostration, here drawn from Eastern Orthodox religious liturgical use Different kinds of bows in eo.gif
Different degrees of bowing and prostration, here drawn from Eastern Orthodox religious liturgical use

Bowing (also called stooping) is the act of lowering the torso and head as a social gesture in direction to another person or symbol. It is most prominent in Asian cultures but it is also typical of nobility and aristocracy in many European countries. It is also used in religious contexts, as a form of worship or veneration. Sometimes the gesture may be limited to lowering the head such as in Indonesia, and in many cultures several degrees of the lowness of the bow are distinguished and regarded as appropriate for different circumstances. It is especially prominent in Nepal, India, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China, Korea, and Japan, where it may be executed standing or kneeling. Some bows are performed equally by two or more people while others are unequal – the person bowed to either does not bow in return or performs a less low bow in response. A nod of the head may be regarded as the minimal form of bow; forms of kneeling, genuflection, or prostration which involves the hands or whole body touching the ground, are the next levels of gesture.

Contents

In Europe and the Commonwealth

Man bowing Wenceslas Hollar - The bowing gentleman (State 2).jpg
Man bowing

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. However, women may still bow in some religious practices or during stage performances, such as at the curtain call.

The depth of the bow was related to the difference in rank or degree of respect or gratitude. In early modern courtly circles, males were expected to "bow and scrape" (hence the term "bowing and scraping" for what appears to be excessive ceremony). "Scraping" refers to the drawing back of the right leg as one bows, such that the right foot scrapes the floor or earth. Typically, while executing such a bow, the man's right hand is pressed horizontally across the abdomen while the left is held out from the body. Today, social bowing is all but extinct, except in some very formal settings. However, hand-kissing of women by men, which entails bowing to reach the hand, continues in some cultures.

In the British, Australian, and other Commonwealth courts, lawyers and clerks (of both sexes) are expected to perform a cursory bow of the head only to the judge when entering or leaving a law court that is in session. Similar gestures are made to the Speaker of the House of Commons when entering or leaving the chamber of the House of Commons in session, and to the monarch by their staff.

Members of the Royal Family of the various Commonwealth Realms are either bowed or curtsied to, depending on the gender of the subject. Australians are expected to bow to the Governor-General of Australia, the spouse of the Governor-General and state Governors and Lieutenant-Governors. [2]

In Asia

In East Asia

Students wearing suits, hakama and kimono bow to the president of the school and then to the audience at the 2015 Waseda University graduation ceremony in Japan.

Bows are the traditional greeting in East Asia, particularly in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, China and Vietnam. In China and Vietnam, shaking hands or a slight bow have become more popular than a full bow. [3] [4] [5] However, bowing is not reserved only for greetings; it can also be used as a gesture of respect, with different bows used for apologies and gratitude.

In China

The kowtow is the highest sign of reverence in Han Chinese culture, but its use has become extremely rare since the collapse of Imperial China. In many situations, the standing bow has replaced the kowtow. However, in modern Chinese societies, bowing is not as formalized as in Japan, South Korea and North Korea. Bowing is normally reserved for occasions such as marriage ceremonies [6] and as a gesture of respect for the deceased, although it still sometimes used for more formal greetings. [7] In China, three bows are customarily executed at funerals including state funerals, [8] ancestral worship, and at special ceremonies in commemoration of pater patriae Sun Yat-sen. [9] [10]

As in Japan and Korea, public figures may bow formally to apologize. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao bowed and offered his condolences to stranded railway passengers; [11] Taiwanese Defense Minister Chen Chao-min bowed in apology following a faux pas concerning the shooting of former President Chen Shui-bian in 2004. [12]

In South and Southeast Asia

Similarly to East Asia, bowing is the traditional form of greeting in many South Asian and Southeast Asian countries. A gesture known as the Añjali Mudrā is used as a sign of respect and greeting and involves a bow of varying degrees depending on whom one performs it to and hands pressed together generally at chest level. [13] Practised throughout South Asia and Southeast Asia, the gesture is most commonly used in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Indonesia. [14] Gestures across the region are known by different names such as the sampeah in Cambodia, wai in Thailand,, sembah in Indonesia, namaste in India and Nepal, and in Sri Lanka the gesture is used as a greeting with the word "Ayubowan"

In religious settings

Eastern religions

In many Eastern religions bowing is used as a sign of respect in worship and has its origins in the Indian "Añjali Mudrā".

Sikhism

Sikhs only bowed to their Gurus, who were the messengers of god. Their holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib is seen as the eternal guru after the death of their living gurus, as it has the word of god written by the past living gurus. In a Gurdwara, Sikhs bow to the Guru Granth Sahib and are not permitted to take part in idol worshiping, bowing to anything other than the Guru Granth Sahib or bowing to any living person.

Shinto

Bows are performed in Shinto settings. Visitors to a Shinto shrine will clap or ring a bell to attract the attention of the enshrined deity, clasp the hands in prayer, and then bow.

Buddhism

Bowing is a common feature for worship in Buddhism. Zen Buddhism, for example, has a daily ritual in which practitioners do 1,080 full prostration bows, usually spread throughout the day. More casual practitioners and laypeople typically do 108 bows once a day instead.[ citation needed ]

Hinduism

In the Hindu traditions people show deference by bowing or kneeling down and touching feet of an elder or respected person. Traditionally, a child is expected to bow down to their parents, teachers and elders during certain formal ceremonies and casual settings.

Abrahamic religions

Judaism

In the Jewish setting, bowing, similar to in Christianity, is a sign of respect, and is done at certain points in Jewish services. By tradition, in the Temple in Jerusalem, kneeling was part of the regular service, but this is not part of a modern Jewish service.

Some bows within the current liturgy are simple bows from the waist — others (especially during parts of the Amidah) involve bending the knees while saying Baruch (Blessed), bowing from the waist at Atah ([are] you) and then straightening up at Adonai (God). During the concluding Aleinu section of the services, congregants usually bow when they say "V'anachnu kor'im u'mishtachavim u'modim," meaning "we bend our knees, prostrate, and acknowledge our thanks." Another moment in the service which triggers the bow is during the "Bar'chu". Many bow at the mention of "Adonai" (the Jewish addressing of the Lord) at this and various other parts in the service (most likely if they are to remain standing during that prayer). [15]

Kneeling is retained in modern Orthodox Judaism, but only on the High Holy Days — once on each day of Rosh Hashanah (when the Aleinu prayer is recited during the Amidah), and four times on Yom Kippur — again, once for Aleinu, and three times during a central portion of the service when the details of the Avodah, the High Priest's service in the Temple are recited.

The Talmudic texts as well as writings of Gaonim and Rishonim indicate that total prostration was common among many Jewish communities until some point during the Middle Ages. Members of the Karaite denomination practice full prostrations during prayers. Ashkenazi Jews prostrate during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur as did Yemenite Jews during the Tachanun part of regular daily Jewish prayer until somewhat recently[ when? ][ citation needed ]. Ethiopian Jews traditionally prostrated during a holiday specific to their community known as Sigd. Sigd comes from a root word meaning prostration in Amharic, Aramaic, and Arabic. There is a move among Talmide haRambam, a small modern restorationist group with perspectives on Jewish law similar to that of Dor Daim, to revive prostration as a regular part of daily Jewish worship.

Christianity

Communicants of many Christian denominations bow at the mention of the name of Jesus, while inside of a church and outside of one. [16] [17] The origin of this practice is within Sacred Scripture, which states: "Therefore God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth" (NRSV). [17] This pious custom was mandated in the Second Council of Lyon, which proclaimed "Whenever that glorious name is recalled, especially during the sacred mysteries of the Mass, everyone should bow the knees of his heart which he can do even by a bow of his head." [16] The eighteenth canon of the Church of England, mother Church of the Anglican Communion, made this external obeisance obligatory during the divine service, declaring: "When in time of divine service the Lord JESUS shall be mentioned, due and lowly reverence shall be done by all persons present, as it has been accustomed; testifying by these outward ceremonies and gestures their inward humility, Christian resolution, and due acknowledgement that the Lord JESUS CHRIST, the true eternal Son of God, is the only Saviour of the world, in whom alone all the mercies, graces, and promises of God to mankind for this life, and the life to come, are fully and wholly comprised." [17] [18] Likewise, in the Lutheran Churches, people are "to bow when the name of Jesus is mentioned", [19] and in the Roman Catholic Church "at the mention of the name of Jesus, there is a slight bow of the head". [20] John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Churches, also taught the faithful "to bow at the Name of Jesus" and as a result, it is customary for Methodists to bow at the mention of His name, especially during the recitation of the Creed. [21]

In Christian liturgy, bowing is a sign of respect or deference. In many Christian denominations, individuals will bow when passing in front of the altar, or at certain points in the service (for example, when the name of Jesus Christ is spoken, as mentioned above). [18] It may take the form of a simple bow of the head, or a slight incline of the upper body. A profound bow is a deep bow from the waist, and is often done as a substitution for genuflection. In Eastern Orthodoxy, there are several degrees of bowing, each with a different meaning. Strict rules exist as to which type of a bow should be used at any particular time. The rules are complicated and are not always carried out in all parishes.

In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, a profound bow, prostration, a slight bow of the head (during the Creed) genuflection, and kneeling are all prescribed in the liturgy at various points. In addition, there are two forms of genuflection, depending on whether or not the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the altar or not. In addition to bowing at the mention of the name of Jesus, in the Anglican Communion, "A reverence in the form of a bow is made to an altar, because it is as it were God's throne, and in a manner represents Him." [22] As with Anglican churches, in Lutheran and Methodist churches, when approaching the chancel, it is customary to bow towards the altar (or altar cross). [23] [24] [25] In Anglican churches a bow is also made when the processional cross passes by a communicant in a church procession. [25]

Conservative Protestant Christians such as Brethren, Mennonite, and Seventh-day Adventists make a practice of kneeling during community prayer in the church service. Until the mid-1900s this was common practice among many Protestant Christian groups.

According to the New Testament writer Paul, everyone on Earth will someday bow to Jesus Christ. He writes in Philippians 2:9-11, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." KJV. He is here quoting a similar passage regarding bowing from the Old Testament, Isaiah 45:23.

Islam

Muslim practitioners performing Sajdah or Sujud. Mosque.jpg
Muslim practitioners performing Sajdah or Sujud.

In Islam, there are two types of bowing, Sujud and Ruk'u. Sajdah or Sujud is to prostrate oneself to God in the direction of the Kaaba at Mecca which is done during daily prayers (salat). While in sujud, a Muslim is to praise God and glorify him. The position involves having the forehead, nose, both hands, knees and all toes touching the ground together. Ruku' is bowing down in the standing position during daily prayers (salat). The position of ruku' is established by bending over, putting one's hands on one's knees, and remaining in that position while also praising God and glorifying him.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kowtow</span> Form of prostration as sign of respect

A kowtow is the act of deep respect shown by prostration, that is, kneeling and bowing so low as to have one's head touching the ground. In Sinospheric culture, the kowtow is the highest sign of reverence. It was widely used to show reverence for one's elders, superiors, and especially the Emperor of China, as well as for religious and cultural objects of worship. In modern times, usage of the kowtow has been reduced.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genuflection</span> Bending a knee towards the ground

Genuflection or genuflexion is the act of bending a knee to the ground, as distinguished from kneeling which more strictly involves both knees. From early times, it has been a gesture of deep respect for a superior. Today, the gesture is common in the Christian religious practices of the Anglicanism, Lutheranism, the Catholic Church, and Western Rite Orthodoxy. 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". In Western culture, one genuflects on the left knee to a human dignitary, whether ecclesiastical or civil, while, in Christian churches and chapels, one genuflects on the right knee when the Sacrament is not exposed but in a tabernacle or veiled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proskynesis</span> Expression of respect

Proskynesis, also called proscynesis or proskinesis, was a solemn gesture of respect towards gods and people in many societies. Among the Persians, it referred to a man prostrating himself and kissing the land or the limbs of a respected person. It was also one of the religious rites among both Greeks and Romans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rak'a</span> Unit of prayer in Islam equal to one iteration of a specific series of movements

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian worship</span> Act of attributing reverent honour and homage to God

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kneeling</span> Human position where one or both knees touch the ground

Kneeling is a basic human position where one or both knees touch the ground. According to Merriam-Webster, kneeling is defined as "to position the body so that one or both knees rest on the floor". Kneeling with only one knee, and not both, is called genuflection.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Circumambulation</span> Ritual of moving around a sacred object

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The different kinds of bows one could encounter at an Eastern Orthodox service are shown in the drawing below.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bowing in Japan</span> Custom in Japan, used as a salutation, a form of reverence, an apology or expression of gratitude

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References

  1. ↑ Morris, Desmond (2007). The Naked Woman: A Study of the Female Body. Macmillan. p. 247. ISBN   978-0-312-33853-4.
  2. ↑ Title and Greeting Governor of New South Wales
  3. ↑ "China - Cultural Etiquette". eDiplomat. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
  4. ↑ "Vietnam - Cultural Etiquette". eDiplomat. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
  5. ↑ "Japan - Cultural Etqette". eDiplomat. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
  6. ↑ "Chinese Marriage Customs". eChina Romance. Archived from the original on 2008-06-05. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  7. ↑ "温家宝向地震灾区遇难者遗体三鞠躬". China Daily. 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
  8. ↑ "華國鋒同志遺體在京火化". People's Daily. 2008-09-01. Archived from the original on 2010-11-01. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
  9. ↑ "Kuomintang delegation pays homage at Dr. Sun Yat-sen's mausoleum". People's Daily Online. 2005-03-31. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  10. ↑ "周铁农等参加纪念孙中山先生逝世84周年纪念仪式". National People's Congress News. 2009-03-13. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
  11. ↑ "Premier Wen rushes to Hunan Province to direct disaster relief work". Xinhua. 2008-01-29. Archived from the original on February 2, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
  12. ↑ "Defense Minister Chen apologizes for 3/19 gaffe". China Post. 2008-05-27. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
  13. ↑ "Wai : A Graceful Gesture of Greeting". Archived from the original on 2018-11-26. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  14. ↑ http://epaper.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202003/13/WS5e6ad71aa310a2fabb7a2e69.html
  15. ↑ Hayim H. Donin, To Pray as a Jew, 1980; pages 38-41.
  16. 1 2 Albert Haase, OFM (4 February 2010). Living the Lord's Prayer: The Way of the Disciple. InterVarsity Press. p. 83. ISBN   9780830878666. The name of Jesus has been kept holy by Christians down through the centuries. Western Christianity developed the custom of bowing the head at the mention of the name of Jesus. Pope Gregory X had this formally written into law in 1274 at the Second Council of Lyons. Echoing the letter to the Philippians, the council stated, "Whenever that glorious name is recalled, especially during the sacred mysteries of the Mass, everyone should bow the kneeds of his heart which he can do even by a bow of his head."
  17. 1 2 3 Staunton, William (1839). A Dictionary of the Church: Containing an Exposition of Terms, Phrases and Subjects Connected with the External Order, Sacraments, Worship and Usages of the Protestant Episcopal Church, with an Especial Reference to the Church in the United States. Sherman & Trevett. p. 79.
  18. 1 2 Wheatly, Charles; Corrie, George Elwes (1858). A Rational Illustration of the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England. University Press. p. 145. When we come to the second article in this Creed, in which the name of Jesus is mentioned, the whole congregation makes obeisance, which the Church (in regard to that passage of St Paul, That at the name of Jesus every knew should bow) expressly enjoins in her eighteenth canon: ordering, "that when in the time of divine service the Lord Jesus shall be mentioned, due and lowly reverence shall be done by all persons present, as it has been accustomed[3], testifying by these outward ceremonies and gestures their inward humility, christian resolution, and due acknowledgment, that the Lord Jesus Christ, the true eternal Son of God, is the only Saviour of the world, in whom alone all mercies, graces, and promises of God to mankind for this life, and the life to come, are fully and wholly comprised." [3] Bowing at the name of Jesus first appointed by the eighth Council of Lyons, A.D. 1274, under Gregory Xth. In the Council of avignon, A.D. 1326, indulgences were granted to those that bow at the name of Jesus. in the Council of Beziers, A.D. 1351, ten days' pardon granted to such as bow at that name when mentioned in divine service. Council of Basil, 1435, renews the order for bowing. Councilium Senonense, 1485. of cowing at the name of Jesus, Grey, Vindicat. of Ch. of England, Part 2, p. 178, &c W.
  19. ↑ Herl, Joseph (2008). Worship Wars in Early Lutheranism: Choir, Congregation and Three Centuries of Conflict. Oxford University Press. p. 111. ISBN   9780195365849 . Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  20. ↑ Dubruiel, Michael (26 January 2007). The How-to Book of the Mass, Revised and Expanded. Our Sunday Visitor. p. 97. ISBN   9781592766659.
  21. ↑ Holden, Harrington William; Wesley, John (1872). John Wesley in Company with High Churchmen. J. Hodges. p. 110.
  22. ↑ Lamburn, Edward Cyril Russell (1963). Anglican Services: A Book Concerning Ritual and Ceremonial in the Anglican Communion. W. Knott. p. 39.
  23. ↑ Senn, Frank C. (2012). Introduction to Christian Liturgy. Fortress Press. p. 196. ISBN   9781451424331.
  24. ↑ "Acolyte Handbook" (PDF). Madison First United Methodist Church. 2011. pp. 5–6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017. Walk around the kneeling rails and enter the chancel. When you reach the altar, pause and bow towards the cross at the same time.
  25. 1 2 Pentz, Lundy (1998). Body Language. Forward Movement. p. 9. English law required a bow to the altar on entering or leaving a church--at any time, not just during a service. The altar itself was the thing bowed to, because during the eucharist it is where the consecration takes place and in a sense is thus the throne of Christ. Because most altars had a cross on them, generations of Anglicans came to think of the bow as being directed not at the altar but at the cross. This gave rise to a distinctive Anglicanism when processions and processional crosses were reintroduced in the 19th century--a bow as made as the cross passed by in a procession.
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