Curtsey (gesture)

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Depiction of the curtsey
painting La révérence
by William Adolphe Bouguereau

The curtsey , i.e. the slight buckling of both knees, is a ritualized gesture intended to mean respect or admiration for another, usually higher-ranking person. By the rules of etiquette, generally only girls and women curtsey; the male act corresponding to the curtsey is the " servant ".

History and dissemination

The curtsey probably has its origin in the ancient practice of falling on your knees as a sign of respect for someone (as attested by Homer and Apuleius ). The courtesy form of the curtsey derived from this is restricted to female persons.

Knicks and "servants" belong to the classical repertoire of the ceremonial courtesy label that is widespread across Europe. Until the 1960s they were common in Germany and Austria, including among the bourgeoisie. While the "servant" has been preserved in the weakened form as a bow, the curtsey is currently seldom found in the broader population of Western society, for example when little girls curtsy to adults.

variants

During the heyday of courtly culture in the 16th and 17th centuries, a distinction was made in Europe between the curtsy “ en avant ” (when entering), “ en passant ” (when passing) and “ en arrière ” (when saying goodbye).

In addition to just bending the knees forwards (basically a suggested squat ), there is also the variant of the right knee bent forwards in combination with a left foot placed behind the right foot, with the back of the left foot or the tip of the shoe touching the ground, and with the left knee bent forward or outward. The back is kept straight. To emphasize this gesture, the skirt or dress can be raised slightly with one or both hands. Depending on the culture, the curtsey also takes place before or during the handshake as a sign of greeting or farewell.

The curtsey today

In high-aristocratic circles, the curtsey (as "court curtain") is still carried out towards those of higher rank. The curtsey is also occasionally seen in non-aristocratic women when they meet representatives of the high nobility, for example with members of the British royal family . Until 2003, women players were expected to curtsy in front of the royal box at the awards ceremony of the Wimbledon Championships , nowadays it is at the discretion of the players. Likewise, the curtsey of women still exists in the ecclesiastical milieu towards clergy, with men sometimes kneeling down instead of the servant, for example towards the Pope , then usually combined with the kiss of the fisherman's ring .

This article or the following section is not adequately provided with supporting documents ( e.g. individual evidence ). Information without sufficient evidence could be removed soon. Please help Wikipedia by researching the information and including good evidence.

For some years now, occasional resumption of the curtsey has been observed more frequently, for example in (school) theater performances with the final applause or at balls where the curtsey is more accepted by young women again.

The curtsey is still common in Asian societies (especially South Korea and Japan). Female students, for example, practice curtseying towards their lecturer, while their male fellow students explicitly bow (instead of shaking hands ). In Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, but also in Turkey, the curtsey is associated with a kiss on the hand in special situations , which is supposed to express respect and gratitude.

Picture gallery

literature

Web links

Wiktionary: Knicks  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Corresponding expressions in ancient Greek are "γνύξ" [gnyx] ("on the knee / on the knees"), "γνὺξ ἐριπε “ν" [gnyx eripein] ("sinking on the knee / the knees") and "γνύ-πετος" [ gny-petos] ("sinking to your knees"). "Γόνυ" [gony] usually stands for "the knee". (W. Gemoll: Greek-German School and Handbook, Munich / Vienna 1954, p. 174).
  2. ↑ a b Please, how does a curtsy go? In: welt.de . July 25, 2007, accessed December 19, 2014 .
  3. ↑ Definition: Knicks , duden.de, accessed: April 26, 2014
  4. ↑ Merkel with Queen Elizabeth II. - The Chancellor is doing everything right , stuttgarter-zeitung.de, February 28, 2014
  5. ↑ New rules at the Queen's court: Duchess Kate must always curtsy ( Memento from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), top.de, June 26, 2012
  6. ↑ Hofknicks is a topic in class , derwesten.de, January 28, 2014
  7. ↑ Gotha receives Queen Silvia of Sweden , tlz.de, April 7, 2014
  8. ↑ Wimbledon abandons the Royal Box curtsey , telegraph.co.uk, April 30, 2003 (English)
  9. ^ Daniel Friedrich Sturm: Gauck's diplomatic pointer to Pope Benedict. In: welt.de . December 6, 2012, accessed December 19, 2014 .
  10. ^ Joachim Frank: Inauguration of the Pope: A new era dawns in the Vatican. In: fr-online.de . March 19, 2013, accessed December 19, 2014 .