Bowing

For the use of the bow in musical instruments, seebowing (music).

Bowing(also calledstooping) is the act of lowering thetorsoandheadas a socialgesturein direction to another person or symbol. It is most prominent inAsiancultures but it is also typical ofnobilityandaristocracyin manyEuropeancountries. 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 inIndonesia,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 inNepal,India,Cambodia,Thailand,Laos,Vietnam,China,Korea,andJapan,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 ofkneeling,genuflection,orprostrationwhich involves the hands or whole body touching the ground, are the next levels of gesture.

Different degrees of bowing andprostration,here drawn fromEastern Orthodoxreligious liturgical use

In Europe and the Commonwealth

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.Women instead perform acurtsy,a related gesture that diverged from the bow during theearly modern period.However, women may still bow in some religious practices or during stage performances, such as at thecurtain 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-kissingof 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 theSpeaker of the House of Commonswhen entering or leaving the chamber of theHouse of Commonsin 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.

In Asia

In East Asia

Students wearing suits,hakamaandkimonobow to the president of the school and then to the audience at the 2015Waseda Universitygraduation ceremony in Japan.

Bows are the traditionalgreetinginEast Asia,particularly inJapan,Korea,Hong Kong,ChinaandVietnam.In China and Vietnam, shaking hands or a slight bow have become more popular than a full bow.However, bowing is not reserved only for greetings; it can also be used as a gesture ofrespect,with different bows used for apologies andgratitude.

In China

Thekowtowis the highest sign of reverence inHan Chineseculture, but its use has become extremely rare since the collapse ofImperial China.In many situations, the standing bow has replaced the kowtow. However, in modernChinesesocieties, bowing is not as formalized as in Japan,South KoreaandNorth Korea.Bowing is normally reserved for occasions such as marriage ceremoniesand as a gesture of respect for the deceased, although it still sometimes used for more formal greetings. In China, three bows are customarily executed at funerals including state funerals, ancestral worship, and at special ceremonies in commemoration ofpater patriaeSun Yat-sen.

As in Japan and Korea, public figures may bow formally to apologize. Chinese PremierWen Jiabaobowed and offered his condolences to stranded railway passengers;Taiwanese Defense MinisterChen Chao-minbowed in apology following a faux pas concerning the shooting of former PresidentChen Shui-bianin 2004.

In South and Southeast Asia

Similarly to East Asia, bowing is the traditional form of greeting in manySouth AsianandSoutheast Asiancountries. A gesture known as theAñjali Mudrāis 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.Practised throughout South Asia and Southeast Asia, the gesture is most commonly used inIndia,Sri Lanka,Nepal,Bhutan,Bangladesh,Cambodia,Thailand,Laos,MyanmarandIndonesia.Gestures across the region are known by different names such as thesampeahin Cambodia,waiin Thailand,,sembahinIndonesia,namastein India and Nepal, and in Sri Lanka the gesture is used as a greeting with the word "Ayubowan"

In religious settings

Eastern religions

In manyEastern religionsbowing is used as a sign of respect in worship and has its origins in theIndian"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

Main article:Two bows, two claps, one bow

Bows are performed inShintosettings. Visitors to aShinto shrinewillclapor ring a bell to attract the attention of the enshrineddeity,clasp the hands inprayer,and then bow.

Buddhism

Main article:Puja (Buddhism)

See also:Prostration (Buddhism)

Bowing is a common feature for worship inBuddhism.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.

Hinduism

Main article:Pranama

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 theJewishsetting, bowing, similar to in Christianity, is a sign of respect, and is done at certain points in Jewish services. By tradition, in theTemple 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 theAmidah) involve bending the knees while sayingBaruch(Blessed), bowing from the waist at Atah ([are] you) and then straightening up atAdonai(God). During the concludingAleinusection 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).

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

TheTalmudictexts as well as writings ofGaonimandRishonimindicate that total prostration was common among many Jewish communities until some point during the Middle Ages. Members of theKaraitedenomination practice full prostrations during prayers.AshkenaziJews prostrate duringRosh HashanaandYom Kippuras didYemenite Jewsduring theTachanunpart of regular daily Jewish prayer until somewhat recently.Ethiopian Jewstraditionally prostrated during a holiday specific to their community known asSigd.Sigdcomes from a root word meaning prostration inAmharic,Aramaic,andArabic.There is a move amongTalmide haRambam,a small modern restorationist group with perspectives on Jewish law similar to that ofDor Daim,to revive prostration as a regular part of daily Jewish worship.

Christianity

Further information:Zemnoy poklon

Communicants of many Christian denominations bow at the mention of the name ofJesus,while inside of a church and outside of one.The origin of this practice is withinSacred 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).This pious custom was mandated in theSecond 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."Theeighteenth canonof theChurch of England,mother Church of theAnglican 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."Likewise, in theLutheran Churches,people are "to bow when the name of Jesus is mentioned",and in theRoman Catholic Church"at the mention of the name of Jesus, there is a slight bow of the head".John Wesley,the founder of theMethodist 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.

InChristian liturgy,bowing is a sign of respect or deference. In many Christian denominations, individuals will bow when passing in front of thealtar,or at certain points in the service (for example, when the name ofJesus Christis spoken, as mentioned above).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 forgenuflection. InEastern 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 theRoman Riteof 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 theBlessed Sacramentis exposed on thealtaror 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."As with Anglican churches, in Lutheran andMethodistchurches, when approaching thechancel,it is customary to bow towards the altar (oraltar cross).In Anglican churches a bow is also made when theprocessional crosspasses by a communicant in a church procession.

Conservative Protestant Christians such as Brethren,Mennonite,andSeventh-day Adventistsmake 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

Main articles:RukuandSujud

Muslim practitioners performing Sajdah orSujud.

InIslam,there are two types of bowing, Sujud and Ruk'u. Sajdah orSujudis to prostrate oneself toGodin the direction of theKaabaatMeccawhich is done during daily prayers (salat). While in sujud, aMuslimis 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.

See also

• Curtsy
• Frontbend
• Proskynesis
• Genuflection
• Kneeling
• Partial squatting
• Prostration
• Thai greeting—an example of a milder form of obeisance

External links

• Media related toBowingat Wikimedia Commons
• More information on bowing in religious settings