Today, far from all and not always remember the rules of good form that our grandmothers and great-grandmothers followed.
Many do not even realize how strict these rules were. But not so long ago, educated people lived according to unshakable laws, which in today's society cause laughter or bewilderment.
A bow in greeting?
Knixen is a form of greeting that was considered traditional for the era of luxurious ball gowns. Arriving at the palace etiquette from Prussia under Paul I, Knicksen held out until the 1917 revolution .
At the beginning of the 19th century, everything Western was in fashion in Russia, and Knixsen is a vivid confirmation of this. This bow is considered a kind of curtsy, which, in turn, has French roots. The latter was an indispensable element of
court etiquette and was used to express respect for the titled persons. It is a respectful bow with a deep squat, in which a woman bends her legs at the knees, while taking one leg back and tilting her head. And knixen is its somewhat simplified form: quick squat and a slight nod of the head. In Europe, much attention was paid to the worshipers.
The same respect, but the techniques are different
The bows differ from each other in terms of technique, depth of squat, and degree of tilt of the head. During the 19th century, they were somewhat modified. And gradually intricate movements expressing special respect for the person faded into the past. Reverence and Knixen are different in performance technique and have always been considered exclusively female bows. Later, as a greeting within the framework of secular society, the bow went into ball etiquette, in which it was used as a lady's response to the gentleman's gesture. And the ability to correctly perform curtsy often spoke of a person's belonging to secular society. Because it took years of education to comprehend all the subtleties of communication. When performing knixen, attention was paid to many details, including the look. When squatting, the eyelids of the woman should have been lowered, and when she got up, her gaze returned to the face of the other person.
Therefore, Knixsen is one of the signs of modesty, education, and upbringing of a young person in secular society.
Knicksen and modernity
Knicksen lived to the 21st century, but is rarely used. For example, when greeting members of the royal family, today they often do knixen. Photos of the celebrations show us how it is performed.