Bowing is part of many greeting rituals. A bow can be as quick and easy as a slight nod of the head, or as long and complex as a Chinese kowtow. In some countries, bowing is a veritable science in itself.

The bow, as with so many other greetings, is a show of humility, in that you lower your own body before the other person. The most extreme form of bowing is the full prostration, where you throw yourself on the ground, face down. This gesture happens in the Bible, for instance, where it is performed by both men and women.

In the Orient and elsewhere, bowing is done by both sexes. In Western cultures, however, bowing is normally done by men. Women, on the other hand, traditionally used to curtsey, and sometimes still do, especially before royalty. Nevertheless, curtseying can probably be said to be, almost literally, a sinking tradition.

But let us return to bowing. Like the handshake, the bow might also have to do with showing trust in another person. By bowing we purposely break two of the golden rules of hand-to-hand combat: we take our eyes off the opponent, and we show the most vulnerable part of our body, namely the head – the place where most people have their brains. In another form of non-verbal greeting, men show their faith even further in the other person by taking off their hat (or helmet) to present their unprotected pate.