<ul>
<li>Kneeling on one knee while proposing has its roots in an ancient practise, originated in the Persian Empire.</li>
<li>This was part of a rank-based greeting ritual, called proskynesis, adopted by Alexander The Great. </li>
<li>The 11th century Knights used this gesture towards the ladies, something called ‘courtly love’, a romantic commitment that was done even to married ladies. </li>
<li>The Knights pledged to serve and honour the lady they love.</li>
</ul>

Proposing On One Knee

The life-long commitment that is asked for while proposing requires humility, devotion and steadfastness. 
Bending on one knee has been a well-known way to propose a lover from medieval times to the scenes of modern-day engagement ceremonies.

Bending The Knee: Devotion And Humility

<div>January 22, 2021</div><figure><img src="https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,h_1193,w_2121,x_0,y_22/f_auto,q_auto,w_1100/v1611343701/shape/mentalfloss/640187-gettyimages-1253916050.jpg" alt="She (probably) said yes!" width="768" height="432"><figcaption dir="auto">She (probably) said yes!
DEAN MITCHELL/ISTOCK VIA GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure><video playsinline="" webkit-playsinline="" muted="" style="height: 100%; left: 0px; display: block; width: 100%;"></video><video title="Advertisement" webkit-playsinline="true" playsinline="true" src="https://cdn1.extremereach.io/media/36591/73852/1dada240-abf0-4f89-b3e8-8ec22917cc64/2a9a2d40-d1a9-4d2d-b7bc-083af75d18ac.mp4?line_item=15329542&amp;cid=100980&amp;.mp4" style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; left: 0px; top: 0px;"></video>If you’re expecting a <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/77361/9-marriage-tips-ancient-philosophers" dir="ltr">marriage</a> proposal pretty soon and your partner starts to sink to one knee, you should check to see if their shoe is untied. If it’s not, steel yourself for a certain yes-or-no question.In addition to being a handy heads-up, kneeling to propose presumably has roots in some age-old historical practice—or a combination of several. As MarthaStewart.com <a href="https://www.marthastewart.com/7893227/history-proposing-on-one-knee" dir="ltr">points out</a>, people have been genuflecting (<a href="https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/77704?redirectedFrom=genuflect#eid" dir="ltr">derived</a> from Latin for “bending the knee”) to show respect or reverence for thousands of years. It may have originated in the Persian Empire, when proper salutations depended on societal rank. “In the case where one is a little inferior to the other, the kiss is given on the cheek,” Greek historian Herodotus <a href="https://www.ancient.eu/article/149/herodotus-on-the-customs-of-the-persians/" dir="ltr">observed</a> in Persia around 430 BCE. “Where the difference of rank is great, the inferior prostrates himself upon the ground.”This greeting system, known as <a href="https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195046526.001.0001/acref-9780195046526-e-4524" dir="ltr">proskynesis</a>, was adopted by <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/573370/alexander-great-declared-dead-prematurely" dir="ltr">Alexander the Great</a> when he took over the empire a century later, and some historians <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=S-cTfNjEhrcC&amp;q=genuflection#v=snippet&amp;q=genuflection&amp;f=false" dir="ltr">believe</a> that genuflection was part of it. Many of Alexander’s existing Greek and Macedonian subjects <a href="https://www.livius.org/sources/content/arrian/anabasis/the-introduction-of-proskynesis/" dir="ltr">disapproved</a> of the new ritual, thinking such gestures should be reserved for gods, so not everybody acquiesced.But the idea of genuflection as a sign of deference would prove popular in both religious and secular spheres in the future. Catholics, for example, drop to one knee when <a href="https://aleteia.org/2018/04/24/when-should-catholics-genuflect-in-a-church/" dir="ltr">facing</a> a tabernacle that contains the Eucharist (wafers blessed to be the body of <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/571516/why-do-people-say-jesus-h-christ-and-where-did-h-come" dir="ltr">Jesus</a>). And European warriors knighted after battle often <a href="https://www.rct.uk/collection/619/the-knighting-stool" dir="ltr">knelt</a> in front of their commander, who dubbed them with a sword. In fact, citizens knighted by <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/94258/25-regal-facts-about-queen-elizabeth-ii" dir="ltr">Queen Elizabeth II</a> are still <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/if-i-kneel-down-i-ll-never-get-up-the-queen-knights-tom-moore-100-20200718-p55d7c.html" dir="ltr">usually</a> expected to kneel when dubbed.<figure><img width="728" height="544" src="https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fit,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto,w_728/v1611344429/shape/mentalfloss/640187-gettyimages-51244900.jpg?itok=iL3BAMA-" alt="" title=""><figcaption dir="auto">Queen Elizabeth I knights Sir Francis Drake in 1581.
HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.bustle.com/articles/181413-why-do-guys-kneel-to-propose-the-history-of-the-modern-western-proposal" dir="ltr">According to</a> Bustle, it’s possible that bending the knee first took on a romantic significance during knights’ heyday. In the 11th century, knights started to form close bonds with ladies of the court—a custom later christened “<a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/courtly-love" dir="ltr">courtly love</a>.” Since the woman was often already married, the nature of the relationship <a href="http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/love.html" dir="ltr">wasn’t</a> often sexual, but it was always a serious commitment. Knights pledged themselves to serve and honor their lovers with the same fervor applied to their lords and kings. Guinevere’s romance with Sir Lancelot is a good example of courtly love, as is the tale of Tristan and Isolde (though both of those cases did involve adultery). There’s no explicit link between that <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/636035/middle-ages-common-misconceptions" dir="ltr">medieval</a> trend and today’s proposal tradition, but a lot of the artwork depicting courtly love features the man kneeling before the woman—a scene that mirrors many modern-day engagement photos (sans all the armor).<figure><img width="728" height="924" src="https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fit,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto,w_728/v1611345722/shape/mentalfloss/640187-gettyimages-588245114.jpg?itok=9SoMdyhd" alt="" title=""><figcaption dir="auto">An etching of Guinevere and Lancelot from an 11th-century manuscript.
CULTURE CLUB/GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>In short, bending the knee has long conveyed devotion and humility, which you might want to embody when asking someone to spend eternity with you. But popping the question on two feet doesn’t violate any written-in-stone code of conduct for proposals.Have you got a Big Question you'd like us to answer? If so, let us know by emailing us at <a href="mailto:bigquestions@mentalfloss.com" dir="ltr">bigquestions@mentalfloss.com</a>.

Medieval knights (and Jon Snow of 'Game of Thrones') were known to bend the knee, which may have influenced modern-day marriage proposals.

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Personal Development

loveandrelationships

Love & Relationships

If you’re expecting a <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/77361/9-marriage-tips-ancient-philosophers">marriage </a>proposal pretty soon and your partner starts to sink to one knee, you should check to see if their shoe is untied. If it’s not, steel yourself for a certain yes-or-no question.

In addition to being a handy heads-up, kneeling to propose presumably has roots in some age-old historical practice—or a combination of several. As MarthaStewart.com <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.marthastewart.com/7893227/history-proposing-on-one-knee">points out </a>, people have been genuflecting (<a dir="ltr" href="https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/77704?redirectedFrom=genuflect#eid">derived </a>from Latin for “bending the knee”) to show respect or reverence for thousands of years. It may have originated in the Persian Empire, when proper salutations depended on societal rank. “In the case where one is a little inferior to the other, the kiss is given on the cheek,” Greek historian Herodotus <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.ancient.eu/article/149/herodotus-on-the-customs-of-the-persians/">observed </a>in Persia around 430 BCE. “Where the difference of rank is great, the inferior prostrates himself upon the ground.”

This greeting system, known as <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195046526.001.0001/acref-9780195046526-e-4524">proskynesis </a>, was adopted by <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/573370/alexander-great-declared-dead-prematurely">Alexander the Great </a>when he took over the empire a century later, and some historians <a dir="ltr" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=S-cTfNjEhrcC&amp;q=genuflection#v=snippet&amp;q=genuflection&amp;f=false">believe </a>that genuflection was part of it. Many of Alexander’s existing Greek and Macedonian subjects <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.livius.org/sources/content/arrian/anabasis/the-introduction-of-proskynesis/">disapproved </a>of the new ritual, thinking such gestures should be reserved for gods, so not everybody acquiesced.

But the idea of genuflection as a sign of deference would prove popular in both religious and secular spheres in the future. Catholics, for example, drop to one knee when <a dir="ltr" href="https://aleteia.org/2018/04/24/when-should-catholics-genuflect-in-a-church/">facing </a>a tabernacle that contains the Eucharist (wafers blessed to be the body of <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/571516/why-do-people-say-jesus-h-christ-and-where-did-h-come">Jesus </a>). And European warriors knighted after battle often <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.rct.uk/collection/619/the-knighting-stool">knelt </a>in front of their commander, who dubbed them with a sword. In fact, citizens knighted by <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/94258/25-regal-facts-about-queen-elizabeth-ii">Queen Elizabeth II </a>are still <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/if-i-kneel-down-i-ll-never-get-up-the-queen-knights-tom-moore-100-20200718-p55d7c.html">usually </a>expected to kneel when dubbed.

<a dir="ltr" href="https://www.bustle.com/articles/181413-why-do-guys-kneel-to-propose-the-history-of-the-modern-western-proposal">According to </a>Bustle, it’s possible that bending the knee first took on a romantic significance during knights’ heyday. In the 11th century, knights started to form close bonds with ladies of the court—a custom later christened “<a dir="ltr" href="https://www.britannica.com/art/courtly-love">courtly love </a>.” Since the woman was often already married, the nature of the relationship <a dir="ltr" href="http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/love.html">wasn’t </a>often sexual, but it was always a serious commitment. Knights pledged themselves to serve and honor their lovers with the same fervor applied to their lords and kings. Guinevere’s romance with Sir Lancelot is a good example of courtly love, as is the tale of Tristan and Isolde (though both of those cases did involve adultery). There’s no explicit link between that <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/636035/middle-ages-common-misconceptions">medieval </a>trend and today’s proposal tradition, but a lot of the artwork depicting courtly love features the man kneeling before the woman—a scene that mirrors many modern-day engagement photos (sans all the armor).

In short, bending the knee has long conveyed devotion and humility, which you might want to embody when asking someone to spend eternity with you. But popping the question on two feet doesn’t violate any written-in-stone code of conduct for proposals.

Have you got a Big Question you'd like us to answer? If so, let us know by emailing us at <a dir="ltr" href="mailto:bigquestions@mentalfloss.com">bigquestions@mentalfloss.com </a>.

Why Do People Propose on One Knee?

Proposing On One Knee

Bending The Knee: Devotion And Humility

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