Everyone knows that the life of royal people is very different from what ordinary people are used to. Therefore, everyone who happens to be at court should study the rules of behavior. And the offspring of aristocratic families have been taught court etiquette since childhood. In Russia during the empire, there were special teachers who taught the rules of behavior in palaces. During the existence of etiquette has undergone many changes. Let's talk about how court etiquette appeared, what are its features.
The concept of etiquette
In order not to hit the dirt in the face, there are rules of etiquette. Everyone knows that when meeting with other people you need to say hello, and when entering the room, take off your hat. We are taught these rules in our very childhood. But, getting into an unfamiliar situation, we may feel awkward that we do not know how to behave. It was to relieve this discomfort that people began to come up with general rules that all people must adhere to effectively interact with each other.
Etiquette is a special social contract that people of different countries and groups adhere to. Moreover, often we no longer understand why we need to act one way or another. The fact is that etiquette has its roots in the distant past of mankind, and we have already lost the explanation of these rules, only the formal part, the ritual, remains. Etiquette has national characteristics, for example, court etiquette in Europe is very different from the code of conduct in the East. It may also include universal rules that any nation has. For example, there is a custom to greet one another in all cultures, but rituals can be very different.
The history of etiquette
The first rules of behavior in society appear in ancient times. So, among the texts of Ancient Egypt, there is one devoted to the instructions to young people on how to behave. Among the rules there are some: you need to restrain the appetite at the table in society, not to chat a lot, not to be contemptuous and arrogant. And on the clay tablets of the Sumerians you can read how court rituals were arranged, as well as rules of conduct during sacrifices and other rituals. In Italy, in the 14th century, a culture of people's behavior in society was formed, which became the basis for everyday etiquette. The decoration of court etiquette and the traditions of palace ceremonies began in the 15th century. There are ancient traditions of behavior in society and in eastern cultures. In Russian history there is a 16th-century Domostroy book, which also laid down the rules of everyday etiquette. Initially, the rules of conduct at the court of the monarch were significantly different from how people conduct in ordinary life. Thus, the difference between monarchs and commoners was emphasized.
The term "etiquette" appeared in France under the reign of Louis the Fourteenth. In the king’s palace, guests were given cards on which the rules of conduct were written: how to stay when the king appeared, what to do at the table, how to bow. These cards were called labels, and this term appeared.
Types of Etiquette
Traditionally, etiquette is divided into areas of functioning. So, there is a common civic, secular, everyday etiquette. He dictates rules on how to behave in typical etiquette situations: greeting, farewell, apology, request, refusal, invitation, dating, etc. They also distinguish court etiquette, which describes the rules of conduct in the palaces of royal people. There is also diplomatic etiquette, one of the most strict after the court. This code of conduct stipulates who and in what order, what should be done during receptions, negotiations, signing documents.
Another highlight is military etiquette, which prescribes special rules of conduct for people serving in the armed forces. There are narrower types of etiquette that take shape within individual professions. For example, lawyer, pedagogical, medical, etc. Recently, business etiquette has also stood out. It applies to people engaged in business, and acts in typical situations for this area: during negotiations, meetings, interviews. Also, speech etiquette is highlighted, which regulates speech behavior in etiquette situations, for example, condolences, invitation, introducing people to each other, telephone conversation. Also distinguish special types of etiquette associated with different types of activities. So, there is religious, festive, wedding, funeral etiquette. Today, for example, a new etiquette is emerging - electronic communications.
Etiquette Features
In human society, nothing is meaningless. The emergence of etiquette is associated with the functions that it performs. First of all, etiquette is a tool for establishing contact. With the help of special tools you can attract attention to yourself, induce you to enter into communication. For example, when we say hello, we show that we are ready to communicate. Etiquette also has the function of maintaining contact. Everyone knows that there are certain on-duty topics on which you can talk with any person, for example, about the weather. Etiquette rules are also necessary in order to express respect, respect. For example, court etiquette provides for emphasizing monarch status in a variety of ways. Another important function of etiquette is regulatory. People who observe the rules of etiquette demonstrate their predictability, and this greatly simplifies communication between them. Court etiquette acts as a kind of password between people, it indicates the status of participants in communication, facilitates contact. And the last function of etiquette is conflict prevention. People act in accordance with established rules, and this reduces the risk of dissatisfaction with each other.
Etiquette structure
Within each species, there are varieties of etiquette that are associated with different situations. So in everyday etiquette there are levels such as table etiquette, i.e., behavior at the table, etiquette of telephone conversations, rules of appearance in different cases, they are also called a dress code, etiquette of behavior at a party, there is a regulation for non-verbal communication: facial expressions, gestures. Such levels stand out in every type of etiquette. For example, the palace etiquette regulates the behavior of courtiers and etiquette during receptions and audiences, at the table, during the greeting of the monarch, the speech etiquette of interaction with the ruler and between the courtiers, the form of their clothes.
Concept and specificity
At all times, rulers tried to establish a distance between their own person and other people. To emphasize the importance and weight of the status of the monarch, special rituals and rules were established.
Court etiquette involves the establishment of special rules for all areas of the ruler’s life, from birth to death. Its specificity consists in the fact that each action turns into a whole ritual, with a strictly defined sequence of actions and verbal accompaniment. Not in vain at all the royal and imperial courts were surely people like ceremonies of the masters. It was their responsibility to ensure that the rules of etiquette were strictly observed.
The emergence of palace etiquette
Even in ancient times, in the presence of the ruler, subjects had to behave in a certain way. For example, in ancient Egypt, commoners were forbidden to look directly at the pharaoh, they had to bow their heads before him. In the heyday of eastern civilizations, court diplomatic etiquette developed, which regulates the rules of conduct in the courts of rulers of foreign delegations. Etiquette came to Europe from Byzantium, which, in turn, took these traditions from the rulers of the East. During the Middle Ages in Europe, more and more attention was paid to manners and rules of behavior. Then the seating standards for guests at the table began to be established. Venice, as a cultural intermediary between East and West, began to establish special rituals and ceremonies in the homes of the rulers. But the development of these rules, their regulation occurs later. In the 15th century, a code of conduct began to take shape in Burgundy and Spain, which would later become the basis of court etiquette. In the 16th century, already at every royal court there was a special person who was engaged in observing the rules and conducting ceremonies. At the court of the English king Edward the Sixth, a rule was established according to which knights served the monarch at the table.
Etiquette development
France under Louis the Fourteenth became the capital of Europe, a trendsetter, so the rituals adopted at the court of the king quickly began to be adopted in other royal houses. At this time, a complex, rigorous, regulated court etiquette of the 17th century was formed. He was often absurd and absurd, but his task was to amaze the guests and make the courtiers realize the greatness of the king. Non-observance of etiquette was almost equated to treason. For non-compliance with the rules of the court were waiting for serious sanctions.
In the 17th century, the court ritual covered all spheres of the king's life. Particularly magnificent and ceremonial arrangements were made for the birth of heirs, weddings, special rules accompanied the burial of royal persons and the observance of mourning for them. Etiquette extended to the king's family, they had special privileges, as well as to the courtiers and guests of the courtyard.
The period of establishment of European traditions
In the 18th century, kings began to travel a lot, and this was another reason for observing etiquette rules. During this period, the madness of the era of absolutism began to recede into the past, and court etiquette began to be based on the principles of respect and courtesy. Observance of etiquette has become a sign of a cultured person. Much attention at this time is given to the costume, the ability to dance, play music. All this became part of the daily palace ritual. These norms are accepted for themselves by the aristocracy, which also wants to emphasize their chosenness.
Etiquette of European royal courts in the 19th century
The court etiquette of the 19th century becomes simpler, madness and pomp are a thing of the past. Also during this period, on the basis of court norms of life, secular etiquette begins to form, which the nascent bourgeoisie uses in its life.
Absurd rules and prohibitions
Often the rituals and rules of court etiquette reached the point of absurdity. For example, under the English throne there was a special person who opened messages in bottles found on the shore. And if someone else dared to open the bottle, then the death penalty was waiting for him. Under the French kings, there were many ridiculous rituals, for example, the king himself served coffee to his favorite, and during the birth of the queen the whole courtyard should have been present. No less bizarre was court etiquette and ceremonial in Russia. For example, Peter the Great demanded that everyone who was late for an appointment drink a large glass of vodka — a penalty.
The history of etiquette of the monarchs in Russia
Own court etiquette in Russia begins to take shape under Emperor Peter the Great. He brought a lot of rules from abroad, began the struggle with the original traditions. Everyone knows his requirement to shave the beards of the boyars. But the scope of court etiquette reaches under the Empresses Elizabeth I and Catherine II. They furnished their every exit with numerous rituals and spent huge amounts of money on ceremonies. For ceremonial receptions, balls, receptions of delegations, chic palaces were built, and a system for the performance of ceremonies was established in each. The Russian empresses very severely punished those who did not comply with the rules.
