Positions/Plate XVII
Obeisance
Also called: Bow, Prostration, First obeisance
Kneeling, forehead on the floor, palms flat on either side of your head: the most emphatic salute.
How to take it
From the kneeling position, lean slowly forward keeping your back long, until your forehead rests on the floor. Your hands rest flat on either side of your head, elbows bent and close to your body. Your knees stay together or slightly apart, buttocks on your heels. Stay for the agreed time, then come back up just as slowly.
What it says
A salute reserved for the moments that matter: opening a scene, greeting the other person when they arrive (that is the Gorean usage), saying thank you. Taken too often, it loses its force.
Variants
- Arms stretched out in front on the floor, palms down, as in several lists (see /positions/humble/).
- Stopping halfway, upper body inclined, hands on your thighs, when your back or knees won’t cooperate.
- Standing, a deep bow of the upper body, hands by your sides.
The call“Bow.”