|
?:reviewBody
|
-
'I took an arrow in the knee,' says the prospective groom. Or does he? Pondering the reasons behind many of our familiar traditions whose original purposes have been long since lost in the mists of time is a favorite pastime of many. The subjects of marriage and weddings are a common target of such ruminations, as they're associated with many centuries-old rituals that are arcane to modern audiences. One such example is a popular meme that seemingly explains why marriage engagements traditionally begin with the one initiating the proposal's offering up a ring from a kneeling position: On this subject, however, the 'I took an arrow in the knee' meme is just a bit of humor. One searches in vain to find any references in Norse languages or mythology that links the phrase 'took an arrow in the knee' to the concept of marriage, or that ties any form of injury to the tradition of getting down upon bended knee to propose to a prospective spouse. The phrase I took an arrow in the knee is actually of fairly recent vintage, a line popularized by the role-playing video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, as noted by the Know Your Meme web site: Indeed, here is the I took an arrow in the knee line as it is uttered multiple times in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim https://youtu.be/vncIBREXCwUWhere did the tradition of getting down upon one's knee to propose marriage come from, then? No definitive historical explanation exists, but as many sources have posited, the practice is likely related to customs involving kneeling as a demonstrative act of both supplication and respect, two aspects that a spouse-to-be would likely do well to exhibit to a potential mate: In short, offering a ring upon bended knee to propose marriage is a symbolic manner of expressing a fervent desire for a positive response, and of demonstrating that your beloved is deserving of your honor, respect, and love -- not because of an old arrow injury.
(en)
|
![[This page as RDF]](http://data.gesis.org/claimskg/static/rdf-icon.gif){kind=icon}