A Brief History of the Origins of Etiquette
We see them today - indiscreet signs telling us to "Please Keep Off the Grass!" lest we tromp all over freshly mown lawns. Usually we find them at banqueting halls, botanical gardens, private residences, even schools. Though our fine, educational institutions are probably trying to send a completely different message.
But did you know these signs could be found at the court of the French king, Louis XIV, during the 17th century, and sparked what we use as etiquette today?
When you think of etiquette, you may think of our friends across the pond. Scenes from Downton Abbey and Bridgerton may come to mind. Or perhaps you think of those stuffy Victorians who had rules up the wazoo because, why not? As much as the British would love to take credit for the origins of etiquette, much to their chagrin it was the French who developed what we know as etiquette today.
Sure, good manners have existed in every society since the dawn of time. There's evidence that the ancient Egyptians of the 3rd millennium BC emphasized the importance of civil virtues towards others, and Confucius pushed the need for morality in all aspects of life.[1] But the idea of formal etiquette started when Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King and one of Europe's longest reigning monarchs, was fed up with his nobles trampling his perfectly manicured lawns and flowerbeds at his palace at Versailles. He put up placards, or "étiquettes" in a futile attempt to warn them off. When that didn't work he issued an official decree that no one was to go beyond these signs, unless they wished their heads be separated from their bodies! (Actually, that last part's not true. It wasn't until several years later during the French Revolution that heads fell out of fashion.)
Eventually these "étiquettes" were expanded to include tickets given to the nobles that instructed them where to stand and how to behave at court functions.
The Sun King used these tickets to his advantage to solidify his political position as supreme monarch and keep the French nobility in check. These social rules gradually expanded to Great Britain and the rest of Europe and are the basis for the rules of etiquette we follow in today's society.
Resource:
The American School of Protocol. 2020. The History of Etiquette: Tracing Our Polite Past. Accessed March 26, 2022. https://www.theamericanschoolofprotocol.com/post/the-history-of-etiquette-tracing-our-polite-past
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