Where did the idea of clapping at the end of a performance originate from?

Answer 1

Seals.

Answer 2

What a great question, i just had to look it up and this is what i found out...

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The word for applause/applaud comes for the Latin APPLAUDERE which means exactly the same as what we understand by TO APPLAUD. In other words, the practice goes back to Roman (and, earlier, Roman times), as attested by a number of references in ancient literature.

One of those references relates to an event which took place in the Greek city of Corinth in the year 196 BCE. At that time, the Romans had defeated the Macedonian king, who had been oppressing the Greeks for a number of years. The Greeks were very enthusiastic about that - blissfully unaware that they had just traded an evil master for a much worse one. So, when the Roman general Quinctus Flaminius came to Corinth to proclaim *the
liberty of the whole of Greece* in the theater, the crowd was so excited and applauded him so much that birds that were flying above it fell to the ground, dead, for they had been killed by the din. At least so goes the story...

Within a few years, the Romans had become the oppressors of Greece and in 146 BCE they had to face a major Greek revolt, which they ruthlessly repressed by destroying the selfsame city of Corinth to the ground, for an example. (The Corinth that Paul of Tarsus visited a little short than 200 years later was a new foundation and a Roman colony.)

Now, my question : did the practice of applauding at performances (of anything) originate in the West and then spread to the rest of the world, or is it universal? What do the Chinese and the Japanese do, for instance?

Pierre M. Bellemare
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well this proves clapping was a common occurance in Roman times so can anyone find any earlier references?

Answer 3

I remember reading an article on this years ago, where it was suggested clapping is a way of symbolically hugging (or otherwise coming into contact with) the other person, in situations when you can't actually do it.

I quite like this theory - imagine you're a primeval man, you want to show affection to someone but they're too far away to touch, so you make a "hugging" action with your arms, over and over for emphasis. Over time, this has become refined into what we do today.

Answer 4

Good question.

I don't profess to know the answer, but I do seem to recall that peculiarly, it was not considered polite or respectful to clap or applaud a performance in China. If it was done at all it was for the reverse reasons, i.e. to indicate disappointment or displeasure, and would have been the equivalent of our 'boo-ing'.

Answer 5

TRM is close to the accepted historical reason: primates jumping of excitment!
It is the CONTACT given to the "other" (a touch, or a grooming, which is a sign of respect). Extends and became "a pat on the back" for "well done".
At a theatre, since we cannot TOUCH the performer, ONE of our hands "clap", and the OTHER represents "the back of the performer"!
(If I remember well, from "le singe nu" [the naked monkey], an anthropological-behavioural analysis of the only naked monkey: Man!)

Answer 6

Is it not a natural thing to do when we are pleased with something. Look at a wee 6 months old child when it gets excited it puts it's little hands together and claps. Perhaps it something that has evolved over the centuries from our own pleasure of something and just like yawning it is contagious.

Answer 7

Good question!
Here's what I found on the net:

It is to be supposed that clapping among humans may have evolved from the action of slapping and cuffing the body, often accompanied by jumping and stamping, which is characteristic of primates in states of excitement. It is sometimes suggested that clapping and stamping may have provided the first systematic music produced by human beings.

Answer 8

A visual and audible display of appreciation. From the days of Mr and Mrs Caveman who had not yet arrived at verbal communication, with, "I say chaps, what a wizzard show"
Or, and this is true, a Lady to her husband after a performance, "what's the French for Encore" ?

Answer 9

What an awesome Q! Never thought about it! I tried to find out more just because I was curious, I did find where they attribute the earliest clapping is found in percussive instruments of ancient Egypt. I put the picture site of their instrument they did this with below as a link. They look like a castanet. cool question

Answer 10

In ancient Rome people used to clap to signify slapping their champions on the back.

When there is no champ to slap they used their hands to clap

Answer 11

maybe kings and queens of thousands of years ago
would clap to show approval or dissaproval
because they didnt speak in front of commoners
thats only a guess though