The Tradition Gift-Giving in Human History

The tradition of gift-giving in human history resonates deeply this time of year, and although we usually think of this custom as a joyful one celebrating bonds of affection, love, and friendship, anthropologists have studied it in other contexts. Shown here in this 15th-century engraving by Northern Renaissance artist Martin Schongauer is a legend famous throughout the Middle Ages: that of Saint Martin cutting his cloak in half as a gift for a beggar. The story goes that Martin was so holy and generous that, even though he was a Roman soldier on duty and had no obligation to express generosity, he willingly shared his belongings with someone from the lowest ranks of society. Although this is surely altruism in one sense, in another it fits into ideas about gift-giving expressed in the early 20th century by the French anthropologist Marcel Mauss: namely, that giving a gift is a kind of exchange that does result in reciprocity — even if the recipient cannot give back the equivalent amount of goods. Social credit is one example of what the giver might obtain. Martin’s position in the group he cared about was elevated by his charity, for instance. We can even see this in the engraving in the way Martin towers physically over the beggar. Martin was praised for centuries in Medieval Europe for his act of charity.