Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-02
LIFTING THE HAT.
The Origin aud Significance OF that
Act of COnFtesy.

Act Of COnFtesy.
Herbert Spencer thus explains
the origin Of the custom of taking
off the hat:
The minor loss of a mans pro-
perty is included in the major loss
of himself; and SO, while he sur
renders his weapons he also yields
up, if the victor demands it, what
ever part Of his dress is worth tax
ing; the motive for taking it being
in many cases akin to the motive
for taking his weapons; since, often
being the hide of a formidable ami
NAL, or robe decorated with tro-
phies, the dress, like the weapons,
becomes an addition to the victor's
proofs Of prowess. At any rate, it
is clear that whatever be the par
ticular way in which the taking of
clothing from a conquered man Or
iginates, the nakedness, partial or
complete, Of the captive, becomes
additional evidence of his subjuga-
ton. That it was so regarded Of
old in the East we have clear proof.
In Isaiah Xxx, IA, we read: "And
the Lord said, Like as my servant
Isaiah hath walked naked and bare
foot three years for a sign + = =
so shall the King of Assyria lead
away the Egyptians prisoners, and
the Philippians captives, young and
old, naked and barefoot" And
that the Assyrians thus completely
stripped their captives is proved by
their sculptures. Nor are we with
out evidence, furnished by other
races, that the taking off and yield
ing up Of clothing hence becomes q
mark Of political submission, and
in some cases even a complimentary
observance. In FIJI, on the day for
paying tribute, "the chief of Somo-
Somo, who had previously stripped
off his robes, then sat down, and re-
moved the train Of covering, which
was of immense length, from his
waste. He gave it to the speaker"
who gave him Sin return a piece
large enough only for the purposes
of decency. The rest of the Somo.
Somo chiefs, each of whom on COM
ing on the ground had a train Of
several yards in length, stripped
themselves entirely, left their trains
and walked away y + thus
leaving all the Somo-Somo people
naked" Further we read that
during Cooks stay at Takiti two
men Of superior rank "came on
board, and each singled out his
friend this ceremony
consisted in taking off great part
of their clothes and putting them
upon u.s." And then in another
Polynesian island, Tamoa, we FIND
this complimentary act greatly
| abridged; ; only the girdle is taker
off and presented. With such factI
| to give us the cue, we can scarcely
/ doubt that the surrendering o
t clothing originates those obeisanoei
which are made by uncovering The
t body, more or less extensively. WI
5 meet with all degrees of uncover
ing haying this meaning. From
Ibn Batuta's account of his jour
ney into the Soudan, in the four
tenth century, Mr.. TylOr cites tn
statement that women may onl,
&. come unclothed into the pFesenc
of the sultan of Melli, and eyel
D the sultan'S own daughters mus
conform to the CUSTOM" and Wha
doubt we might reasonably feel a
! to the existence Of an obcis0nc
z thus carried to its original extrem
J., is removed on reading in Speke tina
: at the present time, at the court Q
e Uganda, "stark naked, full grow
# women are the Valets." Other part
t of Africa show us Gn incomplet,
p though still considerable, uncloth
l. ing as an obeisance. In Abyssini
# interiors must bare their bodi(
e down to the girdle in presence {
}, superiors, "but to equals the cornc
t. of the cloth is removed only for
d time" The like occurs in Polyn,
lr sia. The Tahitians uncover "th
i body as low as the waist in til
a presence Of the kings" and ForstC
n states that in the Society lslt
ii generally "the lower ranks (
c, people, by way of respect, strip o
Or their upper garment in the pre-
Us ence Of their" principal chief
IS How this Obeisance becomes fu