The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-11-07
Cur @lio.
Salutations.
From the Brooklvn Eaqle.

Most of our own gestures OF sanitation and
civility owe their origin to the warfare of
the days of chiyalry, indicating Difference, as
from one conquered to the conqueror.
The head movement was simply the hand
unarmed, the helmet being removed, the
party was at his mercy. The hand un-
gloved was in like manner the hand un-
gauntleted. Shaking hands was a token
of truce, in which the parties took hold of
each Others weapon hand to make sure
against treachery. We consider it an in
civiIity to shake hands with gloves on, and
it is contrary to the etiquette of the Europ-
can courts to wear gloves in the presence
of the Queens. A gentleman's bow is but
the offer of the neck to the stroke of his
adversary, and the ladys courtsey is but
the form of going on her knees for mercy.
Kissing the lips, by way of afectionate
salutation, was not only permitted, but
customary, among near relatives of both
sexes in patriarchial and also later times
In former days the English said: ''God
save you, sir, and Goodbye is for "God
be with YOU" Our farewell is a direct
/ lTduSldtiOH Vi tHc OSImdu lSDcNOnI, SOOu
living being, it is presumed, appreciated by
the Anglo-Saxon 1t is highly probable
that saying and writing "Yeur servant, :"
and taking off the hat, were originally de-
monstrations of obedience to those who
claimed it. The different forms of civiIity
connected with bodily gestures are even
more remarkable than the words mutual
contact, such as the pressure of hands, en-
braces and kisses being always regarded as
the expression of kindly intercourse, al
though the words may to a certain extent
be considered as an index of national char
acter. The theory of firing salute is that
it leaves the guns harmless and at the
mercy of the other party, and this is so
true that firing salutes with blank cart
ridges is modern innovation, occasioned,
however, by the fact of complimentary
cannon-ball proving fatal once to the person
age whom it was meant to honor. When
an officer salutes he points his sword to the
ground, and the salute Of troops is still de-
signated presenting arms-that is, present
ing them to be taken.
The frequent illusions in the Bible to
the customary salutations of the Jews in
vest the subject with higher degree of in
tcrest than it might otherwise claim, as it
affords further confrmatory testimony of
the Good Book from the existing usages of
the East, where precisely the same forms
are to this day preserved.
When the Arabs meet each other the
first thing is the salute, which is repeated
several times, and is done in the following
manner: Each strikes the palm of his
right hand on that of his companion or
throws it on his left shoulder, repeating al
ways the same phrase, "SaIamat, calf Hal
com tarbin" peace How are you?
Well? p This way of saluting is most
beautiful and striking, and when performed
gives new figure and majesty to the
naked Arabs who are the actors of it.
These gesticulations are always aecompa-
MED with very grave tone of voice.
After the salutation they inquire of each
other the news about the places whence
they came Their news relates generally
to the buying and selling of dromedaries,
whether there are loads to carry, or some
thing of this kind. They then ask each
other for tobacco or salt, and their conclu-
sion: ''Salute me, Hamed, at Carosco, and
your Ali at Barbar. Do you understand ?
In peace, in peace !" After this each re-
sumes his way Women and children kiss
the boards of their husbands and fathers.
Their greetings are marked by strong re-
ligious character, such as "God grant thee
| IL ~
only enjoy good health. Peace be with
you.
Nothing affords more interest and
amusement than an examination of the
various modes of salutation practiced by the
nations of the earth. In some degree these
forms may be regarded as an index of ma
tional character or the circumstances Of
national life The Hebrew salutation was
"Peace!'' the ancient Greek, "Rejoice !"
The modern use the form, "What doest
thou ?" In Germany, GLOW do you find
yourself?" and in some parts of the country
they invariably kiss the hands of all the
ladies of their acquaintance whom they
meet In Spain, "How goes it 2" and
Spanish grandees wear their hats in the
presence of their sovereign, to show they
are not so much subject to him as to the
rest of the nation. When the royal car
riage passes it is the rule to throw open the
cloak to show that the person is unarmed.
In the West Indies the negroes say
''Have you had good slcep?" In the
sickly districts of Egypt where fever was
common and dangerous, they salute by
saying "How goes the perspiration :? Do
you sweat copiously p "Is it well with
thee p and the inhabitants kiss the back
of superior's hand, and, as an extra civil
ity, the palm also.
Some salutations, by reason of their gro
tesque exaggeration, are calculated to i'm
press one with the liveliest feelings of
wonder and amusement. The negroes,
whose actions are for the most part Of a
burlesque description, naturally affect the
farcical in their interchanges of ceremonies.
Their salutation consists of the most ludi-
crous contortions, coupled with the absurd
usage of pulling the fingers till the joints
crack, and when two ebony monarchs visit
they embrace in swapping the third finger
three times. Some nations seem to con-
slider that they evince the most delicate
attention and respect in their greetings by
a removal of some part of their wearing
apparel, or by temporarily appropriating
some portion of the dress of the ones
greeted. The Ethiopian will take the robe
of another and fold it about his own waist,
leaving his friend but scantily clad; while
the japanese removes his slipper when he
meets superior, exclaiming, "Hurt me
not !" and the people of AFRICAN their san
dals in the street and their stockings in the
house. The Philippine Islanders take pos
session of the hand or foot of the person
they salute and gently rest it against their
own faces; while this ceremony among the
Laplanders takes the form of applying their
noses with some force against the saluted
ones and treating him to a species of bat
tering-ram greeting. According to Dam
pier, the people of New Guinea have a
more polite and picturesque way of ex-
changing this kind of civiIity, which they
do by placing on their heads the leaves of
trees, as being, it may be assumed, symbol
icaI of peace and good-fellowship. Other
salutations are of so complex nature that
this form of politeness is most decidedly
irksome, and can only be acquired after
the most assiduous practice Speaking OF