The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-20
ORIGIN OF s%ALuTAT|ONS.
Mr. Spencsr's Explanation Is Not
Altogether Accepted by the
French Writers.
Good Omens Looked for on the
Right, Evil Ones on the
Left.
Tho Chinese Shake Their Own Hands
Indian SalutatiOns--Custom Among
Various Other N~atIoaalitiea.

A great deal has been written about the
peoples express friendly sentiments on
meeting, but the subject Ia far from OK
hausted, says the San Francisco Chronicle.
When the writer's who record the facts tire
of the narration they go a little further and
endeavor to explain their meaning and orr
gin. Herbert Spencer has treated of the
matter in his essays on the origin of cere.
monial observance, combining himself. how
ever, to the usages of royal courts and civ
ilized society, hut his theories are not, in
all their details, accepted without question.
In this respect he shares the fate of all
writer's on scientific and moral topics, who.
whom they enter the domain Of conjecture,
lind themselves on common ground, where
every one in possession of the same data
has the right to give his opinion. and this
may possibly be as valuable as that of the
eminent master. 4
One OF the customs which Spencer dis
cussss is that universal one among civil
lied nations of shaking hands, 30 emphat-
ically observed in England and America.
1t is necessary to remark here hat the
hearty and promiscuous shaking of hands
considered by many Americans as essential
to friendly relations does not find favor in
France, and is not considered good form
either IN the polite society Of England or
that of the United States. In fact, it ID not
to be regarded as absolutely necessary that
when you offer your hand to an acguaint-
ence you should attempt to convey the old
chivalric or feudal idea of the velvet glove
and the hand of steel. The French use the
AynTAa0iOn aorrar Ia rain ITO rrocc tho
hand) which may mean too much; the Ger
mans say hand reichen or hand geben ito
present or give the handy, which may i'm
ply the most delicate touch demanded by
modern civilization. 1t is the American
theory that no one has the right to refuse
his hand to a fellow citizen that has led to
the excuses characterizing the practice in
this land of liberty.
The theory Of Spencer regarding the
origin OF the custom is that it meant first
a struggle that was real, but afterward
simulated, in which each endeavored to
kiss the hand of the other, the reciprocal
movement resulting from the attempt.
French writer's do not accept the explana-
ton. and give As a reason that English ia
the only language in which the idea of
shaking Ia suggested. TIL idea in all our
joining of hands, which meant originally
union or fidelity. 1t was generally among
ancient peoples the right hands that were
Joined. For this usuaRe there may have
been a reason which seems to have escaped
the theorists. The origin of the terms
right and left is very ancient.
Good fortune. or, rather. good omens,
were looked for on the right, bad fortune
OF bad omens on the left. The supersti-
ton survives in the effort which many per-
sons make to put the right foot first on
leaving the house, n tn, good or bad
luck that is presumed to attach to seeing
the new moon for the first time over the
right or left shoulder. The superstition at
tached in the old times to the right and
left hand. and may have had something to
do with the joining of right hands as a
sign of friendship.
Another circumstance among savage
tribes may have had its effect in original
ing the custom. Weapons have been from
all time almost universally hurled or
welded with the right hand. Two enemies
DESTROYS to make peace, and approaching
one another for that purpose, would natur-
ally put them into the left hand, if they did
not put them aside entirely. and mutually
advance and perhaps touch the right hands
to show that they were unarmed and that no
act of hostility was intended. Movements
of the hands play some part i'll the
friendly salutations of nearly all savage
peoples. Thew are almost the only means
of expression when the person to bs com
municated with is at q distance, and it is
VIC luOSb uaUuTal u buppOblLlOuS buab tuey
should express friendly feeling when two
persons, whether strangers or acquain-
tancSs, are in one another's presence. In
the human family, no matter how primi-
tive, affection must have been expressed by
touch or by Caresses, as is the case even
with animals. and that the Same instructive
means would be used to express friendly
feeling to strangers seems more than prob
able. This last theory would, perhaps.
throw some light not only the custom of
Ralutation by touch, but on that of kissing.
These various suggestions, which are of the
most elementary kind, are not made to dis
credit the evolutionists, who walk tbs earth
with their heads in the clouds. often to the
neglect of the means of knowledge and
rules of logic that lie in plain sight before
their feet.
Some French writer has credited the Chi
nese with a greater amount of delicacy
than the Americans because they shake
their own hands instead of the hands of
those whom they arc greeting. The origin
OF this custom is presumed to be to avoid
mutual trouble or exertion. There are nu-
merous tribes or people, m ost of them saw
age. who salute ono another without per-
sonal contact, often in very curious fashion.
One of the many tribes along the Niger
greet their friends by joining the hands in
II manner to produce cracking of the joints.
Tn evolutionists give no reason for this
form of friendly demonstration, except the
idea OF making a noise, ns in the cuse of
the Arabs, who think it would be bad form
to drink their coffee without q loud smack
ing of the lips.
Friendly salutations are variously made
among the Indian tribes of North America.
.ometimes it is by smoking the pipe of
peace, or, as among the Cheyennes, by plac-
ing two fingers on the lips and raising them
in the air to suggest the act of smoking.
Some tribes join hands, passing the fingers
between those of the persons greeted.
Others joined the right and left hand some
thing after the manner of the Chinese, from
whom some writer's think they are remotely
descended. The aborigines of Torres strait
JON fingers and separate them ~brusquely--
an operation that is repeated several times.
The Japanese unite the hands to indicate
a friendly union A visitor to an Indian
tribe in Texas was obliged to submit to a
sort of massage of his right arm, which
was gently rubbed from the wrist
to the shoulder. Among the Amos,
when meeting one another, it is
the custom to exchange n friction of the
body somewhat prolonged, during which
those present maintain a strict silence.
This would seem to be merely n generaliza-
ton of cRresses common in tho family rala-