Salute
- This article is about the gesture; for other meanings, see Salute (disambiguation).
A salute is a gesture or other action used to display respect. Salutes are primarily associated with military, paramilitary and naval forces, but other organizations and even general populations use salutes.
Military Salutes
In military traditions of various times and places, there have been numerous methods of performing salutes, using hand gestures, cannon or rifle shots, hoisting of flags, removal of head gear or other means of showing respect or obeisance.
Hand Salutes
A common military hand salute consists of raising the right hand, held flat, to the right eyebrow. In the United States, the hand is slightly canted forward, as if shading the eyes so that the palm is not visible. This salute is based on the British naval salute of the Royal Navy which is still in use. The British military salute, used by the British Army, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force and armed services of many of the current and former members of the British Commonwealth, is similar apart from the hand being turned so the palm is visible to the person receiving it. The French Army salute is almost identical to the British Army's. Kosovo's KLA uses a salute similar to the British military salute. The customary salute in Poland is a variation of the British military salute with only two fingers extended. In Russia, the right hand, palm down, is brought to the right temple, almost, but not quite, touching; the head has to be covered.
In the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and each of the British Armed Forces, hand salutes are only given when a 'cover' (hat) is worn, while the U.S. Army gives salutes both covered and uncovered.
When the presence of enemy snipers is suspected, military salutes are generally forbidden, since the enemy may use them to recognize officers as valuable targets.
The exact origin of this salute has been lost in time. One theory is that it came from Roman soldiers' shading their eyes from the intense light that was supposed to shine from the eyes of their superiors (see emission theory (vision)). Another theory is that it came from when men-at-arms wore armor--a friendly approach would include holding the reins of the horse with the left hand while raising the visor of the helmet with the right, so that one could be recognised. A third theory is that the salute, and the handshake, came from a way of showing that the right hand (the fighting hand) was not concealing a weapon. One romantic legend has it that today’s military salute descended from the medieval knight's gesture of raising his visor to reveal his identity as a courtesy on the approach of a superior. Another even more fantastic version is that it symbolizes a knight's shielding his eyes from the dazzling beauty of some high-born lady sitting in the bleachers of the tournament.
The most widely accepted theory is that it evolved from the practice of men raising their hats in the presence of officers. Tipping one's hat on meeting a social superior was the normal civilian sign of respect at the time [1]. Repeated hat-raising was impractical if heavy helmets were worn, so the gesture was stylised to a mere hand movement.
The naval salute, with the palm downwards, is said to have originated because the palms of naval ratings, particularly deckhands, were often dirty through working with lines. Because it would be insulting to present a dirty palm to an officer, the palm was turned downwards.
Occasionally, a colloquial salute is used to denote the camraderie of military personnel. It is usually a simply two figers moved in the direction of an "order-arms".
Small Arms Salutes
When carrying a sword (which is still done on ceremonial occasions), European military forces and their cultural descendants use a two-step gesture. The sword is first raised, in the right hand, to the level of and close to the front of the neck. The blade is inclined forward and up 30 degrees from the vertical; the true edge is to the left. Then the sword is slashed downward to a position with the point close to the ground in front of the right foot. The blade is inclined down and forward with the true edge to the left. This gesture originated in the Crusades. The hilt of a broadsword formed a cross with the blade, so if an actual crucifix was not available, a Crusader could kiss the hilt of his sword when praying, before entering battle, for oaths and vows, and so on. The lowering of the point to the ground is a traditional act of submission.
When armed with a rifle, two different levels of formality are available when saluting. The most formal method is called "present arms"; the rifle is brought to the vertical, muzzle up, in front of center of the chest with the trigger away from the body. The hands hold the stock close to the positions they would have if the rifle were being fired, though the trigger is not touched. Less formal salutes include the "order arms salute" and the "shoulder arms salutes." These are most often given by a sentry to a low-ranking superior who does not rate the full "present arms" salute. In the "order arms salute," the rifle rests on its butt by the sentry's right foot, held near the muzzle by the sentry's right hand, and does not move. The sentry brings his flattened left hand across his body and touches the rifle near its muzzle. When the rifle is being carried on the shoulder, a similar gesture is used in which the flattened free hand is brought across the body to touch the rifle near the rear of the receiver.
Heavy Arms : Gun Salutes
Naval cannon fire
The custom of firing cannon salutes originated in the British Royal Navy. When a cannon was fired, it partially disarmed the ship, so needlessly firing a cannon showed respect and trust. As a matter of courtesy a warship would fire her guns harmlessly out to sea, to show that she had no hostile intent. At first, ships were required to fire seven guns, and forts, with their more numerous guns and a larger supply of gunpowder, to fire twenty-one times. Later, as the quality of gunpowder improved, the British increased the number of shots required from ships to match the forts.
As naval customs evolved, the 21-gun salute came to be reserved for heads of state, and lesser numbers of rounds were used to salute lower ranking officials. Today, officers with 5 stars receive 19 rounds; 4 stars receive 17 rounds; 3 stars receive 15; 2 stars receive 13; and a 1-star general/admiral receives 11. These same standards are currently adhered to by ground based saluting batteries.
US Army Presidential Salute Battery
A speciality platoon of the 3rd US Infantry (The Old Guard), the Presidential Salute Battery is based at Ft. Myer, Virginia. Guns Platoon (as it is known for short) has the task of rendering military honors in the National Capital Region; these include: Armed Forces Full Honors Funerals; State Funerals; Presidential Inaugurations; full honors wreath ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery; arrivals of Heads of State at The Pentagon, and General officer retirements in the Military District of Washington (MDW), which are normally conducted at Ft. Myer. Guns Platoon has ten vintage World War II hybrid anti-tank guns; each of the guns has a 3-inch barrel which is mounted on a 105 mm Howitzer chassis.
In the colonial context
In the British Empire (originally in the maritime and hinterland- sphere of influence of the East India Company, HEIC, later transformed into crown territories), mainly in British India, the numbers of guns fired as a gun salute to the ruler of a so-called princely state became a politically highly significant indicator of his status, not governed by objective rules, but awarded (and in various cases increased) by the British paramount power, roughly reflecting his state's socio-economic, political and/or military weight, but also as a prestigious reward for loyalty to the raj, in classes (always odd numbers) from 3 to 21 (7 lacking), for the 'vassal' indigenous rulers (normally hereditary with a throne, sometimes raised as a personal distinction for an individual ruling prince). Two sovereign monarchies officially outside the Empire were actually granted a higher honour : 31 guns for the royal houses of Afghanistan (under British and Russian influence) and Siam.
In addition, the right to style himself Highness (Majesty, which since its Roman origin expresses the sovereign authority of the state, was denied to all 'vassals'), a title of great importance in international relations, was formally restricted to rulers of relatively high salute ranks (originally only those with 11 guns or more, later also those with 9 guns).
Aerial salutes
A ceremonial or celebratory form of aerial salute is the flypast, which often follows major parades such as the annual Trooping the Colour in the United Kingdom or the French défilé du 14 juillet. It is seen in other countries as well, notably Singapore and Canada.
Gun salute by aircraft, primarily displayed during funerals, began with simple flypasts during World War I and have evolved into the missing man formation, where either a formation of aircraft is conspicuously missing an element, or where a single plane abruptly leaves a formation.
A casual salute by an aircraft, somewhat akin to waving to a friend, is the custom of "waggling" the wings by partially rolling the aircraft first to one side, and then the other.
From United States Army Field Manual FM 22-5
The rules of saluting are as follows:
- When you meet someone outside, salute as soon as you recognize an officer (when about six steps away).
- Salute all officers (recognized by rank) in official vehicles identified by special plates or flags.
- Salute only on command when in formation.
- If in a group and an officer approaches, the first soldier to recognize the officer calls the group to attention and all personnel salute.
- If you approach an officer while you are double-timing alone, assume quick time march and render the hand salute. When the salute is returned, execute order arms and resume double-timing.
- The salute is always initiated by the subordinate and is terminated only after acknowledgement by the individual being saluted.
- Accompany the salute with an appropriate greeting, such as, “Good morning/afternoon, sir/ma’am.“
- Salutes are not required to be rendered by or to personnel who are driving or riding in privately owned vehicles.
- It is not customary for enlisted personnel to exchange salutes, except in some ceremonial situations.
- Never render a salute with a noticeable object in your mouth or right hand.
- If you are on detail and an officer approaches, salute if you are in charge of the detail. Otherwise, continue to work. If you are spoken to, then come to attention.
It is a widely-believed myth that in the United States military all personnel are required to initiate a salute to a Medal of Honor recipient, regardless of rank. Nothing in United States military regulations relates specifically to the Medal of Honor except for its order of precedence on the uniform. Custom, however, does dictate that a general should salute a private if the private has the Medal of Honor, the same convention applies in the United Kingdom to holders of the Victoria Cross and in the Netherlands to holders of the Military Willems Order.
Saluting is generally prohibited in field conditions, as it could help an enemy identify officers.
Civilian Salutes
While such gestures as tipping one's hat as one passed others on the street can be considered salutes, the most common civilian salute is rendered to the flag. In the United States, civilians salute the flag by placing their right hands over their hearts and saying the Pledge of Allegiance. (Men remove any headgear and hold it over their hearts, if applicable.) In Latin America, especially in Mexico, a salute similar to the United States military's salute (see below) is used, but the hand is placed across the left chest with the palm facing the ground. (For a demonstration, see the Richard Dreyfuss movie Moon Over Parador). In some countries, such as the United Kingdom, civilians do not salute the flag, although some may stand at attention when a national anthem is played, the flag raised or lowered, or the Last Post sounded.
Roman salute
The Roman salute is the right hand held flat, palm down and fingers closed, and the right arm raised at an angle of about 45 degrees. It was used by the Roman Republic, by armies of the Middle East (even before being adopted by the Romans) and South America at various times. It was also the historical civilian salute of the United States, from about 1787 to 1934, known since 1892 as the Bellamy salute.
When the Nazi party of Germany adopted the Roman salute from the Italian fascists, President of the United States Franklin Roosevelt instituted the hand-over-the heart as the salute to be rendered by civilians during the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem in the United States. This was done when Congress officially adopted the Flag Code on June 22 1942.
Because of its associations with fascism, the Roman salute is now rarely used outside of neo-Nazi groups. There are several exceptions; one is the Republic of China (Taiwan), where the salute is still used during the inaugurations of government officials. The salute is also still used by some Palestinian militant groups, the Basij militia in Iran, and some Maronite movements in Lebanon. It is also known to be used by the Tamil separatist organization, the LTTE, while saluting their leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.
Clenched fist salute
The raised clenched fist was popularized by the Communist Party, and in some locations it maintains that association. In the United States, the raised fist was associated with the Black Power movement.
Greetings
Many different gestures are used throughout the world as simple greetings. In Western cultures, the handshake is very common, though it has numerous subtle variations of grip strength, amount of "pumping" involved, and use of the left hand.
In many Asian cultures, a simple bow from the waist (rei in Japanese, panbae in Korean) is used, with many regional variations seen. The Japanese keep the palms of their hands touching the fronts of the thighs, but Korean men leave their hands straight down at their sides, while Korean women usually place their hands in their lap while bowing. A gesture called a wai is used in Thailand, where the hands are placed together palm to palm, approximately at nose level, while bowing. The wai is similar in form to the gesture referred to by the Japanese term gassho by Buddhists. A Chinese greeting features the right hand in a fist with the left hand open covering it with a slight nod of the head. This is also used in Chinese martial arts, typically done from the shoulders with a slight bend of the waist. There is also a slight bow used only in paying respects to the dead.
In India, it is common to see the greeting ("Namaste") where the two hands (palms) are pressed together and held near the heart with the head gently bowed as one says, "Namaste" or "Namaskara".
The Arabic term salaam, literally "peace" from the spoken greeting that accompanies the gesture, refers to a low bow performed while placing the right palm on the forehead. Some cultures use hugs and kisses (regardless of the gender of the greeters), but those gestures show an existing degree of intimacy and are not used between total strangers. All of these gestures are being supplemented or completely displaced by the handshake in areas with large amounts of business contact with the West.
These bows indicate respect and acknowledgement of social rank, but do not necessarily imply obeisance.
Many secret societies develop gestures to signal fellow members. In 1830s Missouri, some Mormons formed a militia organization called the Sons of Dan, more commonly known as the Danite band, which developed a salute "whereby ye may know each other anywhere, either by day or night, and if a brother be in distress. It is thus: to clap the right hand to the thigh, and then raise it quick to the right temple, the thumb extending behind the ear."
A common kung fu salute involves making one hand into a fist and covering it with the other hand. There are considerable differences between different traditions as to which hand is made into a fist, and what the salute symbolizes, although it has been noted that unlike a handshake or an elaborate Western-style salute, the kung fu salute does not compromise one's immediate ability to defend one's self. In fact, it is often, perhaps primarily used to salute an opponent prior to sparring.
Obeisances
An obeisance is a gesture not only of respect but also of submission. Such gestures are rarer in cultures that do not have strong class structures; citizens of the Western World, for example, often react with hostility to the idea of bowing to an authority figure. The distinction between a formally polite greeting and an obeisance is often hard to make; for example, proskynesis (Greek for "movine towards") is described by the Greek researcher Herodotus of Halicarnassus, who lived in the 5th century BC in his Histories 1.134:
- When the Persians meet one another in the roads, you can see whether those who meet are of equal rank. For instead of greeting by words, they kiss each other on the mouth; but if one of them is inferior to the other, they kiss one another on the cheeks, and if one is of much less noble rank than the other, he falls down before him and worships him.
After his conquest of Persia, Alexander the Great introduced Persian etiquette into his own court, including the practice of proskynesis. Visitors, depending on their ranks, would have to prostrate themselves, bow to, kneel in front of, or kiss the king. His Greek and Macedonian subjects objected to this practice, as they considered these rituals only suitable to the gods.
In countries with recognized social classes, bowing to nobility and royalty is customary. Standing bows of obeisance all involve bending forward from the waist with the eyes downcast, though variations in the placement of the arms and feet are seen. In western European cultures, women do not bow, they "curtsey" (a contraction of "courtesy" that became its own word), a movement in which one foot is moved back and the entire body lowered to a crouch while the head is bowed.
More elaborate gestures of obeisance are used in formal conditions. The Chinese language term 叩頭 (literally "bump head", spelled kou4 tou3 in pinyin and "kowtow" in English) refers to the act of deep respect shown by bowing so low as to touch the head to the ground. The full kowtow begins kneeling and sitting back on the heels, with the hands on the thighs. The hands are then brought forward to the floor in front of the knees and the body inclined toward the horizontal. Whether or not the head is bowed as well reflects the degree of submission shown — in martial arts practices, for example, the neck is kept straight, but in religious ceremonies the forehead touches the ground. A slightly abbreviated version was developed for use outside and by armed guardsmen, who would flip their long sleeves down to cover their hands, drop to their left knees, place their right hands behind their backs and left palms on the floor in front of them while bowing their heads.
In Islamic traditions, obeisance involves prostrating oneself and kissing the ground.
In South Asia traditions, obeisance also involves prostrating oneself before a king.
Many religious believers kneel in prayer, and some (Roman Catholics, Orthodox, and, rarely, Anglicans) genuflect, bending one knee to touch the ground, at various points during religious services. During Islamic prayer, a kneeling bow called sajdah is used, with forehead, nose, hands, knees, and toes all touching the ground.
Marching bands
Hand salutes similar to those used in the military are rendered by the Drum Major or a marching band or drum corps just prior to beginning their performance (after the show announcer asks if the group is ready), as well as following completion of the performance, both rendered to the audience.
The classic "corps style" salute is often known as the "punch" type, where the saluting party will first punch their right arm straight forward from their body, arm parallel to the ground, hand in a fist, followed by the more traditional salute position with he right hand, left arm akimbo. Dropping the salute typically entails snapping the saluting hand to the side and clenching the fist, then dropping both arms to the sides.
Salutes in Fiction
In the movie 1984 (though not the novel), both soldiers marching on parade and the Outer Party members at a frenzied "Two Minutes Hate" are seen waving both clenched fists overhead with their wrists crossed. The power that would ordinarily be shown by the clenched fists is undercut by the wrists being held as if bound. A very similar gesture is seen in Pink Floyd The Wall, but there the wrists are repeatedly banged together -- an expression more powerful than seen in 1984 but still frustrated.
In the television series The Prisoner, inhabitants of The Village make a significant gesture of farewell: each forms a ring of right thumb and index finger while extending the other three fingers and looks through that ring with the right eye. He then lowers his hand toward his companion as if handing him something, while saying "be seeing you." This gesture takes its significance from the surveillance ubiquitous in The Village.
On the science fiction series Babylon 5, the Psi Cop Alfred Bester character uses a variant of the Prisoner salute - bringing the ring up to his forehead instead of his eye - while retaining the associated phrase.
On the British comedy series Red Dwarf, crewman Arnold Rimmer invents several elaborate salutes in an unsuccessful attempt to impress his senior officers. These include the "Half Rimmer" (like the US military salute, except the hand is held up and rotated at the wrist three times before bringing it to the brow), the "Full Rimmer" (five rotations), and the "Double Rimmer" (for formal occasions; performing a Full Rimmer with each hand simultaneously). At the end of the salute he 'floats' his hand back to his side. In the episode "Holoship", both the crew of the "S. S. S. Enlightenment" and Rimmer salute by holding the right hand up, extending the index and pinky finger, and curling the middle and ring fingers towards the thumb. The gesture is visually similar to a sign made by fans of the University of Texas (Austin), "Hook 'em Horns".
In Star Trek, the Vulcans salute by showing their right palms and spreading their middle finger and ring finger apart, while keeping their middle and index and their little and ring fingers together. Leonard Nimoy based this salute on a Jewish gesture in which the hand approximates the shape of the Hebrew letter shin, the first letter in Shaddai, a name for the Almighty.
In 3rd Rock from the Sun, the High Commander salutes The Big Giant Head by hitting the palm of his right hand onto his forehead, rotating the hand 180 degrees counter-clockwise and then subsequently dragging the hand forward onto his forehead. The rest of the aliens salute by holding their right hands towards their foreheads with the palm facing upwards and fingers pointing to the right.
In Futurama, Zapp Brannigan salutes by raising his right hand clenched in a fist face down up to his heart, then extended face down up to his right eyebrow (as in a United States military salute), then extending the arm in a horizontal arc, as if flying away. All three parts are performed in one continuous motion.
In the films of Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings, the soldiers of the hosts of Minas Tirith in Gondor salute by holding their right hand in a fist over their heart with the enclosed palm facing inwards. This is often accompanied by a half bow or a tip of the head forward, when possible. Such a salute is not specified in the book.
In the Marx Brothers film Duck Soup, the soldiers of Freedonia salute by placing their arm horizontally, with a down-facing open palm, across their chest.
In the anime series Crest of the Stars and its sequels, Abh uses the Polish-style two-fingers salute except that in this version, his palm is facing downward.
On TV's Power Rangers SPD, the Space Patrol Delta cadets salute by placing their right hands across the left chest, and sliding their right hands over their heart, clenching a fist.
In Douglas Adams's novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, the well-known line from Coleridge's Kubla Khan, "Weave a circle round him thrice", is intepreted as the salute of an alien culture: "He waved [his] hand round in a circle, three times."