GREETING BY GESTURE. 4 8 3 



The ideogram of clasped hands to indicate peace and friend- 

 ship is found in pictographs from many localities. It is possible 

 that the exhibition and presentation of the unarmed hand, to be 

 mentioned in another connection, may have affected the practice, 

 but the probability that the paramount idea was that of agree- 

 ment is enhanced by a prescribed pantomime of the old Roman 

 law continuing down to the empire from the time of Numa, or 

 the prehistoric lawgivers who were embraced in his mythic per- 

 sonality. The contestants before the legal tribunals were com- 

 pelled each to offer his right hand for the clasp of his adversary 

 in token of good faith and confidence, before the cause was heard. 

 The same pantomime, pretending honesty of purpose, is obligatory 

 now between prize-fighters, stripped and in the ring, before the 

 first blow can be struck. Support to the hypothesis comes also 

 from a formulary which is still common in Ireland and in some 

 parts of England, of depositing saliva in the right hands and then 

 mutually grasping them to solemnize or cement a bargain. 



In several parts of the world the junction is not of the hands, 

 but of some or all of the fingers bent so as to form hooks or links, 

 thus removing from the salutation the suggestion of magnetic 

 pressure and sympathy, and substituting that of mechanical at- 

 tachment. The Papuans of Torres Strait partially bend the 

 fingers of the right hand and hook them with those of the person 

 saluted, then rapidly jerk the hands apart. This is repeated sev- 

 eral times. Schweinfurth describes as general in Africa the hook- 

 ing of the middle fingers, and their violent jerking, often causing 

 the " crack " before mentioned. The Dakota sign for " friend " is 

 to point forward and a little upward with the joined and extended 

 fore and middle fingers of the right hand, which is about a foot 

 in front of the right breast ; move the hand upward to the right 

 side of the face, then straight forward about eight inches, and 

 then a little upward. Thus a hook is pictured in the air. Or 

 the bent right index, palm downward, is hooked over the bent 

 left index, palm upward, the hands about a foot in front of the 

 body. The Southern Indians frequently link their index-fingers 

 in front of the body to express friendship. A more emphatic 

 sign made by the Comanche is to bring the two hands near each 

 other in front, and clasp the two index-fingers tightly, so that the 

 tips of the finger and the thumb of each hand touch, thus form- 

 ing two distinct and united links. 



The Delaware Noaman, in his speech at Tinicum, made the 

 sign for friendship in special connection with alliance " by the 

 semblance of making a knot." The etymology of alliance from 

 alligare, to bind to, is at once recalled. Some deaf-mutes in the 

 United States interlock the forefingers for " friendship " ; clasp the 

 hands, right uppermost, for " marriage " ; and make the last sign, 



