GREETING BY GESTURE. 639 



Ma ? " The clapping distinguishes the ceremony from that of 

 mere prostration. 



When the people of Londa wish to be excessively polite they 

 "bring a quantity of ashes or clay in a piece of skin, and, taking 

 up handfuls, rub it on the chest and upper front part of each arm ; 

 others in saluting drum their ribs with their elbows ; while still 

 others touch the ground with one cheek after the other, and clap 

 their hands. The chiefs go through the semblance of rubbing the 

 sand on the arms, but only make a feint of picking it up. Among 

 the Warna, an inferior in saluting a superior takes a piece of 

 dried mud in his right hand ; he first rubs his own left arm above 

 the elbow and his left side, then, throwing the mud into his left 

 hand, he in like manner rubs the right arm and side, all the time 

 muttering away inquiries about his friend's health. Each time 

 the chief's name is mentioned every one begins rubbing his breast 

 with mud. 



From these notes the elements of the clapping pantomime may 

 be resolved into, first, beating or slapping the arms and upper 

 parts of the breast, sometimes rubbing them with mud these 

 being ancient modes of expressing grief and afterward the noise 

 of the slaps is simulated by clapping the hands. It is well known 

 that many peoples act both in pantomime and with speeches to 

 disguise their happiness and thereby escape the notice of malevo- 

 lent demons. It is also known that among certain tribes, on the 

 meeting of friends who have been long absent, markedly when 

 they have been in danger, the welcoming party gash their arms 

 and breasts so as to draw blood, which placates the jealous gods 

 on the joyous occasion. "When the actions become simulated and 

 symbolic, the claps in the examples cited may represent the 

 wounding strokes, and the mud-stains imitate those of blood. 

 When the superstition has decayed, such actions, and afterward 

 their simulation, may be used as any happy greetings. 



It is not forgotten, however, that clapping hands is used for 

 applause and rejoicing, as in Ezekiel, xxv, 6 : " Because thou hast 

 clapped thine hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in 

 heart." But " clap at " is used with hiss in Job, xxvii, 23, and also 

 in Lamentations, ii, 15, to signify derision. In this respect the 

 gesture shows the general nature of gesture-signs which, accord- 

 ing to the manner of use and the context, can be applied with 

 many shades of significance indeed, by very slight changes can 

 express opposite meanings. It is at least as flexible as oral speech, 

 which gains the same result by collocations of words and modu- 

 lations of voice. 



Joy-weeping. One of the most curious of the demonstrations 

 upon the meeting of friends is that called " joy- weeping," which 

 also may be connected with the dread of jealous demons. Cry- 



