Safeholdian Salut

=2014/08/07=
Does anyone posting on these forums know if the military salut used in the Safehold series (right fist touch to left shoulder) was ever used in our history here on 'Old Terra' ??

Just an idle question - - -

R
.

kbus888,
The right fist to chest is of Roman origin; it was copied by most European armies at one point or another. It was also one of the first 'salute' motions made, showing that the striking (right) hand was both empty and away from a sheathed weapon. It wasn't until heavy armor became common, with its visored helms, that moving the open hand to lift the visor became the standard salute.
The 'modern' salute borrows its gravitas from the earlier, Roman, version, but because of the preponderance of aristocrats in the British military officer system, the aristocratic symbolism of lifting the visor became pre-eminent.
It is also mostly forgotten that the much despised Nazi salute begins with the hand going first to the heart, then lifting, open, to the leader. That borrows from the old Scandanavian salutes where the person rendering the honor is figuratively ripping his heart out in respect for his leader - a vow of self-sacrifice for the cause.

Anyhow, that's the history this old Army sergeant learned.

Dave

=2014/08/07=
Thank you very much !!

R
.

Lazalarlives wrote:kbus888,
The right fist to chest is of Roman origin; it was copied by most European armies at one point or another. It was also one of the first 'salute' motions made, showing that the striking (right) hand was both empty and away from a sheathed weapon. It wasn't until heavy armor became common, with its visored helms, that moving the open hand to lift the visor became the standard salute.
The 'modern' salute borrows its gravitas from the earlier, Roman, version, but because of the preponderance of aristocrats in the British military officer system, the aristocratic symbolism of lifting the visor became pre-eminent.
It is also mostly forgotten that the much despised Nazi salute begins with the hand going first to the heart, then lifting, open, to the leader. That borrows from the old Scandanavian salutes where the person rendering the honor is figuratively ripping his heart out in respect for his leader - a vow of self-sacrifice for the cause.

Anyhow, that's the history this old Army sergeant learned.

Dave