| Pete Dashwood 2006-11-21, 6:55 pm |
|
"Alistair" <alistair@ld50macca.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1164111680.096558.163580@f16g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>
> LX-i wrote:
>
> Just think how much more offended she would be if she discovered the
> origins of the gesture: Renaissance Italy, let the women through first
> so that if there is an assassin behind the door then the important male
> doesn't get killed.
And these assassins are so incompetent they can't tell a woman from a man?
(Possible I suppose, given that "assassin" comes from "hashish"... but
highly unlikely.)
I reckon the custom arose because men, then as now, enjoyed the view of a
woman's arse on the move and the chance to enjoy this and pick up Brownie
points for gallantry at the same time, is just too good to pass up.... :-)
> BTW, shaking hands was a gesture to show that your
> sword hand was empty (don't know how they catered for people who were
> left handed or carried daggers as well as swords).
That is certainly popular belief, but it cannot be established with any
degree of certainty. I think that sentence needs to have "was" replaced with
"may have been" ...
The hand has always been a symbol of power (red hand of Ulster, throwing
down the gauntlet, etc.) and it seems reasonable and logical to me that on
meeting someone the offering of a hand is like: "Here is my power, show me
yours, and we can be friends." Even today, some people place a lot of stock
in the "interpretation" of a handshake. A firm grip is supposed to represent
a firm character who can be trusted. (in my experience this has usually
proven to be so, but I certainly wouldn't make it my sole criterion for
trusting someone...)
The point I'm trying to make here is that there are many possible sources as
to why we observe certain customs, and, as their origins have been lost in
antiquity, any possible explanation probably has as much credence as any
other.
Pete.
|