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by michelle on March 13th, 2007
The right hand was the sword hand; raising it was a sign of trust.
by keithold is a prodigal bagger on March 13th, 2007
G'day Kuyakev,
Thank you for your question.
The most common salute is derived from the British salutes. The origins of it are lost in time. However there are possible origins.
The most popular version is that it came from the practice of raising your hat. As raising a helmet can be impractical, it was changed to the salute. Another version is that it came from Roman soldiers shading their eyes from the light supposedly coming from their officers. A third is that it is a way of showing that your right hand (weapon hand) isn't carrying a weapon. A third is that it came from the days of knights in armor where you raised the helmet to be recognised.
The reason for the right hand is that it was considered to be the more important hand and a salute is a mark of respect to a superior so you should use your most important hand.
I have attached sources for your reference.
Regards
Wikipedia Salute
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salute
Army Study Guide
http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/Prep_For_Basic_Training/Prep_for_basic_customs_and_courtesies/the-hand-salute.shtml
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Comments
The salute goes back to the time of the Knights in Shinning Armor. To know if a Knight approaching you was friend or foe and as a form of greeting, you would take your right hand and raise your face shield holding the reins of your horse with your left. If a friend, then you would lower the face shield and continue on; if foe, you could immediately reach for your sword or other weaponry without losing control of your mount. It has evolved from that to today’s sign of respect and acknowledgement of the rack and/or person one is greeting.
by E-8 on October 24th, 2007
I think that would've made a better answer than comment, E-8.
by 8 Jan 2004-10 Dec 2009 on October 27th, 2007