Military greeting, or What hand give honor

Human society is evolving, traditions, views, speeches, language itself are changing, finally. As obsolete leave the everyday life even in the army, the words "I have honor" and "give honor". Even the original meaning of these wonderful phrases is distorted.

What does it mean to "give honor"

None of the giving of their own honor speech originally did not go. It was a question of recognizing the merits of a person coming towards him, respect for him. At all times, the first was greeted by the younger, both in age, and in rank or rank, recognizing high dignity. You can salute a person or a group of people, as well as something sacred - a banner or a monument to fallen heroes.

Gesture, whatever it was, it was always a sign of recognition of honor in the opposite. At all times and all peoples there were various forms of greetings and an expression of respect: one could bow down, kneel or both, prostrate, click his heels and nod his uncovered head.

In the dictionaries of VI Dal and SI Ozhegov "to give honor" is to welcome. And if the dictionary of SI Ozhegov describes this greeting only as applying his hand to the headdress, then VI Dal gives a whole list of actions. You can salute with a bow, bowing a sword or a banner, making a weapon for the guard, breaking through the drum roll.

The legend of the military greeting

The appearance of a greeting with a gesture raised to the eyes of the right hand is attributed to the famous British pirate Francis Drake, who was honored to welcome British Queen Elizabeth I. On board his ship, the legendary pirate did not have an officer's rank and became a knight after a voyage around the world. Carrying out the secret commission of Her Majesty, Drake not only robbed Spanish ships, he discovered many sea routes and made several geographical discoveries.

The legend says that the pirate captain stood against the sun when the queen was rising up the ladder, and he closed his eyes, applying the palm of his right hand to them. The team, built behind him, smoothly repeated this gesture. The gallant corsair made an ugly Elizabeth a compliment, comparing it to the blinding sun, than Her Majesty subdued. Evil tongues claimed that it was for the gallantry that Drake was knighted, and the gesture spread to the armies of the world.

Historical versions of the military greeting

One of the historical versions of the emergence of giving honor refers to the knightly traditions. A knight on horseback with reins and a shield in his left hand, having met the same knight, with his right hand raised the visor of the helmet. This gesture spoke of peaceful intentions.

Documented by military regulations, the version says that it was in the UK in the XVIII century, as headwear in elite units became very cumbersome, there was a rule not to take them off, but to greet the officers, clasping their hands to the hat and bowing. Then they even stopped touching the hat, since the soldiers' hands were always soiled with soot, because they needed to set fire to the musket. And what hand give honor to the Guards of Her Majesty, the charters are not specified. Most likely, by itself meant that right.

Horse and foot officers saluted by raising their knives, bringing the handle to his lips and then taking him to the right and down. The question is, which hand the officers salute, and did not arise.

Military greeting in different countries

In the military greetings of any army, they do not bow their head or lower their eyes, which also speaks about mutual honor, regardless of rank and rank, and there is no question of which hand is given honor in the army - only the right.

But the gesture of the hand and the turn of the palm may be somewhat different. Since the XIX century in the British army hand, raised to the right eyebrow, turned palm outward. In the British Navy, since the time of sailing ships, when the hands of the sailors were smeared with tar and tar, and the dirty palms to show was unworthy, the palm was turned down in greeting. The same greeting was accepted in France. In the US Army, at the time of greeting, the palm is turned down, and the hand moved slightly forward, as it were, covers the eyes from the sun. In the Italian army, the palm is carried over the visor in front.

In tsarist Russia before 1856 and today's Poland, the military greeting was carried out by the index and middle finger. Since 1856, after the Crimean War in the Soviet Army and today's Russian army, honor is given to the entire palm, which is turned down. The middle finger at the same time looks into the temple, touching the peak of the uniform cap. Hence the synonyms of the expression "give honor" - take under the visor, otkozyat.

The hand of honor given to Russian servicemen is enshrined in the Charter of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Rules of etiquette

There is military etiquette, which all the military must follow. His rules are conditioned not only by traditions and rituals, by the principles of morality and morality, but also by the provisions of the military oath and statutes.

But there is a common etiquette, according to which, for example, a man as a prop and defender in the past, also with a weapon on his side, should go to the left of the companion. But from what hand is given honor in Russia and not only, exceptions from the general rules also depend. The military in uniform always goes to the right of the woman, so as not to hurt her with an elbow during the military greeting. However, there are exceptions to this rule. If a soldier in uniform goes with a companion by the arm, then he must be to her right, so that the hand for the military greeting remains free.

Differences in the performance of military greetings

Military greeting in all countries is given by the right hand. The question of which country is bestowed with the left hand arises when high government officials, by inadvertence or inexperience, violate the rules of giving military honor, which are either fixed by the charters or are an unshakable tradition.

Serious difference can be considered not as the hand of honor, but only the presence or absence of a headdress when giving honor.

It would seem that if the gesture of the right hand arose with the simplification of the procedure for removing the headgear, then a uniform cap or a cap is obligatory in such a ritual. But no. Army traditions in the United States began to take shape after the victory of the North Army in the Civil War of the North and South in the second half of the XIX century. The army of winners was formed from volunteers without combat skills and dressed in ordinary clothes, often without headdresses. Honor in her was given simply by putting her hand to her head. Since then, the US Army honor is given regardless of the presence on the head of a uniform cap or cap.

The giving of military honor, or, in the modern interpretation of the Russian military regulations, a military greeting is a ritual overshadowed by the centuries-old traditions of the armies of all countries of the world.