The "Salute" was a medieval gesture
By AmberLynn
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
United States
February 4, 2016 10:17pm CST
A Medieval Knight would lift his head gear in what we assume is a similar fashion to our modern day salute. The Knight would do this when approaching a senior officer to be recognized.
Over the years it has evolved with the head wear that officers of the military wore. By the 1700's the men were wearing head gear that fastened under the chin and so adapted to raising their hands to the hat in a gesture like raising the hood.
It was formalized as a means of address by the 1780's and thereafter spread to forces across the world
Little interesting tidbit there. Though the source I found this on did not specify, I imagine they lifted the visor that goes atop their eyes? Atleast some medieval knights had a head piece with the lifting visor?
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7 responses
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
5 Feb 16
This is a good question. I assumed that they lifted the visor, the article I read didn't specify. It would make more sense that they dd this and would also explain the gesture we have adapted as a salute.
The "friend" thing though gives me pause. I wonder, if this were the case, how many may have been fooled by an actual enemy dressed in the knights robes.
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
5 Feb 16
@JudyEv Salutes are done with the right or left hand? I can't remember but I am almost certain it's the right hand. Most knights wore their sword on that hip if I am not mistaken, so yes making them vulnerable for attack.
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@JudyEv (381739)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 16
@ScribbledAdNauseum If you were using one hand to lift the visor you'd be more vulnerable so you were showing goodwill by lifting the visor.
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@cmoneyspinner (9218)
• Austin, Texas
10 Jun 17
I thought they all had a head piece with a lifting visor. 
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
10 Jun 17
I think you read that a bit wrong.. The medieval knights did... but I started talking about how it evolved and so the subsequent descriptions of headgear relate to later Armies.
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@cmoneyspinner (9218)
• Austin, Texas
10 Jun 17
@ScribbledAdNauseum - Oh no! I got what you were saying about the evolution of the salute. It's just that I watch a lot of movies and I always thought all the medieval soldiers had vizors. But you're right. I probably read the post wrong. My eyes play tricks on me sometimes. My imagination is even trickier. I started imagining helmets without lift-up vizors on an army of men and I'm thinking: “Man with the Iron Mask” multiplied. That's scary.
Sorry. Just ignore my weird thoughts. It's an interesting discussion. All of your medieval discussions are interesting. 
@celticeagle (189793)
• Boise, Idaho
5 Feb 16
Interesting. I have often wondered how that evolved and from where.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
5 Feb 16
Yup. I think it's wonderful that it originated so very long ago and is still in use today.
@JESSY3236 (22199)
• United States
5 Feb 16
This is interesting. I didn't know that it had evolved. I was thought a salute was done with a hand.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
5 Feb 16
Technically it always has been. I believe that the medieval knights raised their hands to the visor of their helmet much like guys do to the bill of their baseball caps today.
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
5 Feb 16
Thank you for that interesting information, had not heard before where the salute came from
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
5 Feb 16
It's amazing that it has survived for so long, isn't it?
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
5 Feb 16
It is such a stoic gesture, isn't it?
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
5 Feb 16
Yes and to think it's spread across the world so that many forces now use what was once just a medieval knight raising his visor.
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