If We Didn't Shake Hands, How Would We Greet Each Other?

Kellan Sullivan

Basically, what if we didn't shake hands on meeting one another?

The story goes that Marie Antoinette and several French courtiers were intrigued by this "English" gesture. (It's not actually English, since IIRC there are carvings from ancient Persians showing a variation of the handshake). But, how would we greet one another? Salutes? Kiss on each cheek (à la Français)? How DID people PHYSICALLY greet each other if they didn't shake hands? Would things perhaps be more limited by each country/language - i.e. the English shake hands and the French/Italians kiss cheeks, etc? Rather than a universal gesture?

I'm asking specifically with European cultures in mind.
 
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Skallagrim

Skallagrim

Banned
Yeah, bows and cursies etc. make sense.

Of course, there's always room for a world where the Roman salute doesn't get co-opted by a bunch of dicks.
 

Kellan Sullivan

The Tai-Pan said:
I mean, bowing (of various sorts) has a very long lineage, both East and West.
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Do you think this would just be like a perfunctory bow or as in some serious kowtowing?

Skallagrim said:
Yeah, bows and cursies etc. make sense.

Of course, there's always room for a world where the Roman salute doesn't get co-opted by a bunch of dicks.
Click to expand...

Two businessmen sealing a deal by saluting each other could be fun to see.
 

Jared

Kellan Sullivan said:
Basically, what if we didn't shake hands on meeting one another?

The story goes that Marie Antoinette and several French courtiers were intrigued by this "English" gesture. (It's not actually English, since IIRC there are carvings from ancient Persians showing a variation of the handshake). But, how would we greet one another?
Click to expand...
"Hello."
 
Skallagrim

Skallagrim

Banned
Kellan Sullivan said:
Do you think this would just be like a perfunctory bow or as in some serious kowtowing?
Click to expand...

Gradations, possibly, based on relative social status. You nod to an equal, and truly bow before a superior. Perhaps certain fanciful protocols for special occasions. (Indeed, you could see buinessmen bowing to each other in specific ways to open negotiations, and then in other specific ways at the end of either successful or unsuccessful talks.)

And in the modern day, we could increasingly see progressives opposed to these old-fashioned forms, with youthful social activists even deploring and condemning all of it as classism etc.
 

Kellan Sullivan

Skallagrim said:
Gradations, possibly, based on relative social status. You nod to an equal, and truly bow before a superior. Perhaps certain fanciful protocols for special occasions. (Indeed, you could see buinessmen bowing to each other in specific ways to open negotiations, and then in other specific ways at the end of either successful or unsuccessful talks.)

And in the modern day, we could increasingly see progressives opposed to these old-fashioned forms, with youthful social activists even deploring and condemning all of it as classism etc.
Click to expand...

Sounds about right.
 

funnyhat

Kellan Sullivan said:
Basically, what if we didn't shake hands on meeting one another?

The story goes that Marie Antoinette and several French courtiers were intrigued by this "English" gesture.
Click to expand...

I've not heard that story but it's got to be apocryphal. Shaking hands has been common in Europe since at least medieval times.
 

Analytical Engine

Since the shaking hands business is saying "look, my weapon hand doesn't have any weapon in it, let's be cordial to each other", maybe a gentle wave or touching palms together? Alternatively, there is the gripping each other's elbow.
 

ShortsBelfast

Some cultures raised both hands in greeting and I once read that the traditional pre Cultural Revolution Chinese each shook hands with themselves. As Analytical Engine says, the practice is intended to demonstrate the lack of a weapon and hence businesslike or friendly interaction. So anything that does that is suitably equivalent.
 
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