It is a common custom for a man to kiss the hand of his superior instead of his own (generally on the back only, but sometimes on both back and front), and then to put it to his forehead in order to pay more par- ticular respect. Servants thus evince their respect towards their masters. Those residing in the East find their own servants always doing this on such little occa- sions as arise bcyon<i the usage of their ordinary service ; as on receiving a present, or on returning i'resh from the pid)lic baths. The son also thus kisses the hand of his father, and the wife that of her husband. Very often, however, the superior does not allow this, but only touches the hand extended to take his, where- upon tlie otlier puts tlie hand that has been touched to his own lips and forehead. The custom of kissing the
SALUTATION
2Y3
SALVATION
Oriental Salutation by Kneeling and Kissing the Hand to a Soveieigu.
beard is still preserved, and follows the first and pre- liminary gesture; it usually takes place on meeting af- ter an absence of some duration, and not as an everj'- day compliment. In this case the person who gives the kiss lays the right hand under the beard, and raises it to his lips, or rather supports it while it receives his kiss. This custom strikingly illustrates 2 Sam. xx, 9. In Arabia Petreea and some other parts it is more usual for persons to lay the right sides of their cheeks to- gether. These acts involved the necessity of dismount- ing in case a person were riding or driving (Gen. xxiv, 64; 1 Sam. xxv, 23; 2 Kings v, 21). The same cus- tom still prevails in the East (Niebuhr, Descript. p. 39). Among the Persians, persons in saluting often kiss each other on the lips; but if one of the individuals is of high rank, the kiss is given on the cheek instead of the lips. This seems to illustrate 2 Sam. xx, 9; Gen. xxix, 11, 13; xxxiii, 4; xlviii, 10-12; Exod. iv, 27; xviii, 7. See Kiss.
Oriental Salutation by Kissing or Bowing to a Respected Equal or Intimate Friend.
Another mode of salutation is usual among friends on meeting after a journey. .Joining their right hands together, each of them compliments the other upon his safety, and expresses his wishes for his welfare by repeating, alternately, many times the words nclumdt (meaning, " I congratulate you on your safety") and taiyibin ("I hope you are well"). In commencing this ceremony, which is often continued for nearly a minute before they proceed to make any particular inquiries, they join their hands in the same manner as is usually practiced by us; and at each alternation of the two ex- pressions change the position of the liands. These cir- cumstances further illustrate such passages as 2 Kings iv, 19; Luke X, 4. See Hand.
II. The epistolary salutations in the period subse- quent to the Old Test, were framed on the model of the Latin style: the addition of the term "peace" may, however, be regarded as a vestige of the old Hebrew form (2 Mace, i, 1). The writer placed his own name first, and then that of the person whom he saluted; it IX.-S
was only in special cases that this order was reversed (2 Mace, i, 1 ; ix, 19; 1 Esdr. vi, 7). A combination of the first and thinl persons in the terms of the salutation was not uiifrequent ((ial. i, 1, 2: I'hilem. 1 ; 2 IVt. i. 1). The term used (either expressed or understood) in the introductory salutation was the (ireek x"'Ptiv in an el- liptical construction (1 Mace, x, 18; 2 Mace, ix, 19; 1 Esdr. viii, 9; Acts xxiii, 26 j ; this, however, was more frequently omitted, and the only apostolic passages in which it occurs are Acts xv, 23 and .James i, 1, a coin- cidence which renders it probable that James composed the letter in the former passage. A form of prayer for spiritual mercies was also used, consisting generally of the terms "grace and peace," but in the three pastoral epistles and in 2 John " grace^ mercy, and peace," and in Jude " mercy, peace, and love." The concluding sal- utation consisted occasionally of a translation of the Latin vulete (Acts xv, 29; xxiii, 30), but more general- ly of the term dmriii^ofjai, " I salute," or the cognate substantive, accompanied by a jjrayer for peace or grace. Paul, who availed himself of an amanuensis (Horn, xvi, 22), added the salutation with his own hand (1 Cor. xvi, 21 ; Col. iv, 18; 2 Thess. iii, 17). The omission of the introductory salutation in the Epistle to the Hebrews is very noticeable. There are Latin monographs on the subject in general by Mayer (Gryph. 1703), Allgow- er (Ulm, 1728), Schmerschl" (Jena, 1739), Heyrenl)ach (Vien. 1773), and Purmann (Frankf.-on-the-Main,1749). See Epistle.
SALUTATION, Ritual. In the Romish Church, the words of the angel to Mary are called the Aiir/elic Salutation. The latter clause, '• Sancta ]Maria, mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus," was ackleil, they tell us, in the fifth century; but the last words, "Nunc et in hora mortis nostra?," were inserted by order of pope Pius V. It is sometimes repeated at the beginning of a sermon, ending with a prayer or a pro nobis, and bells are tolled to put people in mind of it. See Salve Ri£GINA.