Walk down any street, enter almost any business meeting, or greet an acquaintance, and you’ll likely encounter it: the handshake. This simple gesture of clasping hands is so deeply ingrained in many cultures, particularly Western ones, that we often perform it automatically, without a second thought. But where did this ubiquitous custom come from? Unraveling the history of the handshake reveals a fascinating journey through ancient suspicions, solemn vows, and social revolutions.
Echoes from Antiquity: A Gesture of Peace?
One of the most popular and enduring theories traces the handshake back to ancient times as a gesture of peace and trust. The logic is straightforward: extending your open right hand proved you were not concealing a weapon. In eras where personal safety was far from guaranteed and encounters with strangers could be perilous, showing your dominant hand – the one most likely to wield a dagger or sword – was a significant sign of non-hostile intent. Clasping hands took this a step further; it physically connected two individuals, making it difficult for either to suddenly draw a weapon. Some even suggest that the up-and-down shaking motion, now a standard part of the greeting, might have originated as a way to dislodge any small blades hidden up a sleeve. While concrete proof directly linking modern handshakes to a specific anti-weapon gesture is elusive, the symbolism resonates.
Visual evidence lends some credence to the handshake’s ancient roots. Archaeological finds from ancient Greece, including funerary reliefs and pottery dating as far back as the 5th century BCE, depict scenes of figures clasping right hands. Often, these portrayals involve gods, warriors, or ordinary citizens. Hera and Athena are sometimes shown shaking hands. Soldiers departing for war might shake hands with loved ones. These depictions, often referred to as dexiosis (Greek for “giving or taking the right hand”), suggest the gesture signified agreement, connection, farewell, or reunion. Roman art and literature also feature hand-clasping, often symbolizing concord, loyalty, or legal agreement.
Archaeological finds, including reliefs and pottery dating back to ancient Greece, depict figures clasping hands. While interpretation varies, these images provide tangible evidence of hand-clasping gestures existing millennia ago. This suggests the practice predates many written records discussing specific social customs. It reinforces the idea of the handshake having deep historical roots.
A Symbol of Binding Agreement
Beyond a simple sign of peace, the act of clasping hands has long served as a physical representation of a bond or agreement. Think of the phrase “Let’s shake on it.” This wasn’t just a casual saying; historically, the handshake often sealed deals, pledges, and oaths. In societies where literacy was not widespread, a physical act carried significant weight. Clasping hands in front of witnesses could serve as a legally or socially binding confirmation of a transaction or promise. It was a tangible symbol that words alone might not fully capture. This aspect of the handshake, representing fidelity and the cementing of a pact, likely coexisted with and reinforced its role as a greeting of trust. It moved beyond merely showing you weren’t a threat to actively demonstrating a commitment or connection.
Medieval Knights and Shaking Hands?
The Middle Ages offer another potential thread in the handshake’s tapestry, though perhaps more speculative. Some historians propose links to the practices of knights. Removing a gauntlet before shaking hands could be seen as a sign of respect and vulnerability, akin to showing an empty weapon hand. The firm grasp might also relate to demonstrating strength or ensuring the other party wasn’t concealing a weapon within their own armored glove. However, direct, widespread evidence for the handshake as a standard greeting among medieval knights is less clear than the evidence from antiquity or its later popularization. Bowing, kneeling, and other gestures of fealty were often more prominent markers of social interaction in the highly hierarchical structures of feudal Europe.
The Quaker Revolution: Egalitarianism Takes Hold
While hand-clasping existed for millennia, its transformation into the common, everyday greeting we know today owes a significant debt to the Quakers (the Religious Society of Friends) in the 17th and 18th centuries. Quakers held strong beliefs in equality and simplicity, rejecting social hierarchies and the associated customs they deemed ostentatious or deferential. Bowing, scraping, curtseying, and removing hats were seen as acknowledgments of worldly status and superiority, conflicting with their belief that all individuals were equal before God.
As an alternative, Quakers adopted the simple handshake as their standard form of greeting for everyone, regardless of social standing, wealth, or title. It was a plain, direct, and crucially, egalitarian gesture. One person did not bow lower than another; both parties met on equal footing, clasping hands as peers. This deliberate choice was radical at the time and distinguished Quakers from mainstream society. However, as their influence grew, particularly in the bustling commercial centers of Britain and the American colonies, their preferred greeting began to spread. It offered a practical and democratic way to interact, especially fitting for the emerging merchant classes and the more fluid social environments of the New World.
Solidification in the Modern Era
By the 19th century, the handshake had largely shed its specific religious connotations and was well on its way to becoming the standard secular greeting throughout much of the Western world. The Victorian era, with its emphasis on etiquette and propriety, helped codify the handshake. Etiquette manuals provided instructions on the proper way to shake hands – when it was appropriate, who should initiate (often determined by status or gender, though these rules have evolved), and what constituted a ‘good’ handshake (firm, but not crushing; brief, but not abrupt). It became the expected greeting in business, politics, and increasingly, in everyday social encounters between men. While its adoption as a common greeting between men and women, or primarily among women, took longer in some circles, its trajectory was set.
The handshake’s practicality contributed significantly to its widespread adoption. It is relatively quick, requires no special equipment or attire (unlike removing a hat or gauntlet), and provides a moment of direct, personal connection. It bridges the gap between the formality of a bow and the intimacy of an embrace. In an increasingly industrialized and urbanized world, where people encountered strangers more frequently, the handshake offered a standardized, relatively neutral way to initiate interaction.
Enduring Gesture, Evolving Meanings
Today, the handshake remains a powerful non-verbal communication tool. While its origins may lie in demonstrating peace or sealing pacts, we now interpret nuances in the grip – firm, weak, lingering, quick – often making snap judgments about personality, confidence, or sincerity based on this brief interaction. Cultural variations abound, with differences in grip strength, duration, and accompanying eye contact. Though challenged by concerns about hygiene, particularly in recent times, the handshake endures as a fundamental ritual of meeting, greeting, and connecting in countless situations across the globe. Its journey from a potential sign of disarmament to a complex social signal underscores its adaptability and enduring significance in human interaction.
