Did Medieval Knights Actually Invent the Salute? Myth vs. Reality

That simple hand-to-the-brow motion has connected generations of warriors, but its exact beginning is still unknown. The U.S. Army says no one can prove a single origin. What is clear is that raising the right hand, or weapon hand, has long been used to show peaceful intentions and respect.

One popular story traces it to medieval knights raising the visor of their helmets with the right hand so their faces could be seen. It makes a compelling story, but the Army cautions that it is tradition, not proven history. 

Another explanation reaches back to older customs in which a warrior raised his weapon hand to show he was not preparing to attack.

The clearest documented link comes from European military customs. Soldiers once showed respect by removing their headgear when approaching a superior. During the American Revolution, British soldiers were still expected to remove their hats. As military headgear became larger and harder to remove during the 18th and 19th centuries, the gesture gradually changed into touching the hat or visor instead.

A British order from 1745 provides a clear snapshot of that change. Soldiers were ordered not to remove their hats when passing an officer, but instead to raise their hands to their hats and bow. 

Officer of the British Corp of Riflemen saluting. The image is contrary to the unit's 1801 Standing Order to salute "in a horizontal but circular position; the points of the forefinger and thumb meeting the edge of the helmet". (image published 1801)

By the early 19th century, the motion had evolved toward the hand salute recognizable today. U.S. Army material identifies 1820 as an important point in that development.

The salute eventually became more than a greeting. In the U.S. military, it became a visible sign of respect, discipline and duty. Service members salute officers, the nation's colors and during formal ceremonies.

The gesture lasts only a second, but behind it stand generations of warriors, sacrifices, victories, losses and a promise to serve something larger than oneself.