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CULTURE & HISTORY Hands Clasped: From the ancient Sumerians to modern-day Chaldeans BY ADHID MIRI, PHD Hand gestures are such a part of everyday life that we often don’t even notice them. They have become a habit inherent in world culture and are an integral part of communication. From the V-sign that we often see when people take pictures to gestures showing thumps up or the relatively new fist bump gesture which comes from sport, hand gestures aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. At times, hand gestures endure over spoken languages. According to historical records, the “V” sign became popular during World War II when performed by Winston Churchill, the British statesman and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945. He used it to symbolize victory; today, it is commonly known as the peace sign. In most of the world, anyway. “Thumbs up” is perhaps the most common of hand gestures, one that has been used for thousands of years. The thumbs up is commonly used by Europeans and Americans as a sign of approval or that things are going according to plan. Handshakes are hand gestures exchanged between two people. According to some sources, this hand gesture originated in ancient Greece. At that time, the movement was carried out by the soldiers of war to the people they met. Shaking someone’s hand by grasping it can prove that the person’s hand is empty. According to many archaeologists, the point was to make sure that the person was not hiding a dangerous weapon. The “OK” sign, which is made by curling the index finger over the thumb and extending the other fingers above them, is another common hand gesture in America and in most of the English-speaking world. It is generally understood to mean that everything is going well and according to plan. It is also regularly used by divers to indicate that all is well to their dive partners. However, in Latin America, the gesture is seen as extremely rude. Hayyat Nadhir and Siyya Arabo, two Chaldean women displaying different hand clasping poses. Former US president Richard Nixon discovered this after flashing it to a large crowd of Brazilians awaiting his arrival in Rio de Janeiro. They responded to his greeting with a chorus of “boos.” It is not surprising; a little research could have told him the gesture is equivalent to a middle finger in that part of the world. In France, the gesture is also considered an insult; in Australia, it means “zero;” in New Zealand, for some reason, the user is basically considered to be lazy. Using hand gestures might feel like an intuitive way to communicate across language barriers, but their meaning can change, and there are few universal signs that everyone agrees on. Whether consciously or not, our hands are often giving off signals. One position we see over and over is the hand clasp. Both the gesture itself and where the hands are being held in relation to the body have meaning. Apparently, those gestures have a history and origin from the customs and characteristics of the Ancient Sumerians. There are a few variations and a few different placements for the hands that we’ll consider. Depending on the situation, hands clasped or clenched together may mean several things. In this position, the hand palms are held together, the right on top of the left. It may mean that a person using it is about to assume a strong stance, or it may mean confidence or even nervousness. In general, clasping the hands may signify an unsettling thought, respect, fear, anxiety, insecurity, and the like. Hand clasping is the superposition of each finger of one hand over the corresponding finger of the opposite hand. When clasping the hands, a person tends to interlace the fingers in one of two ways. People who hold the fingers of the right hand above the left fingers are classified as phenotype R (right), while those who hold the fingers of the left hand above those of the right are phenotype L (left). Although some people do not exhibit a preference for one type of hand clasping, most do. Once adopted, the method of hand clasping tends to be consistent throughout life. When an individual attempts to clasp the hands in the opposite configuration from the usual one, that person may feel a sense that something is out of the ordinary. The ‘hands clasped in front’ body language gesture is displayed in three major ways: clasped hands in front of the face; hands clasped on a desk or a lap; and, whilst standing, hands clasped over the lower abdomen. When a person assumes the hands clasped in front gesture, they are exercising some sort of self-restraint. They’re symbolically ‘clenching’ themselves back and withholding a negative reaction, usually anxiety or frustration. The higher the person clenches their hands whilst standing, the more negative they are feeling. The body language of clasping hands below the belt reflects that the person feels secure and confident. For instance, football players display this gesture when they’re listening to their national anthem, to show their respect for the anthem. This gesture is also 36 CHALDEAN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2022
Saturday September 3rd Franklin Cider Mill A NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE ESTABLISHED 1832 ***** From left: This statue of a woman from Ur shows the right hand over left technique of hand clasping. This statue is typical of Sumerian art, with the ritual hand clasping displayed prominently. commonly observed when leaders and politicians meet and stand to pose for photographs. You might also see this gesture when a priest delivers a sermon or any other social meeting presided over by an authoritative figure. When we study and look at the hands in primitive Sumerian statues, we find that it does not express an expanding global empire. Rather, the pose suffices to embody a state of devotion, humility, asceticism, and compliance with prayer before God. Usually, the hands are interlaced, right over the left, and placed on the center of the chest or waist in a gesture of disciplined attention that has religious connotations, symbolizing devotional practices and representing the readiness to approach the Gods with reverence, awe, and respect. Therefore, it aims at stillness and expressing a state of stagnation and calm deposited with complete superiority within the human being, as represented by the block of stone itself. It is totally different from gestures used by other ancient civilizations such as Egyptian, Hindu, Roman, Buddhist and the Inca. One may not realize the power you literally have in your hands. There are times when our hands can save or betray us, and it all happens without our conscious involvement. That is, unless one knows how hand language works. In most cultures, an open hand is associated with honesty. Throughout history, a palm held over the heart or in the air when giving testimony was meant to emphasize truthfulness. Arabs, Malaysians, and Indonesians have a habit of holding their hands over the heart when they greet each other as if to show their sincere happiness. For some reason, it is difficult to lie with your palms exposed. The Arabic idiom, “I’ll imprint with my ten fingers” is used to mean you don’t just approve of something, but you completely and utterly approve of it without a scintilla of doubt—you are in till the end. Amazingly, we find characteristics of Sumerian origin still rooted in the people of Mesopotamia and Chaldeans of Iraq. Customs and characteristics of the Ancient Sumerians are still in common use among modern day Chaldeans, especially women. It is exactly as inherited from our heritage and use as it was in Sumer 5,000 years ago. The significance of this posture is in its style and symbolism. It is not just the way the hands are interlocked, but rather in the specific style, the placement on the interlocked arms and their position on the chest. To this day, we find the same hand clasps present in Sumerian artifacts in use among elder Chaldean women in the Nineveh Plain villages, in Iraqi cities, and even in the United States. Sources: Wikipedia, writings by William Park, Howard Allen, Chris Miller, Fawzi Rasheed, Taha Baqir, and Ahmmed Sosa. Special editing by Jacqueline Raxter. Award Winning Fresh Cider & Warm Donuts! Slushes & Caramel Apples Your Favorite Michigan Made Products • Maple Syrup • Jams • Honey • Cheeses • Meats • • Chows • Salsas • Dressings • Apple Sauce • • Pies - Breads • Cookies • Candies • Nuts • Weekends Family Gatherings • Mellow Jazz • Magician • Cider Dogs Easy Online Ordering Options! Pre-Pay Pick-up www.franklincidermill.com ***** Voted Best of the Best & Hour Magazine’s #1 Apple Cider Mill 2021 & 2022 OPEN DAILY 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM DAILY • INDOOR & OUTDOOR SALES AREAS 7450 Franklin Rd., Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 • 248.626.8261 Simply delicious food served by the finest Professionals CASUAL DINING AT ITS BEST PATIO NOW OPEN! Authentic Italian style restaurant featuring cut to order steaks, fresh seafood, homemade pasta and pizzas and several salad options. Spacious Banquet rooms available perfect for corporate events and meetings, family celebrations, weddings and showers. 5600 Crooks Road, Troy, Michigan 248.813.0700 ◆ ◆ www.loccino.com SEPTEMBER 2022 CHALDEAN NEWS 37
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