Re: On Courtesy Classes

[Odinson13 <Odinson13@aol.com>]

Poster: Odinson13 <Odinson13@aol.com>

In a message dated 98-02-26 04:22:44 EST, Lady Alianora Munro writes:

<< There is a lovely Tuvan tradition regarding arms and friendly
 circumstances that I intend to incorporate into my Mongol kit as soon as I
 get around to finger-weaving the necessary cord.  :-)  (Tuva, for the
 unwary, is a Central Asian region formerly part of the USSR; Tuvan culture
 is not dissimilar from Mongol and Khazakh culture).  Tuvans wear knives
 tucked into their sashes, and use a cord to attach the knife to the sash.
 In situations where they want to show their trust and friendship, the
 knife is pulled out of the sash and allowed to dangle from the cord.
 While they have not disarmed themselves, the knife is now out of easy
 reach, and unavailable for either sneak attacks or sudden defence. >>

I beleave I read somewhere the custom of handshaking was to show not that one
was unarmed but rather that one did not have a weapon in hand, or something
like that. On the other hand some plains indians could not understand shaking
hands with the hand that killed. to them that meant you couldn't be trusted.

In Service,
Odinson
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