What is the origin of the Vulcan hand greeting in “Star Trek”?

Quick Answer: The famous Vulcan hand greeting in Star Trek was created by Leonard Nimoy. It is actually the physical representation of the Hebrew letter ... WatchSeriesReadJoinShop HomeWatchSeriesReadJoinShop × × WhatistheoriginoftheVulcanhandgreetingin“StarTrek”?QuickAnswer:ThefamousVulcanhandgreetinginStarTrekwascreatedbyLeonardNimoy.ItisactuallythephysicalrepresentationoftheHebrewletter“shin,”andcomesfromaJewishprayerceremonyNimoyrememberedwitnessingasachildgrowingupinBostonwithYiddish-speakinggrandparents.Youdon’thavetobeahugeStarTrek(1966-1969)fantoknowabouttheVulcanhandsalute.Theopen-palmwithextendedthumbandsplitfingersina“V”shapeisahandpositionrecognizablebymillions.Itisaniconicgesturethathasbrokenfreeoftelevisionorfilmandbecomeapartofthehumanexperience.Itissowell-knownthatithasitsownentryintheUnicodestandard(U+1F596).Ithasbeenparodiedandreferencedincountlessothermaterials,andfollowingLeonardNimoy’sdeathin2015,astronautTerryVirtssentbacktoEarthaphotoofhishandperformingthegestureoutthewindowoftheInternationalSpaceStationwithEarthinthebackground,centeredoverNimoy’shometownofBoston.Thesalute’saccompanyingphrase,“livelongandprosper,”isequallylegendandthrivesaspartofthelexiconofhumanvernacular.It’salsotheofficialsymbolforStarTrekinAmericanSignLanguage.WhatisinterestingishowtheVulcanhandsigncametobe.Itwasn’tpennedinascriptbyanoriginalStarTrekwriter.Itwasn’tconceivedbyGeneRoddenberry,thecreatorofTrekandfounderofmanyofitsambitiousideas.Instead,theVulcanhandsignwasthecreationofLeonardNimoyhimself,whofirstperformeditontheseasontwoopenerofStarTrek,“AmokTime.”Understandingthewayvarioushumandignitariesandculturesgreeteachotherwithdifferentritualisticmethods,hefelttheVulcans,whointhisepisodewererepresentedbySpockashemeetsanimportantVulcanfigureforthefirsttime,shouldberevealedtohaveauniquegestureoftheirownforsociologicalpurposes.Thedirectoragreedtogiveitatry,andlegendwasborn.WhereNimoycameupwiththesalutecomesfromaplacefarmorepracticalthanthescience-fictionatmospheresofStarTrek.HedrewuponchildhoodmemoriesofJewishsynagogueservicesheattendedwithhisYiddish-speakinggrandfather.TheV-shapedpositionistheshapeoftheHebrewletter“shin,”whichistherepresentativeletteroftheword“Shaddai,”atermforGod,andisagesturetraditionallyusedbytheKohanim(Hebrew“priests”),Jewsofpriestlydescent,duringablessingceremony.It’salsothefirstletterof“Shalom,”theJewishwordforhello,goodbye,andpeace. NimoyshowinghowthegestureistypicallyperformedinJewishceremonyAsaboy,NimoyparticipatedintheShekhinah,aprayermeanttoblessacongregationasthefemaleaspectofGodcomesintoblessthosepresent.AsNimoywroteontheofficialStarTrekblogafewyearsago,“ThelightfromthisDeitycouldbeverydamaging.Sowearetoldtoprotectourselvesbyclosingoureyes.Ipeeked.AndwhenIsawthesplit-fingeredgestureofthesemen…Iwasentranced.Ilearnedtodoitsimplybecauseitseemedsomagical.Itwasprobably25yearslaterthatIintroducedthatgestureasaVulcangreetinginStarTrekandithasresonatedwithfansaroundtheworldeversince.Itgivesmegreatpleasuresinceitis,afterall,ablessing.”Formany,thehandgestureishardtoperform.Itrequiresaparticulardexteritythatsome,includingWilliamShatner,donotpossess.SomecastmembersoftheoriginalStarTrekseriesarereportedtohavetiedtheirfingerstogetherinordertoformthe“V,”whileothershadtosetthefingersinplacewiththeirotherhandbeforeraisingittocamera.Nomatterhowonehastocontorttheirfingerstoformthe“V,”it’sclearthatNimoycameupwithsomethingpowerfulbackin1967.Soonthehandgesturewillcelebrateahalf-centuryoflifeon-screenandoff,lastingasasymbolofpeaceandunity,foundedonaJewishsymbolofthosesamepositiveideas. ShareonFacebook Tweet ShareonWhatsApp PosttoTumblr AddtoPocket SubmittoReddit ShareonLinkedIn SendemailRelatedArticles WouldDataon“StarTrek:TheNextGeneration”taketheKobayashiMaru,andwouldhepass? WouldDataon“StarTrek:TheNextGeneration”taketheKobayashiMaru,andwouldhepass? WhyDoSome“StarTrek”FansEnjoyPairingKirkandSpockasLovers? WhyDoSome“StarTrek”FansEnjoyPairingKirkandSpockasLovers? TheBeginner’sGuideto“StarTrek” TheBeginner’sGuideto“StarTrek”