♫/I want to hold your hand♪ (but only on my right side, in case you need to draw sword to defend my honor).

Jon and I were walking through Old Orchard Beach the other day and we were holding hands. I thought nothing of it. As we walked, we passed another couple who was holding hands. I noticed their hand-holding, looked down and noticed our hand-holding, and instantly wanted to know where the tradition started.

Jon thinks it's simply human nature--a compulsory action that we make toward someone we care about. An article by the NY Times states something similar:

"To hold someone’s hand is to offer them affection, protection or comfort. It is a way to communicate that you are off the market. Practically speaking, it is an efficient way to squeeze through a crowd without losing your partner. People do it during vigils, marches, weddings and funerals."

I'm not inclined to disagree, nor am I against hand-holding, but I do want to know if there is a reason for it. Everything has a reason. Right? I mean. People invent things for a reason. Maybe the only reason for hand holding was for safety, back in the day when Tarzan and Jane were running from a T-Rex. Or maybe the reason was to display, pardon the wording, "ownership" of one another. But why hands? Why not hold an ear, or something?

As much as I hate to say this. I can't find diddly on the topic. The best guess I've found is from a Yahoo! Answers post where a man makes the point that joining hands was a way of joining two people together when they were married. Obviously symbolic of them becoming one. 

This couple has been holding hands for 1,500 years: 

Photo Credit: thehistoryblog.com

Hand-holding is an ancient tradition. I'm not sure there are any origins. Alas! This post is not a total bust! According to this article by Primer Magazine, the reason that men escort ladies on their left side is also an ancient tradition? Can you guess what it is? Huh? Can ya? Can ya?

I'll tell you!

Back in medieval times, men would escort ladies on their left arm so that if a threat became imminent--or, you know, a lady's honor needed defending--the man's sword arm would be free. He could quickly draw his weapon and slice down a foe much more quickly than if his sword arm had been all tangled up in the lady's arm. I like the way these people thought.