Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Fiji Hill

Sieg Heil = Success and Health ?

Sorry - got to correct you there - the way you put it,it sounds like 'live long and prosper'.

Heil is 'greetings' as in hailing. That was nicked by the roman greating (raised right arm to salute ranking officers and the caesar)and 'Sieg' ist not success but victory. The procedure was a strong reminder on the millenial roman world empire.

So the slogan Sieg Heil was a motivation and propaganda phrase to make people enthusiastic for the 'conquer the world' project AH was trying to conduct.


138 posted on 06/27/2006 1:33:28 AM PDT by Rummenigge (Divide et Impera)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies ]


To: Rummenigge
Perhaps "success and health" isn't the best translation of "Sieg Heil," but I'm not too far off.

I had always assumed that "Sieg Heil" was adapted from the medieval greeting "Sieg und Heil," which roughly translates as "victory and salvation." "Heil," related to the English word "heal," or, for that matter, "hail," can meean a cure, (as in Allheilsmittel--panacea, or cure-all) or salvatrion (as in Heilsarmee--Salvation Army,) and "Sieg" means a victory or win. I have read an account in which this expression was used, along with upraised right hands, to greet a Holy Roman emperor in the tenth century AD, so this practice probably did, indeed, come from the Romans.

But we can all be glad that about six decades ago, our soldiers, sailors, and fliers changed that "Sieg Heil" to "whatcha know, Joe?" and "give me some skin."

139 posted on 06/27/2006 8:28:55 AM PDT by Fiji Hill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 138 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson