The Left Handshake

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In his book, “The Left Handshake” (1948) the foreword from the Chief Scout of the British Commonwealth and Empire writes

When Colonel Baden-Powell entered the capital city of the Ashanti people in 1890 he was met by one of the Chiefs who came to him holding out his left hand. B.-P. held out his right in return but the Chief said: “No, in my country the bravest of the brave shake with the left hand.” So began the “left handshake” of the world-wide brotherhood of Scouts.

According to the Ashanti warrior version of the story, then-Colonel Baden-Powell saluted them with his right hand, but the Ashanti chiefs offered their left hands and said, “In our land only the bravest of the brave shake hands with the left hand, because to do so we must drop our shields and our protection.” The Ashanti’s knew of Baden-Powell’s bravery because they had fought against him and with him, and they were proud to offer the left hand of bravery.

Another version of the story is that the left-handed handshake was a homage paid to Chief Kweku Andoh who was left-handed and had the tendency to shake hands with his left. Baden-Powell dedicated his account ‘The Downfall of Prempeh’ to him: “(Without His Permission). To Chief Andoh of Elmina. My Guide, Adviser and Friend”. Chief Kweku Andoh was the officer in the British Army that led the troops to Kumase when they captured Prempeh I and purportedly taught Baden-Powell how to scout in the jungle