A world of meaning in just one wobble!

When I first arrived in India my communication with the local people frequently resulted in confusion, frustration and dead ends. Much of this, I believe, can be attributed to the infamous Indian head wobble. See example:

Me: Is this the way to the YWCA?
Local: Head wobble
Me: Yes?
Local: Head wobble
Me: No?
Local: Head wobble
Me: Do you understand English?
Local: Head wobble
Me: I give up!

Other questions such as "Will the bus stop for breaks?" "Is this dish spicy?" "How are you?" "Does this bus go to Lucknow?" "Does the room have hot water?" "How far is it?" "Do I need to buy a ticket beforehand?" "Do you have this in another colour?" lead to similar exchanges.

For those of you not familiar with it, the head wobble is difficult to describe. A cross between a nod and a head shake; an oscillating, figure-of-eight like movement. It also takes different forms according to the meaning and person doing the wobbling.

I was quite bemused to discover that the Indian head wobble, much caricatured and mimicked in UK Asian comedies like the Kumars at No 5, is genuinely a universal and oft used gesture amongst Indian people. I learned today that it even has a name - which if my interpreting of Hindi script is correct, translates as ser heelana. Its absolute innateness to Indian culture was brought home to me when I saw a four year old boy at Chaya doing it! Indians it seems, are born wobbling their heads.

So what does the head wobble, or bobble as I have also seen it termed, mean? Well….virtually anything; hello, goodbye, yes, no, maybe, thank you, you're welcome, I see/understand, really?!, no way!, I approve, I give permission, I know, I don't know…and so on. As you become accustomed to it you start to be able to read the subtle nuances that denote its different uses;"A fast and continuous head wobble means that the person really understands. The more vigorous the wobbling, the more understanding there is. A quick wobble from side to side means "yes" or "alright". A slow soft wobble, sometimes accompanied by a smile, is a sign of friendship." [Sharell Cook, About.com, 2009]

I have come to realise that it is also used as a substitute for the polite phrases such as 'please', 'you're welcome', 'no problem', which I initially found sorely lacking in India. There can be a gentleness, a softness to it - and whilst it may not convey a hearty and enthusiastic welcome, perhaps more importantly communicates, "I mean you no harm or offense" (see below). Of course it can be used in a dismissive, 'I am just fobbing you off', or 'I cant' be bothered' way too. But then, I have found that this can work to my advantage - two can play that game!

Apparently its use also varies according to region; the southern Indians being more avid users of the head wobble than their northern counterparts. I can't say that I have noticed much variation in the areas that I have traveled to…but I am now even keener to visit the south to check out this claim.

I was also curious as to its origins. Where did the head wobble come from; for how long have inhabitants of the subcontinent been bobbling their heads in this manner? And who can lay claim to its inception? Did the Huns bring it with them, or was it the Guptas, or given its prominence in the south, perhaps its genesis lies with the Cholas? Were Emperor Ashoka's armies commanded with a wobble of his head; was Buddha head bobbling as he sought nirvana, did Shah Jahan give a wobble of admiring approval on the completion of his Taj Mahal?

A quick search on google revealed very little (other than that many other people have blogged on the subject!). There was one site that suggested it originated from snake charmers who apparently "charm cobras not with their flute, but with the movement of their head, which mesmerizes the cobra and translates to 'I am of no threat to you'" (www.harrykey.com/blogs). Hmmm, sounds a little spurious to me, but I guess there could be something in it.

Much to my amusement this gesture, which I initially found baffling and sometimes highly irritating, has become my new favourite mannerism. Yep, I am a total convert to the Indian head wobble. It's just so versatile and, perhaps even more expressive than the French people's Gaelic shrug. With just one gesture you can convey a range of meanings - all subtly different. For example, when you see an auto rickshaw driver on the other side of the road - with a couple of head wobbles each, you can communicate, 'I need an auto', 'Yes, ok I will wait for you', 'thank you', 'no problem' (well, almost)!.

So ingrained is it becoming that I am even finding myself head wobbling when I am on my own, in response to radio programmes, my own thoughts etc….maybe that's a bit worrying…. [head wobble]….or maybe not?