One of the reasons the Wakanda forever salute has had such a profound cultural impact is that it didn't come about by accident. According to Inverse, the salute has roots in ancient West African culture and modern-day American Sign Language. The gesture can mean either "love" or "hug" in ASL, and director Ryan Coogler likely incorporated it because of his wife and her experience with the ASL community.
While the meaning of the crossed arms has faded over time, some believe that it was a symbol of royalty in ancient West African cultures. Others think it's a symbol of death due to how Osiris, the god of death in Egyptian mythology, was often depicted. Given the fact that Wakandans have a strong, dynastic, and proud warrior culture, having them greet each other with a gesture that simultaneously means love, royalty, and death seems very fitting.
