[Mithalwen]

It wasn' t a sign of a cross as used by Catholics and High Church Anglicans an d I think it was an invention of the filmamkers rather than Tolkien. I think Aragorn made a similar gesture in Lorien. It is a while since I saw the films, but I think it was clearly intended to be a sign of respect but I thought he touched his chest and brow and so took it to signify the person was in his heart and mind.

The visuals were possibly the most satisfactory aspect of the films and I have to say if it was a creation it was more appropriate to do so than impose modern western conventions. Better scholars than me may be able to tell you that this was in fact some ancient celtic custom or something but whatever the gesture is, it aint the sign of the cross though it was used in a situation in which that sign is used in parts of our culture (as a mark of respect to a corpse).