Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-04-07
HISTORY OF THE KISS.

tribes of men is abundantly shown by
the observations of travellers in the
lands where savagcry and barbarism
still exist Where it is now practiccd,
says the Popular Science Monthly, it is
not probably of great antiquity. In
some languages, notably the Japanese,
there is no word for kiss.
When, however, the kiss was intro
duced to include women, it's vogue, like
that of other new inventions, was carried
to excess. According to the chronicle of
Winsenius, it was unknown in England
until the Princess Rowena, the daugh-
ter of King Hengist, of Fricsland, in
structed the insular Vortigern in the
imported salute.
Though the Saxon statistics are not
probably exact, it is historical that in
England, not SO many years ago, it
would have been the imperative duty of
visitor to have kissed all the ladies of
the household, even without previous
acquaintance. Such was the experience
of many surprised literary foreigners,
notably Erasmus.
The history of the early Christian
church affords instruction on this topic.
AT first the kiss was an adopted sign Of
fellowship: "Greet all the brethren with
holy kiss" Il. Thess., v. 2G). 1t early
passed into ceremony as the kiss of
peace given to newly baptized convert,
and in celebrating the Eucharist. But as
it was found to have some qualities not
adapted to religious and spiritual use
between the sexes, it was ordered that
only men should kiss men and women
only women.
VIII %
perhaps the experience of promiscuous
kissing, even when limited to the same
SEX was liable to convey contagious
diseases, induced another amendment,
by which the ceremonial kiss in the
Roman church was only passed between
the ministrants, and relic or cross
called the osculatorium or pax was
passed to the people for their lips.
1t may perhaps be suggested that one
reason for the very long delay in the
practice of the mutual kiss was in the
general use by one or both of the sexes
Of nose rings or labrets, either of which
would prevent the approximation re-
quisite. If such use be not admitted as
cauSa Sufticicns, it at least affords evil
dence that the kiss was not customary
among the people by whom nose rings
and labrets were worn. Indeed, Prof.
Dali gives instances where, labrets be-
ing common and the kiss unknown, the
tongues are protruded in affectionato
salute.
The kiss OF the hand is undoubtedly
ancient, and therefore is not derived
from tnat of the lips, but probably tho
converse is true. The hand kiss is
loosely asserted to develop from servile
obcisanccs in which the earth, the foot
and the garments were Kissed, the hand
and check succeeding in order of time
and approach to equality of rank.
But it is doubtful if that was the act
ual order, and 1T is certain that at the
time when hand kissing began there
wcro less numerous gradations of rank
than Mt latter stage.
Kissing of the hands between men is
mentioned in the Old Testament. also
by Homer, Pliny and Lucian. The kiss
was applied to sacred objects,
such as statues of the gods, as shown
ny ancient works of art, and also among
ancient ctymologists, by that of the
Latin word adore; and it was also met
aphorically applied by the inferior or
worshipcr kissing his own hand and
throwing the salute to the superior or
statue.
The mouth kissing the hand, by which
Job described Il species of idolatry, is n
species of adulation practiced by every
bringing servant in Italy. When the
actual practice has ceased it survives in
phrases, Austrian men habituallly say
TO one another: "Kuss d'ITand" A va
RANT form was found among the AL
gonlSins and Iroquois, rs Chapman re-
lated, in 1922, that "thcy kissed each
his own hand and then placed it in
mine"
Affection, together with respect, is
sometimes shown in the orient when a
servant sGlutcs IL master, Il son q ia
thor, or wife her husband by kissing
tho others hand either on back or palm,
or both, and then carrying it to the
kisscrs forehead. Among the Malays
tho visitor approaches the man he wish