The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-04-30
HISTORY OF THE KISS.
The Practice Of Osculation and Its
Inception.


Inception.
Kissing Not In Vogue Among Savage
Tribes - Different Kinds OF Kisses
and Their Special Significance
Some Queer Customs.
The fact that the mutual kiss between
opposite sexes is not general among the
tribes Of men Is abundantly shown by
the observations of travellers in the
lands where savagery and barbarian
still exist. Where it is now practiced,
says the Popular Science Monthly, It Il
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, 1t was unknown In England
until the Princess Rowena. the daugh-
ter Of King Hengist, Of Friesland. 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, II
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
q holy kiss" Il. Thess., Y. 28). It early
passed into ceremony as the kiss OF
peace given to a newly baptized convert,
and in celebrating the Eucharist. But a.
1t 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.
The awkardness of this practice, or
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 tho
Roman church was only passed between
the ministrants, and q relic or cross
called the osculatorium or pax was
passed to the people for their lips.
It 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. II such use be not admitted as
. causa suficiens, it at least affords evi.
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 affectionate
salute.
The kiss Of the hand is undoubtedly
ancient, and therefore is not derived
from that of the lips, but probably the
converse is true. The hand kiss is
loosely asserted to develop from servile
obeisances in which the earth, the foot
and the garments were kissed, the hand
and cheek succeeding in order of time
and approach to equality Of rank.
But it is doubtful If that was the act
ual order, and it is certain that at the
time when hand kissing began there
were less numerous gradations Of rank
than at latter stage.
Kissing Of the hands between men Is
mentioned in the Old Testament, also
by Homer, Pliny and Lucian. The kiss
was applied reverently to sacred objects,
such as statues Of the gods, as shown
by ancient works of art, and also among
ancient etymologists, by that Of tho
Latin word adore; and it was also met
aphorically applied by the inferior or
worshiper kissing his own hand and
throwing the salute to the superior or
statue.
The mouth kissing the hand, by which
Job described q species Of idolatry, Is a
species Of adulation practiced by every
cringing servant in Italy. When the
actual practice has ceased it survives in
phrases. Austrian men habituallly say
to one another: "Kuss d'H.andr A va
RANT form was found among the Al
gonkins and Iroquois, as Chapman re-
lated, in 1922. that "thcy kissed each
his own hand and then placed It in
mine."
Affection, together with respect, 10
sometimes shown in the orient when q
servant salutes a master, q son q ia
Their. or wife her husband by kissing
the others hand either on back or palm.
or both, and then carrying 1t to the
kisser's forehead Among the Malays
the visitor approaches the man he wish
es to salute with his hands joined a. II
in duplication, while the other touches
them lightly with his own on the other
side, and afterward raises his hands to
his lips or forehead.
These motions are similar to the cere-
monies in the feudal acts Of homage and
fealty. The Micronesians, notably in
the Pelew and Caroline islands, took mp
either the hand or foot Of the party re-
spected, and rubbed their own faces
with It. Some religious sects-e. g., tho
Dunkers-also kiss one another's feet
after washing them.
The original concept expressed by the
hand kiss was that Of good" In very
early times to possess what had . good
taste was Of the greatest importance to
man, and therefore good taste was the
symbol Of any good thing or person. So.
when practicable, the hand OF the per.
son saluted was carried to the lips to
signify that he was good.
This act is naturally accompanied By
the bowling Of the head The common
gesture sign for good" In all senses n
to carry the hand to and from the lips
with pleasant expression. The spon.
taneous expression of deaf mutes 10
much the same. signifying not only
greeting, but satisfaction, in short
good.
Their full sign is described as ''touch
the lips with palms or ends of the fin
gers pointing upwards, then wave the
hands outward to the right and down.
ward, turning palm up" This is com.
plete description Of kissing ones own
hand, but it has no relation to the kiss
by the pairs Of lips.
volapuk Threatened.
~