The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-21
ThetMutual Kiss Of Affection Is Not
in Vogue, Among the'say-
ages.
paoadencea Of the Good Old GUS
tom or Kissing..An the
Women.
~
Nose Rings .Cpnduce to the ~Lapse-Tha
kiss osS the,Hand, the Robe
and the Feet.

Rsiohenhaoh' sought to explain it on the
theory that the m~outhswas the focus of his
fodic force and, that these W fool of OPP
posite sexes possesse dnatural attraction to
each other. The fact thatSthe mutual kiss
between opposite sexes is not general
amona.the tribes of men is a~oundantly
shownsby the observations OF travellers IN
theslands where savaaery and barbarlsm
still exist. Where it is now practiced 1t is
not probably of great antiquity. In some
languages, notably the Japanese, there is no
word for kiss, says the Popular Science
Monthly.
When, however, the kiss was introduced
to include women, its 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 daughter of King HenRist of
Friesland, instructed the insular Vortigern
in the imported salute. Though the Saxon
statistics are not probably exact. 1t is his
torical that in England, not many years
ago, it would have been the imperative
duty of a visitor to have kissed all the
ladies of the household, even without pre-.
enoe of many,surprissd literary foreigners.
notably Erasmus. The contemporary
drama showsathe usage to have lasted into
the Georgiani era. and 1t IS to De notlceo
that the performance was generally called Il
salute" sometime 'the salute"
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 Thes., v. 26). It.early passed into cere-
mony as the kiss of peace given to a newly
baptized convert, and in celebrating the
Euchrist. Bpt as it was found to nave some
qualities not adapted to religious and SPIT
itual use between the sexes it was ordered
that only men should KISS men and women
only women, The aw~kwardness of this
practice, or perhaps the experience that
promiscuous kissing. even when limited to
the same sex. was liable to convey con-
tapious diseases induced another amend
ment. by which the ceremonial kiss
in the Roman church was only passed
between the ministfa ants, and a 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 prac,
use BY one or both OF the sexes OF nose
rings or labrets, either of which would pre-
vent the approximation requisite. II such
use be not admitted as a'cause sufficient, it
at least affords evidence that the kiss was
not customary among the people by whom
nCSo-Iln2S anu ld0xOUo VIVIAN AAACCut
Prof. Dali gives instances where labrets
being common and the kiss unknown, the
tongues are protruded in affectionate sa-
lutte.
The kiss of the hand is undoubtedly an
Gent, and therefore 10 not derived from
that of the lips, but probably the converse
is true. The hand kiss is loosely asserted
to be developed from servile o~beisances in
which the earth, the foot, n the garments
were kissed, the hand and cheek succeeding
in order of time and approach to equality
of rank. But it is doubtful il that was
the actual order, and it is certain that at
the time when and kissing. began there
were less numerous gradations of rank
han at a later stage.
Kissing of the hands between men is men,
toned in the Old Testament, also by
Homer, Pliny and Lucian. The kiss WAS
applied r~everentially to sacred objects, such
as statues of the gods, as shown by ancient
etymologies, by that of the Latin word
adore; and it was also mataphorlcally ap-
piled by the inferior or worshiper kissing
his own hand and throwing the salute to
the superior or statue.
In republican Rome kissing the hands of
was more energetic than the emperors
could endure, and soon courtiers of even
important station were compelled to kneel
and with the right hand carry the hem of
the emperor's robe to their lips. Even this
became a too precious. or. through pro1-
unity, a too dangerous privilege, and they
were only allowed to salute at a distance by
kissing their own hands, as when they
adored the gods. The sign of Rone's de-
cadence has survived in tie locality.
The mouth kissing the hand. by which
Job described a species of idolatry, Is a
species of adulation practiced by every
bringing servant of Italy. When the actual
DroCtiooh ao eesuad IL survivao in nhrouoc
Austrian men %habitually say to one an
other, "Knss d'Hand!!" A variant form
was found among the Algonkins and Iro.
quois, as Chapman related, in 1922, that
"they kissed each his own hand, and then
placed it in mine"
times shown in the Orient when a seryan,
salutes a master, a son a father, or a wife
her husband by kissing the others hanc
either on back or palm, or both, and ther
carrying it to the kisser's forehead
Among the Malays the visitor ap
salute with his hands joined a
if in supplication, while the other touchel
them lightly with his own on either sid
and afterwards raises his hands to his lip
or to his forehead. These motions are sim
liar to the ceremonies i'll the feudal acts O
homage and fealty. The Micronesians
notably in the Pelew and Caroline islands
took up either the hand or foot of the par
ty respected n rubbed their own face
with it. Some religious sects-e. g.. tn
Dunkers-also kiss one another's feet afte
washing them.
The original concept expressed by tn
hand kiss WAS that of good" In yer
early times to possess what had a goo
taste WAS of the greatest importance t
man, and therefore n good taste was tn
symbol of any good thing or person
So, when practicable, the hand O
the person saluted was carried to the lip
to signify that he was good. This act j
naturally accompanied by the bowling o
good i'll all senses is to carry the han
to and from the lips with a pleasant ex
preston. The spontaneous expression q
deaf mutes ID much the same, signifyin
not only greeting but satisfaction
short, good. Their full sign is describe
as 'touch the lips with palm or ends of fin
gers pointing upward, then wave the hand
outward to the right and downward, turn
ing palm up" This ia a complete descrir
ton of kissing ones own hand, but it hf
no relation to the kiss BY the pairs of lip
automatic Manners.
But time changes minds as we'll az ma,
ners, though even now when maxi,
changes from one circle to another, it oftt
requires that a~daptability which could
said found in one who has automatic ma
ners. However, such radical changes n
only appear in drawing room reparte
street dress, etc., amsAg people, but also
mankind. Railroad travel 10 one instans
A few years ago, comparatively, ono had
consume much valuable time in an unce,
Portable way to make what is now thong