Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-10-11
WHAT is A KISS?


BY Prof. Kristoffer Nyrop, of the
University of Copenhagen.
With most civilized and MANY un.
civilized people the kiss is the nat
ural expression of love and kindred
feelings
How is it then to be explained that
a kiss has come to be of such vast i'm
portance7 How is it that light touch
of the lips is able to express our in
most feelings more eloquently than
the words of any language
Is this to be considered something
primitive or something artificial and
conventional? II it as natural to kiss
when we love as to laugh when we are
| happy or cry when we are sad? In
other words, is Steele right when he
says that nature has taught us to kiss
and that nature" was the author of
the kiss aud that it began with the
first courtship2''
| shall try TO answer this question,
but | must advance the remark that
we here touch something of which we
cannot know anything definitely, and
that all We can do is to put forward
more or less plausible theories.
First, 1t is important to remember
that manv nations do not know the
kiss in its ordinary form. It is un
known in the greater part of Polyne-
sia, in Madagascar and among many
negro tribes in Africa, principally. of
course, among those who mutilate
their lips.
W. Reide tells of the terror of a
young negro girl when he kissed her.
1t is also unknown among the Pata-
gonians and the EskimOs, as well as
among the natives of part of Finland,
B. Taylor says in his IN orthern Ira
vel" that while in Finland men and
women may bathe together, kissing
is considered immoral and indecent.
When be told Finnish woman that
it was common in England for hus-
band and wife to kiss each other. she
replied Indignantly: "If my husband
dared try that l should box bis ears
SO that he would feel it for a week."
ii one then asks what takes the plf ce
of the kiss among these people, it
should be remembered that there are
an infinite number of greetings. Some
people slap each others hands or
stomachs, others blow on each others
hands, while still others scratch their
right ear and put out their tongues.
In many countries greetings are ex-
changed with the nose. This is the
so-callyd Malay kiss, which consists of
rubbing the noses together. This nose
greeting is found among the Polyne-
sions. Malays, Eskimos and negro
tribes in Africa-all people who do not
know the usual kiss.
1t seems that the nose greeting is a
very primitive custom. whose origin is
rooted in the sense of smelling.
Spencer says: "Tbe sheep brays to
Call back its little runaway lamb. 1t
shifts at several lambs gamboling
around it, and recognizes its own by
smelling it and rejoices at the reunion.
By repetit ion certain relation be-
tween the two factors is developed so
that the odor of the lamb gives rise to
a feeling of joy in the mother sheep.
AS every animal has it's own peculiar
odOr, tt US has also every human indi-
vidual. When Isaac, the patriarch.
grew old his eyesight grew dim and be
could not see. He wanted to bless his
old son, Esau. but Jacob deceived him
| by putting on his brothers clothes.
| Isaac then said to hin: Come nearer
my son, and kiss me' He smelled the
odor OF bis clothes and blessed MIN,
saving: 10 the odor of mY son is
like unto a field, blessed by the Lord"
To smell the peculiar odor of a hu-
man being whom one loves produces
joy. Timkowski writes of a Mongo-
liam father who from time to time
smelled his sons head. This with the
MOngolians is a sign of fatherly love.
10 the Philippl nes the sense of smell
in the natives is so acute that by
smelling handkerchief they can tel
to whom it belongs, and loving couples
who part give to each other pieces o.
their clothes and while away from each
other they remember each by smelling
them.
That the fine aroma arising from the
body of a beautiful woman plays {
very important part in the love affairs
in all nations is too we'll known to be
mentioned.
1t Is not very likely that the inspira-
tory muscular movement of the lipt
should be the natural physical reflex oi
a feeling of love, as for instance the
contraction of the muscles of the
brows may be the direct manifesto
tion of anger.
Neither do believe that the mere
touch Of the lips has primarily been
enough to say Il love you," but il
rather to be considered the means to
enjoy certain sensual feeling, way
of ENJOYING through the nerves of nose
and lips the peculiar odor of another
human being.