Peter's curious world 'The Kiss'
'A kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh'…as the song goes. But is it? Could the sigh come from the blissful arousal engendered by the kiss? Can there be more to a kiss than the usual peck on the right cheek then the left; or, sometimes, right, left and right again. This is the usual, informal greeting between women, and men and women; men more formally, shake hands and sometimes give a bear hug. These kisses are between friends and acquaintances and are not normally intended to express any kind of emotion. So what originated this (pleasant?) custom of lip kisses; where did it come from and when; why do women wear lipstick and why do we use an X to signify a kiss? All may be revealed, but not to be taken too seriously!
Perhaps the most beautiful depiction of a kiss is the life-sized painting of that name by the Austrian artist, Gustav Klimt. (pictured) Painted between 1902 and 08, the embracing couple appear entwined as one, their exotic garments richly embellished with gold leaf, silver and platinum. He holds her head, her eyes closed, seemingly in an ecstasy of spiritual and erotic love. Strangely, he is kissing her on the right cheek, not her lips. The painting is often called 'The Lovers', but are they, perhaps, brother and sister? I had always thought that a kiss on the lips signified somewhat closer, more intimate feelings, or a sea change in a relationship.
I cannot find out who this couple were. But Klimt made several paintings in this style after a visit to Ravenna where he was influenced by the richly coloured paintings and mosaics of the Byzantine period, where gold, red and blue enhance the visual effect. No kisses here, though, as far as I remember having seen them some years ago.
It is generally agreed that long before we humans arrived, some animals, both male and female, especially birds, had developed regurgitation to feed their young. Tapping the beak of the parent signified a need for food which resulted in very close 'beak' proximity. Just recently, the chicks of the Pallas long-tailed bat which feeds on nectar have been filmed licking their mothers' lips in order to get a sweet and tasty meal. In fact, the Herring gull developed a red spot on the underside of its beak for the chick to aim at in order to get food, also the species of penguins known as 'Rockhoppers' have developed a bright orange beak. Could this be the origin of women wearing lipstick as a form of attraction because beak tapping was used by males on females when they were trying to attract a partner? Other methods of attraction were intricate dances, plumage displays such as the peacock, and the 'home-making' bower bird; both sexes are known to 'dress up' to attract a mate.
From beak tapping (or rubbing) may have evolved nose rubbing as a form of greeting, still practised by the Inuit and Maori races. The Vedic Sanskrit texts of 1,500 BC describe the early form of kissing by rubbing noses which one writer suggested may have developed into lip kissing because on a wet day their noses slipped, their lips met and they found the sensation pleasurable! At any rate, 500 years later the poem MAHABHARAVA refers to 'lip kissing'. By 500AD the kissing techniques (and various others besides!) described in the Khama Sutra had spread all over the Roman World as had the custom of sealing a contract with an X if the witness was illiterate, but then had to kiss the X to prove the veracity of his statement; hence the origin of the 'X' to represent a kiss. Another kind of kiss happens between male and female birds. Each have a small opening which serves both as a digestive and reproduction system. The passing of sperm from one to the other lasts only a few seconds and is known as the 'cloaca' kiss.
Amongst young people the back of the envelope containing a love letter would carry the letters SWALK, 'sealed with a loving kiss' .Yes, the kiss has come a long way since its beak- tapping for food and to find a mate origins, through to the famous 'Hollywood' kiss, but, happily it seems still able to send a significant message to the recipient!
I try to make my articles amusing, informative and sometimes food for thought. Comments, please to petercalpe@gmail.com