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Kiss

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For other uses, see Kiss (disambiguation).
The Kiss by Francesco Hayez, 19th century.

A kiss (from Old English cyssan "to kiss," in turn from coss "a kiss," perhaps onomatopoeic) is the touching with the lips. The scientific name for kissing is osculation.

Origins

Anthropologists have not reached a consensus as to whether kissing is a learned or an instinctive behavior. It may be related to grooming behavior also seen between other animals, or arising as a result of mothers premasticating [1] food for their children. Kissing allows prospective mates to smell and taste each other's pheromones for biological compatibility. Women are subconsciously more attracted to men whose major histocompatibility complex portion of their genome is different than her own, leading to offspring with resistance to a greater number of diseases, and thus having a better chance of survival. [2] [3] [4] This explains why couples are more likely to bond if they have the right "chemistry". Many non-human primates also exhibit kissing behavior.[5]

Kissing as affection

File:A romantic kiss.jpg
A couple kiss for a wedding photo.

In modern Western culture, kissing is most commonly an expression of affection. This is unlike many parts of the world where kissing is viewed as a means of respecting others.

Between people of close acquaintance, a kiss, often reciprocal, is offered as a greeting or farewell. This kind of kiss is typically made by brief contact of puckered lips to the skin of the cheek or no contact at all, and merely performed in the air near the cheek with the cheeks touching. Such kissing is a common greeting in European and Latin American countries between a man and a woman or between two women but also by two men in part of the Middle East[6] and parts of Europe and Latin America. People sometimes kiss children to comfort them or show affection, and vice versa. This usually takes place on the forehead or cheek.

As an expression of romantic affection or sexual desire, kissing involves two people kissing one another on the lips, usually with much more intensity, and for a considerably longer period of time. In more passionate kissing couples may open their mouths, suck on each other's lips, or move their tongues into each others' mouths (see French kiss). Sexual kissing may also involve one person kissing another on various parts of the body (see Foreplay).

In romantic and sexual kissing, the physical sensations are often of primary importance. One might find it stimulating if their partner moved their tongue in small circles against their own, or bite the lips gently. Caution should be exercised, as others may find the biting of lips distasteful and displeasing, not enjoying it.


Kissing as symbolism

File:Kissing.jpg
A symbolic kiss

When not an expression of affection, a kiss is a largely symbolic gesture in that the purpose of the kiss is to convey a meaning, such as salutations or subordination, rather than to experience the physical sensations associated with kissing. Kisses on the cheek as salutations are traditional in many parts of continental Europe, and the number of kisses, alternating cheeks, depends on which region one comes from.

Kissing may also be used to signify reverence and subordination, as in kissing the ring of a queen or other figure. A kiss can also be rude or done for the sake of irritating or proving one's superiority.

A more ominous use of the kiss is as a symbol of condemnation as may be observed when a crime lord kisses an underling, in effect imposing a death sentence upon that person, the ultimate "goodbye kiss" or the "kiss of death".{cn} Indeed, in the Bible, Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss.

The term Kissing Hands is used to formally describe the appointment of the senior state figures to office by British monarchs. Though in the past, the monarch's hand was actually kissed, this is no longer so. When figures such as the British Prime Minister, cabinet members and diplomatics are formally appointed, they are said to have Kissed Hands. (Kissing the hand is still practised as a romantic flourish, especially in Latin countries.)

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, kissing is a sign of veneration or respect. People kiss icons to show their veneration to the person depicted in the icon. When a layman meets a priest, he holds out his hands and says "Father, bless". The priest will then bless him and hold out his hand for the layman to kiss. During the Divine Liturgy, the congregants come to the front of the church to kiss the Book of the Gospels and the blessing Cross at various parts of the service (after kissing these the congregants also kiss the priest's hand). Congregants also kiss the chalice and the priest's hand after receiving Holy Communion, to show their respect to the Body and Blood of Christ.

Kissing the hand of a religious leader is often observed among Shia or Sufi followers of Islam too.

Man kissing boy
Miyagawa Isshō, ca. 1750; One of ten panels on shudo themes from a shunga-style painted hand scroll. Private collection.

When someone has done something magnificent for another person, that person may sometimes say, "I could just Kiss you!" because of their gratefulness, and not actually do it or in some cases do it.

Other uses

The term is also used for expressions of affection that do not involve the lips. The "Eskimo kiss" is executed by the two individuals gently rubbing the tips of their noses together. In the Māori culture of New Zealand people greet each other by pressing noses together; this gesture is called a hongi. A "butterfly kiss" consists of two people putting their eyes close to each other and fluttering their eyelashes upon one another's.{cn} A caterpillar kiss consists of two people rubbing their eyebrows together.

The kiss does not exist in all cultures, as certain societies find it repugnant.[citation needed]In Burmese Days, George Orwell notes that the Burmese do not kiss at all, and have no word for the practice.

A kiss can be "blown" using actions of the hand and the mouth. This is used to convey affection usually while parting, when the partners are physically distant but can view each other. Blown kisses are also used when a popular person wishes to convey affection to a large crowd or audience.

Asymmetry in kissing

To avoid a clash of noses while kissing, couples often turn their faces slightly to one side, thereby orienting their heads at an angle with respect to each other. To make this position more comfortable, one member of the couple may support the other, perhaps across the lap or in an embrace—thus combining hugging with kissing. The person supporting the other may tend to take the more active role in the kiss. Writing in Nature, psychologist Onur Güntürkün observed couples kissing in public places such as airports and parks; his research demonstrated that by a 2:1 ratio the direction of turn is more frequently to the right than to the left. Güntürkün ascribed this asymmetry to a neonatal right-side preference [1].

The anatomy of kissing

Kissing is a complex behaviour that requires significant muscular coordination; in fact, a total of twenty muscles working cooperatively. The most important muscle involved is the orbicularis oris muscle, which is used to pucker the lips and informally known as the kissing muscle. The tongue can also be an important part of the kiss.

The Kiss by Gustav Klimt.

Screen kiss

A screen kiss is one portrayed in a film (the equivalent act in a play is known as a stage kiss). The plot of a film or play may involve characters falling in love with each other, but the actors playing this role might not have any personal relationship with each other whatsoever. Because sharing a kiss is a private, emotive experience for many people, actors often report kissing to be one of the most difficult aspects of their profession, in that it requires them to convey the feeling of passion and love when none is present.

Young actors and actresses in particular may find screen kisses embarrassing and require time to accustom themselves to the task at hand. In the case of some sitcoms who utilize a laugh track or film the show in front of live audiences, whenever a popular male lead shares a kiss with an equally popular female lead, the audience reacts with a collective "OoooooOOOOOooooh!" in a somewhat teasing fashion. This is an example of a typical sitcom audience reaction.

Notable kisses

In history

  • At the Diocleia festival at Megara in honour of Diocles, lover of Philolaus, a kissing contest was held in which boys would kiss a male judge, who awarded a laurel wreath to the boy he deemed the best kisser.[7]
  • In the gospels, Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss on the cheek—a subversive use of the kiss.
  • The Romans distinguished three types of kiss: osculum, a friendship kiss on the cheek; basium, a kiss of affection on the lips; and suavium (also known as savium), a lovers' deep kiss.
  • Lord Nelson, British naval commander, famously requested "Kiss me, Hardy", as he lay dying (although they were not, as often reported, his last words).

Folklore

In art

File:Lesymuralccsf.JPG
A lesbian couple shown kissing in a mural at CCSF
  • Andy Warhol made an avant-garde film, the kiss, closeups of couples kissing.
  • The French photographer Robert Doisneau shot a couple kissing by the Hotel de Ville (Paris) in 1950. The photo, later called "The Kiss," is now considered a classic, a fact one couple alleging to be the subjects of the photo attempted to exploit in their unsuccessful 1990s lawsuit against the photographer.
  • Tanya Chalkin's Kiss, a black-and-white photo of two young women embracing, has become something of a pop culture icon in recent years.

In film

  • The Kiss, an 1896 film is famous for creating controversy over the filming of what was then considered a strictly private act.
  • In Lady and the Tramp, as Lady and Tramp simultaneously eat a spaghetti noodle from opposite ends, their lips meet in the middle. Homages to and parodies of this scene have appeared in several movies, including Hot Shots! Part Deux.
  • In The Princess Bride, the narrator comments on Westley and Buttercup's kiss: "Since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind."
  • In the 1989 animated disney film, The Little Mermaid, Sebastian sings "Kiss the Girl" to Ariel and Prince Eric in an attempt to break the spell put upon Ariel.
  • In The Godfather: Part II, Michael Corleone gives an unnaturally aggressive kiss on the mouth to his brother, Fredo, effectively telling him that he is disowned from the family because he betrayed its interests. Michael has Fredo killed. This kiss has been called by mafia movie fans as "the kiss of death."
  • In the first Spider-Man film, Mary-Jane Watson kisses her hero as he is suspended upside down from a web.
  • In the Italian movie Cinema Paradiso, the lead character Salvatore was watching a reel he inherited from a friend, the projectionist Alfredo, with all the famous cinema kissing montage that was cut because of censure.
  • One of the most famous movie kisses is the scene in Titanic, with Kate Winslet's arms being raised in the air as she kisses Leonardo DiCaprio.

In the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, several of the characters kiss numerous times. The most notable are when Will and Elizabeth kiss on Fort Charles at sunset on Curse of the Black Pearl, when Will and Elizabeth kiss after being reunited on the Isla Cruses and when Elizabeth kisses Jack to distract him while she handcuffs him to the mast, both in Dead Man's Chest, and when Will kisses Elizabeth during battle twice in At World's End - one before he proposes to her and another after they are married.

In theatre

  • In William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, Romeo first greets Juliet with an exchange of metaphors stating that he wants to kiss her. Romeo starts by comparing Juliet to a shrine that his "unworthiest hands" are defiling by touching, and his lips to "two blushing pilgrims" who want to make it up to her. Juliet retorts that Romeo, as a pilgrim, should not degrade his hands as "hand-to-hand is holy palmers kiss," meaning they Juliet (saint) and Romeo (pilgrim) can "kiss" hand to hand. Romeo asks why pilgrims and saints can't use their lips, and Juliet responds that saints must use them in prayer. Romeo then gets his kisses by saying that their lips should do what praying hands do (come together). Juliet gives in, but playing the saint, she will not move.

In music

In photography

File:Vj day kiss.jpg
The famous Life Magazine photograph taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt

Trivia

  • The longest recorded kiss took place in New York City, USA, on December 5, 2001, between Louisa Almedovar and Rich Langley. It lasted 30 hours, 59 minutes and 27 seconds.[8]
  • Kissing is the name of a town in Germany between Augsburg and Munich.
  • In written correspondence a kiss has been represented by the letter 'X' since at least 1763.[9]
  • In internet and IRC chat, kiss is expressed by the characters xx or the :-* smiley.
  • The sound effect "chu" usually symbolizes a kiss in Japan.
  • In Swedish "kiss" means pee.
  • In Slang Arabic "kiss" means the female reproductive organ.
  • K.I.S.S = Keep It Simple Stupid.
  • In Kyrgyzstan, a couple was once arrested while kissing because officials did not approve of their physical appearances.
  • In India, an arrest warrant was issued by a court against Richard Gere for kissing actress Shilpa Shetty
  • Kissing was a sport in the ancient olympic games

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kiss.

Wikiquote has quotations related to Kissing.

Notes

  1. ^ http://www.langmaker.com/db/Premastication
  2. ^ Santos, PS (2005). "New evidence that the MHC influences odor perception in humans: a study with 58 Southern Brazilian students". Hormones & Behavior. 47: 384–388. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Wedekind, C. (1995). "MHC-dependent mate preferences in humans". Proceedings: Biological Sciences. 260 (1359): 245–249. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ Fiore, Kristina (October 2, 2006). "Why do humans kiss?". Scienceline. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "How animals kiss and make up". BBC News. October 13, 2003. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Manwatching by Desmond Morris, ISBN
  7. ^ Theocritus, Idyll 12:30
  8. ^ The International World Record Breakers' Club: The World Record for the Longest Kiss
  9. ^ "Oxford English Dictionary - X". Oxford University press. 1999. Retrieved 2007-02-01.
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