Random Points In History Where Humans Didn't Kiss (11 items)

• 

  (#5) Kissing Is Described In Numerous Ancient Texts In Various Cultures

  The Kama Sutra is not the only text to depict kissing. Homer, the famous Greek poet, described King Priam kissing the warrior Achilles's hand to beg for his son's body back. Another Greek writer, Herodotus, talks about Persians kissing each other in order of rank. It is in the Old Testament, too, when Jacob kisses his father and steals his brother's birthright.

  In India, one poem from around 1000 BCE described romantic kissing as such: "She set her mouth to my mouth and made a noise and that produced pleasure in me."
• 

  (#6) The Romans May Have Made Kissing More Widespread

  The Greeks may have learned about kissing from the Indians, but the Romans really took it to the next level. The Romans kissed everyone: partners, children, parents, superiors. They had very specific rules and designations for these different types of kisses, as well. According to Psychology Today: "They distinguished a kiss on the hand or cheek (osculum) from a kiss on the lips (basium) and a deep or passionate kiss (savolium)."

  With these terms in place, the Romans could transcend kissing boundaries and practice all sorts of kissing, from the strictly platonic to the sensually passionate.    
• 

  (#10) A Few Of The Cultures That Don't Kiss View It As 'Disgusting'

  There is a range of perceptions about kissing in cultures that do not partake in the practice, and those can fluctuate anywhere from mild curiosity to absolute disgust. A good example comes from the "Human Relations Area Files" at Yale University:

  The Tsonga people of Southern Africa are also openly disgusted by the practice: 'Kissing was formerly entirely unknown… When they saw the custom adopted by the Europeans, they said laughingly: 'Look at these people! They suck each other! They eat each other's saliva and dirt!' Even a husband never kissed his wife.'

  Another group that doesn't totally get the appeal of kissing is the Mehinaku tribe of Brazil, who called the practice "gross." In some cultures, the idea of kissing one's spouse on the mouth is seen as "a ludicrous infantilization," as these parents often kiss only their children. 
• 

  (#2) In Some Cultures, Kissing Is Seen As A Sign Of Respect, Not Romance

  For some cultures, the primary function of kissing can is to show social status and deference. In places where romantic kissing is uncommon, like among certain cultural groups in Central America, kissing is seen as a sign of respect. In the Ethiopian highland community of Amhara, some relatives kiss on the cheeks after being away for a while, and some kiss in order of status (those higher up in society are kissed first). Servants and children kiss the feet of their higher-ups and elders.

  In these cultures, kissing is first and foremost a show of respect and will most likely not be practiced romantically.   
• 

  (#8) Kissing Returned At The End Of The 11th Century, More Romantic Than Ever

  Luckily, the kissing drought did not last long, and the well was replenished in the 11th century with the rise in popularity of courtly love. Specifically, romantic love that individuals found - not arranged courtships. The tale of Romeo and Juliet is emblematic of such a turn in thought.

  The play "sought to remove courtship from the control of family and society and celebrate romantic love as a liberating, self-determining, and potentially subversive force," according to Psychology Today. 
• 

  (#4) There's Discussion Of Kissing In Several Ancient Sanskrit Texts – And There's A Whole Chapter On It In The 'Kama Sutra'

  Ancient Vedic texts from India, some dating from 1,500 BCE, describe what amounts to an early form of kissing, and the epic poem Mahabharata from 400 BCE also references smooching. However, it's the Kama Sutra, an erotic Indian text that dates back to anywhere between the 2nd and 5th centuries, that really goes into detail on kissing. The ancient Sanskrit manual for intimate pleasure has an entire chapter dedicated to the practice of kissing.

  It is postulated that romantic kissing was brought to the Greeks by Alexander the Great after he invaded India back in 326 BCE and must have witnessed or heard of the practice. With a manual on hand, it isn't surprising that people began exploring kissing and its pleasurable benefits. 

New Random Displays    Display All By Ranking