Historian Katie Barclay's new book 'The Kiss: A History of Passion and Power' traces the shifting meanings of kissing from medieval Europe to the present day, highlighting how this intimate gesture has always been entwined with power, politics, and social norms.
From the Kiss of Peace to Foot-Kissing Humiliation
Barclay begins in medieval Europe with the osculum pacis, or kiss of peace, a lip-to-lip kiss shared between powerful men to conclude legal or diplomatic negotiations. Based on medical beliefs that breath carried the spirit, such kisses were thought to mingle souls. Vassals and lords also kissed in fealty, and worshippers in church. However, as the wealthy grew uncomfortable kissing servants, churches introduced the pax, a ritual object to kiss instead.
Not all symbolic kisses were egalitarian. The foot kiss could both venerate and degrade. In 911, Viking leader Rollo was forced to kiss the Frankish king's foot as part of a peace treaty. The appalled warrior refused to bow, sending a proxy who reportedly grabbed the king's foot so violently he tipped him backward.
The Disappearance of Social Kissing and the Rise of Romantic Love
By the 18th century, the day-to-day kissing Erasmus observed in 1499 England had vanished. Men shook hands, though many women still kissed. Close male friends continued to greet with lip kisses in an era of affectionate male friendship. By the late 19th century, lip-kissing became almost exclusively associated with romantic love and sex, as kisses of fealty and peace faded.
Public kissing did not disappear entirely. In 1908, a diphtheria outbreak led the London County Council to ban kissing games in schools. Parenting advice in the 1920s sparked debates about kissing children; American behaviorist John Watson warned in 1928 of 'dangers lurking in the mother's kiss,' arguing it led to coddling. By 1930, health-conscious mothers embroidered 'do not kiss me' on infants' bibs.
Sexual Anxieties and Political Kisses
Anxieties about sex kept kissing in the spotlight. In 1934, the Hays Code banned 'excessive and lustful' kisses, as well as interracial and same-sex ones, from Hollywood films. In the 1970s, gay civil rights activists held 'kiss-ins' to reclaim queer love and tenderness. During the Aids epidemic, the kiss gained radical potential amid misinformation about transmission.
Today, debate centers on consent. In 2023, former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales kissed captain Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain's World Cup victory, sparking international outrage. He was found guilty of sexual assault. As Barclay's book reminds us, even spontaneous kisses are shot through with power and politics.
'The Kiss' is richly illustrated with examples, though its academic style may not suit readers seeking fast-paced narrative. Barclay's central point remains persuasive: 'when we kiss, we kiss with the weight of history.'
