This cultural and historical guide examines the meaning, rituals, and even the sounds of kissing. It traces how people define a kiss, from simple mouth-to-mouth contact to its many symbolic roles in love, peace, and friendship. Drawing on literature, folklore, and cross‑cultural observations, the book explains how kisses have been described, studied, and ritualized through the ages.

Readers will encounter discussions of linguistic terms, poetic definitions, and the different kinds of kisses people have used to express emotion. The work also looks at the playful and serious sides of kissing, including how sound, scent, and touch contribute to the kiss as a human action and a social gesture.

How the act has been defined and described across languages and eras
How sounds and movements have been analyzed as part of the kiss
Different kinds of kisses used to express affection, respect, and greeting
Myths, folklore, and literary examples that center on the kiss

Ideal for readers of cultural history, linguistics, and folklore who want a clear, approachable overview of one of humanity’s oldest gestures.

About the Author

Kristoffer Nyrop (1858 in Kopenhagen; April 1931 in Copenhagen) was a Danish Romanist and Philologist.

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