Hi xemion,
It's not too weird a question -- certainly no weirder than "Why do
Eskimo people stay there?"
"Why do Eskimo people stay there?" (18-Apr-1980)
The Straight Dope
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_091.html
The basic answer is that kissing on the lips is not a natural thing,
and that Eskimos (hereinafter, Inuit) traditionally did not kiss with
their lips at all, though now they do.
A page on Inuit culture explains: "Inuit used to kunik, which is
functionally exactly like a kiss. It entails placing one's nose (side
by side, not tip to tip) against that of a loved one, kind of rubbing
and sniffing simultaneously. These days, Inuit usually kiss with their
lips, reserving kunik for children."
"Background info on the Inuit"
Real due South
http://www.realduesouth.com/Nation-InuitInfo.htm
See also:
"Inuit Culture: The Kivalliq Region", by Peter Ernerk [scroll about
halfway down the page]
The Nunavut Handbook
http://www.arctictravel.com/chapters/incultpage.html
I've found a few pages that describe the current scientific thinking
that kissing is a learned behavior.
"The Kiss"
Washington State University Virtual Campus
http://www.wsu.edu:8001/vcwsu/commons/topics/culture/behaviors/kissing/kissing-essay.html
"Kiss: The Possible Origins of Kissing", by flamingweasel [who,
despite the name, writes authoritatively] (May 03 2001) [scroll about
halfway down the page]
Everything2
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=kiss
"The Science of Kissing", by Edward Willett (2001)
Edward Willett's Intergalactic Library
http://www.edwardwillett.com/Columns/kissing.htm
Um, well, as to part (b), I don't think I can post one of the sites,
because of the racy subject matter. (Academic, but racy.) You can
try searching on Google for "the mouth is not a sexual object" to find
one suggestion that the Inuit do not use their mouths during sex. A
second page, while dealing with some of the same subject matter, seems
okay to post -- at least the title is a bit more sedate. This page is
flippant on the subject, but does note seriously that "Eskimos put
their noses in close proximity to inhale the breath of a loved one.
... Eskimos find that inhaling the breath of a lover is erotic." I'm
not sure how the author knows this, but it's another piece of
evidence.
"Kissing -- Lip-Smacking Good" (excerpt from "Guide to Getting It On",
by Paul Joannides (4/5/00) [scroll 2/3 down the page to "Eskimo Pies &
Eskimo Kisses: Kissing in Other Cultures"]
Clean Sheets
http://www.cleansheets.com/archive/archarticles/howto_04.05.00.html
That's it for me: I'm turning red from embarrassment!
- justaskscott
Search terms used:
eskimos kissing
eskimos kiss
inuit kissing
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inuit kunik
kiss "learned behavior"
kissing "learned behavior" |
