A Brief History
On July 16, 1439, the Parliament of King Henry VI of England issued a proclamation banning kissing.
Digging Deeper
This ban of something we now think of as being so personal was in response to yet another outbreak of plague. This particular plague was probably not the bubonic plague which caused an epidemic known as the Black Death in which entire populations were wiped out.
In those years, the word “plague” was a general term used to describe any infectious malady that spread rampantly.
So, was the Government getting involved in the personal matter of affection between two lovers or a man and his wife? Not really. In actuality the ban was more directed at ritual kissing and kissings of greetings, both of which had their origins in the Christian religion. One fitting excerpt from the New Testament reads, “Greet one another with a holy kiss”.
This “kiss of peace” became a traditional Christian greeting which still remains in the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Most Protestant churches have done away with it after early reformist believed the practice would lead to one wanting to seek other pleasures of the flesh. In these churches and cultures, the ritualistic “kiss of peace” has been replaced by the handshake.
England in the Middle Ages, however, was still Catholic, and it was common, in fact encouraged, to kiss. Men kissed men, women kissed women and men, servants kissed the rings and feet of their lords, church parishioners kissed each other. Just like modern-day French are known to kiss each cheek upon greeting, the English of medieval times kissed as much and, unlike many of their contemporaries on the continent, often times on the mouth. Many foreigner visitors to England, including the Dutch humanist, Erasmus of Rotterdam, made delightful note of how they would be greeted by their English hostesses with a lip locking kiss.
Not yet understanding the concepts of hygiene and germs, it is actually quite remarkable that a government at this time would ban kissing to help stop the spread of a plague. The fact that many plagues are spread by vectors such as fleas and rats is beside the point. What is worthy of note is that someone in the Dark Ages narrowed (probably unknowingly) the spread of illness down to saliva rather than to simple close proximity.
It would be another 400 years before the first doctors would make the connection that it was germs, or rather bacteria, viruses and sometimes fungi, that spread illness from person to person when these germs are able to penetrate the body over wounds, cuts or the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, mouth or genitals.
The Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis was the first to make an association in the 1840s when at the clinics he worked for, he noticed that women in labor who were being treated by doctors had a much higher mortality rate than women giving birth with the help of midwives. He followed up on this discovery and realized it was because the doctors had often previously left autopsy rooms where they had worked on cadavers. He theorized they were introducing the women to “cadaverous” particles. He instructed all medical students under his supervision to wash their hands after performing autopsies, and the death rates plummeted. Later Semmelweis had all instruments that came into contact with women in labor washed, basically eradicating all cases of maternal mortality. Many established doctors, probably not wanting to admit that they themselves were the vectors that killed many of their patients, rejected Semmelweis’ theory, ridiculed him and continued to refuse to wash their hands. Such a response of snubbing new evidence because it goes against existing beliefs is now known as the “Semmelweis reflex” or the “Semmelweis effect”. Semmelweis was eventually dismissed and as the years went by sank more and more into insanity and died in an asylum.
It would not be until Louis Pasteur confirmed the germ theory of disease that the medical establishment finally accepted that germs were responsible for illness. This accomplishment helped pave the way for Joseph Lister who applied both the experiences of Semmelweis and the works of Pasteur to make surgery safer and to reduce the number of post-operative infections by sterilizing medical instruments and cleaning wounds.
Obviously a kiss is not all it takes to get sick 😉
And regularly washing one’s hands in the best thing one can do.
Question for students (and subscribers): Should handshaking be banned? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Wannan, Joanne. Kisstory: A Sweet and Sexy Look at the History of Kissing. Running Press, 2010.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="2957 http://www.crackedhistory.com/?p=2957">68 Comments
Dear readers of Cracked History, Do you think any common practices such as kissing, shaking hands, blowing out candles on cakes, etc. should ever be banned for sanitary reasons? Sincerely, Matthew
I don’t think we should ban anything such as kissing or hand shaking because of sanitary reasons. These things are part of tradition and our medicine is advanced enough that even if there was a spread of disease, it would be contained and treated quickly.
Dear Hannah, Thank you for your reply! Do you think we will ever again have a situation so bad that we resort to http://www.crackedhistory.com/austrian-general-destroyed-city-skopje-prevent-spread-cholera/ Sincerely, Dr. Zarzeczny
I agree with Hannah. It is tradition to do all these things as well as the fact that we have the medicine now to treat it. Although, in some cases, if detected right away, people should refrain from having physical contact with people, in that they could spread the disease, like in the case of the Ebola virus. Otherwise it should not be banned.
I think it would be best in the case of a pandemic; however, people should be responsible enough to weigh the risks and decide for themselves. Also, I feel like it would be unconstitutional to ban kissing in the U.S., so are society would pretty much have to come crumbling down before something like that would be considered.
-JH!
I don’t think that they need to be banned. Little kids blowing out candles on a cake can get kinda gross, but I’m not a fan of cake so i don’t have to worry about that haha
lol
I think that if there were ever a disease outbreak as devestating as the black plague, practices like this very well could be banned today
Absolutely! If I had to sacrifice human contact for the benefit of not contracting the plague, I would 100% go along with it. If the banning occurred for these reasons, there is not much of an argument against it.
As i am Russian Orthodox, We still do the kiss of Peace but some would say a kiss of peace would require both lips to touch. we actually kiss with the side of our cheek. we actually do not touch one another. also we kiss the priests hand. but no i do not believe we should do away with such things. for onw. Our medicine and well beings and much more advanced than in the times of the rapid sickness.
Dear Amanda, Thank you for your comment. People’s faces are probably a lot cleaner than their hands. It would probably be a lot more hygienic to do a cheek rub similar to what you described than to actually shake hands. In my opinion, one need not necessarily get rid of hand-shaking, however, it would be best if most people washed their hands regularly. One must also not forget that the most germ-laden objects are telephones, keyboards and door knobs. These should also be disinfected regularly, especially if used by multiple people.
This is the same way that my family is. I actually never thought about why we all do this or that it was not normal to do
Personally, I do not believe the government has any right to
ban kissing, shaking hands, or anything of that sort. Today everyone is well
educated on the risks that come along with physical contact and are knowledgeable
about how to best prevent diseases from it. For a government to tell someone
that they are not allowed to do those things would be a violation of our
rights. In a time of an epidemic, I could see the government putting out an advisory
and educational materials, but I feel that should be the farthest that the government
should ever be able to do about this issue.
Having worked as a hygiene specialist, I am very familiar with the high rate of germ transmission and the routes that facilitate it. I am of the same opinion as you – that gov’t shouldn’t ban interpersonal contact but should rather publish guidelines or recommendations. Of course, this should be done in a manner that doesn’t monger fear or lead to obsessive compulsive disorders. An easy and acceptable model would be to encourage children from an early age on to regularly wash their hands and to do it properly. Simple education is often all that is needed.
I absolutely do not think we should ban anything like kissing, shaking hands, or blowing out candles for sanitary reasons. Modern medicine prevents the spread of diseases that can be contracted from shaking hands and blowing out candles. I’ve never gotten sick from blowing out candles or being around someone that is blowing out candles.
I think it’s funny how so people are germaphobes and avoid shaking hands and kissing. I think no matter how we look at it, germs are all over the place and the best we can do is be smart such as taking a shower, brushing our teeth, washing our hands, etc.
Wow! This article brought back a few memories. When I was a child I was very sick and upon going to the Dr., I found out that I had Mono- or “the kissing disease” as my doctor so generously referred to it (in front of my father). I almost got beat to death, until the doctor explained all the possible ways to catch mono. I do not think it is lawful to ban kissing, handshaking, or anything personal.
I think it is understood why they would ban something like kissing and or anything that would allow transferring of illness. However, I do not think that would pass this day in age unless it was something similar to a plague. I think it would all be in hopes of keeping a region and or country safe and I feel this would need to happen. I don’t see this happening in this day in age.
Banning kissing seems like a pretty extreme strategy for stopping an epidemic. I would imagine that many citizens weren’t particular happy with this ban.
Really entertaining and educational article, I was really surprised to learn that the Dr would be doing autopsys right before labor. The thought of that is appalling.
I get technology wasn’t as advanced then but 400 years? Common
I like the traditions that’s people have. In other countries kissing is common especially between women, they kiss on the cheek to greet each other. I think there is nothing wrong with this personal greeting
I dont believe it should eb banned for being unsanitary. Germs are germs, it’s kinda extreme to ban a way of affection or communication.
I find it extremely weird that for however long that it was, it was seen as acceptable behavior for all this kissing to take place. I think it’s extremely degrading to bow and kiss someone’s ring no matter what position of power they may hold.
No the traditions that we have should never be banned. Kissing is a sign of love and that’s how it should be.
I think banning such a common act as kissing wouldn’t be very effective and would be hard to enforce
With today’s people understanding the way germs and illness are passed I think that the people would start to act in sanitary ways without the interference of the government. Although I do think it is important for the government to be active in protecting us from medical epidemics through departments such as the CDC and by educating the public, I don’t think that passing laws of how we can interact with each other would be effective or appropriate.
Must have been pretty difficult to stop people from kissing. I can’t imagine everyone would follow the rule, especially since it is not the reason the only reason for diseases and sicknesses spreading.
i completely agree with the Parliament’s decision to ban kissing in order to keep their citizens from spreading the plague.
It is easy to see why this rule is no longer in effect simply because of the inability to enforce it.
I certainly think that banning common practices would be very hard to enforce! — DAVID WARDLE
I definitely do not think we should ban common practices such as kissing and shaking hands for many different reasons. People would definitely not follow them, and also there have been several studies that prove kissing actually builds your immune system.
Banning these two actions would be very hard to enforce in any society you attempt. The world wouldn’t think twice of the rule.
Great article, Beth Michaels. Just one question – was the bubonic plague thus “technically” another STD?
Thank you for the compliment jvirish! To answer your question, I suppose that depends on what you consider “sexual.” Most people seem to agree that sexually transmitted involves sexual organs, but some cultures might be so strict as to consider kissing sexual as well. In line with what the prevalent thought in our society seems to be, however, I wouldn’t consider the bubonic plague an STD.
Thanks Beth. I was just trying to be funny – doesn’t always work 🙂
I know, but I have to be careful. It would be callous of me to joke around if the reader was being dead serious. I have made that faux-pas before; not everyone has the same sense of humor.
Haha! You’re absolutely right, Beth! I’m looking forward to your next article.
In the meantime, I’m adding a (serious comment) regarding what my ancestors did in Italy, to stem the spread of the plague in Milan.
Thank you so much for the compliment 🙂 You can access all my articles simply by clicking on my name directly under the titles of my articles. Unfortunately, though, I’m not writing all that much anymore as I am concentrating on editing both new and older articles. At the turn of the year, we changed the concept and direction of our site, and I have been keeping busy bringing the older articles up to speed.
My great-grandmother was Assunta Esthera Visconti (“Nunna”), who emigrated
from Milan, Italy to the US in the early 20th century. Unlike “Nunna”, however, our Visconti ancestors – who ruled Lombardy, Italy
(1277-1447 AD) – were not always “very nice”.
For example:
When the plague hit the Milan area, the Visconti ordered that anyone showing
plague symptoms in the city would be forced into their homes – along with all other members of their household. The house was then literally boarded-up to seal them off from the rest of the townspeople. The boards were not removed until after it was clear
that everyone inside was long-dead. If these unfortunate people didn’t die of the plague as well, they suffered death by starvation / dehydration.
I
can’t imagine how awful it was to have to die that way, or to be on the outside
(knowing – and hearing – the agonies of your condemned friends and
neighbors – just a few yards away). So I’ve always felt remorse about this horrible action taken by my family 600 years ago.
However, like the less-severe restrictions ordered by English King Henry VI – as described in Beth
Michaels’ excellent article – the overall result in Milan was a relatively good one: the city’s death rate from the black death was much lower than
the rates recorded elsewhere across both Italy, and Europe in general. I can
therefore see the moral justification for King Henry’s non-kissing decree in England on a utilitarian basis as well, for society as a whole.
Wow, you’re a direct descendant of the Viscontis. I know of Taddea Visconti who was a Tudor ancestress (through her granddaughter Catherine of Valois, wife of Henry V and then Owen Tudor, who also happened to be the mother of the Henry VI mentioned in this article ;-). Therefore, you are related to most if not all of the royal families of Europe.
I find your story so interesting in that it brings history to life. You mention details that were passed down through your family but that might otherwise have been forgotten in time. Thank you so much for sharing and enriching the comments section of this article.
And yes, what your family did was horrible. But the Middle Ages are not also known as the Dark Ages for nothing. A lot of bad things happened, but often it was because the people either simply did not know better or the conditions were harsher than we are used to today. Death was so omnipresent and common in those days; I can see why your family was willing to sacrifice a few to save a few more.
I don’t know. If science has actually proved it to be really contagious. I probably say yes. But if science cannot prove it because it is just a hypothesis, I probably say no. Reply if you agree!
Although it was unfortunate that people could not kiss at this time, i understand why it was banned. Clearly kissing isn’t the only way to spread germs but people at this time were so fearful of getting sick they took extra precautions.
When I read the title I did not understand why a country would ban kissing, something humans enjoy doing and do very often. But when I read that is was because of the plague it makes total sense. I think if something were to come around like this today we would take similar precautions
Government shouldn’t have this control but nonetheless it is probably a good thing that people in ur culture simply greet by handshake. It makes life a lot easier.
With current understanding of how diseases spread, I tend to think a government ban on these kinds of activities would not be necessary and/or practical. I like to think most people would be mostly self-governing and courteous about hygiene in the case of an outbreak. but, in the case to the contrary, there are simply too many people, who can’t be watched all the time, for such rules to be enforceable. At that rate, a public health advisory campaign recommending forgoing these things might be just as effective if not more so.
At the time it was actually a very wise choice to ban kissing to prevent direct spreading of the plague. In today’s society, we know(or at least should) that physical contact can spread germs and infect others if we have some sort of contagious illness at the time. Therefore, it wouldn’t be needed today, but if it was attempted then there would be a massive uproar from people feeling that’s it is not fair to make such a rule.
Honestly, I believe no one should have the power to restrict your freedoms when it comes to kissing, shaking hands, and etc so no it should not. It is crazy though that it took so long for people to realize that was the reasoning behind so many deaths.
kiss with caution. if you dont want to spread disease then dont kiss.
I would think you could spread just as many germs with a handshake as a kiss possibly more. Our hands touch more germs than our mouth would.
So is the plague considered an STD?
I find it funny that they thought banning kissing back then would help solve this.
I feel like there are so many other ways to catch the plague than kissing. Like a handshake or sharing a glass or even the contaminated rye bread!
I don’t think kissing was the only way of catching the plague
Back then, you needed all the help you could get to stay healthy. No kissing would suck though.
It is amazing that if people weren’t so against germ theory that is so widely accepted now. Banning kissing is an interesting way to stop it.
I didn’t know the English kissed to begin with. Honestly though, banning something like kissing in reaction to a mass pandemic that can’t be explained in their times, seems more rational than bloodletting and the practices of the flagellants.
If everyone had the sense to wash their hands regularly (like brushing your teeth and after handling anything dirty or suspicious of bacterials/virals, then less people would get sick, or as often, or spread such. As a retired nurse, I am aware of the concept that Louis Pasteur founded and believe in it wholeheartedly. I religiously wash my hands. I live with a roommate who was recently in the hospital for a week with a MIRSA (a superbug) that needed IV antibiotics to kill this from an infected wound in his leg. I did wound care on his leg for a month (twice a day) and used antibacterials everywhere he touched, because his hygiene practices are not (well, let’s just say that I have lived with him a few years now and have NEVER seen him wash his hands). After his leg was healing, he ended up with the flu so bad (he said that he had never been so sick in his life and he is in his 50s). I have never seen him so ill. Out of work for a week (unheard of for him as he never misses work) and didn’t get off the couch the whole time. He is a pretty strong, healthy guy otherwise. I am convinced that all of that occurred bc he doesn’t do the simple task of hand washing. Case in Point: I haven’t gotten sick from anything (not the MIRSA, and not that bad flu. Nothing. In fact, I feel great and that was living with someone so sick for 6 weeks after he left the hospital. (He is still fighting the lasting symptoms of the flu, but back to work). Like I said, I believe that hand washing (along with not using the same towels and washing them a lot, cups/glasses, into the dishwasher instead of hand washing while someone is ill and hand washing alone suffices when no one around you is sick). I swear by it and the AMA states that “hand washing is the very first line of defense to stopping a superbug or any bacterial/viral disease”.
I see why gestures like kissing was banned at this time, there was a deadly disease outbreak, and they were trying to put a stop to the spread of it. It is not like they just “Hey no more kissing one another.”
They had very good reasons for banning kissing during this time. They did it to help prevent the spread of diseases.
the thought of something as serious as the black plague starting up and spreading is scary to think about..
While kissing is not the only way that sickness spreads, it can limit how close people get which can help people from getting sick. I do think that while this probably helped save lives the government may have overstepped their bounds and in turn wiped out a tradition.
At least they had some sort of idea of what they could do to prevent the spread of illness. Not too crazy of an idea considering how little they knew about the causes and spread of disease.
If something like the black plague came out today and they told me no kissing then you bet i wouldn’t be anywhere near it ! Even if it sounds silly.
I don’t think I would say ban kissing, but I would not take part in it as a greeting in the time of numerous plagues going around.
I agree precautions need to be taken in times of mass illness however, im not sure if banning kissing was the correct move.
if certain forms of connection or communication was spreading disease, i definitely would stay away from others
banning kissing shows how they were trying to help with public health! if it helps saving lives and stop spreading disease i don’t see why this ban would be a bad idea.