Eskimo kissing
An Eskimo kiss, also called kunik, nose kiss, or nose rub, is the act of pressing the tip of one's nose against another's nose usually interpreted as a friendly greeting gesture in various cultures.
Etymology
When early explorers of the Arctic first witnessed Inuit nose rubbing as a greeting behavior, they dubbed it Eskimo kissing. The Eskimo kiss was used as an intimate greeting by the Inuit who, when they meet outside, often have little except their nose and eyes exposed.
Representation in different cultures
Inuit
The Eskimo kiss is employed by the Inuit as a traditional greeting called a kunik.[1]
A kunik is a form of expressing affection, usually between family members and loved ones, that involves pressing the nose and upper lip against the skin (commonly of the cheeks or forehead) and breathing in, causing the loved one's skin or hair to be suctioned against the nose and upper lip.[2] A common misconception is that the practice arose so that Inuit could kiss without their mouths freezing together. Rather, it is a non-erotic but intimate greeting used by people who, when they meet outside, often have little except their nose and eyes exposed.
The greeting was described in reports of a group of Alaska Native people touring the United States with entrepreneur Miner W. Bruce in the 1890s: "Mr. Bruce yesterday instructed Kerlungner and Wearner that in this country they should not rub noses, and to close the lesson the two young women kissed each other in the new style for a beginning, both seeming to fear that they looked silly as they did it."[3]
Other cultures
Other peoples use similar greeting practices, notably the Māori of New Zealand and Hawaiians, who practice the hongi and honi greetings, respectively. Mongolian nomads of the Gobi Desert have a similar practice, as do certain Southeast Asian cultures, such as Bengalis, Cambodians, Laotians, Thai, Vietnamese, Timor, Sabu, Sumba[4] and Ibans. Nose kissing is also employed as a traditional greeting by Arab tribesmen when greeting members of the same tribe.
Representation in popular culture
One of the earliest representations of the 'Eskimo kiss' was shown in Robert Flaherty's 1922 film Nanook of the North, one of the first feature-length documentaries or ethnographic films. Many people of the non-Inuit/Eskimo public may first have learned of this convention from the film.
Scenes involving Eskimo kissing have been featured in Western media, including episodes of United States TV shows, such as The Simpsons and South Park. In a sketch on Chappelle's Show, Eskimo kissing was portrayed as a stereotypically white gesture. In addition to that, the British rock band "The Kooks" has a song named "Eskimo Kiss" on their album Junk of the Heart.
A song from the Porky Pig cartoon 'Polar Pals' is titled "Let's Rub Noses Like the Eskimoses".
References
- Elder, Jeff (2005-02-16). "An 'Eskimo kiss' is a kunik, and maybe not what you think". South Coast Today. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
- "Eskimo Kisses, Arm Hair, Moon Flags & Spike Lee vs. Stan Lee vs. Bruce Lee". Esquire Magazine. 2007-05-09. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
- "All Eager to See the Eskimo". The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. September 21, 1895. p. 7. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
- "Sumba: Keeping a vow -- blessings, curse and sweet potatoes". 2006-02-05. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2013-09-13., The Jakarta Post