MR: Variants of Hand-Kissing

[edh@ascc01.ascc.lucent.com]

Poster: edh@ascc01.ascc.lucent.com

   "K: When a lady offers her hand, bowing low and placing her
       hand on the top of my head."

There were some very interesting responses to this activity:

   "Do you have a basis for this behaviour, or are you redheaded?"

This reminds me of a line from the old Star Trek: "What is the
significance of this action?" (Said by a beautiful female alien
creature that Kirk was kissing (on the one where the crew gets
turned into cuboctahedra (does anyone know this episode by any
other name?)))

   "Is this an action that would be found in period?
    It sounds a trifle showy to me."

   "Is this a period practice for a certain culture?"

Are these questions relevant?  On another thread several people
stated that the existance of assassination in the Period doesn't
make it acceptable.  Do these responses mean you'd frown when
you saw me do it, but smile when I say, "Hey, it's Period, folks"
and start passing out the documentation?

I don't mean the above to sound sarcastic.  I really want to know.

In "Tirant lo Blanc", Tirant attempts to kiss the back of the
Princess's hand, but she honors him by having him kiss the palm
of her hand instead.  But when Tirant was introduced to her
father, the Emperor, in court, he attempted to kiss the Emperor's
feet, and the the Emperor honored Tirant by refusing to let him
kiss his feet, then standing him up and kissing him on the lips.
Now, _that's_ showy, and, I think, not acceptable in the SCA even
with reams of documentation.

I think it's interesting that in both TlB and SCA hand-kissing is
a male-female greeting, in one because the male-male greeting
goes farther, in the other because the male-male greeting can't
even go as far.

  "I expect that placing it on top of your head will most often
   result in confusion, although I also expect that your intent is to
   signify something along the lines of 'I am your servant'."

My intent was rather vaguely between "I am unworthy" and "I don't
quite know how to do this".  I did often notice a slight intake
of breath by the lady involved, which might betoken a brief confusion,
but no panic in the streets, nor even a "Where am I?".  I only
spoke with one lady in detail about her reaction to the greeting;
it was a deep disappointment that I hadn't kissed her hand.

Try this: when a lady offers her hand, lean forward and kiss her
on the lips.  This may cause confusion.

  "Michael, remember that you're dealing with a jester here. It's not
   merely his *job* to cause confusion, it's his solemn (all right, maybe
   solemn isn't the right word to use with Alfredo) duty to do so."

Thank you, Corun.  (BTW, why do you call him "The Ecclectic One"?)

Perhaps I should have asked a more general question about whether
people find some degree of confusion desirable.  I myself find that
I don't learn something new without first experiencing some confusion,
although I certainly can feel confusion without learning anything.

-- Alfredo
 
Alfredo el Bufon
Elvegast, Windmaster's Hill, Atlantia
edh@ascc01.ascc.lucent.com
______________________________________

You can't have everything.  Where would you put it?
   -- Steven Wright

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