kiss

Representational image of Henry VI. Ahead of the 1439 session, members of Parliament requested that the ceremonial kiss of homage be avoided due to an outbreak of the bubonic plague. Source: Public domain

11 June, 2023 - 22:56 Cecilia Bogaard

No Kissing, Please! Henry VI Lived Through a Lip-Lock Lockdown

In a bizarre turn of events, the English Parliament supposedly asked for permission to abstain from kissing the less-than-beloved King Henry VI of England in the late 1430s. The intriguing question...

Hansanlu Lovers skeletons close up of torsos and skulls

2 July, 2020 - 19:01 Theodoros Karasavvas

The Eternal Kiss of the Hasanlu Lovers Throws Up Questions of Ancient Love: Romance, Bromance or Something More Familial?

Have you ever heard of the “The Hasanlu Lovers?” If not, don’t be too quickly seduced by the exotic and romantic sounding moniker this phenomenon has been awarded. Colorful and amorous images are...

Man kissing the Blarney Stone. Source: Steve Bowbrick/CC BY NC SA 2.0

15 March, 2020 - 12:58 Ed Whelan

Ancient Tradition of Kissing Blarney Stone Banned Over Coronavirus Fears

The traditional Irish practice of Kissing the Blarney Stone has been temporarily prohibited. This is in response to fear that the practice could increase the spread of the COVID 19 virus. The move is...

19 March, 2014 - 11:53 aprilholloway

Myth and mystery of the Blarney Stone has been shattered by new research

The Blarney Stone is a block of stone which was built into the battlements of Blarney Castle in 1446 AD. The legendary stone is shrouded in myth and mystery and according to tradition, kissing the...