anacreon and sappho and loose ends

There are still a few words that beckon to me to give them their 15 seconds of fame before I leave kissing aside once and for all (at least the writing about kissing). In this essay I will speak about the orbiculuaris oris (or oscularis or basiator), and a few other synonyms of osculate.

The Cheek Bone's Connected to the...

Under the word oscularis the Century has: "The orbicularis oris, or sphincter of the lips; the kissing-muscle. Also called basiator." Lots of this calls for comment. First the word "sphincter." The word is dervied from the Greek "sphingein," meaning to "bind tight" or "contract," and refers to a ring-like muscle that contracts an orifice of the body. If truth be told, I think that one of the first times I recall learning the word was with the explosion of the AIDS crisis. Gay sex was described, and I recall the sphincter of the anus was mentioned by many of the physicians. But the sphincter ani, as it is officially called, is not the only one in the body. Various veins have them, and the lips and eyes have one. The orbicularis oris is the sphincter muscle around the mouth that is used not only to control aspiration through the mouth and purse/pucker the lips but also in the playing of all brass and some woodwind instruments. More technical anatomical dictionaries tell us that this sphincter differs from the orbicularis oculi, but that is not my concern. The oscularis is a near neighbor of the buccinator (which controls the cheek movements), and is connected to the maxilla above and mandible below. I wish there was time here to march through all the facial muscles, but that must await a later time.

Basia et al.

But we learn that it can also be called the basiator. Care should be taken to distinguish the Latin basium (kiss) from basis, the Greek word for "base." The basi-stem, derived from the latter, explains most English-language words beginning with that prefix, such as basibracteoloate (having bracts at the base) or basibranchial (pertaining to the base of gills or branchiae). There are, however, four "kissing" words attested in the Century beginning with "basia...": "basia, basial, basiation, and basiator." We have already run into basiator--it is the orbicularis oris. Basiation is a rare word for kissing. From George Meredith (1879): "Love that..seems to the scoffing world to go slinking into basiation's obscurity." Basial can either mean basal, referring to the base of something, or "of or pertaining to kissing," as in this sentence from the late 19th century: "The innocent gaiety of his sister-in-law expressed itself in the 'funny answers' and the basial salutation.

Most interesting, however is basia, attested in the Century but not the OED. It means: "A name for erotic verses or amorous writings of any kind." Then the synonyms follow: "anacreontics; sapphics." But here I must stop and confine myself only to one observation so that I don't simply follow endless streams that ramify into interminable rivulets, though that might not be such a bad idea. Since the words "anacreontics" and "sapphics" appear next to each other, you would think that they are identical or at least very similar concepts. But check out this statement from a prominent web site on Anacreon (ca. 572-488 B.C.E.): "He is the typical Ionian poet -- the poet of ease, enjoyment, and grace; of love, too, but of love that is the exact opposite to the love of Sappho." Hm. So, how are anacreontics, which obviously are poems in the style of anacreon, and sapphics, which obviously are poems in the syle of sappho, related if they are exactly opposite to each other? And, a further question poses itself. The Century defines the basia as "erotic verses," such as those of Anacreon. What, really, is an erotic verse? Does that word mean the same thing now that it meant 100 years ago, when the Century was written? Let me give you an example of Anacreon's "erotic" poetry, and you be the judge. Of course, it is in an English translation, but the meaning comes through. It is entitled, "Beauty."

"Horns to bulls wise Nature lends;
Horses she with hoofs defends;
Hares with nimble feet relieves;
Dreadful teeth to lions gives;
Fishes learn through streams to slide;
Birds through yielding air to glide;
Men with courage she supplies;
But to women these denies.
What then gives she? Beauty, this
Both their arms and armor is:
She, that can this weapon use,
Fire and sword with ease subdues."

"Erotic" Poetry?

I ask you: is this erotic poetry? Granted, the translation was done in 1651, and the conventions of the day were probably to "tone down" the "racier" elements, but can this, under any definition of erotic known to us today, be remotely considered erotic poetry? Women are denied the features of physical strength, quickness and cunning granted to other creatures on earth. What does nature give her in compensation? "Beauty," which is both her arms and armor. By using her beauty she can easily subdue "fire and sword." Though the poetry may not be remarkable, it is rather striking and deeply satisfying. Women, too, have their power. Rather than provoking conflict or demonstrating physical strength, she can subdue the excesses of man and animals.

Conclusion

This little exercise in thinking through the meaning of words actually drives us back to the sources themselves--to read and study Anacreon and Sappho, to become familiar with their complete ouevre, to learn Greek, to learn about ancient poetry. My, the process may be never-ending. How wonderful...

[Next]

1811