 However, toward the end of the Middle Ages the kiss of peace disappears as the official token of reconciliation.The kiss of respect is of ancient origin, notes Nyrop.He writes that "from the remotest times we find it applied to all that is holy, noble, and worshipful—to the gods, their statues, temples, and altars, as well as to kings and emperors; out of reverence, people even kissed the ground, and both sun and moon were greeted with kisses."