Holy Smoke!

Resin from heaven for the Mayans, nourishment to awaken the spirit for Mohammed, perfumes were initially considered sacred. And Christians were not the only ones to believe this.

by Renaud Legrand

Is perfume just an exquisitely futile earthly pleasure?

Maybe not. Etymologically speaking, the word "perfume" comes from the Latin "per fumare," that is, "for smoking." And, as we well know, where there is smoke, there is fire. But those particular fires weren't from hell. The fires were dedicated to the gods or to a single God, along with the many good scents (incense, myrrh, ciste and sandalwood) that arose from them. In other words, the history of perfume has always been closely related to the history of religion. Hardly what you would call futile.

Universal practices

The smoke of burning scents rising toward the sky, the realm of the gods, linked the earthly world to the beyond. They accompanied prayers and were given as offerings. It was believed that the gods, who smelled good, liked perfume. In Ancient Greece, the gods revealed their presence to mortals through their scents. The Hebrews believed, as stated in the Book of Exodus, that it was the Messiah himself who told Moses which fragrances to keep. Burning scents composed of resin, galbanum, incense, myrrh-based holy oil, aromatic reeds, cinnamon... some holy recipes!

Purifying scents

Oriental and Indo-European religions used incense, myrrh, benzoin, Oliban, and galbanum because these precious elements are resins, by nature rot-resistant, and thus symbolize strength and purity. And how could one doubt the purifying properties of perfumes? If filth smells bad and represents impurity, then perfume, which by definition smells good, must be clean and purifying. It is said that the bodies of certain Christian saints smelled like lilies, jasmine or iris at the time of their death. The Three Wise Men brought incense, myrrh and gold to the baby Jesus. Orthodox churches, still generously scented, and Holy Week in Seville remain the major heirs to this tradition.

In Ancient Egypt, where perfume reigned supreme, fumigating with incense and myrrh was said to ward off impure forces. Embalming and funereal anointing had the same function, not only in masking the odor of death, but also in ensuring the dead of a safe journey to the divine world.
The Prophet Mohammed, who adored musk, maintained that perfume had the power to awaken the spirit. For the Mayan, incense or "resin from the heavens," helped to ward off evil spirits and was used during fertility rites. And what about India? Even today, the smallest altar is dotted with incense sticks next to an arrangement of flowers and fruit, yet more examples of fragrant offerings.