Perfume History
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Perfume History
The human use of scents, aromas and fragrances has its origins lost in ancient
times. Why, when and how people first started to prepare them may never be
known, but archeological findings, early written texts and oral tradition show
that the history of aromas goes deep back in time. Early civilizations offered
scent flowers, herbs and resins in worship of their Gods. When burned, some
plants released stronger aromas and scented smoke fires became part of religious
rituals, a mystical mean of communication between heaven and earth, a tradition
followed by many religions until present day. When looking back into history,
many agree that the Egyptians, during Queen Sheba's rule, were the first to
incorporate perfume into their culture. From the religious ceremonies involving
the burning of incense to the embalming of the dead, perfume was an integral
part of Egyptian life. Even scents like myrrh were considered more valuable than
gold. In the Bible, one of the Three Wise Men brought this as a gift to the
newborn Christ. But perfume did not only linger in spiritual ceremonies: the
Egyptians were also the first to anoint their bodies with the scents of cinnamon
and honey. Depicted on the walls of the temple of Edfu, one can also see the
depiction of the art of floral extraction as perfume is distilled from the
flowers of the white Madonna lily. This "essential accessory" was
reserved mostly for the powerful and the wealthy. Both men and women alike wore
the precious scents. With the death of the mystical Cleopatra, so also died the
Egyptian grandeur and appreciation of beauty. For thousands of years perfumes
had been used widely as an integral part of their culture even though almost all
of the herbs and flowers were from abroad, from Palestine, Persia, India, and
Arabia. In Persia, perfume was also a sign of rank. In the palaces one could see
kings with crowns of myrrh and of labyzuz and smell the aromas of sweetly
smelling scents drifting in the air of their apartments. In the backyards of
homes belonging to the wealthy, one could find exquisite gardens holding
jasmine, lilacs, violets, and the famous red rose. This rose whose petals
covered the floor when Cleopatra first met Mark Antony and that would become the
symbol of the House of Lancaster during the War of the Roses, was known all over
the world for its perfume which increased in intensity as the petals dried. The
Persians began to master the art of preservation by placing the rose bud...
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