THE LOST MAGICAL WORLD OF ODOURS

Didactic workshop

Academic year 2011/12

Videoconference

February 2012

.

Odour /perfume

Origin of the word

The word odour , of latin origin, derives from the Greek word “odos”, which means road, way, path

The word perfume comes from the Latin word “per fumum”,

which literally means “through the smoke

The functions of perfume

sacred

vitality

wellness identiy

evocative

aristocratic

seduction

The sacred function in ancient ceremonies

During religious ceremonies, offerings to gods and ancestors included the burning of essential oils, like incense.

-Natural oils were also used by Egyptians who embalmed the dead to stop organic corruption

The function of wellness

- The custom of burning oils and incense is common to all people as natural scents can have a positive influence on our body and emotions

- Today scents are also used both in medicine and in aromatherapy

The function of identity

Odours help to recognize a person, for example babies(both human and animal) recognize their mothers.

The function of vitality

In ancient Greece athletes rubbed their bodies on oils and perfumes before competitions, in order to get strength and self-confidence.

The evocative function

A perfume evokes a person, a trip, an event in our life, some food.

The aristocratic function

For many centuries the use of perfume was a privilege limited to the upper classes , whereas the lower classes did not even know its existence.

The seductive function

Perfume is also considered an invisible weapon of attraction; before a date we usually spray some perfumeIl

How do we smell odours and perfumes? 

- The olfactory organ is the nose, situated in the face

- The molecules enter the nasal cavity

- The molecules react with olfactory cells

- The sensation reaches the brain through the olfactory nerve.

The nose

The nose is divided by the nasal septum into two quite large cavities, which at one end communicate with the outside through the nostrils and at the internal end communicate with the olfactory mucous membrane. The respiratory mucous membrane is run through by many blood vessels, which give it a red nuance.

The seven primary odours

Our brain has 7 groups of cells; each of them is sensitive to one of the main odours. Then the brain puts together the various sensations, or primary odours, and interprets them as one smell.

camphorated

sour

putrid ethereal

mentholated

floral

musky

The 7 notes of odours

The nose: not only smells

To have a nose for business To stink like a pig

Not to see further than one's nose

To stick one's nose into....

The language of odours to describe

- An odour for each town (to describe the smells of one’s hometown in winter, spring..)

- This house is a gas chamber (to describe the smells of one’s home)

Let’s play with smells and scents

Game “the garden of scents /the kitchen of smells/the bin of stenches”

The teacher prepares:

- some sackets containing flower petals or leaves of aromatic plants or cotton wads soaked in ill-smelling substances;

- three boxes decorated with suitable subjects (the garden of scents: pictures of flowers and plants; the kitchen of smells: pictures of officinal herbs and food; The bin of stenches : pictures of smelly substances).

Instructions. The pupils must guess the odour of the sacket and put it in the right box

(garden, kitchen, bin)

Each sacket is associated with a flashcard: they can be matched or the flashcards can be copied and put in a “book of smells”

Game“ Smelling guessing games”

Instructions

The pupils draw 34 or more flashcards with the elements of the three boxes of the game of the sachets.

Each card has a distinguishing colour (yellow, green and grey)

The pupils create many riddles on the elements in the flashcards and write them on the backs of the flashcards (each card must have several riddles)

It’s a team game: each team is given 5/8 flashcards, which are turned upside down (the pictures are hidden); the riddles are then read out to the opposing team who will try to guess to win the flashcard with the right solution; the winner is the team that first gets all the cards of the opposing team .

The game can continue with the sackets corresponding to the flashcards.

“ Smelling guessing games”

The garden of scents

“ Smelling guessing games”

The kitchen of smells

“ Smelling guessing games”

The bin of stenches

The story of perfume

THE PERFUME IN ANCIENT TIMES

The link between men and perfume is very ancient. The word comes from the Latin “per fumum” (through the smoke). The use of perfume starts when they find out that if they burn wood, they get a good smell. In ancient times they burnt smelling substances to cover the bad smell of blood during the human sacrifices.

Persia- the cradle of perfume People from Persia think that the perfume has a philosophical

and religious meaning. Trhough the smelling smoke men are able to communicate with Gods.

EGYPT, THE SACRED AND THE PROFANE

More then 5000 years ago, religious ministers burnt aromas in honour of Ra, the God of Sun. During taxidermy the human bodies are emptied, filled with essences and covered with bandages soaked with perfume. Later women from the upper classes use mostly rose, jasmin and cinnamon while women from the lowest classes use castor oil.

ROME IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE

• The Romans use perfumes in every moment of their private life, because they learn how perfume can influence and change the mood: they give smelling flags to the army leaving for the war, in order to give them strenght and courage.

The Greeks learn from Asiatic people the use of perfume. The most common perfume in Athen, is “susinum”, a mixture of rose, cinnamon, saffron and myrrh. Every woman always rubs on different smelling oils after a bath. In Greece they use to perfume the house, the table and the wine mostly with cinnamon, pepper, cloves, brought from Alexander the Great after his expeditions. As time goes by, the perfume is associated to the joy of living.

IN ANCIENT GREECE

THE ARABIC INFLUENCE

After the Roman Empire, the use of perfume in Europe disappears while wonderful civilisations flourish in the Eastern Countries; they use a lot of perfume because they consider it sensual. Dr. Avicenna invents a method to produce “Rose Water” without alcohol, because it was forbidden by the Koran. In 1370 in Europe they produce the first perfume with alcohol, “The Water of the Hungarian Queen”.

On the route of spices