History of Perfume.

History of Perfume.

Perfume is thousands of years old - the word "perfume" comes from the Latin per fume "through smoke". One of the oldest uses of perfumes comes form the burning of incense and aromatic herbs used in religious services, often the aromatic gums, frankincense and myrrh, gathered from trees. The Egyptians were the first to incorporate perfume into their culture followed by the ancient Chinese, Hindus, Israelites, Carthaginians, Arabs, Greeks, and Romans. The earliest use of perfume bottles is Egyptian and dates to around 1000 BC. The Egyptians invented glass and perfume bottles were one of the first common uses for glass.

In India, perfumes also play a major role in their culture. Plants have always abounded in their country and the Hindu have adapted their scents in their religion. The flames meant for sacrifices would be sending out sweet scents of ointment and herbs. A huge bull in the temple at Tanjore in Madras is rubbed each day with perfumed oil until he gleams. In Hindu marraiges, the bride is rubbed with ungents by her handmaid and later the married couple will sit beneath a silk canopy enveloped by the smells of sandalwood and other delicious fumes. The god of love, Kama, is always shown carrying his cupids bow and his five arrows which are each tipped with a fragrant blossom. The scent of patchouli was used later to scent Indian shawls. When the British began to copy them, the shawls could not be sold unless accompanied by the fragrant scent.

Perfumery in Western Europe around the 13th century.

The use of native aromatic herbs and flowers to sweeten the air had been known for a very long time. The Romans had introduced many species of aromatic plants to the fringes of the Empire where they were still cultivated. It was common for people to wear a garland of flowers, to hang fragrant plants indoors and the add aromatic plants to sweet-smelling rushes when they were spread on a floor (this last probably started as a Norman custom).
In the making of perfumed preparations, plants were usually used as dried flowers, dried leaves, dried and crushed roots, or extracts in water (by maceration or digestion), oils or fats (and later alcohol). An association between pleasant smells and good health was very widespread so there was considerable overlap between perfumery and healing.
From the 9th century, there was great trade between Byzantium and Venice bringing perfumes into Europe. There was much trade within Arabia, bringing perfumes from Baghdad to Muslim Spain. Arabian perfume arts were very highly developed; having learnt much from the Persians, they used ingredients from China, India and Africa, producing perfumes on a large scale. They had been using distillation since before the 9th century. Al-Hawi, a book by Rhazes, who lived in the late 9th or early 10th century, contained a chapter on cosmetics. It was translated into Latin in France in the late 12th century.
Musk and floral perfumes were brought to northwest Europe in the 11th and 12th centuries from Arabia, through trade with the Islamic world and with the returning Crusaders. Those who traded for these were most often also involved in trade for spices and dyestuffs. There are records of the Pepperers Guild of London which go back to 1179; their activities include trade in spices, perfume ingredients and dyes. There are records from the reign of Edward I to show that spices and other aromatic exotic materials were traded in England.
Use of alcohol in perfumery was known in northwest Europe in the 12th century but was not widespread until later. A variant of distilled alcohol, rather than alcohol mixed with water, was known in France in the 13th century, prepared by using quicklime in the mix to remove much of the water. Alcohol-based perfume was well known in parts of mainland Europe and came into use in England in the 14th century.
A common technique was to extract essential oil into fat and use it like that or then to remove the esential oil from the fat with alcohol. Another was to heat the plant material in water. Beeswax was used as a base instead of fats and oils sometimes. Pot Pourri was originally made and used wet; it started as the residue of the perfume-making process.
Plants likely to have been available for collection or cultivation
Scented Agrimony
perennial herb; dried flowers and leaves
Angelica
biennial herb; reputed to be effective against evil spirits and infectious disease; fragrant oil extracted from the seeds and root for use in perfumery; seed and root used dry in pot pourri
Apple

Avens
dried rhizomes and leaves

Birch
essential oil from leaf buds
Blackcurrant
essential oil from flower buds
Broom
flowers used
Calamint
several species used dried or as essential oil
Camomile
used as a herbal medicine, for strewing, as dried flowers or oil extracted from flowers
Clover
dried flowers used
Cyperus (Sedge roots)
rhizomes yield a violet-like fragrance; used dried and powdered

Elder flower
used as oil extracted from flowers, or dried flowers
Fennel
essential oil from seeds; also has culinary and medical uses; reputed to ward off evil spirits and witches
Fern (Common Male Fern)
oil extracted from rhizomes had medical and perfumes uses
Feverfew
perennial plant; extract from flowers and leaves used in medicine and, less frequently, in perfume
Hawthorn
flowers used
Hyssop
extracted oil or dried leaves
Lavender
extracts and dried flowers and leaves
Lemon balm
oil from leaves and dried leaves
Lily of the Valley
flowers
Melilot
dried flowers and leaves
Milfoil (Yarrow)
dried flowers; diabolical associations
Mint
medical, culinary, strewing and perfume use
Oak moss (lichen)
powdered, used as a fixative
Orris (Iris rhizome)
dried iris rhizomes; fixative with violet fragrance
Rose
extracts from petals and fresh or dried petals
Rosemary
strewing herb; dried leaves
Rue
oil from leaves; medical and perfume use; reputed to guard against witches
Sage
dried leaves
Tansy
strewing herb; dried leaves
Violet
oil from flowers
Ingredients possibly available by trading
Aloewood
Introduced into Europe by Arabs in 8th century and spread rapidly. Aromatic heartwood from an evergreen tree obtained by the Arabs from China, Assam, Malaysia which produces a fragrant oil when disea sed.Important ingredient of pomanders (as oil) and pot pourri (dried)
Alpine rose
Oil obtained from the roots
Ambergris
Sperm whale excretion ('though this origin was unknown for a very long time) found on the Indian Ocean coastUsed since early Arabian times (6th century)
Ammoniacum
Juice from a North African plant. Used as incense.
Anise
Cultivated through Europe and in England during Middle Ages; medical and culinary use; dried seeds and oil extracted from them used in perfumery.
Apricot kernels
oil extract frequently used in early Arabian perfumes.
Basil
culinary and oerume use; essential oil and dried leaves
Ben Oil
from seeds of the Moringa tree native to North India frequently used as a base in early Arabian perfumes
Bitter almond
essential oil from the fruit used as a base
Camphor
crystals formed from oil extracted from wood; very frequently used in early Arabian perfumes
Caraway
oil extracted from fruit and leaves; culinary and perfume use
Cassia
culinary use of dried buds; oil used in perfume; dried bark used. N.B. there is some confusion in old texts between cassia, cinnamon and other unidentified fragrant barks
Cedar wood
dried twigs and roots used in incense; oil extract used in perfume
Cinnamon
dried bark used as perfumed beads and in pomanders; oil from leaves used in perfume and unguents. N.B. there is some confusion in old texts between cassia, cinnamon and other unidentified fragrant barks
Civet
glandular secretion from civet cat from Africa, used in very small quantities; became popular in Arabia in the 10th century
Clary sage
fragrant oil and dried leaves ; also used for eye problems
Cumin
oil from dried seeds; also had medical and culinary uses
Dill
oil extracted from plant; culinary, medical and perfume use; reputed to be good against witchcraft
Frankincense
gum resin extruded from wood of certain trees; often used in incense
Gum arabic
gum extruded by Acacia trees; dried and used in incense; used in early Arabian perfumes
Jasmine
leaves, flowers and oils; commonly used in early Arabian perfumes
Labdanum
resin secreted by Cistus (Rock Rose) species. According to reports, popularly collected by combing it from the beards of goats; used in early Arabian perfumes and in European pomanders
Lovage
dried leaves and roots
Marjoram
oil from seeds and leaves and dried leaves; medical, culinary and perfumes uses
Mignonette (Reseda)
essential oil from flowers
Musk
glandular secretion from musk deer; very frequently used in early Arabian perfumes
Myrrh (includes Opoponax)
gum resin from trees; used in perfumes and incense
Myrtle
oil or dried flowers and leaves; used as berries and fresh leaves in early Arabian perfumes
Rosewater (also Attar of Roses)
made by a distillation process from rose petals in water. Attar (essential oil) obtained by redistillation of rosewater. Very popular in Arabia
Saffron
dried stigmas of crocus and oil from these; culinary and perfume use; very important in Arabian perfumery
Sandalwood
oil from the heartwood of a tree; fragrance and fixative
Savory
dried leaves and flowers; culinary and perfume uses
Storax (resin)
resin from bark used in incense and pomanders
Sweet orange
essential oil from the fruit peel; peel also used dried
Terebinth
oil and gum resin; used in pomanders
Thyme
oil from leaves; leaves used in incense
Valerian
oil, leaves and roots; medical, culinary and perfume use.