Per Fumum: Wearing Smoke as Perfume

The reason I have 3 kilos of frankincense in my freezer.

I'll admit that sometimes my camping outfits are less than practical. In the pursuit of that campfire scent permeating the rest of my week, I'll take along jackets and jumpers (what we Aussies call sweaters) that simply aren't designed for the great outdoors. I like to think that's how perfume began, and that I'm partaking in the most ancient way to scent oneself: a form of perfume that may have existed well over a million years ago – maybe even before we had any words to describe it.

If you’re specifically reading a blog about fragrance philosophy, it won’t be news to you that the word ‘perfume’ derives from the Latin phrase per fumum: “through smoke”. Everyone from the Ancient Egyptians to modern Catholics has used incense for its ritual significance, often signifying the rising of prayers heavenward. But I’d hazard a guess that we’ve been scenting ourselves with smoke for a lot longer than angels or demons existed in our parlance.

In Oman, it's not unusual to see people wafting incense smoke over their clothes. In conjunction with attars (perfume oils) worn by most people, this smoke imparts a sort of mystical scented aura across the country. Having brought a couple of kilos of frankincense home with me from Oman last year (I keep it in the freezer so it stays fresh), I sometimes do this myself instead of wearing a more standard fragrance – like lighting an aromatic campfire at home. Adding oud, benzoin, and sandalwood adds even more mystery and complexity to the scent.

Perfume is definitely the most efficient way to scent yourself, but sometimes it’s nice to do things the old fashioned – perhaps even Palaeolithic – way.

Try scenting yourself per fumum some time.