A landscape of scentes and perfumes: the seduction of smell according to medieval and early modern sources and practices

Abstract

The contributions in this dossier are structured around three main themes related to the idea of the seduction of smell. The first focuses on the use of scents in medicine and hygiene, particularly to combat pestilence and purify the air. The second theme is dedicated to the fascination with odors as a creative and innovative stimulus, whether in technical or artistic contexts. The third highlights the powerful effects of perfumes in the realm of spirituality and devotion.

In recent years, the body has regained prominence in historical research, leading to a renewed interest in the sensory aspects of past societies and giving rise to the field of sensory studies. Exploring the sensations of historical subjects is both compelling and relevant, as these are not mere intellectual abstractions but lived experiences. They can show us how societies have used the senses to organize and integrate their members. Sensory frameworks are analyzed either holistically or individually, and some senses have received more scholarly attention than others. For a long time, smell was a neglected sense in historical studies—perhaps due to its subtlety, the fleeting nature of olfactory evidence, or a cultural disdain rooted in the belief that scent belongs to the realm of vanity. Indeed, smell has been placed at the lowest level of the sensory hierarchy, as demonstrated by Anthony Synnott. Yet from the incense of the mass, funeral rites, and the aromas of food to bodily perfumes, smell is omnipresent and essential for understanding the social bonds within a culture. Odors are perceived through cultural filters and provoke sensations that arise from social construction.