It happened at a time when people began to count forwards and backwards. Not so for little Eliam; he understood nothing of it all, rather he was amazed by the rain, the clouds had just cleared from the marketplace and the ground was harsh, damp clay, soaked with bitter-spicy saffron, on the horizon, eucalyptus veils were still shivering out of Jerusalem.
The merchants' singing voices were confused, "Leaves, buy leaves, people, earthy and green, conifers, dark resins, today Christmas trees, balsam!" They talk as if in Babylon. Eliam rubbed his eyes in wonder, the market stalls melted into herbal ointments, the clay ground whispered spicy shrubs and grasses from gentle rose oils, cooling the bright clouds of incense into softly humming mists.
***
The Maienfelser natural cosmetics manufactory, located in the picturesque landscape between Weinsberg and Schwäbisch Hall, produces all its products from 100% natural raw materials, some of which come from its own mountain herb garden. You can also participate in distillations there. The EdP are rather moderate in projection and longevity.
The "Scents of the Bible" contain exclusively plants that were popular around the year zero and mentioned in the Bible. The oil is determined by earthy, herb-bitter spikenard as well as green-spicy leafy and simultaneously balsamic needle-like galbanum resin. Eucalyptus-like myrtle provides ethereal overtones. At the beginning, bitter-spicy saffron is recognizable, while later cistus, mild rose-oily palmarosa grass, and bright incense resins come into play. All this creates for me a rather intimate impression of cool, damp rain air over a Levantine market in biblical times, medicinally herbal-bitter.
I really enjoyed reading this. As you said, the concept of Maienfelser is very appealing. I'm going to take a closer look at the biblical scents now. I think 6 hours of longevity is quite impressive.
You've presented the scent, the series, and the manufacturer wonderfully. Even if the fragrance might come off a bit too ethereal for me, it still sounds wonderfully refreshing and natural. A visit to the manufacturer definitely seems worth it.
"It happened at a time when people started counting forwards and backwards" ... and here I am in the marketplace, watching Eliam, trying to imagine the scent based on your description, and I’m whistling at the Romans :D
Kudos to the rainmaker! After reading this, I tested it again and suddenly I have the rain too! It's interesting how easily I can be influenced when it comes to olfactory interpretations ;-)
That's a really extraordinary idea and surely a fantastic execution to work exclusively with plants from that time! Plus, you've beautifully articulated and showcased it again!
Great story, and especially the scent related to biblical times is fantastic. Nard oil... didn't Mary Magdalene anoint Jesus with it? I own a bottle of pure nard oil. It's a deep balsamic scent that reminds me of benzoin and vanilla.
That was definitely something a Holy Three Kings had in their treasure chest... so Floyd, if you were a market vendor, with your soothing and opulent storytelling, you could probably sell me herbal stuff of all kinds at any price ;-) I'd be rubbing my eyes, frowning three times, and paying for apples, nuts, and golden almond kernels... *g*
The concept of this manufactory sounds very exciting! And you’ve beautifully conveyed those wonderful aromas in cool rainy air that can transport you to another time and make you pause!
….. ah - these little fantastic stories of yours! :)o …. I would also be confused like little Eliam …. the Babylonian language of scents remains rather closed off to me ;))( …..
Rainy air and ethereal labdanum sound tempting! Thank you for your wonderful description. “Leaves, buy leaves!” is brilliant :) It evokes associations of modern times in me.
Exciting, thanks for sharing! :) I hope little Eilam didn't get confused by the Babylonian merchants and is now happily hopping through some muddy puddles. They existed back then too, after all. :)
Huuu, how exciting is that?! I always thought the fragrance notes of the 80s were old school - but the fashion notes from the year zero definitely top that....
But I think those popular mainstream notes from the 2000s are just too mainstream for me. I'm waiting for the more niche flankers: wonderfully powerful scents of the apocrypha (like the Gospel of Thomas...) - freshly distilled & bottled from secret gardens in Swabian Siberia... that will be fine :-))
I wouldn't have imagined the scents of the Bible to be medicinally herbal and herbal. Saffron sounds nice. Galbanum too. Frankincense and myrrh have to be there, of course. What would I think of with scents from the Bible? Oriental, honey, spices, oud, fruity (figs, grapes, pomegranates), grains, aquatic, leathery? Or something completely different?
That sounds like a very natural, delicate little fragrance. And a pious one, too.😉 The brand really does sound quite charming. As a Swabian, I have to try something from them at some point.
Oh, nice.
I'm currently following in your footsteps into a special fragrance heaven!
But I think those popular mainstream notes from the 2000s are just too mainstream for me. I'm waiting for the more niche flankers: wonderfully powerful scents of the apocrypha (like the Gospel of Thomas...) - freshly distilled & bottled from secret gardens in Swabian Siberia... that will be fine :-))
They're always very entertaining, and they never lack informative content.
I really liked reading this one again.