In Trosus, three noble sons were born: Ilus, Assaracus, and the god-like Ganymede, the most beautiful among mortals. Such was his beauty that the gods took him to live among the immortals, pouring nectar into Zeus' cup ever since (Homer's Iliad, Rhapsody Y, lines 233-235).
Ganymede, with his incredible beauty, was among the most handsome princes. The cunning Zeus, described as a highly impulsive god, transformed himself into an eagle and abducted the young man, taking him to Olympus and making him immortal (immortelle) and the cupbearer privileged to pour the nectar of the gods. One version of the mythological story about Zeus and Ganymede suggests that Zeus placed Ganymede, symbolized by the constellation of Aquarius, as the cupbearer or pitcher-bearer instead, showing his favoritism towards him.
Throughout the centuries, the mythological figure of Ganymede has been an inspiration for artists, writers, philosophers, and poets, including Homer, Plato, Pindar, Euripides, Goethe, Apollonius of Rhodes, Virgil, Cicero, Leochares, Michelangelo, Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt, and Thorvaldsen.
As a tribute to the ancient Greek myth, the largest moon of the planet Jupiter was named Ganymede. Being the ninth-largest object in our solar system, Ganymede is a world of mineral rocks and icy oceans, with a thin atmosphere of oxygen and a magnetic field.
If we do not know the story behind a perfume, we cannot fully appreciate it. However, I must admit that Ganymede reminded me of something "sterile and abandoned" at first, which somehow suits me. By nature, I am a bit introverted, born under the sign of Aquarius, and the perfume evokes a strange emotion that lasts for hours. From nostalgia and coldness to a sense of comfort, these sensations alternate, just like in a good science fiction drama. This is not a Blade Runner perfume; it is more like Interstellar, interplanetary love, visible yet untouchable. There is a lot of pleasant dry flowers, electrified cumin, and immortelle that acts as a fragrance chameleon, creating the magic of a salty wind on an abandoned planet. Immortelle pleases me because it reminds me of forests, moss, and the feeling as if I can sense the salty geological personality of Jupiter's moon, which is truly incredible. The connection between immortelle and Ganymede, the immortal, is also wonderful and shows how deeply the perfumer thought before giving this wonderful liquid its name. Immortelle has been significant since ancient Greece until today, cherished for its cosmetic and therapeutic properties, and is considered a symbol of eternal love and happiness. This fragrance is the scent of air we are not familiar with unless we climb high enough on a mountain and experience all the counterpoints of urban air, combined with violet and osmanthus. Ganymede constantly changes, it is not linear at all, even slightly masculine and self-assured. If I were to choose the perfume of the year, without delving into ten more perfumes, then I have found it. This is a true olfactory journey to Jupiter's moon and beyond!