The Scent of a Martyr

Abstract

Scent has long been associated with the world of the gods. Many of the Greek gods were noted not only for having a powerful smell themselves but also for having sensitive noses and taking great joy in the smell of an altar well-stocked by a faithful follower. The Christian tradition is full of stories of martyrs and subsequently saints who had the aroma of sanctity about them. These stories became part of a larger olfactory understanding of the relationship between humans and the divine. Islam also has significant stories of fragrant martyrs set within a tradition which has an appreciation for scent and its ability to communicate the closeness of purity and Paradise. The aroma of sanctity is often described as an incomparably beautiful perfume, but sometimes the description is more specific: florals such as roses, lilies and violets; spices, including cinnamon, cloves, ginger and myrrh; and food such as apples and bread. Tales describing the aroma of sanctity exist from ancient to modern times and are often explained as deriving from the use of incense and perfumes in funerary rites. This explanation however, does not capture the strength of the symbol and its inherent value of joy in overcoming death and sharing in divine immortality. This study considers how scent acts as a form of communication in martyrologies and conforms with their role to spread the message of the value of the faith, overcoming the barriers of illiteracy, different languages and the passage of time.

Réflexions sur l’usage des produits odoriférants dans les mosquées au Proche-Orient (ier/viie‑v

“…Mais ce rôle ne saurait épuiser la richesse symbolique des odeurs, car « l'odorat est avant tout un sens de connaissance, de contrôle, de prise de contact avec un univers spéciique ininiment riche en signes 46 . » D'après Suzanne Evans (2002), les ofrandes de parfums et d'encens représentent ainsi pour les chrétiens, non seulement un moyen de restaurer certaines connexions entre les mondes divin et humain, mais également un moyen d'accès privilégié à la connaissance de Dieu. Plus qu'une ofrande à Dieu, le parfum, en raison de sa nature intangible, constitue un moyen d'établir un rapport privilégié à l'immatériel, Dieu, et à sa connaissance.…”

Rethinking Missionaries and Medicine in China: The Miracles of Assunta Pallotta, 1905–2005

“…So when, as Assunta lay dying, Marie Symphorien looked around the assembled women and asked them to confirm the presence of a sweet scent, everyone would have been aware that this would prove Assunta's great virtue and establish her blind obedience as a model for the rest of the community. The idea that a sweet fragrance at death marked the transition of the soul from earth directly to heaven, and thus was a marker of Christian sanctity, dated back to late antiquity and was particularly important in verifying the holiness of cloistered or otherwise unrecognized women religious (Harvey 2006;Classen 2006;Evans 2002). In this case it is striking that the scent is described as being like olive oil and milk, European food products unobtainable in Shanxi (Chen 1920, 60).…”