Hola, almas vanidosas. Esta es mi primera publicación, luego de presentarme en HIVE.
En esta publicación, que no es una clase de historia sino una charla amistosa, voy a hablar de una civilización que nos gusta mucho, la egipcia, su obsesión por los perfumes y como nosotros replicamos algunas cosas.
Antes de leer, los invito a perfumarse o encender un incienso, para hacer esta una lectura aromática jeje.
Hello, vain souls! This is my very first post after my introduction on HIVE. In this post—which is definitely not a history lesson, but rather a friendly chat—I’m going to talk about a civilization we all love: the Egyptians. Specifically, their obsession with perfume and how we mirror some of their habits today. Before you dive in, I invite you to spray some perfume or light up some incense to turn this into an aromatic reading experience, hehe.
Cuando escuchamos hablar de Egipto lo primero en que pensamos es, en las pirámides, las momias, las esfinges y estatuas de dioses, pero nos falta un detalle importante que no puede pasar desapercibido, los perfumes. No lo esperabas verdad ? Como saben, los egipcios creían en la vida eterna, es por eso que los cuerpos se momificaban y además, se perfumaban. Sí, como lo estás leyendo, esas momias estaban especialmente perfumadas para el más allá.
When we hear about Egypt, the first things that come to mind are pyramids, mummies, sphinxes, and statues of gods. But we're missing an important detail that shouldn't go unnoticed: perfumes. Didn't see that coming, did you? As you know, the Egyptians believed in eternal life, which is why bodies were not only mummified but also perfumed. Yes, you read that right—those mummies were specially perfumed for the afterlife.
<img src="https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/eternavanidad/23wqnKoJvYcSC84RH8UHhiZVgQ7gvHQrc6V5Sb5bjdvkT4YAs27YhQCeyhtHCKd8Y95nG.jpg" alt="img 1.jpg">
Antiguo Egipto / Ancient Egypt
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The Egyptians' madness for scents has a reason: they believed that the gods actually smelled the offerings. These offerings consisted of aromatic resins that were burned, so the smoke rising to the sky served as the connection between the world of the living and the gods.
Dioses egipcios: Horus, Anubis y Osiris / Egyptian Gods: Horus, Anubis, and Osiris
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The Egyptians believed that scent was a matter of eternal life. Perfume was something like a gateway to immortality—the very thing that guaranteed a place in the afterlife alongside the gods. Perfume was conceived as something deeply spiritual. When you passed away, you couldn't appear before the gods smelling bad. And I don’t mean the physical decomposition of the body; rather, smelling good was the ultimate spiritual connection.
Egipcios con ofrendas aromáticas en sus manos / Egyptians with aromatic offerings in their hands
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Perfume also created hierarchies. The finest oils and ointments required a slow, artisanal, and expensive crafting process, meaning they were reserved exclusively for the bodies of pharaohs, priests, and the nobility.
Frasco canopo egipcio para órganos, previamente perfumados / Egyptian canopic jar for organs, previously scented
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Frasco alabastron egipcio para ungüentos / Egyptian alabastron for ointments
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Egyptian art shows how they made aromatic offerings to the gods, as well as scenes of important people wearing scented beeswax cones on their heads to display their status. As you can see, even in life, they were constantly seeking that divine connection.
Conos de cera de abeja, perfumados, sobre las cabezas / Perfumed beeswax cones on their heads
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Ahora veamos esto que conté de los egipcios desde el punto de vista actual. Nosotros no nos perfumamos para una conexión y lugar junto a los dioses en el más allá como lo hacían los egipcios, pero sí nos perfumamos para conectar con otras personas, un perfume puede causar una buena impresión, puede seducir o puede recordarte a alguien así que también garantiza un lugar en el más allá pero ya no es un plano divino, es la memoría de alguien.
A muchos nos sucedió sentir un aroma y quedarnos pensando en alguien con la mirada fija en algo pero sin verlo o cerrando los ojos, porque solo sentir el aroma reproduce recuerdos y eso es lo que vemos en ese momento. Así como tu mente viaja al pasado, junto a esa persona que recuerdas, solo con sentir un aroma, para los egipcios era verse en un futuro junto a sus dioses.
Now, let’s look at what I just told you about the Egyptians from a modern perspective. We don’t put on perfume to secure a connection and a place alongside the gods in the afterlife like they did. However, we do wear perfume to connect with other people. A perfume can make a great impression, it can seduce, or it can remind you of someone. So, it also guarantees a place in the afterlife—but it's no longer a divine plane; it's someone's memory.
Many of us have smelled a certain scent and suddenly found ourselves thinking of someone, staring blankly at nothing or closing our eyes, because simply catching that aroma brings back memories, and that’s what we are seeing in that moment. Just as your mind travels back to the past, right next to that person you remember, simply by catching a scent—for the Egyptians, it was about seeing themselves in a future alongside their gods.
Expresión al oler y recordar / The expression of smelling and remembering
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Back then, the finest ointments were reserved for pharaohs; nowadays, the market is filled with designer perfumes sold at sky-high prices. Perfumes that make you feel like you belong to an exclusive club—where just a single drop separates you from the rest of the mere mortals who buy from a neighbor’s catalog or at the supermarket. In the past, the best was for the nobility, and today, things aren't much different: those who can afford it, pay for it. It’s still all about status and exclusivity. It’s definitely not the same to say 'I wear Chanel or Armani' as it is to say 'I wear Avon’s Sweet Honesty.
Perfume Chanel N°5 / Chanel No. 5 Eau de Parfum
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El mecanismo es el mismo que en la época de los egipcios, el aroma nos promete el acceso a algo que está más allá de lo cotidiano. Nosotros experimentamos lo mismo que ellos sentían con las fragancias, sólo cambiaron los conocimientos y creencias que tenemos hoy de los aromas.
The same goes for the aromatherapy industry, which sells us calmness, healing, and spiritual presence. The Egyptians burned resins so the smoke would connect them with their gods; today, we light incense, burn palo santo, or light scented candles to clear out bad vibes, purify our spaces, pray to our patron saint or virgin, or induce relaxation for rest and meditation. This is incredibly close to connecting with the divine. There’s a reason these products are sold in botanicas, esoteric shops, and alternative therapy stores.
The mechanism is exactly the same as in the days of the Egyptians: scent promises us access to something that lies beyond the everyday. We experience the very same thing they felt through fragrances; only the knowledge and beliefs we hold about scents today have changed.
Elementos de aromaterapia / Aromatherapy elements
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After talking so much about perfumes, I remembered something that happened to me—and notice how I mentioned above that there are fragrances that can set you apart from the rest of mortals. One day, I was buying a ticket, and a girl behind me complimented my perfume. I pulled it out of my bag and invited her to spray some on since she liked it so much. Although the perfume is very nice, I hadn't really paid much attention to it before that day. But in that exact moment, hearing how much someone else loved it, I felt like my perfume was the most luxurious thing ever, hahaha—and it's just a catalog perfume called Pur Blanca.
Ahora les pregunto, ¿Cuál es ese perfume, vela o incienso que usan no solo para oler bien, sino para sentirse en otro estado, “más tú”, con más calma, con más poder. ¿Existe? ¿Qué sienten cada vez que huelen su aroma ?
Recuerden: la vanidad es eterna. Los leo.
Now I’d love to ask you: what’s that perfume, candle, or incense you use not just to smell good, but to shift into a different state of mind—to feel more like yourself, calmer, more empowered? Does such a scent exist for you? And how do you feel every time its fragrance reaches you?
Remember: vanity is eternal. I'll read you.
Imagen (paisaje) para portada creada en Gemini AI Imagen (figurín) para portada creada en Gemini AI Portada de mi autoría: Edición final diseñada en Canva Separadores de mi autoría: Diseñados en Canva Tarjeta Brainy de mi autoría: Boceto en Canva, rediseño en Chat GPT, edición final en Canva. Banner final de mi autoría: Diseñado en Canva Traducción: Gemini AI Imágenes ilustrativas: Dominio Público
Cover image (landscape) created with Gemini AI Cover image (figurine) created with Gemini AI Cover designed by me: Final edition in Canva Dividers designed by me in Canva Brainy Card designed by me: Sketch in Canva, redesign in ChatGPT, final edition in Canva Final banner designed by me in Canva Translation: Gemini AI Illustrative images: Public Domain
