Potpourri Originates From Castle Stench

May 06, 2009 in Candle Making Tips

Many of us currently enjoy the beautiful smells of potpourri gifts in the workplace or at home, which are used to heighten the atmosphere of our surroundings. Were you aware that it was once necessary?

Potpourri was first created for use in castles. Originally, castles had small slits for windows to prevent arrows and rocks from entering. The narrow windows would trap in the damp air and create a very musty and unpleasant odor. Eventually the castles would develop a musky stench.

Castle inhabitants began to place herbs throughout the rooms so they would have a nice smell in each and every room. If they did not, the rooms would end up smelling really bad and be undesirable to live in. The herbs had to be cleaned up frequently because the oils in them would evaporate and the herbs would then begin decaying and give off an nasty odor themselves.

Typically, castles would have a room at the bottom that was used for creating potpourri. In these rooms, large containers were used to mix together various alcoholic beverages and herbs and spices. The mixtures would usually give off a very wonderful scent. It was typical for many fragrances to have a seasonal appeal an dbe used thusly. There were many fragrances that took years to a decade to age before they were ready to be used.

After a potpourri mixture had achieved the perfect smell, it would be delivered to particular locations and rooms all over the castle to make the air smell much better than it had. Sometimes potpourri could last as long as a decade with the correct amount of refreshing and upkeep. All that was needed was a little added alcohol to help with the evaporation of the aroma into the area of the castle. To help elongate the scent, the potpourri container was usually capped at night.

Ever think about making your own potpourri or giving it as a gift? Well, then search for free potpourri gift catalogs or just potpourri catalogs.