Fragrant Incantations: Aromatics in Mesopotamian Ritual and Magic

In ancient Mesopotamia, scent was a vital medium for connecting with the cosmic and mercurial forces that shaped people's lives. The fragrant dimensions of ancient civilisations reveal how ancient people conceptualised the unknowable through aroma.

Join perfumer and historian, Nuri McBride, for this immersive two-hour class, where you'll gain fresh perspectives on Mesopotamian olfactive culture, botanical knowledge, and the profound role aromatics played in religion, healing, myth, and magic.

Together, we will examine how fragrance functioned as a sacred technology, mediating between humans and gods, warding off malevolent forces, and structuring ritual life. We will particularly focus on the aromatic practices of the wandering Ašipu (the exorcist) versus the state official Šangû (the temple priest). 

This class draws from archaeology, mythological texts, lexicon tablets, magical compendia, and contemporary ethnobotanical scholarship to bring Mesopotamia's fragrant magic back to life.

Optional take-home activities

• [ To Be Announced Soon]