Early forms of incense Long before human beings realized that burning certain materials could set them free, they were using scented sachets to mask unpleasant or dangerous odors. In fact, our earliest memories of scent are linked to those experiences. One night in early childhood, when I was being taken somewhere (I can’t remember where), I noticed that even though there were no lights, the space was very warm and comforting. That is because I remembered the smell of my grandmother’s garden — all flowers and herbs at once. I also recall walking along a path through the woods with my father. The sun had just gone down, and everything was getting dark and cold. But then, right on cue, this wonderful fragrance would hit me. It wasn’t like any fragrant thing I’d ever smelt before; it was rich and mysterious. Even now, after not seeing it for many years, I still think of it as perfume. The discovery of incense It seems that most humans have been burning things for warmth, as a for
