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Showing results for tags 'The Song of Creation'.
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Then said Jafnhárr: It was many ages before the earth was shaped that the Mist-World was made; and midmost within it lies the well that is called Hvergelmir, from which spring the rivers called Svöl, Gunnthrá, Fjörm, Fimbulthul, Slídr and Hríd, Sylgr and Ylgr, Víd, Leiptr; Gjöll is hard by Hel-gates. The first vision, obfuscated by fog sprung from Hvergelmir: a world within dream, formed of nebulous possibility. Thin strands of white resin-smoke, star jasmine, and white violet. This is a very pleasant, light incensey scent that reads primarily as a soft violet. It's not as lush as in Sybaris, per se, and definitely not as 'chewy' as Fleurette's Purple Snails, which was a robust, unfurling PURPLE violet. On the skin it's sweet, gentle violets, mixed with maybe a wisp of light sandalwood. The star jasmine I guess reads as a hint of misty floral, but this is not a jasmine-forward blend at all. It's mostly a slightly dewy absolutely beautiful violet, and I must get tons of it. Light overall throw, but it's delicious.
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Then said Gangleri: What covenant was between them, or which was the stronger? And Hárr answered: The sons of Borr slew Ymir the giant; lo, where he fell there gushed forth so much blood out of his wounds that with it they drowned all the race of the Rime-Giants, save that one, whom giants call Bergelmir, escaped with his household; he went upon his ship, and his wife with him, and they were safe there. And from them are come the races of the Rime-Giants, as is said here: Untold ages | ere earth was shapen, Then was Bergelmir born; That first I recall, | how the famous wise giant On the deck of the ship was laid down. A torrent of red musk, Dracaena draco, red pepper, black patchouli, nagarmotha, and red ginger. First? Yikes!!! I was on vacation, out of the country with limited cel data available when the Song of Creation collection was released ... there were many scents that intrigued me when I came back stateside and was online, but very few decant circles with openings (and the one for which I did try to get a few of the other scents I wanted was completely unresponsive) ... SO the one scent that I felt I needed to blind-bottle buy in case this was gone by the time I tried everything was this one ... every note I'd heard of was something I loved. The only one I was unfamiliar with was nagarmotha, which I read was something earthy. I am SO glad I got this!!!!! In the imp: The first thing that hit me is something that was, oddly enough, metallic but I couldn't place it and very fiery. Applied to my wrist and in the crook of my arm. WET: Hot hot fiery red hot red fire pepper spicy hot hot hot. But when I say hot (six times) I don't mean it burned upon application because it didn't. It just smelled like a thousand fires -- not smoky, just hot and red and ... well, you see my reaction. Also, this has HUGE throw when wet ... I got a face-full before I'd even recapped the bottle. EARLY DRYDOWN: The odd metallic scent is/was, I THINK, the mysterious nagarmotha because as the "metallic" aspect of it evaporated it was replaced by a deep earthy wet note. NOT dirt, and not really green but rather that deep dark brown of wet earth ... even though you think of it as dirt it's really very clean, like the birth of new life to come from beneath the ground. (I'm also guessing the patchouli may be intermingled for that effect). That becomes, for me, the predominant scent for a little while, as the other hot fiery scents seem to join hands and circle the wet earth in a semicircle behind it ... they just blend beautifully into an absolutely gorgeous and complex mix. LATE DRYDOWN: The wet earth remains, a subtle and unusual fragrance. The resins and musks are very notable and play beautifully together. And finally the dragon's blood comes out at the end for me in a note that I once referred to, before I knew what it was, as "my comfort scent" or "my linen closet scent," referring to a hall closet in the apartment where I grew up where we kept all of our medical supplies, etc., and which had this devastatingly comforting and beautiful smell to me that I could not replicate but some dragon's blood blends DO. This is totally huffworthy and a complete and total keeper. I love it!
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Gangleri asked: How were things wrought, ere the races were and the tribes of men increased? Then said Hárr: The streams called Ice-waves, those which were so long come from the fountain-heads that the yeasty venom upon them had hardened like the slag that runs out of the fire,these then became ice; and when the ice halted and ceased to run, then it froze over above. But the drizzling rain that rose from the venom congealed to rime, and the rime increased, frost over frost, each over the other, even into Ginnungagap, the Yawning Void. Then spake Jafnhárr: Ginnungagap, which faced toward the northern quarter, became filled with heaviness, and masses of ice and rime, and from within, drizzling rain and gusts; but the southern part of the Yawning Void was lighted by those sparks and glowing masses which flew out of Múspellheim. Ice and rime and congealing venom, frost over frost, forever into the void: salt-strange rain and floes of hoarfrost, antediluvian poisons, and radiant sparks from Múspellheims furnaces. First reviewer? Nice! Unfortunately, my review isn't going to be glowing. I'd hoped for something chilly, snowy, aquatic, and maybe just a bit salty. What I got in the sample container was a loud, vaguely noxious shriek of something citrusy that smelled like salted vomit when I applied it. I scrubbed it off immediately and layered the skin over with something I liked to take the pain away. This is only one of two BPALs I've ever deeply disliked. Both had "salt" as an ingredient. I think I've found my death note .
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Gangleri said: “What was the beginning, or how began it, or what was before it?” Hárr answered: “As is told in Völuspá: Erst was the age | when nothing was: Nor sand nor sea, | nor chilling stream-waves; Earth was not found, | nor Ether-Heaven,– A Yawning Gap, | but grass was none.” The darkness beyond darkness, nothing before nothing, the time before all: an opium-dark void, lightless in nihility, silent in nonbeing. This is like a dark sorceress potion, swirling you around in a star filled sky. Seductive, slightly sweet, coca/opium at the front, it takes my breath away with its exotic smoke. It is not heavy or overbearing in any way, beautifully blended and smooth. There's mischief here, creeping into your head as if trying to intoxicate or subdue. I see this as more of a nighttime fragrance, but could definitely wear it during the day myself. Addictive and enchanting, I can't shake the memory of this one, it is velvety, mysterious and overall "noir". I can see this aging exquisitely
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Then said Gangleri: What was done then by Borrs sons, if thou believe that they be gods? Hárr replied: In this matter there is no little to be said. They took Ymir and bore him into the middle of the Yawning Void, and made of him the earth: of his blood the sea and the waters; the land was made of his flesh, and the crags of his bones; gravel and stones they fashioned from his teeth and his grinders and from those bones that were broken. And Jafnhárr said: Of the blood, which ran and welled forth freely out of his wounds, they made the sea, when they had formed and made firm the earth together, and laid the sea in a ring round about her; and it may well seem a hard thing to most men to cross over it. Then said Thridi: They took his skull also, and made of it the heaven, and set it up over the earth with four corners; and under each corner they set a dwarf: the names of these are East, West, North, and South. Then they took the glowing embers and sparks that burst forth and had been cast out of Múspellheim, and set them in the midst of the Yawning Void, in the heaven, both above and below, to illumine heaven and earth. They assigned places to all fires: to some in heaven, some wandered free under the heavens; nevertheless, to these also they gave a place, and shaped them courses. It is said in old songs, that from these the days were reckoned, and the tale of years told, as is said in Völuspá: The sun knew not | where she had housing; The moon knew not | what Might he had; The stars knew not | where stood their places. Thus was it ere | the earth was fashioned. The sun knew not, the moon knew not, the stars knew not: the blood of the sea and the firelight of wandering star-sparks beneath the skull-dome of heaven. Salt and wind and the first rains, glittering starlight fashioned of white rose oud, lavender, white musk, champagne grape and petitgrain, and heavens vault constructed of bone-white sandalwood and purest frankincense. Wow, the champagne grape gives this a REALLY fizzy quality right out of the bottle and for several hours after application. Champagne is not a great note on me, but the other notes are some of my absolute favorites, so I had to give it a go. As long as the champagne grape is at the forefront, this reminds me strongly of Stardust. Finally, however, after about 5 hours, the grape finally starts to fade and I start to get hints of the other notes, mainly the lavender and white musk. I bet with some aging this will be really lovely.
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The first queen, daughter of giants: radiant amber, black fig, and rose oud. This is a bright reddish carmine fluid. Fresh on my skin, Bestla starts strong: primarily as a dark red rose, with some dark weirdness mingled in. I realize it’s the oud, but it’s different from usual. It’s strange. But it’s a strong oud! From the notes list, I realize it’s the black fig that’s giving the earthy-woody oud the weirdness I’m getting, which is a darkly sweet fruit-fleshiness. The black fig blends almost into oneness with the oud, darkening and sweetening it, a part of it. Soft amber lives in the background. Once Bestla has dried, she fully blends: a dark, potent rose oud with tones of black fig and soft background resin creating fullness. I don’t have anything quite like this. It’s close to what I’d wanted Daruma Doll to be, from last year’s Lupers, without the Doll’s red musk that did so poorly on my skin. A keeper.
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Then said Gangleri: These are great tidings which I now hear; that is a wondrous great piece of craftsmanship, and cunningly made. How was the earth contrived?” And Hárr answered: “She is ring-shaped without, and round about her without lieth the deep sea; and along the strand of that sea they gave lands to the races of giants for habitation. But on the inner earth they made a citadel round about the world against the hostility of the giants, and for their citadel they raised up the brows of Ymir the giant, and called that place Midgard. They took also his brain and cast it in the air, and made from it the clouds, as is here said: Of Ymir’s flesh | the earth was fashioned, And of his sweat the sea; Crags of his bones, | trees of his hair, And of his skull the sky. Then of his brows | the blithe gods made Midgard for sons of men; And of his brain | the bitter-mooded Clouds were all created.” Flesh into verdant soil. The sweat of the sea. Black pine, oak, and cedar. Bitter clouds fashioned of grey amber, white tobacco, and muguet. Wow! This is really good. This reminds me so much of another BPAL blend that I smelled a long time ago and I can't for the life of me remember which (I know that is 0% helpful). It also reminds me of Ore by Zents (just in the grounded, resinous feel of it, but the two don't share any notes). Very...grounded. It makes me think of minerals in a cave and a very deep, very old forest. I am definitely getting the pine, oak, and cedar, but they have blended together into the scent of a dark, old forest instead of individual notes coming out. I also smelled the amber right away but it settled back into the blend after a few minutes. I can't stop sniffing this. I don't think I can pick out the tobacco or muguet, but this scent is really well-blended and it all comes together to smell like an expensive, exotic perfume or incense. You know that secret temple that Dr. Strange goes to when he learns his magic? I can imagine that temple smelling like this.
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He is named Búri: he was fair of feature, great and mighty. He begat a son called Borr, who wedded the woman named Bestla, daughter of Bölthorn the giant; and they had three sons: one was Odin, the second Vili, the third Vé. And this is my belief, that he, Odin, with his brothers, must be ruler of heaven and earth; we hold that he must be so called; so is that man called whom we know to be mightiest and most worthy of honor, and ye do well to let him be so called. The bloodline of the first gods: golden mead, white sage, and mugwort. Very sweet, almost reminds me of the Beltane oatcakes I make topped with lingonberries, oddly enough. A bit too foodie for me, but I am fond of both Odin and mead, so ...
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Then said Gangleri: Where dwelt Ymir, or wherein did he find sustenance? Hárr answered: Straightway after the rime dripped, there sprang from it the cow called Audumla; four streams of milk ran from her udders, and she nourished Ymir. Then asked Gangleri: Wherewithal was the cow nourished? And Hárr made answer: She licked the ice-blocks, which were salty; and the first day that she licked the blocks, there came forth from the blocks in the evening a mans hair; the second day, a mans head; the third day the whole man was there. The primordial mother, the first nourisher: four streams of milk, white honey, frankincense, motherwort, and angelica root. This is a soft, creamy scent that reminds me of Adrastea, if you replace the white rose with a slightly herbal feel. I got a compliment from the husband the first time I wore this, and he rarely comments on my perfume. If you liked Adrastea or My Baby and a Baby Goat, this is right up your alley. Decent throw and wear length. Love it!
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Then said Gangleri: “How did the races grow thence, or after what fashion was it brought to pass that more men came into being? Or do ye hold him God, of whom ye but now spake?” And Jafnhárr answered: “By no means do we acknowledge him God; he was evil and all his kindred: we call them Rime-Giants. Now it is said that when he slept, a sweat came upon him, and there grew under his left hand a man and a woman, and one of his feet begat a son with the other; and thus the races are come; these are the Rime-Giants. The old Rime-Giant, him we call Ymir.” The first people: mugwort and thyme, fennel and frankincense, honey and myrrh. Wet: peppermint candy canes. Drydown: still very minty, but it backs off from candy cane territory and starts to smell more like the leaves of the plant Dry: This ends up very lovely and well-blended, after the first overwhelming MINT!!! burns off. I can't pick out particular notes, just a mildly sweet herbal incense. I usually amp honey and frankincense, but they're definitely staying in check here. Impression: cool, wistful incense, with a decent throw and longevity.
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And Thridi said: Just as cold arose out of Niflheim, and all terrible things, so also all that looked toward Múspellheim became hot and glowing; but Ginnungagap was as mild as windless air, and when the breath of heat met the rime, so that it melted and dripped, life was quickened from the yeast-drops, by the power of that which sent the heat, and became a mans form. And that man is named Ymir, but the Rime-Giants call him Aurgelimir But concerning this says Vafthrúdnir the giant: Out of the Ice-waves | issued venom-drops, Waxing until | a giant was; Thence are our kindred | come all together, So it is | they are savage forever. A giant born of the force of elemental savagery, given form by venom and ice: frozen ambergris and dark, primal musk, molten amber, black cypress, and frost-limned opoponax. Wet: This is a dark scent. I am getting lots of cypress, which reads as very cold. Black musk. It was really strong at first, but is fading fast. It's fresh out of the mailbox today, I likely should have given it more time to settle, but this was the scent I was most torn about - couldn't decide if I thought I would love it or hate it. Still can't decide. This is dark and cold and brooding. I'm actually picking up hints of mint - the frost, I imagine. This smells of winter, but whereas the other winter scents I own are happy or nostalgic winter scents, this is the scent of a forest on a frigid, moonless winter night. The menthol gets stronger and stronger, and really mimics the feeling of breathing in cold night air. This scent is much more atmospheric than I expected, and I do find I am enjoying it. Dry: SO. Having a hard time deciding how I feel about this. No, that's not it. Having a hard time accepting how I feel about this. I don't like mint for anything other than bedtime in the summer. I mean, I like the smell of mint, I just don't typically want to smell like it. But this....this scent has essentially dried down to dark, sweet musk and mint. Hints of opoponax if I really huff, hints of woods also. But mostly mint and musk. And I really enjoy it. Beth will never cease to amaze me. This scent is beautiful. I can't wait to hear how it smells on other people's skin - whether or not I am a weird skin-chem anomaly.
