Pop Culture today teaches us that men who wear flowers (or floral fragrances) are somehow betraying their “masculinity.” With the exception of boutonnières worn for formal occasions, we are constantly told by mainstream media outlets that “real men” don’t wear flowers. In fact, doing so could send a message to the opposite sex that you are anything but a man. Brands like Axe and Old Spice (to name just a few) have made millions of dollars preying on this insecurity. Take for example the following advice from the January 2013 issue of Esquire Magazine:
“When a man wants to smell like a man (who wants to smell like a cologne), there is one family of scents that he should turn to: wood.”
Besides sounding like a really bad joke about needing to smell like an erect penis to prove your manliness, advice like this is extremely historically inaccurate. In fact, up until about the late 18th century, nothing could be further from the truth.
Lotus Flowers and the Symbols of Ancient Egypt
The earliest roots of perfumery can be traced back to the civilizations of Persia, India, and Egypt. In each society, there are a litany of examples of the use of flowers in formulations worn by both men and women. Fragrance was used to distinguish class more so than gender, with the most coveted materials reserved for exclusive royal use. Flowers themselves were considered natural examples of the existence of the divine: a wonderful gift from the gods and a physical representation of their divine beauty. To wear them (or smell of them) was to be closer to the gods. Because of this connection, floral symbolism is widespread in each.
In Egypt, these floral tales begin with the story of lotus. In the Hermopolitan creation myth, Amen Ra, god of the sun, emerges from the chaotic waters of Nun from inside a lotus blossom. The lotus is said to represent the sun, creation, and rebirth, as the lotus blossom opens during the day and closes at night. It is also used as a symbol of Upper Egypt. The crown worn by the pharaohs is itself made up of lotus and papyrus, representing the unity of Upper and Lower Egypt.
Nefertem, the god of healing, medicine and beauty, is also strongly associated with the lotus, often depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics with a large lotus blossom forming his crown. Many perfumes, cosmetics, and unguents (worn by both men and women) contained oil extracted from lotus flowers. It is also said that Egyptians would sniff of the lotus before entering religious temples. Lotus is only one of many examples of flowers used in ancient Egyptian rituals.
A Roman Love of Roses
The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra – Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema (1885)
Yes Virginia, the great Caesar wore roses. Like the Egyptians, the Romans were known to use flowers in many religious ceremonies, but no single flower was more coveted than the rose. A symbol of love and romance, even today, no other flower evokes the sentiment of beauty and desire more so than the rose.
Roses were first introduced to Roman society by the Greeks. In Greek mythology, Eros, the god of love, an anagram of “rose,” is credited with giving the world its first rose flower (just one of many myths co-opted by the Romans). Royal Roman baths were scented with rose petals, used to olfactively distinguish the elite class from the less pleasant smelling commoners. During Roman public games, all the streets were strewn with rose petals, honoring the gladiators entering into competition. So, too, were soldiers recognized as they headed to and from the battle field. Even Cleopatra, an admirer of all things Roman, is said to have had rose petals scattered at the feet of Mark Antony. True Roman men wore rose.
Of Warriors and Samurai
Arguably the most successful warrior king of ancient times was Alexander the Great of Macedonia (356-323 BC). He just so happened to also be an avid rose enthusiast. A student of the philosopher Aristotle, Alexander studied science and botany throughout his life. He grew his own roses, and then introduced them into every country he conquered.
Moving to the East, there is an old Japanese proverb:
“In Flowers the Cherry Blossom, In Men the Samurai.”
There is no greater flower than the cherry blossom as there is no greater warrior than a samurai. The main characteristic of the cherry blossom is that when it falls, it does so at once, without resignation. It symbolizes the militarism and Samurai spirit of the Japanese. The national flower of Japan, the Japanese celebrate its arrival annually at Sakura Matsuri. People gather under the cherry blossom trees to celebrate the coming of spring through food, song, and dance. Countless references to the cherry blossom can be found in Japanese poetry and literature. The scent of cherry blossom is also a large part of many Japanese ceremonial rituals (again used by both men and women).
In most ancient civilizations, both Eastern and Western, Beauty was considered a virtue, an aspirational ideal equally sought out by both sexes. While there were many things that separated the worlds of men and women, fragrance was not one of them. The examples above are just a few of the countless ways in which flowers played an important role in the lives of both men and women. I could have just as easily discussed chrysanthemum and Chinese history, jasmine and Indian history, or tuberose and Polynesian history… each rife with examples of flowers used by both men and women. The fact today that flowers are treated like male identity kryptonite is perhaps one of the biggest whoppers propagated by the mainstream fragrance industry. Yet it continues to be left unquestioned. Why would it be, when it has proved to be such a great money maker?
The truth is, if you are a man, the most masculine thing about any fragrance is you and the confidence you exude with whatever scent you choose to wear. A fragrance should never be exclusively relied upon to represent your sense of masculinity (or femininity for that matter). Choose a fragrance because it makes you feel like you, period. Stop limiting your choices to fictitious categories meant to prey on your lack of self confidence. Because as history teaches us, real men have, can, and do wear flowers.
We have Middle Eastern neighborhoods in Brooklyn with the men wafting rose, a masculine scent in that culture. I love that Beauty was seen as a Virtue and a responsibility. Beautiful post.