Stora Skuggan Thumbsucker Eau de Parfum

Thumbsucker | Thumbsucker is the fifth fragrance from Stockholm based perfumery Stora Skuggan. It’s a narcotic nectar floriental inspired by the reason babies suck their thumbs according to Hindu mythology. Around the world, folklore offers different explanations of thumb sucking, but probably the wildest and most extravagant theory comes from ancient Purana writings. We wanted to create a perfume that was both sweetly comforting and intimate, bordering the uncomfortable.

The myth of King Yuvanaswa- It’s a rather long and winding tale, but it can’t be shortened too much without losing its epic nature, so bare with us.

In a distant past when the gods still mingled with mortal men, Yuvanaswa was king of the dynasty Ikshaku. Yuvanaswa was a great and humble king, loved by all his subjects, his many wives and concubines. But despite all of his wealth and good fortune, he was not happy. He gave over rule of his kingdom to his ministers and went into the forest as an ascetic, where he met the holy sage Bhrigu. The great sage greeted the king and asked what troubled him, Yuvanaswa explained that he had everything except a child, which he wanted more than anything. Sage Bhrigu felt pity with the king, and told him that he would prepare a magic potion that would solve his problem. He also instructed him to return to his kingdom and arrange a huge yagya ritual. Yuvanaswa did as he was told, and held a ritual with great fires, offerings and vedic chanting that went on for several days.

On the last evening, King Yuvanaswa was exhausted and very thirsty, and as he stumbled around he came across a beautiful pitcher of water and drank all of it. Dumbass. The pitcher was the magic potion prepared by the great sages, intended for the Queen to drink. So, obviously, the king himself got pregnant. Luckily for the devout Yuvanaswa, he was held in high regard by the holy powers. And when his pregnancy came to term, the great sages and even the King of Gods Indra joined him and cut a hole in the kings thigh to deliver the baby boy. But a new problem arose; the king could not breastfeed his child. Indra cut his thumb, and because he was a god, his veins were filled with life-giving nectar instead of blood. So he let the boy suck his thumb and he proclaimed “Mandhata”, and that was the name of the new king, who would conquer all of the earth. And that’s why babies, being born with the memory of their divine ancestors, still suck their thumbs. (Mandhata in sanskrit literally means “Me he shall suck”)

The fragrance is centered around a few key elements, sweet and exhilarating honey is mixed with the narcotic and slightly dirty flower narcissus. In the base the golden hue of honey is mirrored through Himalayan cedar, which is similar to cedarwood atlas but even sharper and unmistakably sacred in impression. Cherry, styrax and bitter almond creates a dissonant underside to balance the sweet nectar.

Top Notes: Honey, Narcissus.
Middle Notes: Violet, Cherry.
Base Notes: Himalayan Cedar, Bitter Almond, Styrax Balsam, Candle Wax.

• Eau de Parfum