What is Villanelle? A poem, a song, a fragrance, a character, an identity or a blend of a few? Let us see how the classic and modern approaches have shaped the word, particularly for the last two years.

“A French verse form consisting of five three-line stanzas and a final quatrain, with the first and third lines of the first stanza repeating alternately in the following stanzas. These two refrain lines form the final couplet in the quatrain. See “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas, Elizabeth Bishop’s “One Art,”  and Edwin Arlington Robinson’s “The House on the Hill.” - Poetry Foundation

Villanelle is definitely a strict form of poetry which has its famous examples but as we look deeper into the origin of this type of verse we see that there is much more to explore.

“Strange as it may seem for a poem with such a rigid rhyme scheme, the villanelle did not start off as a fixed form. During the Renaissance, the villanella and villancico (from the Italian villano, or peasant) were Italian and Spanish dance-songs. French poets who called their poems "villanelle" did not follow any specific schemes, rhymes, or refrains. Rather, the title implied that, like the Italian and Spanish dance-songs, their poems spoke of simple, often pastoral or rustic themes.” - Poets.org

Being a song with no rhyme which told about a simple pastoral subject is what comes closer to the inspiration behind the perfume Villanelle. The scent is composed of natural ingredients thus the nature is the main character of the fragrance. But a dark image often seen before a spring storm is the moment chosen by us, to reflect the notes in the perfume, as well as the natural elements such as air, moss, soil, trees, forest, etc.

There is a fabulous collection of villanelles by Everyman’s Library, we highly recommend it for those wishing to learn more about the inspiration behind the perfume. Although Villanelle as a poem took many different forms, was re-interpreted and was even written in free verse in some examples, it is still a song, a song which repeats a few lines to stress the importance of the main subject, usually something essential for the poet. Annie Finch refers to the roots of Villanelle connecting it with the present:

“What might it mean about the twenty-first century idea of self that we are so increasingly captivated by the villanelle? Based in communal dance rather than individual song, spiralling back repeatedly to the same refrains, often moving from obsession to acceptance through the simple movements of repetition, perhaps the villanelle teaches us something about sharing and returning, integrating, and learning to let go: good lessons for our time.”- Annie Finch, Villanelles by Everyman's Library

But it is only less than two years ago that Villanelle as a word took another identity, changing from a verse form to a personal name and even a common name:

“Villanelle, birth name Oxana Vorontsova (in Codename Villanelle) or Oksana Astankova (in Killing Eve), is a fictional character in Luke Jennings’ novel Codename Villanelle (2018), its sequel Killing Eve: No Tomorrow (2019), and the BBC America television series adaptation Killing Eve (2018—) in which she is portrayed by English actress Jodie Comer. “- Wikipedia

Being associated with an assassin and a modern day character, the word created a new image: dark, obsessive, psycopathic, at the same time so alluring that the fans of the series sympathize with her. Is it not because Jodie Comer, as an outstanding actress, could create a protagonist so unpredictable, versatile, with her ever changing images, all immaculate, both in her fashion looks and acting?

”Her hair is dark blonde, maybe honey. It was tied back. Uh, she was slim, about 25, 26. She had very delicate features. Her eyes are sort of catlike. Wide, but alert. Her lips are full, she has a long neck, high cheek bones. Skin is smooth and bright. She had a lost look in her eye that was both direct and also chilling. She's totally focused yet almost entirely inaccessible.” - Eve describing Villanelle, "Don't I Know You?"

In our case Villanelle is a perfume created in 2017 and released in March 2018. As it was inspired by a spring villanelle, it is a tribute to the poetry form, the language aesthetics and rhythm, its frames and strictness (modern poetry is too loose!).

Thunder, a blast of wind, damp moss, the first heavy drops of late spring shower, dust rising up into the air, fresh leafage, moist bark, shadowy animals and obscure treasures of earth... Villanelle blends a pastoral theme with an obsessive dark image of the subject...

Fragrance character: resinous, earthy, green.

Notes: bergamot, marjoram, lavender, jasmine, rose, clary sage, violet, blackcurrant, vetiver, frankincense.

We know many of you mistakenly or intentionally wanted to see Villanelle as part of the show but it is not. There is no connection and has never been. But as one may notice the two Villanelles have intricately become related to each other, well, maybe we all need to see there is an extension of a fictional character in real life, maybe we all need to be part of the show. But let’s not forget the poetry may be astounding, powerful, important… For me it is a concentrated form and the base of the language, it is art… If you want Villanelle perfume to be dark, audacious and unpredictable, well, it is… in its own way. What is Villanelle for you?