Anisha Riggs
K23 is a perfume that features in Tom Robbins' 1985 novel 'Jitterbug Perfume'. The novel follows two interweaving storylines, one in Ancient Eurasia and one in the present day, connecting duelling perfumers in Seattle, Paris and New Orleans to a bottle of incomparable perfume created by two unlikely but defiant lovers from the past who seek immortality. In the novel, K23 is created by a character named Alobar using trace amounts of beet pollen extract. The perfume is also said to contain jasmine, citron, sandalwood, honey, cedar and more. The novel has inspired an indie perfumery called Jitterbug Perfumes, which offers its own interpretation of K23, featuring fragrance notes such as patchouli, red ginger, Egyptian amber, saffron, and beetroot, among others.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Book Author | Tom Robbins |
| Book Publication Year | 1984 |
| Book Genre | Realism, Fantasy, Comedy |
| Book Setting | Ancient Eurasia, Present Day (Seattle, Paris, and New Orleans) |
| Book Characters | Alobar, Kudra, Priscilla Partido, Lily Devalier, V'lu, Claude, Marcel LeFever, Luc LeFever, Wiggs Dannyboy, Bingo Pajama |
| K23 Perfume Creator | Alobar |
| K23 Inspiration | Concealing the scent of Pan, Reuniting with Kudra |
| K23 Base Ingredient | Red beets/Beet pollen extract |
| K23 V2 Fragrance Notes | Patchouli, red ginger, frankincense, myrrh, nag champa, Egyptian amber, fresh-cut grass, moss, petrichor, dark patchouli, sugar pine, saffron, amber, sandalwood, nutmeg, and more |
| Jitterbug Perfumes Brand | Offers custom-blended, seasonal, natural perfumes without using dupe stocks |
| Related Art | Song by Michael Hedges, Composition by Stefano Bollani, Dance by Project Bandaloop |
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What You'll Learn
K23's ingredients
K23, a perfume created by Alobar in Tom Robbins' novel Jitterbug Perfume, contains a plethora of ingredients. The perfume was designed to mask the scent of Pan, the god of wild nature, and his supernatural stench.
The novel mentions that Kudra, a master perfumer, had to use the rarest botanicals, richest resins, and most potent aromatics to weave a scent that could cloak Pan's essence. While the novel does not specify all the ingredients used, it does mention that K23 contains trace amounts of beet pollen extract. Beets, specifically red beets, are likely grown in or around Ukraine and are described as having an earthy fragrance.
In the novel, Alobar receives mysterious deliveries of beets, which he uses to create the perfume. The Jitterbug Perfume website offers a modern interpretation of K23, listing the following ingredients: patchouli, red ginger, frankincense, myrrh, nag champa, Egyptian amber, fresh-cut grass, moss, petrichor, dark patchouli, sugar pine, saffron, beet pollen, amber, sandalwood, jasmine, honey, cedar, and more.
These ingredients create a unique and complex fragrance, with earthy, spicy, and woody notes, reminiscent of the wild nature associated with Pan. The use of botanicals and resins in the original novel and the modern interpretation of K23 highlights the importance of natural ingredients in creating a powerful and memorable scent.
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The Jitterbug cult
Jitterbug Perfume is a novel by American writer Tom Robbins, published in 1984 and listed on the New York Times Best Seller list in 1985. The story combines realism with fantasy and comedy, intertwining the lives of its characters across centuries and the globe.
The novel introduces readers to the Jitterbug cult, an elusive sect that believes Pan, the god of wild nature, herds, and flocks, never truly died. According to the sacred scriptures of this sect, a master perfumer named Kudra created a fragrance known as K23 to conceal Pan's unmistakable and pungent scent.
Kudra drew upon rare botanicals, rich resins, and potent aromatics to create a scent that could cloak Pan's very essence. The perfume contained almost 50 different oils and essences, including sandalwood, amber, jasmine, honey, cedar, and most notably, trace amounts of beet pollen extract. The base ingredient of red beets gives the perfume its distinctive earthy fragrance.
In the novel, K23 plays a significant role in the story of Alobar and Kudra, who discover the secret of immortality through their adventures across centuries. After Kudra disappears, Alobar creates K23 in the hopes of reuniting with her in the New World. However, during their journey, an indignant Pan throws the remaining perfume overboard.
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The novel's structure
Jitterbug Perfume, published in 1985, is American writer Tom Robbins' fourth novel. It combines realism, fantasy, and comedy to tell a tale of intertwined lives across centuries, spanning the globe. The novel is structured around two interweaving storylines, one set in Ancient Eurasia and the other in the present day.
The novel quickly introduces its main characters, including Priscilla Partido, a quick-witted waitress who lives in Seattle and occasionally works as an amateur perfumer. She is in possession of a three-hundred-year-old perfume bottle and conducts experiments to recreate its fragrance. She meets Wiggs Dannyboy, a con artist and founder of the Last Laugh Foundation, an organisation dedicated to reversing ageing. They begin an affair, and Wiggs reveals that he learned the secrets of Alobar, an 8th-century king who sought immortality, while in prison.
In the Ancient Eurasia storyline, Alobar, having escaped regicide at the hands of his subjects, travels through Eurasia in search of the secret to longevity. He meets Kudra, and together they care for the now-invisible god Pan. To hide Pan's supernatural stench during their journey to America, they attempt to create a perfume. Kudra disappears during the teleportation process, and Alobar creates a perfume called K23 using trace amounts of beet pollen extract. He travels to the New World with Pan, hoping to reunite with Kudra. However, Pan throws the remaining K23 overboard.
The two storylines converge when the characters come together in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. The bottle of K23, which ended up in the 20th-century New Orleans, is now in the possession of Lily Devalier, who runs a small parfumerie with the assistance of V'lu. Other characters, including perfumers in Paris and Seattle, are also connected to the mysterious K23 perfume and its recreation.
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The characters' goals
In Tom Robbins' novel Jitterbug Perfume, the characters' goals are varied and often intertwined with their quests for immortality and the creation of the K23 perfume.
Alobar: Alobar is a powerful and chiselled 8th-century king who escapes regicide at the hands of his subjects due to their custom of killing their leader at the first sign of aging. He embarks on a quest for longevity, which leads him to create the K23 perfume. Alobar's goal is to achieve immortality and reunite with his lost love, Kudra, in the New World. He uses his knowledge of rare botanicals, rich resins, and potent aromatics to create the K23 perfume, which plays a crucial role in his quest for eternal life.
Kudra: Kudra is a master perfumer and Alobar's love interest. She is first introduced in the novel as a young girl, who is consoled by Alobar after witnessing a heinous widow committing suttee. Years later, Kudra becomes a master perfumer and creates the K23 fragrance to conceal the scent of Pan, the god of wild nature. Kudra's goal is to create a perfume suitable for a god, masking Pan's pungent and musky odour with rare and exotic ingredients.
Priscilla Partido: Priscilla is a quick-witted, part-time waitress and amateur perfumer in Seattle. She possesses a three-hundred-year-old bottle of K23 and experiments with recreating the fragrance. Priscilla's goal is to successfully recreate the K23 perfume, and she becomes entangled with the eccentric Irish philosopher, Wiggs Dannyboy, who runs an immortality research foundation. She also seeks to understand the mysterious deliveries of beets and their connection to her perfume endeavours.
Wiggs Dannyboy: Wiggs is a con artist and the founder of the Last Laugh Foundation, an organisation dedicated to reversing the aging process. He meets Priscilla and begins an affair with her, sharing his knowledge of Alobar and the secrets of immortality. Wiggs' goal is to help others achieve immortality, and he uses his foundation as a front for his true agenda.
V'lu: V'lu is Madame Devalier's protégé in New Orleans. She urges her mentor to create a scent that will compete with the historic perfumeries in Paris. V'lu is also revealed to be a secret agent for the LeFever family in Paris, sending them information about their competition. V'lu's goal is to excel in the world of perfumery and maintain her secretive double life.
Claude and Marcel LeFever: Members of the famous LeFever family, Claude and Marcel run a perfume corporation in Paris. While Claude keeps an eye on Marcel's stability, Marcel, as the "'creative nose' of the company, explores the evolution of a new consciousness. Their goal is to create innovative scents and maintain their position in the competitive world of perfumery.
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Cultural influence
Jitterbug Perfume, a novel by American writer Tom Robbins, has had a notable cultural influence. Published in 1984 and listed on the New York Times Best Seller list in 1985, the book combines realism with fantasy and comedy, intertwining two storylines, one set in Ancient Eurasia and the other in the present day.
The novel has inspired a range of creative endeavours, including music, dance, and independent perfumery. For instance, Michael Hedges wrote a song titled "Jitterboogie", inspired by the novel and included on his Oracle album (1996). Additionally, Project Bandaloop, a multidimensional dance company founded in 1991 by Amelia Rudolph, derived its name from the novel.
The novel has also left its mark on the world of perfumery, with independent perfumeries creating their own interpretations of the K23 perfume, a central element in the novel's plot. These perfumeries craft unique blends, often in small batches, and offer their takes on the mythical fragrance, incorporating various scent notes such as patchouli, red ginger, frankincense, myrrh, and beet pollen, the latter being a crucial ingredient in the novel's version of K23.
The cultural influence of Jitterbug Perfume extends beyond the artistic realm. A hostel in Kathmandu, named Alobar1000, draws its name from a character in the novel, inspired by his extensive travels and pursuit of immortality. Furthermore, the novel's themes and ideas have resonated with readers, sparking discussions and interpretations, as evident in online forums and book communities.
Overall, Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins has left a lasting impact on popular culture, influencing art, literature, and even entrepreneurship, reflecting the novel's ability to capture the imagination of its readers and inspire creative endeavours across various domains.
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Frequently asked questions
K23 Jitterbug Perfume is a perfume created by the character Alobar in Tom Robbins' novel, Jitterbug Perfume.
Jitterbug Perfume is a novel by American writer Tom Robbins, published in 1984 and listed on the New York Times Best Seller list in 1985.
The novel follows two interweaving storylines, one in Ancient Eurasia and one in the present day. The story connects duelling perfumers in Seattle, Paris and New Orleans to a bottle of incomparable perfume created by two unlikely but defiant lovers of the past who seek immortality.
The novel's main characters include Priscilla Partido, a quick-witted waitress who lives in Seattle; Lily Devalier, who runs a small parfumerie in New Orleans with the assistance of V'lu; and Claude and Marcel LeFever, members of the famous LeFever family, who run a perfume corporation in Paris.
K23 Jitterbug Perfume is described as having notes of sandalwood, amber, jasmine, honey, cedar, patchouli, red ginger, frankincense, myrrh, nag champa, Egyptian amber, fresh-cut grass, moss, petrichor, dark patchouli, sugar pine, saffron, beet pollen, santal, creamy nutmeg, and more.
