Pomander

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/pomander

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the etymological origin?French 'pomme d'ambre,' translating to 'apple of amber.'
2. What is the perceived health function?Believed to counteract miasmas and protect against infectious diseases
3. Why did people use pomanders during the Black Death?They believed the sweet smell would clean the air and protect them from bad vapors that were thought to cause sickness. Carrying a pomander was a way to stay safe when many people were ill.
4. What materials were used to make a pomander?The perfume inside could be made from ambergris, musk, or civet. The cases were often made of gold or silver and had fancy openwork designs.

Miasma Theory: An obsolete medical theory that disease was caused by noxious forms of 'bad air.'
Ambergris: A solid, waxy substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales, highly valued in perfumery.
Censer: A container in which incense is burned, typically suspended by a chain.