Seamus Hammond
Incense is a substance that is burned to produce a fragrant scent. The word incense comes from the Latin word incendere, meaning to burn. The use of incense can be traced back to ancient Egypt, where it was used by priests for fumigating ceremonies and tombs. Over the years, the use of incense spread to other regions, including Babylon, Greece, Rome, India, China, Japan, Nepal, Tibet, and other East Asian countries. Today, incense is used in various cultures and religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and traditional Chinese religion. The preparation and function of incense can vary from country to country, with different shapes, fragrances, and purposes according to local beliefs and traditions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Origin of incense | True incense comes from tree resin found in parts of Africa, the Middle East, or India. |
| History | The history of incense dates back more than 6000 years, coinciding with the emergence of the first great civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt. |
| Ancient Usage | Incense was used in ancient Egypt, Babylon, and Greece for religious rituals and ceremonies. |
| Modern Usage | Incense is used in various countries and cultures, including China, Japan, India, and Arab countries, often associated with religious practices, meditation, and aromatherapy. |
| Preparation | The preparation of incense varies across countries and cultures, with different shapes, fragrances, and functions. |
| Ingredients | Incense typically consists of aromatic plant-based materials, such as resins, barks, seeds, roots, and flowers, combined with combustible binding materials. |
| Health Effects | Studies have linked incense smoke to potential health risks, including lung cancer and triggering asthma attacks. |
| Commercial Availability | Incense is commercially available in various forms, including sticks, dhoops, cones, and sprays. |
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What You'll Learn
Incense in ancient Egypt
Incense has been used by many ancient civilizations, including ancient Egypt, where it played a significant role in various aspects of their culture and society. The use of incense in Egypt can be traced back to the early dynastic period, and it remained an important part of Egyptian life for thousands of years.
One of the primary uses of incense in ancient Egypt was in religious and spiritual practices. The Egyptians believed that incense played a crucial role in communicating with the gods. They burned incense as offerings to the deities, using the fragrant smoke as a means of carrying their prayers to the heavens. Incense was also used in funerary practices, with the belief that it would help purify and preserve the body and soul of the deceased, aiding their journey into the afterlife. Egyptian priests burned incense during religious ceremonies and rituals, filling temples with fragrant smoke that was believed to create a sacred atmosphere and please the gods.
The Egyptians also valued incense for its medicinal properties. They believed that different types of incense could cure various ailments, and it was used in many remedies and treatments. For example, frankincense was thought to have healing properties and was often used to treat wounds and infections, while myrrh was believed to be effective in treating stomach ailments and pain relief. Incense was also burned to purify the air and prevent the spread of disease, showing an early understanding of the antiseptic properties of certain aromatic resins.
The production and trade of incense were also significant in ancient Egypt. Incense burners and other related artifacts have been found in many Egyptian tombs, indicating the value placed on these items. The Egyptians sourced incense resins and materials from various regions, including Arabia and Somalia, and they also developed their own incense recipes and blends. The trade of incense was an important part of the Egyptian economy, and it also played a role in diplomatic relations, with incense often exchanged as gifts between rulers.
The use of incense in ancient Egypt extended beyond religious and medicinal purposes, as it was also an integral part of their daily lives. Incense burners were common household items, and Egyptians would burn incense to create pleasant aromas and mask unpleasant odors. Incense was also used in cosmetics and perfumery, with Egyptians creating fragrant oils and perfumes by infusing oils with incense resins.
In conclusion, incense played a multifaceted role in ancient Egyptian society, encompassing religious, medicinal, economic, and daily life aspects. The use of incense in Egypt reflects the sophisticated cultural, spiritual, and practical understanding of this ancient civilization, contributing to our understanding of their rich and complex history.
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Incense in China
Incense has been used in China for thousands of years, with the first recorded use of incense in human history being in ancient China. The character for incense or aromatics was recorded as far back as the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1050 BCE).
The use of incense in China can be traced back to the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), where it was used to aromatize rooms and clothing, as well as in Buddhist worship and by scholars and nobility. The Buddhist scriptures value the use of incense, and it plays an integral role in Buddhist ceremonies. The practice of using incense spread from China to Japan through Buddhism.
Incense usage reached its peak during the Song dynasty (960–1279 AD), with numerous buildings erected specifically for incense ceremonies. The nobility enjoyed it as a popular cultural pastime, and scholars and aristocrats used it while composing poetry, playing musical instruments, hosting feasts, or during meditation. The "right" incense was the epitome of style and refinement during this period. The Imperial Court founded the "Incense and Medicine Repository" to oversee the import of agarwood and other spices and medicines.
The use of incense in China continued to be popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties for social events and everyday leisure pursuits. Techniques for making incense sticks improved during this period, and they gradually became the dominant form of burning incense. However, with the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912, the practice of incense came to an abrupt halt, along with many other traditional cultural practices. In recent years, the use of incense has started to make a slow comeback in modern Chinese life.
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Incense in India
Incense has been used in various faiths and cultures across the world for thousands of years, including in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity. In India, incense is used in everyday Hindu prayer rituals as one of five offerings to deities. The burning of incense sticks is believed to promote positivity and is symbolic in Hinduism, representing human sacrifice to the greater good. The aroma of the incense is also considered to have healing and soothing effects on the mind.
The basic ingredients of an incense stick are bamboo sticks, paste (made from charcoal dust or sawdust and an adhesive made from tree bark), and perfume ingredients. The perfume ingredients can be a masala (powder of ground ingredients) or a solvent of perfumes and/or essential oils. The incense-making process involves applying a base paste to the bamboo stick, rolling it into a fine wood powder while still moist, and then letting it dry for several days. The incense sticks may also be dipped into a scented solvent. Many Indian incense makers follow Ayurvedic principles, in which the ingredients that go into incense-making are categorized into five classes: ether (fruits), water (stems and branches), earth (roots), fire (flowers), and air (leaves).
The state of Karnataka, referred to as the "Capital of Agarbathi (Incense Sticks)", is the leading producer of incense in India, with Mysore and Bangalore being the main manufacturing hubs. There are about 5,000 incense companies in India, with around 200,000 women working part-time from home to hand-roll the sticks, apply their own brand of perfume, and package the sticks for sale. The bulk of production is done by hand-rolling, although there are also semi-automatic and fully automated machines available for applying paste, dipping perfume, and packing.
Incense has a long history in India, with the use of incense in the region dating back to ancient times. However, by the 1990s, the Forest Department in India banned resin extraction due to crude extraction methods that resulted in tree deaths. This ban forced up the price of halmaddi, a type of resin used in incense, leading to a decline in its usage in incense-making. In recent years, extraction has been allowed under leasing agreements, but production is still limited, and halmaddi is sometimes stolen and sold on the black market.
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Incense in Oman
Incense has been used since ancient times, with the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, and Greeks burning incense for religious rituals. The ancient Egyptians, in particular, used incense in both pragmatic and mystical ways. While it was used to obscure malodorous products of human habitation, it was also believed to ward off malevolent demons and please the gods.
In Oman, incense is considered a status symbol. The best-quality Omani incense, known as "silver incense", comes from the Dhofar region in southern Oman. This region is thousands of kilometres south across mountains and the Rub' al-Khali, also known as the Empty Quarter. In the first century BCE, the king of today's Yemen invaded Oman to control the incense trade, establishing a fortified outpost there.
Frankincense is the essential ingredient of Oriental fragrances and is used by perfumers when composing a perfume. Frankincense is also burned daily in Oman to welcome guests, perfume clothes, and spaces of the house, or used at family events. In Islam, incense is used in mosques or at family ceremonies purely as a fragrance. It is consumed in a ceramic perfume burner typical of the Dhofar region.
Omani frankincense is also used in the production of one of the rarest types of honey in the world, frankincense honey. The honey is produced from the nectar of incense trees, which bees collect when they pollinate the incense flowers. This activity supports the health of the tree populations and allows people to enjoy the benefits of incense without having to harvest the trees for the resin.
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Incense in Christianity
The use of incense in Christianity is inspired by passages in the Bible, and its use in prayer and worship carries Christian symbolism. Incense is used in Christian churches, including the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Assyrian Church of the East, Oriental Orthodox, Lutheran, and Old Catholic denominations. It is also used in some Methodist, Continental Reformed, Presbyterian, and Anglican churches.
Incense was used in ancient Egypt, Babylon, and Greece, and its use in religious ritual was further or simultaneously developed in China. The first recorded use of incense was by the Indus Valley Civilization in India in 3600 BC. The Egyptians during the Fifth Dynasty (2345-2494 BC) were the first in the non-Asian world to discover the use of incense, which was used by Hindus for centuries by the time of the 5th Dynasty. Incense usage reached its peak during the Song dynasty, with numerous buildings erected specifically for incense ceremonies.
Incense may be used in Christian worship at the celebration of the Eucharist, solemn celebrations of the Divine Office, Solemn Vespers, Solemn Evensong, funerals, benediction and exposition of the Eucharist, the consecration of a church or altar, and other services. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Lutheran churches of Evangelical Catholic churchmanship, Anglican churches of Anglo-Catholic churchmanship, and Old Catholic/Liberal Catholic churches, incense is used at virtually every service.
In the Old Testament, incense was part of the ritual worship of the Lord. God gave instructions for constructing the altar of incense, which was set in the Holy Place in front of the veil before the Holy of Holies. Every day, a priest burned incense on the altar within the tabernacle. Exodus 30:34 describes the exact composition of this holy incense, which had a balsamic fragrance. "Strange incense" (that which did not follow God's recipe) was forbidden for use in worship. Later, in the temple, about half a pound of incense was burned daily.
Incense is often used as part of a purification ritual. In the Revelation of John, incense symbolizes the prayers of the saints in heaven – the "golden bowl full of incense" are "the prayers of the saints" (Revelation 5:8, cf. Revelation 8:3) which infuse upwards towards the altar of God. This symbolism is also seen in Psalm 141 (140), verse 2: "Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight: the lifting up of my hands, as the evening sacrifice." For the Jews, incense was to be a symbol of prayer, as David says, "May my prayer be set before you like incense" (Psalm 141:2).
Some Christians have expressed concern about burning incense due to its association with pagan religions. However, others have argued that there is no biblical prohibition against burning incense and that it is an ancient practice that can be used for its scent or as a form of meditation without any religious connotations.
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Frequently asked questions
Incense is believed to have originated in India and other parts of Southern Asia as early as 3300 BC. It then spread to Ancient China around 2000 BC, where it was used for worship and prayer.
Incense is made from plant-based materials and essential oils. The specific ingredients used in incense vary by region and manufacturer but can include resins, barks, seeds, roots, and flowers.
Incense is used for a variety of purposes, including religious rituals, meditation, therapy, and creating a pleasant aroma. It has been associated with various religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and ancient Egyptian and Greek rituals.
Incense can be shaped by humans or left in its raw state. It is often burned on a lit charcoal embber contained in a censer or thurible.
