Katrina Rosales
The swinging of incense by monks is a ritual that has been performed since the 12th century, with the famous Botafumeiro thurible in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Spain being one of the largest censers in the world. The ritual involves burning incense, which is considered an important part of liturgy and prayer, with the smoke believed to have a prophylactic effect during times of plague and epidemic. The Botafumeiro, made of brass, bronze, and silver, can reach speeds of 60 km/h during its swinging motion, creating a dramatic display that has made it a symbol of both the cathedral and the city.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the incense holder | Thurible or censer |
| What it consists of | A censer section, chains (typically three or four), a metal ring around the chains, and a removable metal crucible for burning charcoals |
| Incense placement | Incense is placed upon the charcoal in the censer section |
| Usage | Used in worship, especially in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Swinging motion | Can be swung in a double or single motion; the number of swings depends on the ritual and the object or person being censed |
| History | The use of a swinging censer in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Spain dates back to the 11th or 12th century |
| Symbolism | The Botafumeiro, a famous thurible, is considered a symbol of both the cathedral and the city of Santiago de Compostela |
| Speed | Can reach speeds of about 60 km/h |
| Height | Reaches a height of 21 meters at the top of its swing |
| Weight | Weights vary, ranging from 50 to 160 kilograms |
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What You'll Learn
- The Botafumeiro: a famous thurible used at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Spain
- The use of incense in worship: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Roman Missal
- Incense burning as an important part of liturgy: an oration to God or form of prayer
- The Thurible: a censer with chains, a metal ring, and a removable metal crucible for burning charcoals
- The use of incense at Solemn Evensong: a sung celebration of vespers with incense
The Botafumeiro: a famous thurible used at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Spain
The Botafumeiro is a famous thurible used at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Spain. The name, which means "the one that expels smoke" in Galician, is derived from the Galician word "botar", meaning "to eject, throw away, expel", and the Latin "fume", meaning "smoke". It is a symbol of both the cathedral and the city.
The Botafumeiro is especially celebrated for its swinging motion during the Pilgrim's Mass and other solemn occasions, reaching speeds of about 60 km/h. This ritual has been taking place since at least the 12th century, though one tradition holds that the use of a swinging censer in the cathedral began in the 11th century to purify the air for arriving pilgrims, who were tired and unwashed. The current Botafumeiro was crafted by the Compostela gold and silversmith José Losada in 1851. It is made of an alloy of brass and bronze and plated with a very thin 20-micrometre layer of silver, giving it a golden sheen. Weighing 80 kg and measuring 1.93 m in height, it is one of the largest censers in the world.
The Botafumeiro is suspended 20 m from a pulley mechanism under the dome on the roof of the church. It is carried and swung by eight men in red robes, called tiraboleiros, a Galician derivation of the Latin word "turifer", meaning "incense carrier". The thurible reaches heights of 21 m at the top of its swing, moving in a 65-m arc between the Azabachería and Praterias doorways at the ends of the transept. It can take about 80 seconds of swinging to reach its maximum angle of about 82°.
The Botafumeiro is normally on display in the library of the cathedral, but for certain important religious occasions, it is brought to the floor of the cathedral and attached to ropes hung from the pulley mechanism. It is activated during masses celebrated on special occasions, such as the dates indicated in the cathedral's liturgical calendar, including the Feast of Saint James and the Martyrdom of St. James. It is also possible to make a donation to the cathedral to have the Botafumeiro activated upon request.
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The use of incense in worship: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Roman Missal
The use of incense in worship has been a common practice in religious rites since antiquity. The smoke from burning incense is interpreted as a symbol of the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit and the prayers of the faithful rising to heaven. The practice is rooted in the traditions of Judaism during the time of the Second Jewish Temple.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Eastern Lutheran Churches, as well as the Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Churches and the Eastern Orthodox Church, make frequent use of incense. It is used not only at the Divine Liturgy (Eucharist) but also at Vespers, Matins, and several other occasional services. During funeral and memorial services, the censer is swung almost continuously. Incense is also used during the praying of the canonical hours in Lutheran churches. During Morning and Evening Prayer, the altar is often censed during the Gospel Canticle, connecting daily prayer with the weekly celebration of Holy Communion.
The Roman Missal
The Roman Missal, as revised in 1969, allows the use of incense at any Mass. Incense may be used during the entrance procession, at the beginning of Mass to incense the cross and the altar, at the Gospel procession and proclamation, after the bread and chalice have been placed on the altar, to incense the offerings, the cross, the altar, the priest, and the people. It is also used at the elevation of the host and the chalice after the consecration. The number of swings of the thurible to be used when incensing persons or objects is specified in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. The 1960 Code of Rubrics, incorporated into the 1962 Roman Missal, envisioned the use of incense at Solemn Mass and Missa cantata, but not at Low Mass.
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Incense burning as an important part of liturgy: an oration to God or form of prayer
Incense burning has been a significant part of religious practices across the world for thousands of years. The practice is believed to have originated in India around 3600 BC, with the first recorded use being by the Indians in the Indus Valley Civilisation. Since then, the use of incense has spread to other parts of Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asian countries, as well as to the Western world through the Egyptians.
Incense burning is an important part of liturgy in various religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, Christianity, and Mandaeism. In Hinduism, incense is offered to God as a form of prayer, with the sticks being rotated thrice in a clockwise direction. This practice is mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna accepts the offerings made to him with love. Similarly, in Mandaeism, incense is offered on stands called "kinta" to establish a connection between humans on Earth and celestial beings in the World of Light.
In Christianity, the use of incense is inspired by passages in the Bible, particularly the Book of Exodus, where it is believed to represent God's form as a pillar of smoke by day and a fire by night. The smoke of burning incense is interpreted by Western Catholic and Eastern Christian churches as a symbol of the prayers of the faithful rising to heaven, as mentioned in Psalm 141:2. This symbolism is also seen in the Book of Revelation, where the apostle John writes about the elders holding "gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones" (5:8).
The act of swinging incense during religious ceremonies is particularly notable in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Spain, where a large thurible called the "Botafumeiro" is used. This tradition is believed to have started in the 11th or 12th century, and the Botafumeiro can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h during its swinging motion. The ritual is considered a symbol of both the cathedral and the city, and it is a popular attraction for pilgrims and tourists.
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The Thurible: a censer with chains, a metal ring, and a removable metal crucible for burning charcoals
A thurible is a metal censer suspended from chains, in which incense is burned during worship services. It is used in various Christian churches, including Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Armenian Apostolic, as well as in some Lutheran, Old Catholic, and Anglican churches. The altar server who carries the thurible is called the thurifer. The workings of a thurible are quite simple.
Each thurible consists of a censer section, chains (typically three or four, although single-chain thuribles also exist), a metal ring around the chains (used to lock the lid of the censer section in place), and usually (although not always) a removable metal crucible in which the burning charcoals are placed. Many thuribles are supplied with a stand, allowing the thurible to be hung safely when still hot but not in use. Burning charcoal is placed inside the metal censer, either directly into the bowl section or into a removable crucible if supplied. Incense, of which there are many different varieties, is then placed upon the charcoal, where it melts to produce a sweet-smelling smoke. This may be done several times during the service as the incense burns quite quickly. Once the incense has been placed on the charcoal, the thurible is then closed and used for censing.
The thurible is often gold, silver, or brass-plated, combining the three gifts of the Biblical Magi: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The censer will usually have three outer chains (for the Holy Trinity) attached to the bowl and a fourth inner chain (for the Oneness of God) attached to the lid. The three outer chains are gathered together and attached to a round conical plate attached to a ring, while the inner chain passes through a hole in the conical plate and is attached to another ring to facilitate lifting the lid. In the Greek and some Russian practices, twelve bells are attached to the chains, symbolizing the teaching of the twelve apostles.
The Botafumeiro is a famous thurible used at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Spain. It is considered a symbol of both the cathedral and the city and is celebrated for its swinging motion during the Pilgrim's Mass and other solemn occasions. This ritual has been taking place since at least the 12th century. The current Botafumeiro was created in 1851 and is made of an alloy of brass and bronze, plated with a thin layer of silver, giving it a golden sheen. It weighs 80 kg and can reach speeds of about 60 km/h during its swings.
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The use of incense at Solemn Evensong: a sung celebration of vespers with incense
Incense is used in many different religious services and has been for centuries. The practice of burning incense during worship is an important part of the liturgy, being an "oration to God", or form of prayer. The use of incense at Solemn Evensong is a great example of this.
Solemn Evensong is a form of Evensong, which is a liturgy that has become the most distinctively Anglican. It is a sung celebration of vespers with the use of incense. Vespers is a liturgy of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Catholic (both Latin and Eastern Catholic liturgical rites), Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran liturgies. The word for this prayer time comes from the Latin 'vesper', meaning 'evening'.
The use of incense at Solemn Evensong is a key part of the service. The altar is censed during the Magnificat, which is the canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary from Luke 1:46-55. The Magnificat is always preceded by an antiphon, followed by the Gloria and the repeated antiphon. The altar may be incensed, followed by the ministers and the people. The incense is placed in a thurible, which consists of a censer section, chains, a metal ring, and usually a removable metal crucible in which the burning charcoals are placed. The smoke produced is sweet-smelling.
The use of incense at Solemn Evensong adds to the solemnity and ritual of the service. It is a physical representation of prayer and a symbol of the cleansing and sanctifying power of God. The sweet-smelling smoke creates an atmosphere of reverence and devotion, helping to focus the minds of those present on the liturgy and worship.
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Frequently asked questions
Monks swing a thurible, censer, or botafumeiro with incense.
A thurible, also known as a censer, is a metal container that holds burning charcoal and incense. The incense melts on the charcoal, producing a sweet-smelling smoke.
The number of swings of the thurible and the manner of incensing depend on the church and the occasion. For example, in the Anglican Church, the thurible is swung thrice to cense the priest, once to cense the other clergy, and once to cense the congregation.
