Katrina Rosales
Incense is burned in a censer, a vessel or container used for burning incense, particularly in religious and spiritual practices. In the context of Catholicism, a censer on a chain is called a thurible. Thuribles are also used in the Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church, and Eastern Catholic Churches. In Japan and China, a censer is called an egōro or shǒulú, respectively, and is used by several Buddhist traditions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Censer, Thurible |
| Description | A vessel or container used for burning incense, particularly in religious and spiritual practices. |
| Usage | Incense is placed on charcoal inside the censer, which is then closed and swung to spread the fragrance. |
| Types | Direct-burning incense, Indirect-burning incense (non-combustible incense) |
| Materials | Metal (gold, silver, brass, bronze), Ceramics, Porcelain, Clay |
| Culture | Catholic, Orthodox, Buddhist, Hindu, Shintoist, Mayan, Chinese, Japanese |
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What You'll Learn
A thurible is a type of censer
Thuribles are specifically associated with the Latin Church or Western Churches, the largest of the 24 churches of the Catholic Church, headed by the Pope in Rome. They are commonly used during important offices such as benedictions, processions, and significant Masses. A common design for a thurible is a metal container, similar in size and shape to a coffee pot, suspended on chains. The bowl of the thurible holds hot coals, and the incense is placed on top. The thurible is then swung back and forth, spreading the fragrant smoke.
The number of chains on a thurible can vary, with some having three or four chains, while simpler designs may have just one. The chains typically symbolize the Holy Trinity, with the three outer chains representing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the fourth inner chain representing the Oneness of God. The thurible is often made of silver, brass, or gold-plated metal, symbolizing the three gifts of the Biblical Magi: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
The burning of incense has been a sacred part of religious rituals for centuries, and thuribles play a significant role in engaging the sense of smell during worship in Orthodox Christianity. The smoke from the thurible is believed to represent the physical manifestation of prayers rising towards heaven.
In other religious traditions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Shintoism, stationary censers are used. These are typically large vessels filled with ash, where burning incense sticks are placed.
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Censers are incense holders
Censers have been used in various cultures and religions throughout history. In the Latin Church and its Latin liturgical rites, the censer is often called a thurible and is used during important ceremonies. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church, and Eastern Catholic Churches, censers are similar in design to the Western thurible, with three or four chains. Mayan censers, which date back to 600-900 AD, often had a reservoir for incense on top of a vertical shaft and were elaborately designed with the head of a Mayan deity.
In Buddhist and Daoist rituals, handheld censers with long handles were developed during the medieval period. Archaeologists have found censers in Han era tombs containing aromatics or ashen remains. Japanese censers, called koro, are often used in Japanese tea ceremonies and are usually made of pottery, porcelain, or bronze. A similar censer called an egōro is used by several Buddhist sects in Japan, where makkō powder is burned instead of charcoal.
Censers can also be used in the home during prayers or to perfume garments and bedclothes. Small, concave charcoal briquettes are sold for home use with granulated incense. Direct-burning incense is placed directly on top of a heat source or hot metal plate in a censer, while indirect-burning incense, also known as non-combustible incense, requires a separate heat source.
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Chains are used to swing censers
The thurible is usually silver, brass, or gold-plated, combining the three gifts of the Biblical Magi: gold, frankincense, and myrthh. It consists of a metal bowl, a lid (often topped with a cross), and chains. The lid has holes to allow the fragrance from the incense to escape. 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, while the inner chain passes through a hole in the conical plate and is attached to another ring to make it easier to lift the lid.
The censer is used during important offices such as benedictions, processions, and important Masses. It is also used during memorial services and other occasional offices. The censer is swung towards something or someone, typically the Holy Eucharist, an icon, or a person, so that smoke from the burning incense travels in that direction. Burning incense represents the prayers of the church rising towards Heaven.
The censer is often decorated with 12 small bells attached to the chains, symbolizing the preaching of the Twelve Apostles. One of the bells is silenced to symbolize the rebel Judas. In some traditions, the censer with bells is normally used only by a bishop. The censer is typically swung by a deacon or a priest, although unordained servers or acolytes are permitted to prepare and carry the censer, but not swing it during prayers.
The weight of the censer, the length and robustness of the chains, and the type of grip available are important factors that influence how the censer performs and behaves during use. The space available between the person swinging the censer and the person or object being censed is also crucial, as crashing the censer into an object or person can be dangerous.
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Incense can be direct or indirect-burning
Incense, which comes from the Latin word 'incendere', meaning 'to burn', can be separated into two types: direct-burning and indirect-burning.
Direct-burning incense, also known as combustible incense, is lit directly by a flame and then fanned or blown out, leaving a glowing ember that smoulders and releases a smoky fragrance. It is usually formed into a paste around a bamboo stick or extruded into a stick or cone shape. This type of incense has been used for centuries in places like Tibet and Nepal. Direct-burning incense is also used to make rope incense, where the powder is rolled into paper sheets, then twisted into a two-strand rope. The smaller end is lit, and the incense burns slowly, making it easily transportable and long-lasting.
Indirect-burning incense, also called non-combustible incense, is a combination of aromatic ingredients that do not contain combustible material and therefore cannot burn on its own. It requires a separate heat source, such as charcoal or glowing embers, and is placed on top of the heat source or on a hot metal plate in a censer or thurible. Finer forms of indirect-burning incense tend to burn more quickly, while coarser or chunkier forms may be consumed more slowly. This type of incense is commonly made from resins such as frankincense and myrrh, which are well-known in the West due to their mentions in the Bible.
The censer or thurible is often used to burn incense, especially in religious contexts. It consists of a metal bowl with a lid, pierced by holes to allow the fragrance to escape, and is suspended by chains. The censer is swung back and forth to spread the incense's fragrance widely. In some traditions, the censer will have 12 small bells attached to the chains, symbolising the Twelve Apostles, with one bell silenced to represent Judas.
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Incense is used in many religions
The use of incense in religious rituals is prevalent in many cultures and may have roots in its practical and aesthetic uses. Incense is an aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremonial reasons. It may also be used as a simple deodorant or insect repellent.
Incense use in religious ritual was either further developed or transmitted from China to Korea, Japan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. Incense holds an invaluable role in East Asian Buddhist ceremonies and rites as well as in those of Chinese Taoist and Japanese Shinto shrines for the deity Inari Okami, or the Seven Lucky Gods. It is reputed to be a method of purifying the surroundings, bringing forth an assembly of buddhas, bodhisattvas, gods, and demons. In Chinese Taoist and Buddhist temples, the inner spaces are scented with thick coiled incense, which are either hung from the ceiling or placed on special stands. Worshippers at the temples light and burn sticks of incense in small or large bundles, which they wave or raise above their heads while bowing to statues or plaques of a deity or an ancestor.
In the Latin Church and its Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church and some other groups, the censer is often called a thurible, and used during important offices (benedictions, processions, and important Masses). A common design for a thurible is a metal container, about the size and shape of a coffee pot, suspended on chains. The bowl contains hot coals, and the incense is placed on top of these. The thurible is then swung back and forth on its chains, spreading the fragrant smoke. A famous thurible is the Botafumeiro, in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Suspended from the ceiling of the cathedral, the swinging of this 5-foot (1.5 m) high, 55-kilogram silver vessel is an impressive sight.
The use of incense in Christianity is inspired by passages in the Bible; its use in prayer and worship carries with it a Christian symbolism. Incense has been employed in worship by Christians since antiquity, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church/Eastern Catholic Church, Orthodox Christian churches, Lutheran Churches, Old Catholic/Liberal Catholic Churches, and some Anglican Churches. Incense is being increasingly used among some other Christian groups as well; for example, in Methodism, the Book of Worship of The United Methodist Church calls for incense in the Evening Praise and Prayer service. The practice is rooted in the earlier traditions of Judaism in the time of the Second Jewish Temple. The smoke of burning incense is interpreted by both the Western Catholic and Eastern Christian churches as a symbol of the prayer of the faithful rising to heaven.
In Greece from the 8th century BC, woods and resins were burned as an oblation and for protection against demons, a practice adopted by the Orphics. In Rome, fragrant woods were replaced by imported incense, which became important in public and private sacrifices and in the cult of the emperor. In the 4th century AD the early Christian church began to use incense in eucharistic ceremonial, in which it came to symbolize the ascent of the prayers of the faithful and the merits of the saints.
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Frequently asked questions
An incense on a chain is called a censer or a thurible.
A censer is a vessel or container used for burning incense, particularly in religious and spiritual practices.
A thurible is a type of censer made from metal and hung from chains.
A censer is a more general term for a vessel used for burning incense, while a thurible specifically refers to a metal censer hung from chains.
The purpose of a censer or thurible is to burn incense and spread its fragrant smoke during religious ceremonies and rituals.
