Lance Carson
Incense is an aromatic material that is burned to produce a fragrant smoke. The word 'incense' comes from the Latin word 'incendere', meaning 'to burn'. The use of incense dates back to ancient times, with evidence of its use in ancient Egypt, where incense-bearing trees were imported from Arabia and Somalia. It is believed that the Egyptians used incense in religious rituals, for worship, and to protect the deceased. The burning of incense has long been connected with spiritual practice and religion, and it continues to be used in religious ceremonies today.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| History | The use of incense dates back to ancient times, with the earliest documented evidence of its use found in ancient China. |
| Origin | Incense is believed to have originated in Egypt, where it was used in religious ceremonies and rituals. |
| Raw Material | Incense is made from plant materials, essential oils, and natural substances such as barks, berries, and resins and aromatic trees. |
| Use | Incense is used for aromatherapy, meditation, ritualism, and creating a pleasant fragrance in homes and religious spaces. |
| Spiritual Significance | Incense is associated with spiritual practices and is used for purification, protection, and communication with deities. |
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What You'll Learn
Incense in ancient Egypt
The use of incense dates back to ancient times, with its history beginning more than 6,000 years ago. Its use is linked to the emergence of the first great civilisations of Mesopotamia and Egypt. Incense is believed to have originated from tree resin found in parts of Africa, the Middle East, or India.
Incense was widely used in ancient Egypt, with large quantities being burned daily in temples across the region. It was an integral part of the worship of the gods, with specific types of incense associated with certain deities. For example, the goddess Hathor was strongly associated with myrrh. Incense was also used in ceremonies and to fumigate tombs.
The ancient Egyptians were particularly fond of exotic fragrances, with myrrh, frankincense, cinnamon, cassia, and galbanum being among their favourites. They imported aromatic trees and spices from Arabia and Punt to create their incense blends. One of the most popular varieties of incense was kapet, also known by its Greek name, kyphi. It is said to have been used since the Old Kingdom and was believed to have medicinal properties, such as healing snake bites and curing bad breath and asthma. Other popular types of incense included ihmut, sonter, and green incense.
The ancient Egyptians would burn different types of incense at different times of the day. According to Plutarch, they burned frankincense in the morning, myrrh at midday, and kyphi in the evening.
The burning of incense continued to play a significant role in Egypt's religious and spiritual practices for centuries, influencing the rituals of the country's Muslim and Orthodox Christian populations.
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Incense in ancient China
The use of incense in ancient China can be traced back thousands of years to the Neolithic period and the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. The earliest documented evidence of incense use comes from ancient China, where it was made from blends of herbs and plants such as cinnamon and sandalwood. The Chinese word for incense, "xiang" (香), means "fragrance", "scent", "aroma", "perfume", or "spice".
The art of Chinese incense culture, known as xiangdao (香道), involves burning incense with various paraphernalia and utensils, such as tongs, spatulas, and special moulds to create ideograms with incense powder, all placed on a small table. Bamboo species with good burning characteristics, such as Phyllostachys heterocycla cv. pubescens, are harvested and dried to produce incense sticks.
During the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), there was increased trade and acquisition of more fragrant foreign incense materials, and incense use continued to flourish during the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD) with the spread of Buddhism and strong trade connections. The earliest vessels identified as censers date to the mid-fifth to late fourth centuries BCE during the Warring States period.
Incense was an essential part of the Song dynasty (960-1279 AD), both economically and socially, with the nobility enjoying it as a cultural pastime and building rooms dedicated to incense ceremonies. It was used by scholars and aristocrats while composing poetry, playing musical instruments, hosting feasts, and during meditation. The Song dynasty painter Emperor Huizong's work, "Listening to the Ancient Zither: a Pictorial Rendition", depicts a classic scene from the era of two intellectuals/officials listening to music, accompanied by burning incense.
Through medical incense and the skill of nerikoh (blended incense balls), the Buddhist priest Ganjin introduced a thriving incense culture from Tang dynasty China to Japan in 754 AD.
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Incense in ancient India
The use of incense in ancient India can be traced back to 3300 BC, with the oldest textual references found in the Vedas, specifically the Atharva-veda and the Rigveda. These ancient texts encouraged a uniform method of making incense and described its use for masking odours and creating pleasant smells. The practice of incense-making was likely created by the medicinal priests of the time and is linked to the Ayurvedic medical system.
Incense in India, also known as "agarbatti", is deeply rooted in the spiritual and cultural fabric of the region. It has been a fundamental part of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism for thousands of years. In the realm of religious worship within these religions, incense (dhūpa) and perfumes (gandhā) are considered essential, alongside flowers, lamps, and offerings. The burning of incense is believed to help achieve the four aims of human life in Hinduism: Dharma (duty/ethics), Artha (wealth), Kama (desire), and Moksha (liberation).
The basic ingredients of an incense stick include bamboo sticks, paste (made from charcoal dust, sawdust, and adhesives derived from tree bark), and perfume ingredients, traditionally a masala (powder of ground ingredients) or a blend of essential oils and solvents. Indian incense makers often follow Ayurvedic principles, categorizing incense ingredients into five classes: Ether (fruits), Water (stems and branches), Fire (roots and barks), Air (flowers and herbs), and Sky (resins and gums).
The Mahabharata classifies incense into three types: niryasa (resins from various trees), sarin (heartwoods, roots, flowers, and herbs), and kritrima (artificially produced substances like jaggery or molasses). The Puranic texts and Dharmaśāstra describe similar ingredients for incense, including sandalwood, aloeswood, camphor, musk, saffron, resins, and fragrant flowers.
The use of incense in ancient India extended beyond religious rituals, as evidenced by the Kamasutra's elaboration on "Gandhayukti", the art of perfume blending. Court nobles during the Heian period (8th to 12th centuries) created original incense blends for personal use, establishing a foundation for the aesthetic and artistic world of incense-burning in India.
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Incense in ancient Greece and Rome
The use of incense dates back to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, where it was used in ceremonies, rituals, and worship. The practice of burning incense then spread to ancient China, India, and other parts of southern Asia.
Incense in Ancient Greece
Incense was used in ancient Greece as an offering to the gods within formal rituals. In Homer's works (circa 850 BCE), offerings of incense to Aphrodite are mentioned at her temple in Cyprus. The ancient Greek cultures of the Minoans and Myceneans on the island of Crete also made extensive use of fragrant substances such as ladanum and saffron, which they burned as incense.
The ancient Greeks also incorporated incense into their weddings and symposia, and it was often a part of the ritual of mystery cults.
Incense in Ancient Rome
The Etruscans, who had a significant influence on Roman religion, used incense as early as the 6th century BCE. The Romans mainly traded for incense by sea, and it was a common component in almost all their sacrifices, cults of the dead, and imperial worship.
The acerra, or incense box, was a crucial ritual item for the ancient Romans. Frankincense, myrrh, cinnamon, and nard were among the imported incense varieties widely used throughout the imperial age. The discovery of frankincense in Roman-era burials as far west as Britain attests to the pervasive use of incense in Roman culture.
Scientific studies suggest that frankincense and myrrh, the two most popular forms of incense in the Roman world, possess a range of healing effects. Frankincense, for example, has been found to have calming and cheering psychoactive effects, while myrrh has antioxidant and mild pain-killing properties.
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Incense in Japan
Incense is an aromatic biological material that produces fragrant smoke when burned. It is made from plant materials and essential oils and is used for ambiance, therapy, meditation, and many other purposes. The word "incense" comes from the Latin word "incendere", which means "to burn". The use of incense can be traced back to ancient Egypt, where it was used for religious ceremonies and imported from Arabia. It was also used in ancient China, where it was made from blends of herbs and plants such as cinnamon and sandalwood.
In Japan, incense is known as "kō" (香), with the honorific "o" added as "o-kō" (お香・御香) to differentiate it from the general word for aroma or fragrance, "kaori" (香り), which uses the same character. Incense arrived in Japan along with Buddhism in the 6th century and has been a part of ritual practice ever since. Japanese incense comes in a variety of forms, the most common being senkō (線香), or incense sticks. These sticks consist of powdered aromatic woods, spices, herbs, and oils, mixed with a binder (makkō 抹香) and extruded into sticks or pressed into cones. Japanese incense sticks are always made without a wooden core, resulting in a softer stick compared to other regions.
The burning of incense in Japan is a culturally pervasive art, used in temples, tea ceremonies, incense ceremonies, and casually. The timeless fragrances of sandalwood, aloeswood, and other aromatic herbs and spices are valued for their calming and soothing effects. The appreciation of incense in Japan can be traced back to the Heian period (794–1185), when court nobles concocted original fragrances for their personal use and to perfume their clothes and surroundings. This period also saw the start of "takimonoawase", an incense game where participants competed to produce superior fragrances.
Incense utensils became highly prized during this time, with lacquer utensils and sets used for the preparation and burning of incense. Small boxes known as "kōgō" and "kōbako" were used to store incense wood or incense mixture balls and were crafted in a variety of shapes, materials, and motifs. The "akoda-kōro", a lacquer incense burner in the shape of a pumpkin, and the "jūkōgō", a small tiered incense box, were also popular. The Meiji reforms (1867–68) and the Westernization of Japanese culture in the 19th century led to a decline in the popularity of incense. However, in the 1890s, there was a revival of interest in "the way of incense", thanks to foreign efforts to revalue Japanese culture.
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Frequently asked questions
The use of incense dates back to ancient times, with the earliest documented evidence of its use found in ancient China. Incense was also used in ancient Egypt, where incense-bearing trees were imported from the Arabian and Somali coasts.
Incense was prominent in Egyptian religious rituals, such as the daily liturgy before the cult image of the sun god Amon-Re and in mortuary rites. It was also used to counteract disagreeable odours and drive away demons.
The use of incense in ancient China can be traced back to around 2000 BC, where it was used for worship and prayer.
Incense is made from tree resin found in parts of Africa, the Middle East, or India. It can also be made from blends of herbs and plants such as cinnamon and sandalwood.
