Incense

Group: Resins and Balsams

''Incense (from Latin: incendere, "to burn") is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for masking bad odors. The use of incense may have originated in Ancient Egypt, where the gum resins and oleo gum resins of aromatic trees were imported from the Arabian and Somali coasts to be used in religious ceremonies.'' from Wikipedia

Commiphora myrrha tree and myrrh resin, which is a natural gum

Since the beginning of time incense has played a significant role in the human existence.The exact origin of incense cannot be traced but ancient writings provide insight into how religions and cultures of old used the aroma of burning herbs, flowers, tree leaves and other natural sources in their spiritual practices. Early incense contained nothing other than ground herbs, plant gums, and honey. Some experts believe that the burning of items such as cedar, berries, roots, and resins gave us our first true incense. Incense relics that are thousands of years old have actually been found all over the world. So, it can be believed that incense has been a part of many different cultures for a very long time.

Another interesting fact of incense is that when the tomb of Tutankhamun was found, they made an amazing discovery. In the Valley of the Kings at Thebes, archeologists found huge quantities of oils, perfumes, and incense around his mummified body.

Incense has appeared in many forms: raw woods, chopped herbs, pastes, powders, and even liquids or oils. And its basics are really quite simple. It is a combination of aromatic elements and a heat source.

The name Incense is actually derived for the Latin verb incendere, meaning to burn. According to the historian al-Mas'udi, guests of the ninth-century caliph al-Ma'mun (r. 813-33 CE) were offered an incense burner to perfume themselves before meeting with him. It has always had ties to the religious and medical aspects of various cultures, and still does today.

History and uses of incense:

It is hard to tell what the incense was first used as but it is believed to have been used for religious purposes for the first time. With time people learned the use of other herbs, trees, plants and resins in the incense and that's how incense saw its many facets of use. As the time passed, people also discovered the medicinal importance of some herbs and in came herbalists who discovered the mdecinal use of incense. They found that by combining certain herbs the fragrant scent entered the nose and pores of the body and then traveled to the parts of the body that needed the help.

With herbs such as sage and lavender and other flowers, berries and plants the effects of these on the body were amazing. Herbal incense is blended primarily for effect. Scent is the secondary consideration in many cases, but in all cases, the scent is designed for the burn. Many natural incense ingredients have almost no aroma until they are heated. Notably, Aloes wood as well as many other resins have little or no aroma until they are smoldered over the incense fire.

The father of medicine, Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.), is believed to be the first person to establish and set down a scientific system of medicine. In this system, the use of aromas through incense is said to play a significant role. Legend says Hippocrates freed Athens from the plague by burning aromatic plants through out the city.

Incense and Aromatherapy go hand in hand. With the correctly scented incense, one can actually use its healing powers to: reduce and calm anxiety, stress, and fear, alleviate insomnia, accelerate healing. You can also help stimulate and renew energy, cleanse the atmosphere, and prepare for meditation and prayer. The aromatic smell that burning incense releases stimulates the olfactory nerves. This stimulation is able to produce effects of various states such as physical, emotional, and psychological based on the fragrance. One interesting fact to note is that many of the ingredients used in incense don't have any smell unless they are burned.

Talking further of its use in different cultures, Buddhists provide offerings of incense to spread its fragrance to remind practitioners to cultivate good conduct. This activity symbolizes the fragrance of pure moral conduct. The ancient Greeks provided a scientific approach to the use of incense. According to the Japanese, incense purifies the mind and body, improves communication, acts as a companion in the midst of solitude, and brings moments of peace amidst chaos. Agarwood (Jinkō) and sandalwood (Byakudan) are the two most important ingredients in Japanese incense. Incense was first brought to China around 200 AD. It slowly transitioned during the Tang dynasty (618 - 607) from a spiritual or medical tool to an every day common item used by the general public. It was the Chinese who developed the first method of stick incense during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).

Today we can see many uses of incense and in many forms like joss sticks, incense cones, powder and so on. It can be divided into two main types: indirect burning incense and direct burning incense. Indirect burning incense or non-combustible incense is not capable of burning on its own and requires separate heat source. While direct burning incense or combustible incense is lit directly by a flame and then fanned or blown out, leaving a glowing ember that smoulders and releases fragrance. The most common example of it is incense sticks. When I was child, I remember my mother burning incense in the evening and it was a combination of Frakincense and myrrh. That created a very clean and calm atmosphere in our home.

There can be many combinations of items to make in incense. The most common materials that are used raw and also used as raw materials in the making of incense are Borneol camphor, Benzoin, Frankincense, Makko powder, Tolu Balsam, Myrrh, Labdanum, Opoponax and white Indian sandal powder.

Here is the list of some fragrance materials used as direct burning and indirect burning incense, however the purpose of all is the same and that's to be used as incense.

WOODS and BARKS

SEEDS and FRUITS

RESINS and GUMS

ROOTS and RHIZOMES

LEAVES

FLOWERS and BUDS

Talking of incense in fragrances, we don't find any mention of the notes used in the incense accord. The reason is there can be many combinations let's say woody, floral, herbal, spices or of resins, so in that case it is left on the wearer's nose as what she/he gets when there's an incense note in a fragrance.