Incense - Sacred Smoke

The earliest historical evidence of incense use comes from China where various herbs and plants such as cassia, cinnamon and sandalwood were burned. The Hindus adopted the use of incense from the Chinese and introduced frankincense and cyprus into the recipe. The early Hindus began the first trading routes to the West and in particular to Arabia, the native land of frankincense.

The ancient Egyptians believed that the gods exuded a sweet odor and that mummies were assured of an afterlife if they too were of pleasant fragrance. Egyptians also used incense as a burt offering to please the gods.

The Greeks learned of incense from the Egyptians and used it especially to honor Aphrodite. It was believed that the goddess hid her nakedness with myrtle when she first made landfall. The Greeks shared their knowledge with the Romans, who in turn spread its use through their conquests.

In early China and Japan incense was used to measure time. The earliest types were simple knoted cords rolled in incense and later incense sticks (known as senko in Japan) or coils which were at times hung from elaborate and ornate apparatus. Specialized ceramics were produced which resembled labrynths in which powdered incense formed a slowly burning trail.

Resin and herbs - resins and dried herbs still used today both alone and in mixtures to suit different purposes. This type of incense is placed on a glowing piece of charcoal.

Powders Finely ground resins and herbs can be used in many different ways - burned directly on charcoal, in a labyrinth burner, molded in to cones, or affixed to sticks or coils.

Coils Originally designed in asia as a way to keep time, coils are still popular today. Large citronella coils can be hung outside to keep insects away.

StickStick incense is made by affixing the powdered incense to a thin rod of wood. As the wood slowly burns, the incense does as well.

Cones are made by forming powdered incense into a cone shape with a flat bottom.

Incense has been burned as ritual and offering in ancient Egypt, early Judaism, Christianity, Paganism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and is acceptable to scent the deceased in Islam.

For Christians, perhaps the most significant association is found in Matthew 2:11 which states:

And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

The word incense comes from Frankincense (olibanum), a resinous tree whose main use since ancient times is it's resin, called "Frankincense Tears".

From Wikipedia

"Frankincense or olibanum (Arabic language: ?????, lubb?n) is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra (syn. B. carteri, B. thurifera) (Burseraceae). It is used in incense as well as in perfumes.

Frankincense is tapped from the very scraggly but hardy Boswellia tree through slashing the bark and allowing the exuded resins to bleed out and harden. These hardened resins are called tears. There are numerous species and varieties of frankincense trees, each producing a slightly different type of resin. Differences in soil and climate create even more diversity in the resin, even within the same species. These trees are also considered unusual for their ability to grow in environments so unforgiving that the trees sometimes grow directly out of solid stone, which the tree attaches to by means of a sucker-like appendage. The deep roots and its sucker like appendage prevent the tree from being torn away from the stone during the violent storms that frequent this region; the tears from these hardy survivors are considered superior due to their more fragrant aroma. The aroma from these tears are more valuable for their presumed healing abilities and are also said to have superior qualities for religious ritual. Tapping is done 2 to 3 times a year with the final taps producing the best tears due to their higher aromatic terpene, sesquiterpene and diterpene content. High quality resin can be visually discerned through its level of opacity. Omani frankincense is said to be the best in the world, although quality resin is also produced in Yemen, and along the north coast of Somalia. Recent studies have indicated that frankincense tree populations are declining due to over-exploitation. Heavily tapped trees have been found to produce seeds that germinate at only 16% while seeds of trees that had not been tapped germinate at more than 80%."

One of my burner setups. Here I've used a plain saopstone tart/oil warmer with some gravel to hold up the charcoal disk for airflow. The whole thing is sitting on a brass plate for a bit of insulation.

I also like to use this slice of shale. It has grooves on the surface to allow airflow under the charcoal and brings a special earth element to the smoke. This particular piece of shale was dug from the earth with my own hands at a fossil dig area in Utah and has small trilobite pieces in it.


This is my little brass dragon burner. The elements come apart with a separate screen and ash area.

Carefully light the charcoal tablet

Wait for the glowing charcoal to begin to turn to ash

Add a small amount of incense to the charcoal

From The Catholic Encyclopedia

"When, exactly, incense was introduced into the religious services of the Church it is not easy to say. During the first four centuries there is no evidence for its use. Still, its common employment in the Temple and the references to it in the New Testament (cf. Luke 1:10; Revelation 8:3-5) would suggest an early familiarity with it in Christian worship. The earliest authentic reference to its use in the service of the Church is found in Pseudo-Dionysius ("De Hier. Ecc.", III, 2). The Liturgies of Sts. James and Mark -- which in their present form are not older than the fifth century -- refer to its use at the Sacred Mysteries. A Roman Ordo of the seventh century mentions that it was used in the procession of the bishop to the altar and on Good Friday (cf. "Ordo Romanus VIII" of St. Amand). The pilgrim Etheria saw it employed at the vigil Offices of the Sunday in Jerusalem (cf. Peregrinatio, II). Almost all Eastern liturgies bear witness to its use in the celebration of the Mass, particularly at the Offertory. In the Roman Church incensation at the Gospel of the Mass appears very early -- at the Offertory in the eleventh, and at the Introit in the twelfth century, at the Benedictus and Magnificat of the canonical Hours about the thirteenth century, and, in connexion with the Elevation and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, about the fourteenth century. "Ordo Romanus VI" describes the incensation of the celebrant, and in the time of Durandus (Rat. off. Div.) the assisting clergy were incensed. In the present discipline of the Western Church incense is used at solemn Mass, solemn blessings, functions, and processions, choral offices, and absolutions for the dead. On these occasions persons, places, and things such as relics of Christ and the saints, crucifix, altar, book of Gospels, coffin, remains, sepulchre, etc. are incensed. When used the incense is generally burned."

Frankincense and myrrh were carried across Arabia by caravans, and both of these precious gums came from Arabia itself and are still grown there. One of the oldest articles of commerce was incense. One thousand talents' weight of frankincense was brought every year to Darius, the Persian king, as tribute from Arabia.

Myrrh and frankincense are frequently mentioned together. Both are sweet-smelling gums and both came originally from Arabia. According to a Greek legend, Myrrha was the daughter of one of the kings of Cyprus who angered her father and when he attempted to stab her, fled to Arabia. Here she was changed into a tree called Myrrh.