Incense - what is it? Every person will answer this question without hesitation. Of course, everyone will say that this is church incense. But what is it? Is this a natural substance, or is it produced from any raw material? How long have people practiced fumigation with incense? Is incense only used in churches? What properties does this substance have and how does it affect he alth? Can I burn it myself at home?
Not every person can answer these and many other questions. Meanwhile, incense is an incense that has been used since ancient times and not only in occult or religious rituals.
What is this?
In many ancient texts, not only related to religion, but also describing various medical, cosmetic procedures, incense is mentioned. What it is? Nothing but petrified wood aromatic resin.
However, do not think that natural incense is simply harvestedon trees and placed in incense burners or aromatic lamps. The resin is pre-treated, including cleaning and sorting.
Also, in addition to a pure natural remedy, various aromatic mixtures are produced based on this tree resin. Of course, such incense is no longer incense, but it is they who are usually used not only at home, but also in churches.
What is incense made of?
Not every tree can produce resin for this incense. The resin needed to make the incense is collected exclusively from trees belonging to the genus Boswellia.
The greatest value for resin collectors are trees that are called “incense”. Their Latin name is Boswellia sacra. It is from their resin that incense is obtained, which is considered selective, the purest and the best.
However, not only the incense tree is a source of raw materials for making incense. Resin is also collected from all plants belonging to the Burser family. The Latin name for these trees is Burseraceae.
Of course, the vegetation that serves as a source of raw material for making incense is not found everywhere. The trees needed for this grow exclusively on the Arabian Peninsula and in the eastern part of the African continent. In Arabia, they grow mainly in Yemen and Oman, and in Africa, incense is produced in Somalia. It is in this country that most of the incense is currently mined, which is used in allcorners of the world.
How is resin harvested?
The properties of incense directly depend on the observance of a number of rules when collecting resin from a tree. There are many subtleties in this process, but the main nuances relate to the spirit of the moments - the time of collection and the mechanics of its implementation. In fact, the key nuances of the resin collection technique were determined in ancient times and remain unchanged.
At the end of February or at the beginning of March, depending on weather conditions, neat, almost “surgical” cuts are made on the trees. When carrying out them, it is important not to damage the trunk. That is, only the bark is cut. After that, the tree is not touched for quite a long time.
Reacting to the incision that has appeared, the barrel begins to produce resin in a very large amount, trying to "heal" the resulting "wound". The resin flows down the bark and hardens. This process continues until the incision closes.
Only after the integrity of the bark is restored, the leaked and already petrified resin is collected by hand. This is done very carefully so as not to damage the tree. After assembly, the resin pieces are cleaned and sorted.
What varieties of incense are there?
Sorting resin, that is, what incense is made of, involves dividing it into two categories:
- selected;
- ordinary.
These categories are varieties of incense. In other words, the variety in this case is a parameter of the quality of the hardened wood resin. Of course, each of the categories has its own characteristics that characterize it.
Selected incense
Latinthe name of this type of incense is Olibanum electum. Of course, only completely flawless, best pieces of hardened tree resin are included in this grade. As a rule, resins collected from trees of the burzer family do not have the desired properties, figuratively speaking, do not live up to quality standards. Accordingly, selected incense is made exclusively from resins collected from trees of the same name.
What does premium incense smell like without any impurities? Pieces of such resin have a pleasant, delicate aroma of wood balsam, with hints of bitterness and a slight spicy pungency. The scent is very persistent. This quality allows the resin to be used as a filler for sachets.
When grinding such a resin into powder, a dust of an even pure milky color is obtained, without any impurities or "dirty", yellow, gray shades.
In its whole form, this variety is even pieces of a rounded or oblong shape, similar to drops. The color varies from yellowish to light pink. The pieces have a pronounced waxy sheen, and their surface is usually covered with a slight white dusty coating. This coating is the result of friction between resin droplets, which is inevitable during transport or storage.
Incense
The properties of this type of incense, as well as its external characteristics, differ from those of incense obtained from selected resin. The Latin name for this incense is Olibanum in sortis.
Outwardly, such incense is represented by pieces of various shapes and sizes, giving the impression of fragments. It is denser than selected, and rubbed much worse. When grinding this incense does not form dust of the same consistency, a large number of coarse particles and lumps remain in the powder.
The aroma of this incense variety is thicker and heavier, it is much more pronounced. However, the smell characteristics themselves do not differ from the aroma characteristic of selected varieties.
As for the color, the pieces of ordinary incense are dark. The color palette is diverse - from brown shades to dull yellow and dark gray.
Properties and composition
How is incense used? The properties and uses of this substance are interrelated. The application is not limited to smoking. For example, this resin is able to dissolve in water, forming an emulsion, and when heated, the pieces of incense soften. Of course, pieces of resin can smolder and burn. When smoldering, the smoke spreads, filling the room with a specific and easily recognizable aroma.
These properties were noticed in ancient times and thanks to them the resin was used not only as incense, but also used in medicine, cosmetology and in embalming the bodies of the dead.
What are the components of incense? The composition of this substance is truly unique. Includes:
- aromatic resins;
- boswellic acid, both free and bound with olibanoresen;
- esters - terpenes,sesquiterpenes, diterpenes;
- gum;
- mineral and organic matter.
This composition makes incense not only a pleasant incense for the human sense of smell, but also a valuable cosmetic and medical raw material.
How does incense from incense affect a person?
How does this substance affect a person? The properties of incense are such that when it is smoked in a room and, accordingly, the smoke is inhaled by people, inner peace sets in, feelings of calmness and spiritual comfort come. Even a very nervous person who is on the verge of hysteria, after spending some time near the incense burner, calms down and gains the ability to think clearly.
It is this quality, along with a pleasant aroma, that was the reason that people began to use incense during worship from ancient times. The properties and use of this resin as an incense, respectively, are not harmful to human he alth and psycho-emotional state. In other words, frankincense does not have a psychotropic or narcotic effect.
The pacifying effect is achieved due to the specific volatile substance contained in the smoke - incensol acetate. It is a powerful natural antidepressant that has a beneficial effect on the human nervous system.
Where and what else is it used for?
The properties of incense make it possible to use this resin not only as an incense or as the basis for an aromatic mixture. Although, no doubt, it is in religious rites and aromatherapy that the substanceused most often.
In folk medicine, incense is used very widely. For example, the powder from it is included in the formulation of ointments used for disinfection and treatment:
- festering wounds;
- mastitis;
- boils.
This resin is used to treat stomatitis, periodontitis and some tumors. Frankincense is also included in a number of folk cosmetic products.
As for official medicine, resin is currently not used. However, even in the last century, incense was the basis for bactericidal and warming medical plasters, was part of toothpastes, ointments and various elixirs.
It is also often included in scented candles along with other pleasant-smelling herbal substances.
Can this substance be harmful?
At first glance, such a question seems absurd. Indeed, in every church since ancient times, incense has been used in worship. If this resin could cause harm, the priests would not use it.
However, things are not as simple as they seem. Firstly, pure incense is not used in churches, and secondly, the premises of any temple and the height of its vaults still differ from an ordinary apartment. The smoke from the censer rises. Accordingly, the concentration of incense inhaled in the church will be much weaker than when using this resin at home.
Allergy sufferers should pay attention to this nuance. If a person reacts painfully to smells, then smoking incense in an apartment may well provoke a migraine orcause an allergic reaction.
One historical fact that characterizes resin from a completely unexpected side is rather curious. Selected incense, ground into powder, was mixed with wine and given to war elephants before the start of battles. This remedy enraged the animals and gave them strength, dulling the pain sensations. In other words, the drug acted on the elephants used in battles in the same way as the "mushroom elixirs" on the Viking warriors, on the berserkers.
How to use incense on your own?
How to burn incense at home? Just like they do in any of the churches. The easiest way to light incense indoors is as follows:
- put a small piece of resin into the scented lamp;
- set it on fire, and when flames appear, blow them out immediately.
Thus, the incense will not burn, but will slowly smolder, spreading a pleasant aroma around the house. If you want to use the substance as a dry fragrance for linen, pieces of resin should be placed in a fabric bag, which will need to be hung on the cabinet wall. But keep in mind that incense is subject to friction. Therefore, gauze fabric should not be used to make sachets.
As for the use of this resin as a medical or cosmetic product, then, without experience, you should not prepare creams or ointments, elixirs on your own. Although in folk medicine there are many recipes for various remedies based onfrankincense, their preparation requires certain knowledge and practical experience.
