Incense - from the Ancient to the Modern

What is it about incense that has the ability to withstand fashion and remain as popular today as it was with the ancient world civilisations?

The answer is almost certainly too complex to delve into in an article such as this, but perhaps part of its appeal lies in the fact that the oils used in incense are derived from natural plants and extracts that remind us of the order of life, the tranquillity to be found in nature and the inherent beauty of our planet.

Too often, people only call frankincense and myrrh to mind when incense is mentioned. How many of us, aged six and a half, have stood stage-struck in the spotlight, resplendent in tea-towel head-dress, ready to hand over our cardboard shoe-box wrapped in gold shiny paper to the baby Jesus? The school nativity play drummed into our consciousness that frankincense was a gift fit for a king and of rare worth, whereas bitter myrrh was a symbol of the tribulations that Christ would suffer throughout his life and in the manner of his death. But incense was around long before the days of the New Testament; it is said that even the Queen of Sheba was a devoted fan of the Frankincense’s sweet perfume. The Romans and before them, the Egyptians, were both very fond of this rare commodity, using it as currency amongst their thriving traders and imbuing it with divine symbolism in religious ceremonies.

Incense is used in religious rites all over the world, particularly in the Roman Catholic church where it plays a significant part in the observation of the sacraments. The calming effect of the fragrance and the upward spiral of the smoke (thought to symbolise prayers going up to heaven) both help to create an emotional and psychological response in worshippers. Interestingly, it is not only the Christian faith that venerates incense: pagans also burn it, believing that it has mystical properties.

The scientifically minded among us may ask what is going on in the body when we are exposed to olfactory stimuli. Few would deny that certain smells can be evocative of a person or a moment in time. We capture a smell and associate it with past events whether they be a pleasant recall or something less welcome. The smell of disinfectant may take us back to that moment in the hospital ward, or the odour of pine needles may call to mind childhood Christmases. Personally, I cannot smell the heady perfume of hyacinths without being transported back to the small room in which I had piano lessons as a child and where my teacher grew bowls of these bulbs every spring. My recollection of this time goes way beyond a simple memory; the whole ‘stage-set’ is recreated in my mind with amazing alacrity. Scientists have studied the connection between smell and memory and have found that the two are closely linked; olfactory information is stored in a complex part of the brain that also has a primitive function shared by most animals – to sniff out and detect poisons and toxins. But smell travels to the cortex too, which is the part of the brain responsible for conscious thought. Unsurprising then that memories can be recalled with clarity and emotions can be reawakened from one single whiff of a scent.

This must then be the reason why this powerful stimuli has been used to scent homes and meeting places for many thousands of years. Today we exhibit an even greater determination to make our homes an attractive and peaceful refuge from the outside world. The home fragrance market is rapidly expanding with sales of candles, sprays, pot pourri and air fresheners on an upward trend. For those who want to use natural fragrances combined with a lovely smoky undertone, Baldwins incense sticks are perfect. The Encens d’Auroville range is made from pure essential oils that are hand rolled on to bamboo sticks, each of which will burn for around 50 minutes. Smudge Sticks were used by the North American Indians as a means of purification; their highly aromatic fragrance comes from herbs and Baldwins’ range includes white sage, sweetgrass and juniper.

The Spa Essentials on sale at Baldwins offer a blend of various incenses to harmonise with your moods. Choose from clear thoughts, happy heart, joy, meditation, new energy, pure air, quiet mind, sweet dreams or tranquillity.

Incense can be burned in terracotta burners as well as on sticks or in cones. Supplied by Baldwins these burners come in attractive designs at unbelievable prices. Simply buy some instant lighting charcoal disks, place in the heat resistant burner and when glowing hot, sprinkle with prepared incense. Baldwins offer two prepared incense ranges – the more traditional Altar, Three Kings and Vatican, or the contemporary Prinknash range, which celebrates this beautiful modern working Abbey in Gloucestershire where monks live and work on an estate that extends to some 300 acres. More than 100,000 people visit Prinknash each year to be uplifted by its atmosphere of beauty and tranquillity. Baldwins’ Prinknash range contains five incenses that will help bring that same atmosphere into your own home. And as a delightful gift for the home-maker, how about a storage box for incense sticks that can also be used as a burner.

If you need help on choosing any products Baldwins staff will be pleased to assist. Call the helpline on 020 7703 5550. You can find out more about Prinknash at www.davidsemporium.co.uk/prinknash.

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