Since the dawn of civilization mankind has used incense for numerous reasons among them medical and spiritual practices. With the discovery of fire, the use of incense naturally followed. In fact, the word incense comes from the Latin verb incendere, which means “to burn”.
Incense has been used in prayer, to worship the gods, purify the air, mask unpleasant smells, to increase focus during meditation, and to create inner harmony.
Although it is virtually impossible to trace the history of incense back to an exact date or moment in time, it can be safely assumed that its use dated back even further than the earliest recorded instances of it being consumed by man. The origin of incense came about probably accidentally through the burning of fragrant woods such as cedar, pine and cypress, and aromatic resins, roots, berries and other natural materials. Somewhere along the way in the development of civilization, ancient man discovered how to capture these natural essences in a convenient form they could transport and use when and where they wished.
There is historic evidence that the burning of incense was practiced throughout the ancient world. Countries such as Mesopotamia, Phoenicia, Arabia, Egypt, India, Greece, and Rome all used incense extensively. As early as 3000 B.C. the Egyptians were importing large quantities of myrrh.
Until the creation of incense, spices, gums and fragrant plants were used usually for religious or purposes.
Incense has evolved in many forms: woods, herbs, pastes, powders, and liquids or oils. The most commonly used today is joss sticks or incense cones. Cones were an invention of the Japanese and introduced to the west at the World’s Fair in Chicago in the late 1800’s. It is not known when the Joss Stick or Masala incense first appeared but we do know that it was introduced to China by Buddhist monks around 200 A.D.
Modern incense lovers have many uses for it, including some that originate back in ancient times. Incense is believed to have beneficial effects on both the body and mind and certain aromatic ingredients are considered relaxing and calming.
