|
As soon as you make or burn your first your first incense, you will join a tradition that stretches back beyond the boundary of written history. Although the earliest incense burners and
makers undoubtedly made "loose" incense that was burned in or over a fire, no one can guess how long humankind has enjoyed the benefits of incense. As you make or burn incense, think of that line of women and men that
stretches back further than anyone can see. This is an ancient art that we can continue to explore in the modern world. This will be the quickest history lesson you've probably ever had, but I want to give you a sense of how
this ancient art has come into this new century.
India
India is the home of many of the basic materials used in incense making. With materials ranging from fine sandalwood to the Goddess Myrrh, India has long been the home of master incense makers. Although fine Indian
incense is difficult to locate in North America, many basic incense traditions come from that distant land. The majority of incense from India in the twenty-first century is of the dipped variety, discussed earlier.
You may have heard of the "Silk Road," or the "Spice Road," but the trade in Indian spices was just as much a trade in aromatic incense ingredients. Among the many goods that trekked across continents were frankincense,
myrrh, sandalwood, and camphor. Not only did India offer the world its goods, but it offered its incense traditions as well. The trade routes went west of India all the way to Europe's western shore, and east to China and beyond.
China
China has long been a land where all aspects of life were closely observed and studied. Herbs, teas, and incense itself were all subjects of careful consideration by skilled Chinese artisans. As the Chinese worked to improve and perfect their skill with fireworks, they did the same
with incense. It is believed that China was the birthplace of the incense stick (what I call a "spaghetti stick"), which is the ultimate form of incense. The innovation of "self-burning" incense (doesn't require an outside heat source) truly elevated incense making to an art.
Although China is also primarily a maker of factory-produced dipped incense, quality incense is still produced there. Unfortunately, there is no good source for this incense in the West, but changes in China might offer us access in the future. From China, the skills of the
incense maker continued to move east to Japan.
Japan
Although certainly not the creators of incense, the Japanese are arguably the world's incense making masters. In Japan, the art of incense making was taken to unequaled heights. Even today, traditional Japanese incense masters
study their entire lives. Tens of thousands of hours are needed to learn enough to become such a master. Even though the introduction of new ingredients is rare, these masters are able to create incense that is the result of
the life's work of dozens of masters who came before.
We are fortunate that we are able to buy several brands of this high-quality Japanese incense in the West. It is important to note that just because incense is labeled "Made in Japan" does not mean that it is the high-quality
incense mentioned. High-quality incense is generally quite expensive and is, not surprisingly, more difficult to locate than some of the lower-quality incense from Japan.
Europe
Europe also has a very long history of incense use. The primary difference between the East and West is that Europeans didn't make the transition to self-burning incense. European traditions, from the censers of ancient
Greece and Rome to the fires of the Celts in the west, grew into their own body of knowledge. The ingredients from the Far East were incorporated into this lore, but all of the local flora was included as well. Although
demeaned in some corners of the modern incense making world, European incense traditions are rich with understanding of the Earth and Her power. That is an understanding sometimes lacking in other traditions.
The New World
Although less well-known, North and South America also provide valuable contributions to our incense traditions. From Mayan copal smoldering with the blood of a high priest to the Incan burning of palo santo wood, the New
World offers us a variety of incense-making materials not available in the Old World. In North America, deer's tongue (it's a plant, not an animal part), desert sage, pine, and even tobacco are part of the incense tradition.
These materials are all at the disposal of modern incense makers.
In ancient times, the world was crisscrossed with trade in valuable aromatics and spices. Although products of the New World were limited to North and South America until the sixteenth century, in modern times we have access to a
wider range of aromatics than ever before, and modern trade has made many of the once rare materials common and affordable. At times, frankincense has been more valuable than gold (and anyone who has enjoyed frankincense
understands why), but today it is quite affordable to people of virtually any income level..
Reprinted from "Incense: Crafting & Use of Magickal Scents"
|