 | Frankincense and Myrrh are both aromatic tree resins that were highly valued in ancient times. It’s no wonder they were used as gifts presented by the Magi at the birth of Christ. But what made these lumps of sap so desirable?
Frankincense
Obtained from Boswellia trees, this sap is used in incense. Produced in Oman, Yemen, and Somalia, the resin is now harvested two or three times a year. Oman is believed to have been the center of the frankincense trade in ancient times, as a recently-discovered route is being archeologically excavated.
Because of the distance and the difficulty in obtaining frankincense, this drove up the prices. After about the 4th century, however, the frankincense trade dried up, and the resin was later reintroduced to Europe by the Franks. Thus the name “Frank incense.”
So revered were the properties of Frankincense, people thought that it was a cure for leprosy or poison. It was also used in ceremonies meant to purify, and it produces a white smoke when burned.
Myrrh
Myrrh comes from the Commiphora myrrha tree, also native to Somalia. It was 5 times as expensive as frankincense, and had a variety of uses in the ancient world. It played a large part in funerals, both as an element to embalming ointments and as a aroma to cover the smell of corpses burning in Roman funerals.
In medicine, it was used to increase the potency of wine, since medieval doctors did not have adequate pain killers. People with halitosis or dental problems would use myrrh. It has also been used in perfumes, as an earthy note to incense, and even in toothpaste.
The two resins combine may symbolize mortality, due to their association with death and their use in medicine. Exotic in origin, they were costly and precious. Kings were known to use large amounts of frankincense and myrrh at their funerals, so the more of these aromatic resins were used, the more important the deceased probably was.
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