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incense-msg - 4/20/01

 

Period incense.

 

NOTE: See also the files: spices-msg, gums-resins-msg, perfumes-msg, Man-d-Mujeres-art, aphrodisiacs-msg, Perfumes-bib.

 

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NOTICE -

 

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I  have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

 

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

 

I  have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with separate topics  were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the  message IDs  were removed to save space and remove clutter.

 

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make  no claims  as  to the accuracy  of  the information  given by the individual authors.

 

Please  respect the time  and  efforts of  those who have written  these messages. The  copyright status  of these messages  is  unclear at this time. If  information  is  published  from  these  messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

 

Thank you,

    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous

                                          Stefan at florilegium.org

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From: bnostran at lynx.neu.edu (Barbara Nostrand)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Medieval incense making

Date: Fri, 03 Jul 1998 14:34:51 -0400

Organization: de Moivre Institute

 

>I am looking for information on the use of incense during the medieval period.

>In particular, the materials used and any formulas that may be available.  

 

>Respond to:  nasps at aol.com

>Maedhbh Eo'Ghann

>(Pam Jacobsen)

 

A really old form of incense consists of nothing more or less than

small pieces of aromatic wood typically taken from very old pieces

of wood which may have been seasoned for a hundred years or more.

Other forms of incense combine ground plant matterial with some form

of binder either into pellets or sticks.

 

                              Your Humble Servant

                              Solveig Throndardottir

                              Amateur Scholar

 

Yes. I briefly studied the incense cerimony.

 

 

Date: Fri, 15 Jan 1999 09:34:53 -0500

From: Melanie Wilson <MelanieWilson at compuserve.com>

To: "INTERNET:sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu" <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>

Subject: Perfume book

 

After the discussions on perfume I found this book in a catalogue  that

might be of interest: Perfumery with Herbs, by Ivan Day, Perfumes in

History, natural perfume materials and their extraction. 100s of recipes

some historical for pomanders, beads, incense, washballs etc

 

Mel

 

 

Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 00:35:46 -0400

From: "Robin Carroll-Mann" <harper at idt.net>

Subject: Re: SC - Catalan Recipes

 

And it came to pass on 7 Apr 00,, that Brian Songy wrote:

> A XIVth century perfume recipe!?  I've been looking for such a thing!!  If

> it is not too much trouble, would you be willing to type that one recipe

> in?  English, modern Spainish or Catalan.

 

Here it is, in Catalan.  Although the title says "perfume", it appears to

be solid pellets which are used as we would use incense. I hope that it

is still of interest to you.

 

Source: _LIbre de Totes Maneres de Confits_ (Catalan, 14th century)

 

CAPITOL XXX.  PER FER UN PERFUM MOLT MERAVELLOS

 

Per fer perfum molt meravellos, tu prendras guoma dregant .ii. oz. e sia

remullada dos dies ab ayguas fines e benjuhi mige ll. e almesc una

draume e ambre una drauma e estorac .ii. oz.  E sia be molt, e puys

pendras una poca de siveta, e, com tot aso sia prest, tot ho pesteras e

com sia pestat be, ab un cano de canya o ab so que volras que sia ben

lis tu ho pleneras liscant liscant fins que tu conexeras que romaqua de

bona cruxa.  E com ho auras aplenat, auras un guanivet e fer n as

tauletes, e, com n auras fetes tauletes, aredonir les as en forma de

panets axi fet com mig cruant.  E con  ne volras perfumar, pendras del

panets e fer n as trosets e axi lansar n as sobre lo bresquet e

perfumeras so que voldras.  E si pahvets ne volras fer en lo pestar,

metras lo terchs de carbo de salser e fer n as los dits pahvets.

 

Lady Brighid ni Chiarain

Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)

 

 

Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 22:36:42 -0400

From: "Robin Carroll-Mann" <harper at idt.net>

Subject: SC - OT: Catalan Perfume Recipes

 

And it came to pass on 8 Apr 00,, that Seton1355 at aol.com wrote:

> My high school Spanish is not up to snuff.  Do you be chance have this in

> English? Many thanks! P. Seton

 

I don't, but I can take a stab at a paraphrase.  (I don't dare call it a

translation, but it should provide the relevant info.)

>  Here it is, in Catalan.  Although the title says "perfume", it appears to

>  be solid pellets which are used as we would use incense.  I hope that it

>  is still of interest to you.

>

>  Source: _LIbre de Totes Maneres de Confits_ (Catalan, 14th century)

>

>  CAPITOL XXX.  PER FER UN PERFUM MOLT MERAVELLOS

>

>  Per fer perfum molt meravellos, tu prendras guoma dregant .ii. oz. e sia

>  remullada dos dies ab ayguas fines e benjuhi mige ll. e almesc una draume

>  e ambre una drauma e estorac .ii. oz.  E sia be molt, e puys pendras una

>  poca de siveta, e, com tot aso sia prest, tot ho pesteras e com sia

>  pestat be, ab un cano de canya o ab so que volras que sia ben lis tu ho

>  pleneras liscant liscant fins que tu conexeras que romaqua de bona cruxa.

>   E com ho auras aplenat, auras un guanivet e fer n as tauletes, e, com n

>  auras fetes tauletes, aredonir les as en forma de panets axi fet com mig

>  cruant.  E con  ne volras perfumar, pendras del panets e fer n as trosets

>  e axi lansar n as sobre lo bresquet e perfumeras so que voldras.  E si

>  pahvets ne volras fer en lo pestar, metras lo terchs de carbo de salser e

>  fer n as los dits pahvets.

 

To make a very marvelous perfume, you will take 2 ounces of gum

dragon and it shall be soaked for two days in fine waters, and half a

pound of bezoin and a drachm of musk and a drachm of amber and two

ounces of storax.  And it shall be very good and then take a little of

civet, and when all this is ready, (grind? powder?) all this and when it is

well (ground? powdered?), with a cane of reed or whatever you wish, let

it be quite smooth, you will flatten it very smoothly until you know that

(?).  And when you have flattened it, take a knife and make slices, and

when you have made slices, round them into the form of little rolls made

like half a (?).  And when you wish to perfume, take the little rolls and

make little pieces and leave them upon the (?) and you will perfume as

you wish.  And if (?) you don't wish to make it in the (mortar?), put the

(?) of coal for (incense??) and make the said (?).

 

 

As I said, I can't really call this a translation.  I don't know Catalan; I'm

working with a couple of dictionaries and my knowledge of Spanish and

French.  However, I think this would be a decent starting place for

someone who is familiar with scent-making.

 

Lady Brighid ni Chiarain

Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)

 

 

Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2000 14:14:38 -0800

From: lilinah at earthlink.net

Subject: Re: SC - manual ? #4, #5

 

Hmmm.. i've found almaciga on the web.

It is a tree found in South East Asia. There are several varieties,

among them Agathis alba, Agathis borneensis, and Agathis dammara.

 

The resin of the tree is used in a number of products. Among its uses

is as incense, in the modern usage of the word - meaning stuff that

is burned for its pleasant smell and for religious purposes. An

alternate name for it is Manila copal, since some species are found

in the Philippines, which was colonized by the Spanish in the 16th

century IIRC. Apparently the tree is now an endangered species. Could

this be what you're after?

 

Anahita al-shazhiyya

 

 

Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2000 14:25:05 -0800

From: lilinah at earthlink.net

Subject: Re: SC - manual ? #4, #5

 

>My understanding is that incense is a fairly generic term for burnable

>perfumes (or something like that).  What was given to the Christ Child was

>Frankincense; Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh

>

>Gwynydd

 

It is now, but in older books i've looked at and in some modern

languages "incense" means "frankincense". Other burnable resins are

usually specified by name, such as myrrh, styrax, storax, gum benzoin

(aka benjamin and a bunch of other names), gum elemi, etc.

 

Anahita al-shazhiyya

 

 

Date: Sun, 12 Nov 2000 03:54:00 +0100

From: TG <gloning at Mailer.Uni-Marburg.DE>

Subject: Re: SC - manual ? #4, #5

 

<< Now, i can't guarantee that Chypre as i know it dates back to the

time of this manual, but it would be something to look into...

So the Chipre soap could be Chypre scented soap. Or maybe it's a soap

imported from or imputed to be from Cyprus... >>

 

There are several handbooks for merchants of spices and drogues of the

14th and 15th centuries. From the list of products given in the Gual

Camarena article (1964) I take it, that "ensens" (incense) or "sabó de

Xipre" (Cyprus soap) are mentioned or described in Italian and Catalan

merchant manuals of the 14th and 15th centuries. Thus, Cyprus soap seems

to have been kind of a standard product of a 15th century merchant of

the iberian peninsula. In 1981, Miguel Gual Camarena published a

transcription of this text, and it might be helpful to look what this

text (and the other ones of this type) says about "sabó de Xipre" and

the other ingredients.

 

Thomas

(The following references are gathered from the Gual Camarena article of

1964; the information about his transcription is from the Copac

database:

- -- Gual Camarena, Miguel: Un manual Catalán de mercadería (1455; Libre

de conexenses de spicies, e de drogues e de avissaments de pessos, canes

e massures de diverses terres). In: Anuario de Estudio Medievales 1

(Barcelona 1964) 431-450.

- -- Gual Camarena, Miguel (ed.): El primer manual hispanico de mercaderia

(siglo XIV). Barcelona 1981 (Anuario de estudios medievales, Anejos 10).

- -- Pegolotti, Fr.B.: La pratica della mercatura. Ed. A. Evans.

Cambridge, Mass. 1936. Reprint New York 1970.

- -- Sapori, Arm.: La cultura del mercante medievale italiano. Florenz

1955.

- -- Uzzano, Giov. di Antonio da: La pratica della mercatura (1442). In:

G.F. Pagnini della Ventura: Della decima e di varie altre gravezze

imposte dal comune di Firenza, della moneta e della mercatura

de'Fiorentini, fino al secolo XVI. Vol. IV. Lissabon 1766.

- -- Borlandi, Aurora (ed.): Il manuale di mercatura di Saminiato de'Ricci

(1396). ???.

- -- Borlandi, Fr. (ed.): El libro di mercatantie et usanze de'paesi [ca.

1458; attr. a Giorgio di Lorenzo Chiarini]. Turin 1936.

- -- Cessi, R./ Luzzatto, G. (eds.): Tarifa zoè noticia dy pexi e mexure

di luogi e tere che s'adovra marcadantia per el mondo. Venedig 1925.)

 

 

Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2000 12:13:13 -0500 (EST)

From: Jenne Heise <jenne at mail.browser.net>

Subject: Re: Re: SC - manual ? #4, #5

 

> When in the middle east some years back I bought a rather large quantity of

> frankincense and myrrh incense.  It was readily available in the various

> markets and appeared to be burned generally.  Not an unpleasant smell.  But

> one does need a charcoal briquette to burn the resinous material.  While I

> suspect one could get powder, I saw only resin incense.

 

Um, the powder, if good quality, would be the powdered resin. This would

need to be neated on a charcoal, hot rock, or whatever. You might want to

look into cone or stick self-igniting incense, but the resin is so much

easier to deal with that I think it's worth it.

However... frankincense in particular produces large clouds of smoke when

burnt on charcoal, much more than you would expect from an ordinary

incense cone or stick.

- --

Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise          jenne at tulgey.browser.net

 

<the end>



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Comments to the Editor: stefan at florilegium.org