The Cabinet of Scents: Myrrh

The Cabinet of Scents explores the rich tapestry of intersections between aromatic substances and human history; how these fragrant materials have shaped our ritual and religious practices, political spheres, beauty and hygiene regiments, and folk and modern medicine. We hope this monthly series helps kindle the flame you carry for fragrance and inform you on the hidden history of perfume.

MYRRH
Commiphora myrrha

Dragon's Blood, Opoponax, Myrrh—curious ingredients from another time, often found listed in the hearts and bases of fragrance formulas to provide a sense of mystique. But what are they? Resins are powerful aromatics, medicinal agents, and some of the oldest perfumery ingredients.

"His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh."
Song of Songs 5:13

Myrrh is the resinous exudate produced by commiphora myrrha—a thorny shrub native to Northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The tree secretes this precious gum-resin to protect itself from pests and disease, and has been harvested for its mystical and medicinal properties for approximately 5 000 years.

Myrrh's sacred scent—warm and bittersweet, tenacious, with medicinal overtones—is recorded throughout our history. Noteworthy mentions range from early Greek and Roman literature to The Book of the Dead and other ancient Egyptian tomes, as well as the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and Islamic texts (Prophet Muhammad said: “Fumigate your houses with al-shih, murr & sa'tar"—Mugwort, Myrrh, and Thyme).

In addition to its use in the Levant and Arabia, it was used in Ayurvedic medicine in India and later became an important part of traditional Chinese medicine, recorded from the Tang Dynasty onward.

^{Myrrha as a tree in the Birth of Adonis. Engraving by Bernard Picart et al. for Ovid's Metamorphoses Book X, 476-519.}

In ancient Greek mythology, we encounter the tragic tale of Myrrha, popularized by Ovid's Transformations and its modern adaptations. Impregnated by her own father, who she'd seduced in disguise, Myrrha is relentlessly pursued for her sins. Desperate for reprieve, she pleads to the gods for an end to her persecution, and is transformed into a tree. Myrrha's sorrow flows from her arboreous body in the form of amber resin; infinite tears of precious myrrh.

Myrrh and mysticism are inextricable. To anoint yourself in this regenerative oil is to partake in ancient rituals preserved through time. That's what Myrrh does; it preserves. It endures through the ages, a living record of the earthly divine; fragrant, medicinal, its legacy sustained through daily practices across time and cultures.

Because of its antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiseptic properties, Myrrh was a key ingredient in ancient embalming techniques. It is mentioned throughout The Papyrus of Ani, a 18th dynasty copy of the Book of the Dead as being incorporated into oils, fats, and unguents to not only preserve the body, but to safe-guard the soul into the afterlife. Copious amounts of resins were used in several types of funerary and religious ceremonies, with the two often overlapping.

One such application that comes to mind is described in the following excerpt from the occult herbarium The Green Mysteries—a vivid, perhaps a little grizzly portrait of reverence depicting the opulent nature of Myrrh's use in ritual (content warning: animal sacrifice).

“The fragrant resin was employed when sacrificing bulls to the god Apis in ancient Egypt. After removing the head, intestines, legs, shoulders, and neck of the animal, the body cavity was then filled with honey, figs, consecrated bread, raisins, Frankincense and Myrrh."
Daniel A. Schulke The Green Mysteries, 2022, p. 310)

Apis bulls were sacred animals, representing agriculture, fecundity, and virility. They were selected as living incarnations of the divine. In death, their remains were deposited in the Serapeum of Saqqara—an ancient burial place designated solely for the holy vessels of Apis.

"Death is before me today, like the scent of myrrh, like the scent of flowers."
The Debate Between a Man and his Ba

Myrrh's legacy is further preserved by its applications in contemporary perfume. A focal point of the original 1977 Opium Eau de Parfum by YSL (Yves Saint Laurent), Myrrh cast its spell on the modern world anew, enticing wearers with the secrets and mystique of the silk road.

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The Cabinet of Scents: Myrrh

MYRRH Commiphora myrrha

MYRRH
Commiphora myrrha