Essential Oils Origins – Ancient Civilizations
Ancient Civilizations
For thousands of years, aromatic plants and their essential oils have been used as perfumes, incense, and cosmetics, as well as for both culinary and medical purposes. Many early civilizations used essential oils in their rituals, making them an important part of their tradition. Essential oils were also regarded for their therapeutic and religious roles. Today, some cultures still practice such rituals in the Eastern and the Western parts of the globe. For instance, in the East, most Tibetan temples have burning sprigs of Juniper as an integral part of purification. In the West, Roman Catholics use Frankincense during their mass.
In ancient civilizations, perfumes were regarded as an expression of the cosmic and animistic doctrines. They were a huge part of the art of therapy, as well as the incantations and theophanies of certain cults. From around 2000 BC, the Indian Vedic literature lists more than 700 substances including Spikenard, Myrrh, Sandalwood, Cinnamon, Ginger, and Coriander. However, essential oils were more than just perfumes for some ancient cultures.
In the Indo-Aryan language, the term “atar” means odor, wind, smoke, and essence. Adherents of the Rig Veda made use of herbs and essential oils for their therapeutic and liturgical rites. These cultures’ understanding of the plants developed into the Ayurvedic or Indian tradition of medicine that is still used today.
The ancient herbal tradition of the Chinese involved the use of herbs, essential oils, and the practice of acupuncture based on the earliest records of the Book of Internal Medicine of the Yellow Emperor dating back from before 2000 BC. Some of the remedies of this Chinese herbal tradition included Ginger and Opium essential oils, which were used in therapeutic applications, and also for religious rites, including the Tcheou-Li and Li-ki ceremonies. Today, Borneo Camphor is still being used in China, specifically for ritual purposes.
Probably the richest and most famous use of the first aromatic materials came from ancient Egypt. The Papyrus manuscripts from the reign of Khufu contain records of a number of medicinal herbs. In another papyrus that was written around 2000 BC, choice perfumes and fine oils, as well as the incense of temples, were used as offerings to delight the god. Aromatic gums and essential oils, including Myrrh and Cedar, were used in the process of embalming. In fact, traces of Frankincense and Styrax in cosmetic pots and ornate jars were found in tombs.
In the stone inscriptions of the Nile Valley, complete symbolic representations were preserved, covering the preparation process for essential oils, fermented liqueurs, and balsams. The Egyptians were regarded as experts when it came to herbal ointments and preparations, as well as cosmetology. One of their most prominent remedies was the “kyphi,” which is a mixture of sixteen ingredients used as perfume, incense, or taken internally for medicinal purposes. The “kyphi” was primarily an antiseptic and a remedy for poison. In addition, according to Plutarch, it could induce sleep, brighten dreams, and lessen anxieties.
