MYRRH
(Commiphora Myrrha)

Across the emptiness of the Middle Eastern wilderness, long caravans of rare and costly goods were transported from one land to the next along ancient trade routes. From their places of concealment, the Four Horsemen watched and stalked these hapless merchants, coveting their goods, plundering them for gain and greed. No doubt, one of the most popular items sought by these marauders were clay, skin or basket containers full of the amber-colored, hard little "teardrops" of Myrrh.

Ancient Egyptians obtained most of their Myrrh from the land of Punt (Somalia), where it grew in abundance. It was used to make perfumes and insect repellants, embalming compounds and house fumigants, medicine and magic. Documented in no less than nine books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Esther, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Matthew, Mark and John), this ancient treasure sometimes achieved the value of its own weight in gold. In fact, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery to a passing caravan of Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt, carrying a cargo of Myrrh. Large quantities of Myrrh were needed for the Egyptian temples in particular. They blended it into their famous incense Kyphi, often used in general magic working, especially burned at night. It was also used for banishing, and for beverage flavoring. Myrrh was also used in Metopian, an Egyptian ointment for medical purposes to treat ulcers, and cuts in sinews and muscles. It appeared in papyrus medicinal manuscripts dating back to Khufu’s reign (2,800 BCE). Myrrh was burned to the god Ra at noon in ancient Egypt, and it also fumed in the temples of Isis. In fact, it also burned in ancient temples of Babylon, Greece, India, Rome and China. In the Old Testament, God instructed Moses to make an anointing oil of Myrrh to use on his brother Aaron, and it was subsequently used for the Israelite high priests to follow. This liquid Myrrh was known to Pliny as Stacte. Myrrh was traditionally regarded as one of the three gifts given by the Magi as a symbol of suffering. There is some possibility that Mecca Balsam, a compound of other herbs and resins, is said to be the Myrrh of the Bible, the Hebrew word mar having been confused with the modern Arabic morr or Myrrh in translation. Myrrh is also listed in the Vedic literature of India, dating back to 2,000 BCE.

In ancient myth, the Greeks traced the teardrop shape to Myrrha, daughter of Syrian King Thesis. She refused to worship the Goddess Aphrodite. Angered, Aphrodite tricked her into committing incest with her father the King. Thesis learned of this and threatened to kill his daughter. To save her, the gods transformed her into a Myrrh tree, whose teardrop shaped resin recalls the girl’s sorrow.

Magical uses for Myrrh were many. In Druid and Wiccan tradition, it has been used in healing incense, especially with frankincense. The oil is used for purification, consecration of sacred and ceremonial objects, protection and hex-breaking, generally regarded as excellent for religious rituals of magic. It was also commonly used in charm bags. It is regarded as advisable to anoint one’s house with Myrrh every morning and evening as part of any protection ritual. Commonly used in magic working circles and as an offeratory ("sacrifice"), the tradition associated Myrrh with the gods Ra, Isis, Adonis and Marian, and associated with the astrological signs Aquarius, and the planet Jupiter. (Is this the dawning of the Age of Myrrh…?)

One of the oldest known medicines in history, Plutarch wrote that Myrrh incense allayed anxieties and gave restful and peaceful sleep. It is used in the East Indies in leprosy, rheumatism and syphilis, and in Europe for plasters. Containing high amounts of tannin, Myrrh is an excellent mouthwash for gum disease, bad breath, tooth decay and bleeding gums, and a good gargle for bronchitis, coughs, chest congestion, asthma, sinusitis, and laryngitis. You might recognize the taste of Myrrh as something familiar from the dentist’s office, since it is still commonly used in today’s dental practice preparations. It is a common ingredient in European mouthwashes, in fact, and has been approved by Germany’s prestigious Commission E as a tea for sore throat, and canker sores. It can also be used in powder form. It has also traditionally be recommended by herbalists for hemorrhoids, piles and ringworm. Tannins fight bacteria, and are anti-inflammatory. Tannin tastes bitter but is very effective. One must avoid taking Myrrh during pregnancy, as it also has an historical reputation for promoting menstruation. The ancient Egyptians were apparently correct; Myrrh acts as a wound cleansing agent and is still used that way in veterinary practice, known as Compound Tincture or Horse Tincture. It is even recommended for douching. It reputedly reduces bruising and might also be effective as a digestive bitter for anti-microbial effect in the gut. Myrrh stimulates the production of white blood corpuscles (anti-pathogenic), too. It has been used in combination with other herbs against bed sores and impetigo. There is some evidence that it might be effective against heart disease by fighting blood clots and reducing cholesterol.

Also known as mirra, morr, didin, karam, meena, meetiga, harma and dithdin in its native area, Myrrh is derived from hardened, tear-shaped clots of clear or reddish-brown aromatic resin that extrudes from incisions in the bark of a small, thorny, Middle-Eastern tree. The sturdy tree is seldom taller than 9 feet in height, and the branches are knotted, the branchlets standing out at right angles and ending in sharp spines. The leaves are scanty and oval-shaped, small and unequal. There are ducts in the bark, and the tissue between them breaks down, forming large cavities, which with the remaining ducts becomes filled a granular secretion which is freely discharged when the bark is wounded, or from natural fissures. It flows as a pale yellow liquid, but hardens to the familiar tear shaped masses, the average being about the size of a walnut. Myrrh trees are found in several varieties, native to Ethiopia and Somalia, Arabia and Yemen; generally around the Red Sea area. The tears are powdered for use as healing herbs.

In 1996, thousands of Armenians looked on as the head of the Armenian Orthodox Church blessed a 62 gallon chalice of Myrrh in one of that church’s holiest ceremonies, taking place once every 5 to 7 years. The next one is scheduled for the year 2001. The consecrated Myrrh is then distributed to Armenian Orthodox Churches all around the world for use there.

There is a very popular Christian Rock Group named Myrrh.

You can order perfumes re-created from ancient recipes at: Irene Parfums, a site that sells exotic fragrances of the Ancient World.

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