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The western name of this prized resin indicates its importance in the history of fragrance. Literally it means the "frank" or "true" incense. The tree that produces the resin is found in South Arabia and East Africa and demand for frankincense drove trade routes as far back as 1200 B.C. The Arab name al luban, meaning "milk" in reference to the milky sap of the frankincense tree, became the common anglicized name olibanum. Frankincense has a warm, sweet, rich resinous fragrance that has been associated with spirituality since earliest antiquity. It has the ability to slow and deepen the breath which produces a sense of calm. |
