Human Flower Project

Sunday, January 06, 2008

Myrrh: Wisely Given for Epiphany

The Gospel of Matthew records that the kings who came to Bethlehem to honor the birth the Jesus brought myrrh. What made the resin of an East African shrub a good baby gift?

Adoration of the Magi (detail)
by Pieter Bruegel (1564)
National Gallery of London
According to Christian tradition, a group of powerful and scholarly men arrived in Bethlehem January 6th to pay their respects to the tiny Messiah. They brought presents. In lieu of flowers—roses wouldn’t have fared well on the long trip—they offered gold and two aromatic plant products, frankincence and myrrh.

Myrrh (excellent SCRABBLE word for the vowelless) is actually resin from Commiphora myrrha, a plant native to Somalia (though the secretions of other varieties of Commiphora apparently go under this name, too). Ducts and cavities in the plant’s bark become filed with “a granular secretion which is freely discharged” either from natural fissures or “when the bark is wounded…. It flows as a pale yellow liquid, but hardens to a reddish-brown mass.” Unsavory as all this sounds, the gummy result is myrrh, a substance prized since 2000 B.C.. Being exotic, it made a fitting gift for a god, but not for its rarity alone….

Commiphora myrrha
Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen
Image: Caliban

It is hard for most of us to imagine how stinky ancient times were. Personal hygiene was rudimentary; as for Christ’s nursery, there were no mobiles or changing tables—Mary and Joseph were camping out in a barn. Anything that could overpower stench would have been precious. And myrrh can do that. Its fragrance is strong, and as the Christmas carol says, “bitter.” The ancient Egyptians used the resin in embalming; Jewish communities used it to anoint corpses.

Because of its association with death, myrrh was also a symbolic gift, an intimation of the Christ child’s destiny at the cross. Likewise, the plant’s thorns and slashes made in Commiphora’s bark to extract myrrh point to the Passion story. Myrrh granules are even referred to as “tears.” This may be the saddest present ever opened at a baby shower.

In addition to its honorific and symbolic character, myrrh also possessed practical value. It has long been used medicinally—to treat wounds, aid digestion, cure infections of syphilis and leprosy, and even promote menstruation. Hmm, maybe myrrh wasn’t for Jesus after all, but Mary.

Though the market for Baby Savior gifts is small today (also, the number of Magi consumers), Ethiopia exports over 70 tons of myrrh annually. “Tears” of Commiphora myrrh are used in perfumes, food flavorings, mouthwash, and adhesives. And its flowers? Here’s a lovely photo, not taken in January we’d presume, of Commiphora abyssinica as it blossoms.