History of Frankincense

Frankincense
Golden Frankincense tears pure resin Incense from Puntland. In days of old, the highly perfumed resins of valuable as gold. The plant spirits of these resins is said to invoke the Divine.

Boswellia carteri
Latin name: BoswellCarteri Original from Puntland. Wonderful white and translucent lemon and amber
Frankincense resins from Puntland-East Africa. It is sumptuous aroma warms the heart, clears the mind, and enables the spirit to soar. this type grows at an altitude of between 500 and 1500m above sea level frankincense trees are freshly scratched(Tapped)once every week for a period before the gum begins to follow and then collected every week. The whole process takes about five and half months. One man can collect an average of 550 kg of marketable gum per season.

Boswellia Frereana:
Boswellia Frereana only grows in Puntland where locals call it (Maydi), the King of all frankincense. In the west it is called (Coptic Frankincense).this type grows on coastal mountains at altitude of between 200 and 1100 meters above sea level. The trees are tapped every two weeks during the hot season and sometimes every four weeks, and variation depends on climate. The process starts on July and continues until next year (nine months season).Each man can collect around 250 kg of  marketable gum per season. 

 

Boswellia frereana(fasas)		Bosawellia frereana(mushad

 

Harvest season is the toughest part as it begins at the onset of the hot season. The collectors need to consume more food and lost of water. During this period, the collected gum is stored in caves in the hill. These caves are also the dwelling places for the workers. When all the gum is brought to the caves, the delicate process of transporting begins. At this stage, extra care needs to be taken to ensure that the gum is not harmed. An expert is to oversee the packing and loading. The gum is transported from the mountains to nearby villages or towns by camels.

Transporting takes place only at night when the air is cool. The heat during the day ruins the precious gum. When the gum reaches it’s destination it is weighted and it is either stored in cool buildings or spread on mats for its dry. After it becomes dry enough for processing, the next stage begins.

Clearing
The second stage is done by women, and is no less laborious than the first stage. This stage comprises the separating of the gum from the chaff, and then grading it into different forms or sizes. This is a meticulous job. The women use small sharp pointed knifes and graders. A lot of powder flies from the gum during winnowing and as a result, the women are covered with gum powder.

• Where      Frankincense can be found in Puntland ,Somalia and South Middle east. 
• What is it?   A mythical scent of ancient  high value made from tree gum and sold as a resin, perfume and essential oil.
• What is it for? Medicinal healing use religious rituals and even fixing broken pots.

Use of frankincense
Frankincense is used for religious occasions and locals also use to perfume clothes and home. It is used as a ingredient for medcines to treat coughs and throat infections and to aid sleep. The leaves can also be chewed as a stomach settler for the relieve of indigestion