Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-08
Transition to the Infinite.

the origin and history of the various inn
plements and customs.
Transition to the Infinite.
The development of the use of censers
began in the prehistoric uses of fire and
smoke, which at a certain stage We're en-
ployed in many ways to express feelings
and reverence. 1t is not strange that
aboriginal man experienced some awe
when he witnessed the mysterious trans
formations brought about by fire which
TO him was obviously the change of ma
terial things into spiritual, the transition
OF the finite into the infinite. So, when
the smoke of the fire rose from the earth
and disappeared into the air. it appar-
entity assembled to the heavens. carrying
his prayer or protestation TO the Supreme
Being above. In this way smoke became
Synbolical Of prayer. With that signif-
cation it was introduced into the weird
and often terrible rites of the natives of
Mexico and Central America, and so re-
Emained until their religion was suppressed
by the Spaniards.
In the great temple compound of Mex
leo it is said that. there were 900 ma
sonry hraziers. both of round and square
design, arranged before shrines and
other sacrificial places where perpetual
fires We're maintained and offerings con-
sumed. These were not incense burners
in the strict sense, but the victims were
sometimes scorched before the fires, ash
es from the portable ccnsers were thrown
into the braziers and such paraphernalia
and offerings as were used in the cere-
mony We're here finally consumed. The
biazers were the source from which live
Goals We're taken for igniting the incense
burners and ceGsers. They apparently
represented the perpetuation of the prim-
tive communal fire.
The braziers were usually shaped like
an hourgiass, although some had the
form OF stone basins borne aioft by the
! figures OF men and animals, while others
We're merely circular stones mounted on
short pediments or affairs of shrines III
temples. Nearly all represented the hui
man body in some way. either by eff
Sies,, masks or by an encirclinS band or
sash. Several specimens of these various
types. coming mostly from Mexico and
Costa Rica. are found in the collections
of the National Museum.
Large pottery vases of hourglass shape,
which form another class of stationary
hraziers. have been discovered in large
numbers in and about the City OF Mexi-
co and at many other places They are
undoubtedly characteristic of the Cen
trail American censor brazier, and are re-
markable examples of pottery, both as
regards size and decorations.
Development of Pipes.
The history of the development of pipes
is Fascinating and forms an important
l.
lieved that the pipe antedates the of
narcotic herbs, such as tobacco. although
! the Importance of smoke appears to have
, been chiefly, If not wholly, due to it's
supposed medical properties. The offer
ing of incense made by the Aztecs to the
Spanish Gonquerors resembles in many re-
spec;s the familiar peace pipe customs of
the American Indians, and the pipes
the .nselves are similar to those found
everywhere between southern Mexico and
Canada. The custom OF smoking proba-
bly, did not originate through the enjoy
ment OF the taste of the smoke, burt arose
in connection with the Development of
the fire cult. in which ii had j sacred sig
nificance At first offerings We're made
from campfire or fireplace. then. as
progress was made in the arts, the bra
zers We're used, and finally the natives
came to use portable appliances, which
gave Use to great variety of forms, in
Guiding handled pots and censers. The
European swinging censers are evidently
a development OF the stationary vase
form. as is also the pipe
Incense of the Cigarette.
Another form of incense offering found
rather generally in the Pueblo region. es-
pecally in the southern portion, is the
cigarette. made from /; section of cane
tube filled with vegetable incense. The
al
of herbs which when burned produces a
pleasing odor. The specimens collected
as rnle appear not To have been lighted,
but apparently We're offered by impl ca
ton
Many varieties OF gum and herbs We're
used for incense, among which was to-
bacco. DR.. Hough says that tobacco was
a sacred nerb. and its smoke was unques-
tionably incense.
The wild tobacco plant was incorporat-
ed in the mixture used incense by the
Hopi and some other American tribes,
and ii is stated that tobacco played pre-
cisely the same part among priests and
medicine men Of ancient Mexico as II has
from the remotest times down to the
present day among the various savage
tribes OF North and South America 1t
was powdered and mixed with incense
and formed into pellets which We're car
ried in a pouch by officiating priests In
other parts of the United States arteme-
sia. the balsam root. cedar tops sweet
grass and, among the S.kska, a sweet
gum of some kind, We're burned for in
ceilSr