Every UK primary school nativity play mentions frankincense and myrrh, gifts carried by the Magi. What is rarely explained is that both are resins from the same family of aromatic trees that underpin Arabian perfumery, and their presence in a story about a Middle Eastern birth is not a coincidence — they were, quite literally, perfume.
What Frankincense and Myrrh Actually Are
Frankincense (olibanum) is a resin tapped from Boswellia trees, native to Oman, Yemen and the Horn of Africa. Myrrh comes from Commiphora trees in similar regions. Both were historically burned as incense or blended into oils — the same basic principle behind bakhoor today.
Why They Were as Valuable as Gold
In the ancient world, frankincense and myrrh travelled thousands of miles along overland incense routes from southern Arabia to the Mediterranean, making them genuinely comparable in value to gold by the time they reached a Roman market — scarcity and distance, not rarity of the tree itself, drove the price.
The Direct Line to Arabian Perfumery Today
Resinous, incense-like notes remain a defining feature of Arabian perfumery, sitting in the same olfactory family as amber and oud. When a modern perfume is described as having a “churchy” or “incense” facet, it is often quite literally drawing on frankincense or a frankincense-like note.
A Christmas Connection Worth Knowing
The Christmas story’s gifts were, in effect, luxury Arabian perfume ingredients — a genuinely useful bit of context if you are choosing a resinous, incense-leaning scent as a UK Christmas gift this year.
FAQ
Is frankincense the same as oud?
No. Frankincense comes from Boswellia trees and oud from infected Aquilaria agarwood, though both are resinous and often grouped in the same incense-like fragrance family.
Why were frankincense and myrrh so valuable in the ancient world?
They had to travel enormous distances along overland incense trade routes from southern Arabia, making transport cost rather than tree rarity the main driver of price.
Is frankincense used in perfume today?
Yes, it remains a common note in modern perfumery, particularly in resinous, amber-adjacent and “incense” facing fragrances.
Curious about resinous, amber-forward scents? Read our amber vs oud guide.
