Gold of the trees – The world of herbal resins, gums and balms

Frankincense, myrrh, copal, spruce resin, mastic and co. belong to the oldest (tree) natural medicines of mankind. They look back on a history of thousands of years as healing and incense substances. For these purposes they were probably already collected and prepared in the early Stone Age.

From the gold of the trees

We are talking about certain resins, gums and balsams which, in view of their preciousness, are popularly known as “gold of the forest”, “gold of the trees” or “tears of the gods”.

Their cultural-historical meaning is so complex that it can hardly be fully understood today. They have shaped entire eras and cultures from an economic, social, socio-cultural and spiritual point of view.

The enthusiasm for these natural treasures is, however, by no means exclusively a historical phenomenon, for even today resins are used as versatile remedies and incense and are sometimes rediscovered.

Various applications

The transition between these two application possibilities is often fluid. We think, for example, of:

• the disinfecting fumigation of sickrooms in the time of the great epidemics and plague epidemics,
• the targeted smoking treatments to alleviate certain disease symptoms,
• Incense, which harmonizes the human energy flow and in this way contributes to the success of a healing process.

In this richly illustrated ethnobotanical treatise, the author presents over 70 different plant exudates, both indigenous and exotic, and explains their traditional uses as medicinal and incense products.

This book is a must for all nature lovers, hikers and counselors of children and youth camps in nature and all who want to learn more about what nature provides us with free of charge.

Gold of the trees

Resins, gums and balsams as remedies and incenses
Freya Publishing House – 1. Edition 2020
Hardcover – thread stitching – 272 pages – four colors throughout,
with many illustrations – Format: 17 x 24 cm
ISBN 978-3-99025-412-7
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About the author:

Kevin Johann is an educationalist (M.A.), social worker (B.A.), ethnobotanist, nature and plant educator as well as hobby gardener. Since his youth he has been interested in the fascinating world of plants and their traditional uses and applications.

He is the author of the books “The Shaman’s Garden” and “Artemisia” as well as the author of numerous magazine articles on the subjects of herbalism, plant medicine and consciousness.