A Brief History of Oud

Historians can trace the use of Oud back to ancient times and incontrovertible evidence lies within the scriptures of various ancient cultures. The Prophet, Muhammad, held the tradition of fumigation with agarwood, which is a practice that continues in the Muslim world to this day. The Holy Prophet referred to agarwood as a distinct item found in Paradise. In Hebrew tradition, The Song of Songs describes Oud as a form of incense, and King Solomon as “coming up from the desert like a column of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and incense.”

Early records in central Vietnam dating back to the third century A.D. mention the extraction of agarwood and the export of Oud to China and Japan where it was burned for centuries as incense. Wealthy Chinese ancients were known to make their coffins out of this resinous heartwood. There is also a strong association with the use of this aromatic substance and the tradition of Fengshui, a discipline of governing the flow of energy in a particular place.

In Buddhist tradition, the most precious string of beads numbering to 108 is made of agarwood. Historically, the Islamic world valued the precious resin as both an essential oil and a personal perfume. As the use of Oud spread to Europe, the royalty of France, particularly Louis The XIV (The Sun King) who was known for his outrageous indulgences, loved the fragrance so much that he washed his clothes in Oud.