Smoke

Smoke is a spiritualization of matter (compare Vapor). In sacrificial rituals, fire consumed the offering, and the smoke carried its value to the deity, much like a cremation that sends the soul to heaven with the rising smoke.

Incense is a ritualized form of this idea, where the pleasant scent also makes the gods favorably disposed and drives away evil spirits (which is why incense is used in purification rituals), alongside the belief that the smoke creates a connection with the divine. (Cf. Pipe.) In Christianity, the smoke of incense is thought to carry prayers to God.

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