Spikenard


Spikenard, also called nard, nardin, and muskroot, is a class of aromatic amber-colored essential oil derived from Nardostachys jatamansi, a flowering plant of the valerian family which grows in the Himalayas of Nepal, China, and India. The oil has been used over centuries as a perfume, a traditional medicine, or in religious ceremonies across a wide territory from India to Europe.
Catholic Church iconography uses spikenard to represent Saint Joseph. With this meaning, Pope Francis has included the spikenard in his coat of arms.

Plant sources

Nardostachys jatamansi is a flowering plant of the valerian family that grows in the Himalayas of Nepal, China, and India. The plant grows to about 1 meter in height and has pink, bell-shaped flowers. It is found at an altitude of about. Rhizomes can be crushed and distilled into an intensely aromatic amber-colored essential oil with thick consistency. Nard oil is used as a perfume, an incense, and an herbal medicine.

Etymology

The name "nard" is derived from Latin nardus, from Greek. This word may ultimately derive either from Sanskrit naladam, or from Naarda, an ancient Assyrian city.

Ancient uses

In ancient Rome, nardus was used to flavor wine, and occurs frequently in the recipes of Apicius. During the early Roman empire, nardus was the main ingredient of a perfume, and Pliny's Natural History lists twelve "species" of nardus, identifiable to varying degrees of assurance, including Lavandula stoechas and tuberous valerian as well as spikenard.

Religion

In the Hispanic iconographic tradition of the Catholic Church, the spikenard is used to represent Saint Joseph. The Vatican has said that the coat of arms of Pope Francis includes the spikenard in reference to Saint Joseph.
Nard is also mentioned in the Inferno of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy: