Dragon's Blood is a bright red resin obtained from various types of "dragon's blood trees": Croton, Dracaena, Daemonorops, Calamus rotang, and Pterocarpus. The red resin was used in ancient times as varnish, medicine, incense, and dye. It is still used by some for the aforementioned purposes.
There was a great deal of confusion among the ancients regarding the source and identity of dragon's blood. The resin from Dracaena species, "true" dragon's blood, and the highly toxic mineral cinnabar (mercury sulfide) were often confused by the ancient Romans. There also seems to be a tendency to call anything that is bright red "dragon's blood." In ancient China, little or no distinction was made between the types of dragon's blood from different species. Both Dracaena and Daemonorops resins are still often marketed today as dragon's blood, with little or no distinction made between the plant sources; however, the resin obtained from Daemonorops has become the most sold type in modern times, often in the form of large resin balls.
Travelers to the Canary Islands in the 15th century obtained dragon's blood as dried pomegranate red drops from Dracaena draco, a tree native to the Canary Islands and Morocco.
The resin is secreted from its wounded trunk or branches. Dragon's blood is also obtained in the same way from Dracaena cinnabari, which is endemic to the island of Socotra. This resin was traded to ancient Europe via the "incense route".
Dragon's blood resin is also produced from the rattan palms of the genus Daemonorops from the Indonesian islands and is known there as Jerang or Djerang.
It is collected by breaking off the layer of red resin that envelops the unripe fruit of the rattan. The collected resin is then rolled into solid balls before being sold.
The red latex from the Sangre de Grado tree (Croton lechleri), native to northeastern South America, has wound healing and antioxidant properties and has been used by indigenous people for centuries.
The dragon's blood known to the ancient Romans was usually collected from Dracaena Cinnabari and is mentioned in the 1st century as one of the products of Socotra. Socotra had been an important trading center since the time of the Ptolemies. Dragon's blood was used as a dye and medicine (for respiratory and gastrointestinal issues) in the Mediterranean and was used by early Greeks, Romans, and Arabs for its healing properties. Dioscorides and other early Greek writers described its medicinal use.
The local population on the island of Socotra uses the Dracaena resin as a type of remedy and uses it for things like general wound healing, a coagulant (although this is not advised with commercial products, as the Daemonorops species acts as an anticoagulant and it is usually unknown from which species the dragon's blood came), curing diarrhea, reducing fever, dysentery diseases, taken internally for sores in the mouth, throat, intestines, and stomach, as well as an antiviral agent for respiratory viruses, stomach viruses, and for skin conditions like eczema. It was also used in medieval ritual magic and alchemy.
Dragon's blood from both Dracaena draco and Dracaena cinnabari was used as a varnish source for Italian violin makers in the 18th century. There was also an 18th-century recipe for toothpaste that contained dragon's blood. In modern times, it is still used as a varnish for violins, in photogravure, as incense resin, and as body oil.
Dragon's blood from Daemonorops was used for ceremonies in India. Sometimes Dracaena resin, but more often Daemonorops resin was used in China as a red varnish for wooden furniture. It was also used to color the surface of stationery for banners and posters, especially used for weddings and for Chinese New Year.
In American Hoodoo, African American folk magic, and voodoo in New Orleans, it is used in mojo hands for attracting money or drawing love. It is also used as incense to cleanse a space of negative entities or influences. It is also added to red ink to make "Dragon's Blood Ink" for inscribing magical seals and talismans.
In folk medicine, dragon's blood is used externally as a wash to promote wound healing and stop bleeding. It is used internally for chest pain, postpartum bleeding, internal trauma, and irregular menstruation.
In neopagan witchcraft, it is used to enhance the potency of spells for protection, love, banishment, and sexuality. In New Age shamanism, it is used in ceremonies in the same way that neopagans use it.
Dragon's blood incense is also sold as "red rock opium" to unsuspecting drug buyers. It actually contains no opiates and has only mild psychoactive effects, if any at all.
If you would like to order dragon's blood powder, take a look in the shop.
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