Copal

For the company see Copal Partners

Copal is a type of resin, sometimes referred to as pom (the Maya language name). The word is derived from the Nahuatl language word copalli, meaning incense. It is sometimes likened to, or substituted for, amber and put in jewellery.

Many indigenous cultures in Mexico use fresh copal as an incense, used during energy cleanings and aura healings and during the temazcal, or sweat lodge ceremony. It is available in different forms. The hard, amber-like yellow copal is a less expensive version. The white copal, a hard, milky, sticky substance, is a more expensive version of the same resin.

References

[Brian Stross, Mesoamerican Copal Resins, University of Texas at Austin] Accessed 3/31/06.
[Garry Platt; Types of Amber, Copal & Resin (Revised 6 June 1998)] Accessed 3/31/06.

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