the.com/anointing
Pouring oil on someone to declare them chosen, royal, or impossibly anointed for the job.
means The act of smearing or pouring oil (often sacred) onto a person or thing to consecrate, bless, or formally mark them as chosen for a role.
from From Latin inunguere, 'to smear on' (in-, 'on,' plus unguere, 'to anoint or grease') — the same unguere that gives us 'unguent' and 'ointment.' It entered English through Old French enoint, the past participle meaning 'smeared,' which English then politely doubled up by adding its own '-ing.' The oily core is ancient: kings, priests, and the sick were all greased with consecrated oil to mark a change of state, which is why 'the Lord's anointed' literally meant 'the one with oil on his head.'
- royal grease
- English monarchs are still anointed with sacred oil at coronation
- recipe
- Biblical holy oil mixed myrrh, cinnamon, cassia, and olive oil
- word origin
- Christ and messiah both literally mean the anointed one
- medical roots
- Ancient anointing doubled as wound care and skin protection
- top secret
- England's coronation anointing is hidden from cameras as too sacred
papal anointing — catholic church practice where popes are anointed with chrism oil during their installation