Film Overview

Muron, (Chrism), is traditionally prepared every seven years by mixing more than 40 kinds of oils, roots, herbs, and incenses. These ingredients are cooked continuously for 48 hours. The mixed oil is then transferred to special cloth bags for extraction and purification. To insure absolute separation of the oil from the residue, denser bags replace the original bags. This process of purification is repeated several times in the next few days. The oil is then transferred to the Cauldron and placed on the altar for 40 days. On the 40th day, during the presence of distinguished guests, including archbishops and priests from various Christian sects, and thousands of Armenians from around the world, the Catholicos blesses the oil and adds the remains of the old Muron into the new one. This is a tradition that has continued ever since 301 AD. Muron is used for baptisms, consecration of new churches and ordainment of new priests. This film was made in Beirut, Lebanon, 2001, in celebration of the 1700th anniversary of Armenias adoption of Christianity in 301 AD.