To Anoint and Chrism

To anoint is a process employed ritually by many religions. People and things are anointed to symbolize the introduction of a sacramental or divine influence, a holy emanation, spirit, power or god.

Unction is another term for anointing. The oil may be called chrism.

The word is known in English since c. 1303, deriving from Old French enoint "smeared on," pp. of enoindre "smear on," itself from Latin inunguere, from in- "on" + unguere "to smear." Originally it only referred to grease or oil smeared on for medicinal purposes; its use in the Coverdale Bible in reference to Christ (cf. The Lord's Anointed) has spiritualized the sense of it, a sense expanded and expounded upon by St Paul's writings in his "Epistles". The title Christ is derived from the Hebrew Messiah and means literally; the anointed one.

Chrism (Greek word literally meaning "an anointing"), also called "Myrrh" (Myron), Holy anointing oil or "Consecrated Oil," is a consecrated oil used in the Roman Catholic, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Old-Catholic churches, and some Anglican and Lutheran churches in the administration of certain sacraments and ecclesiastical functions.

Pure or scented olive oil, although typically not called chrism today, has been called chrism in the past, including oil used by Protestants and Restorationists in some forms of Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick and foot washing. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Mormons, chrism was historically used in some of their temple ordinances.

Multiple early Christian documents discuss the "ordinance" or "several ceremonies...explained in the Apostolical Constitutions" of "chrism," including documents by Theophilus and Tertullian. The most detailed version of the practice is by Cyril of Jerusalem.