A Brief History And Evolution Of Candles
The word candle comes from the Latin Candere, which means luminous and to sparkle.
The first candles were made of whale fat by the Chinese, in the Qin Dynasty (221″206 BC). In early China and Japan , tapers were made with wax from insects and seeds which were wrapped up in paper. In India wax from boiling cinnamon was employed to make candles. Proof of early candles has also been found in Egypt and Greece which go back to around 3000BC.
In the middle ages candles were made using Fat, a by-product of animal fat. However Tallow had a foul smell when it was burning. Beeswax and Paraffin wax were introduced in the 1800’s and Fat stopped being used. In 18th century Britain, candles were taxed and the general public were forbidden from make their own. There were 2 guilds of chandlers and they were the only ones licensed to provide candles until 1831.
Early candles were formed by hanging one or two wicks from a long rod called a Broach. Liquefied fat was then poured into a container and the wicks were dipped 3 times and then hung on a rack to dry. The candles where then repeatedly dipped till the required thickness was achieved. France were the first to introduced moulds in the 15th century. Wax was poured into hollow open-ended cylinders. These cylinders had a cap with a tiny hole in the centre for the wick. The wick was then placed in the mould and fixed in place by small wires. Once the mould had been filled, the wicks were pulled tight and the wax was left to solidify then the wires were removed.
In the 1820’s platted wicks were used with stearic acid. This chemical is a by-product of fat and was mixed into the wax to harden it. This made candles that burned longer. Before this, wicks where made from twisted pieces of cotton, hemp or flax. In 1834, inventor Joseph Morgan introduced a machine which facilitated continual production of moulded candles. The machine could produce around 1,500 candles per hour which allowed candles to become cost effective and available to the general public, revolutionising the candle making industry.
After the invention of the Kerosene fuelled lamp and the bulb in 1879 the use of candles started to decline. They are now used usually as ornamental items and to be used in non secular rites. Today, scented candles are widely available. The most recent evolution being the use of prime quality natural waxes to produce the modern scented soy candle. These burn better, burn cleaner and last longer.
I’m hoping this fact based article has given you an background into development of the humble candle. From an essential part of everyday living in times gone by to a luxury item today that enriches our every day lives.
Natasha Kilby is a correspondent, broadcaster and historian. Have a look at Natasha’s favorite scented candles and learn more about the modern soy candle
Tags: candle, candles, scented candles, soy candle
Quilt Patchwork Patterns | 
admin | January 15, 2012