A Short History And Evolution Of Candles

The word candle comes from the Latin Candere, that means luminous and to shine.

The earliest known candles were made using 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 used to make candles. Evidence of early candles has also been found in Egypt and Greece which go back to around 3000BC.

In the middle ages candles were made of Fat, a by-product of animal fat. However Fat had a bad smell when it was burning. Beeswax and Paraffin wax were introduced in the 1800′s and Fat stopped being used. In 18th century England, candles were taxed and the general public were banned from make their own. There were 2 guilds of chandlers and they were the only ones licensed to provide candles till 1831.

Early candles were formed by suspending one or two wicks from a long rod called a Broach. Liquefied tallow was then poured into a container and the wicks were dipped three times and then hung on a rack to dry. The candles where then repeatedly dipped until the specified 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 little hole in the centre for the wick. The wick was then placed in the mold and held in place by tiny wires. Once the mold had been filled, the wicks were pulled tight and the wax was left to cool, then the wires were removed.

In the 1820′s braided wicks were used along with stearic acid. This chemical is a by-product of fat and was mixed into the wax to toughen it. This created candles that burned longer. Before this, wicks where made with twisted pieces of cotton, hemp or flax. In 1834, inventor Joseph Morgan introduced a machine which permitted constant production of moulded candles. The machine could produce around 1,500 candles each hour which permitted 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 lightbulb in 1879 the utilising of candles started to decline. They are now used typically as ornamental items and used in non secular ceremonies. Today, scented candles are generally available. The latest innovation being the use of prime quality natural waxes to manufacture the modern scented soy candle. These burn better, burn cleaner and last for longer.

I hope this fact based article has given you an understanding into development of the common-or-garden candle. From a necessary part of everyday living in times gone by to a luxury item today that adds to our every day lives.

Natasha Kilby is a journalist, broadcaster and historian. Take a look at Natasha’s favourite scented candles and learn more about the modern soy candle