A brief history and evolution of candles

January 29, 2012 - The word candle comes from the Latin Candere, which means luminous and to sparkle.

The earliest known candles were made from whale fat by the Chinese, during 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 additionally been found in Egypt and Greece which go back to around 3000BC.

In the middle ages candles were made from Fat, a by-product of animal fat. However Tallow had a nasty 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 banned from make their own. There were 2 guilds of chandlers and they were the only ones approved to provide candles till 1831.



Early candles were formed by hanging one or two wicks from a long rod called a Broach. Liquefied tallow 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 continually dipped until the specified thickness was achieved. France were 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 mold and held in position by small wires. Once the mold had been filled, the wicks were pulled tight and the wax was left to solidify then the wires were removed.

In the 1820's twisted wicks were used with stearic acid. This chemical is a derivative of fat and was mixed into the wax to harden it. This formed 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 allowed continual production of moulded candles. The machine could produce around 1,500 candles each hour which allowed candles to become cost effective and available to the public, revolutionising the candle making industry.

After the discovery of the Kerosene fuelled lamp and the lightbulb in 1879 the use of candles started to decline. They're now used typically as ornamental items and for use in spiritual ceremonies. Today, scented candles are generally available. The most recent invention being the utilising of high quality natural waxes to manufacture the modern scented soy candle. These burn better, burn cleaner and last longer.

I am hoping this fact based article has given you an background into development of the standard candle. From a necessary part of everyday living in times gone by to a luxury item today that adds to our every day lives.

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Natasha Kilby is a journalist, broadcaster and historian. Take a look at Natasha's favourite scented candles and discover more about the modern soy candle A brief history and evolution of candles