History and evolution of candle making
Candles are one of the earliest forms of portable illumination. Historians believe that the first candles to be known to humankind were the ones made by primitive men in caves. The early Greeks used candles to worship goddesses while the Romans resorted to wax-coated wicks. In India, wax was created by boiling the fruit of the cinnamon tree. The British, on the other hand, used miniature torch-like ones without traditional wicks. Candles have evolved drastically over the years. With the growing demand for scented candles ranging from soft rose to burnt amber and cinnamon spice, candles are now used for ambiance and home décor purposes now. Here’s a brief history of candle making and its different traditions.
Ancient times
On every sixth day of the lunar month, the early Greeks used to worship the birth of the goddess Artemis with candles. The famous tradition of putting candles on birthday cakes originated with this very celebration.
When oil lamps were used throughout the Roman empire, around 500 BCE, the Romans began making candles from dipped tallow, an animals’ fat content. In Roman Italy, candles were exchanged as gifts during the ancient Roman festival.
The tomb of a Chinese monarch, Qin Shi Huang (259-210 BCE), contained candles made from whale fat. In ancient Chinese history, specifically during the Warring States period (403-221 BCE), the word zhu was used to describe candles. Around this time, some scraped bronzeware had a candle sconce in its structure to hold the candle in place.
The second imperial dynasty of China, called the Han Dynasty (202 BCE- 220 AD), was known to have made candles from beeswax. The official Chinese historical text, the book of Jin (complied in 648) contained references to the Jin Dynasty (266-420) and the use of beeswax candles for the use of statesman Zhou Yi. The Luoyang Museum, in the Hanan province of China, contained excavated earthenware from the 4th century AD having specks of wax in the hollow sockets. The Chinese candles were usually molded in paper tubes using boiled rice paper for the wicks and wax from insects mixed with seeds for the right consistency.
While wax from boiling cinnamon was used in India, Yak butter was used for candles made in Tibet.
A famous fish called the ‘candlefish’, a type of small fish found from Oregon to Alaska was used for the extraction of its oil for illumination purposes by the indigenous people during the 1st century AD. The fish could be put on a forked stick above the fire to make a simple candle in this way.
The Middle Ages
Olive oil was made the most common fuel for oil lamps after the decline of the Roman empire. It was unavailable throughout Europe, making candles a widely used commodity. In North Africa and the middle east, candle-making remained unknown due to the availability of olive oil in abundance.
Throughout the Middle Ages, candle-making remained a popular trade in parts of Europe. The candle makers were called ‘chandlers’ while a more sophisticated name suggested ‘smeremongere’. This name was assigned to them because they took care of the manufacturing of sauces, vinegar, soap, and cheese. The candle makers used fat leftovers in the kitchen to make the candles. The Christian holy day, Candlemas and the festivities of Saint Lucy led to the popularity of candles in the region.
The fat from cows and sheep, called tallow, became the most widely used material for candle making in all of Europe. The smell of tallow was like glycerin and its manufacturing was banned in several cities of Europe due to its severe smell. Beeswax became a great alternative for tallow but was limited to the rich, churchmen, and the royals due to its cost. Beeswax was rather sweet-smelling and excellent for the production of candles.
Candle making became a professional craft in England and France by the 13th century. In about 1300 in London, the Tallow Chandlers company was formed, in 1456, the company received its official visual design. The Wax Chandlers Company was on the rise before 1300, gaining a written grant in 1484. Paris became the place to make the first candle mold in the 15th century.
The Modern age
With the rise of hunting whales in the 18th century, a waxy substance found in the sperm of whales, called ‘spermaceti’ became the most commonly used substance for candle-making. The wax was made by crystallization of the oil and it did not produce any odor just like the beeswax. The first ‘standard candles’ were made from spermaceti.
By 1800, a cheaper alternative, Colza oil was discovered which was derived from a plant, and a similar oil derived from rapeseed made the candles clean and smoke-free.
The fall of the candle industry
With the introduction of kerosene and lamps for illumination, the candle-making industry suffered a decline. Further, the invention of the incandescent light bulb in 1879 and faux candles using LEDs in the 2000s led to the gradual decrease in candle production.
Scented candles
Candles were marketed as decorative pieces and the consumer interest in scented candles began to grow with candles coming in various shapes and sizes. During the 1900s, paraffin became a popular medium to make candles at low costs. Paraffin was mixed with soy, palm, and flaxseed oil to make wax. The production of sweet-smelling candles pressurized the wick-making industry to follow through with the demands.