The Origin of Candles
Candles seem to be an everyday item in many people’s lives. Candles freshen the air and help to eliminate odor while making a romantic statement in the process, however, little is known about the beginning of these beautiful smelling decorations.
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First credited with making ‘candles’ were the Ancient Egyptians which were actually torches or rushlights which had no wick in them. The Ancient Egyptians made these simple ‘candles’ by soaking the pithy core of reeds in molten tallow – gathered from sheep or cattle suet. The Romans get the credit for what we today know as a candle with a wick, they used them to light the places of worship, help travelers see in the dark and light their homes.
When the middle ages arrived, this is when beeswax began to show up in candles. Beeswax is a substance secreted by the bees when making their honeycombs and became a great improvement over the candles made with the tallow for they did not produce the thick, black smoke or admit a pungent odor when lit and burning. Beeswax candles burned clean and pure, although they were more expensive and therefore, only the wealthy of the land could afford to purchase and use them.
Bayberry candles were popular for a short period of time in the colonial days because of their sweet-smelling wax; however, making them was a tedious job because one had to boil the grayish green berries and then extract the wax.
The late 18th century brought the whaling industry into the candle making business with spermaceti – a wax obtained by crystallizing the whale sperm oil. It was widely used because of its massive available quantities. Furthermore, spermaceti was a harder substance than both the beeswax and tallow and burned clean like the beeswax. It did not bend or soften when the heat of summer took over. Many historians claim that the first ‘standard candles’ or tapered candles were made from spermaceti.
Beginning in the 19th century, the candle making industry took off and was industrialized. In 1843 a man named Joseph Morgan invented a machine that permitted nonstop production of molded candles by using a cylinder which marked a piston that would eject candles as they solidified.
Paraffin wax was introduced to candle making in 1850. The wax, made from coal shale and oil, was processed by distilling the residue left after crude petroleum was refined. Paraffin wax burned cleanly with no unpleasant odors and it was an inexpensive wax, it did have a low melting point. The discovery of stearic acid solved the low melting dilemma. Stearic acid is a durable and hard material and by the end of the 19th century, all candles were made of paraffin and stearic acid.
In 1879, the invention of the light bulb helped with the decline in the manufacturing and sales of candles in this country; however they made a comeback at the turn of the century.
Today candles mark celebrations, help set a romantic mood or decorate an empty space. There is much more to candlelight then just a flame.