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Candle Superstition And Folklore
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Published: September 27, 2006
Sometimes the world humans inhabit does not make sense.
Despite what parents, teachers and religious leaders indoctrinate, good things can happen to bad people. Death, oftentimes, seems senseless. People are needlessly hurt, sometimes at the hands of their fellow man.
Scientific and sociologic theories providing meaning to these events are relatively recent developments. Before the genesis of scientific explanations, humans commonly used two methods in order to make sense of the world surrounding them: superstition and folklore.
Throughout history, superstition involving candles was incorporated in society's initial means of explaining the world. Religious folklore surrounding candles has been used to navigate believers toward sacred discoveries, communicate with deceased people and describe supposed supernatural elements.
In ancient Egypt, for example, people believed a candle's flames revealed the mysterious phenomena surrounding dream interpretations. In order to obtain spiritual navigation through dreaming, superstition deemed a person should go into a dark cave, face the southern wall and stare into a candle's flame until he or she saw God's image. After this was accomplished, the person would retire to sleep and allow God to direct their course.
Though early Christians initially protested the use of candles in pagan rituals, the Catholic Church established the use of consecrated candles to absolve sins and exorcise demons. By the 12th century, candles played such an important role in Christian folklore they were placed on the priest's alter, where they remain to this day.
Early Jewish folklore commanded candles to be lit at the base of a dying person's body to drive away evil spirits. Some practices called for the candle to remain lit for one week to purify the air. This custom was carried into Christianity, where believers would go into a church and light a candle for a sick or dying family member.
As the Catholic Church continued to grow in medieval Europe, the folklore surrounding candles served a dual purpose. According to 1486's anti-witchcraft handbook, Malleus Maleficarum, candles should be used to preserve oneself from witches and protect livestock from danger. Conversely, Christian superstition declared witches would utilize candles as a sign of their loyalty to the devil.
According to Dives and Pauper, an English work of 1536, "it hath oft been known that witches, with saying of the Paternoster and dropping of the holy candle in a man's steps that they hated, hath done his feet rotten of."
In the 17th century, witches were thought to desecrate holy candles, using them in Black Masses. These candles, believed to hold the secrets of life's energy, were alleged by common folklore to be made from human fat.
In the 18th century, explorers were encouraged by Petit Albert, a French magic handbook, to carry a candle made from human tallow on voyages. Superstition stated these candles would burn more intensely around buried treasure. If there was a spirit guarding the treasure, the candle would conjure it to help lead the explorer to the buried treasure.
In contemporary neopagan practices, candles are frequently used to symbolize gods and goddesses. Placed on the four corners of a ritual circle, these candles represent the four elements: earth, air, fire and water. Lighting the candles marks the opening of the ritual and extinguishing them ends it. In these spells, different colored candles are used symbolically represent a specific purpose. For example, red means health and vigor, yellow stands for confidence and charm, and green signify luck and prosperity.
Candles are still used by the general populace to symbolize contemporary folklore and superstition. Birthday cakes are donned with an array of candles representing the number of years a person has been alive. The birthday boy or girl makes a silent wish and blows out the candles. If they do not tell anyone what they wished for, superstition allows people to believe the wish will eventually come true.
Similarly, folklore deems couples should light union candles at their wedding to ensure a long and happy marriage. If the candle is suddenly extinguished, however, superstition states the marriage will be doomed to end in sorrow.
Despite what parents, teachers and religious leaders indoctrinate, good things can happen to bad people. Death, oftentimes, seems senseless. People are needlessly hurt, sometimes at the hands of their fellow man.
Scientific and sociologic theories providing meaning to these events are relatively recent developments. Before the genesis of scientific explanations, humans commonly used two methods in order to make sense of the world surrounding them: superstition and folklore.
Throughout history, superstition involving candles was incorporated in society's initial means of explaining the world. Religious folklore surrounding candles has been used to navigate believers toward sacred discoveries, communicate with deceased people and describe supposed supernatural elements.
In ancient Egypt, for example, people believed a candle's flames revealed the mysterious phenomena surrounding dream interpretations. In order to obtain spiritual navigation through dreaming, superstition deemed a person should go into a dark cave, face the southern wall and stare into a candle's flame until he or she saw God's image. After this was accomplished, the person would retire to sleep and allow God to direct their course.
Though early Christians initially protested the use of candles in pagan rituals, the Catholic Church established the use of consecrated candles to absolve sins and exorcise demons. By the 12th century, candles played such an important role in Christian folklore they were placed on the priest's alter, where they remain to this day.
Early Jewish folklore commanded candles to be lit at the base of a dying person's body to drive away evil spirits. Some practices called for the candle to remain lit for one week to purify the air. This custom was carried into Christianity, where believers would go into a church and light a candle for a sick or dying family member.
As the Catholic Church continued to grow in medieval Europe, the folklore surrounding candles served a dual purpose. According to 1486's anti-witchcraft handbook, Malleus Maleficarum, candles should be used to preserve oneself from witches and protect livestock from danger. Conversely, Christian superstition declared witches would utilize candles as a sign of their loyalty to the devil.
According to Dives and Pauper, an English work of 1536, "it hath oft been known that witches, with saying of the Paternoster and dropping of the holy candle in a man's steps that they hated, hath done his feet rotten of."
In the 17th century, witches were thought to desecrate holy candles, using them in Black Masses. These candles, believed to hold the secrets of life's energy, were alleged by common folklore to be made from human fat.
In the 18th century, explorers were encouraged by Petit Albert, a French magic handbook, to carry a candle made from human tallow on voyages. Superstition stated these candles would burn more intensely around buried treasure. If there was a spirit guarding the treasure, the candle would conjure it to help lead the explorer to the buried treasure.
In contemporary neopagan practices, candles are frequently used to symbolize gods and goddesses. Placed on the four corners of a ritual circle, these candles represent the four elements: earth, air, fire and water. Lighting the candles marks the opening of the ritual and extinguishing them ends it. In these spells, different colored candles are used symbolically represent a specific purpose. For example, red means health and vigor, yellow stands for confidence and charm, and green signify luck and prosperity.
Candles are still used by the general populace to symbolize contemporary folklore and superstition. Birthday cakes are donned with an array of candles representing the number of years a person has been alive. The birthday boy or girl makes a silent wish and blows out the candles. If they do not tell anyone what they wished for, superstition allows people to believe the wish will eventually come true.
Similarly, folklore deems couples should light union candles at their wedding to ensure a long and happy marriage. If the candle is suddenly extinguished, however, superstition states the marriage will be doomed to end in sorrow.
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