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Illuminating The History Of Candles
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Published: September 27, 2006
Most people today would not consider using fish, insects, whale blubber or animal fat to supply light into their homes at the onset of dusk. These ingredients, however, were historically used in the arduous journey toward providing illuminating apparatuses.
Developed independently in many regions of the world, candles were natural progressions from the prehistoric discovery of fire. The Ancient Egyptians are credited with providing the first historical evidence of a society using candles. Torches made by soaking the pithy core of a water reed in tallow have been found in Egyptian societies dating as early as 3000 B.C.
Other cultures worldwide are known to have created candles. During the Chinese Qin Dynasty of 200 B.C., Emperor Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum contained candles made from whale fat. The poorer populations of China and Japan, who could not easily obtain whale fat, created candles from the wax found inside insects and seeds. Nearby, Tibetans used yak butter to create their candles.
By the first century A.D., North American indigenous tribes utilized the oil of a eulachon fish, or candlefish, for illumination. Torch-like objects were created by putting the fish on a stick and lighting it.
Ancient Romans improved on this crude knowledge, inventing the first candle with a wick. These candles were made by immersing the wick in molten animal fat. Though helpful for guiding ships and lighting houses, these tallow candles smoked profusely and emitted a pungent stench.
Used as streetlights in the Middle Ages, tallow candles sent an acrid smell wafting through city streets. By the 15th century, however, beeswax replaced tallow as the most common candle component. A substance secreted by bees while making honeycombs, beeswax burned cleanly without emitting excessive smoke or stench. The cleanliness produced by beeswax candles came at a price, however, and only wealthy people could afford them.
When the American colonies were first becoming sparsely populated, colonists attempted to use sweet-smelling bayberries to manufacture candles. Though they burned clearly and produced a pleasant aroma, it required nearly 15 pounds of boiled berries to create one candle. This tedious process forced colonists to look for alternate ways to create candles.
In the late 1700s, spermaceti became the foremost candle ingredient. This substance, which was created by crystallizing sperm whale oil, was harder than tallow or beeswax and did not melt in the summer heat.
Paraffin wax, made from oil and coal, was the next big discovery in candle making. It was processed by distilling residue left behind after petroleum refining and, for the first time in history, allowed candles to be mass produced at a relatively low cost. Stearic acid was added to paraffin to strengthen its low melting point, making the candles durable and allowing a clean burn with no unpleasant odor.
With the introduction of kerosene and the subsequent invention of electricity, the necessity for candles diminished. Brought back by a surge of popularity in the late 20th century, today's candles are used for decoration, aromatherapy or as integral parts of religious ceremonies.
Developed independently in many regions of the world, candles were natural progressions from the prehistoric discovery of fire. The Ancient Egyptians are credited with providing the first historical evidence of a society using candles. Torches made by soaking the pithy core of a water reed in tallow have been found in Egyptian societies dating as early as 3000 B.C.
Other cultures worldwide are known to have created candles. During the Chinese Qin Dynasty of 200 B.C., Emperor Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum contained candles made from whale fat. The poorer populations of China and Japan, who could not easily obtain whale fat, created candles from the wax found inside insects and seeds. Nearby, Tibetans used yak butter to create their candles.
By the first century A.D., North American indigenous tribes utilized the oil of a eulachon fish, or candlefish, for illumination. Torch-like objects were created by putting the fish on a stick and lighting it.
Ancient Romans improved on this crude knowledge, inventing the first candle with a wick. These candles were made by immersing the wick in molten animal fat. Though helpful for guiding ships and lighting houses, these tallow candles smoked profusely and emitted a pungent stench.
Used as streetlights in the Middle Ages, tallow candles sent an acrid smell wafting through city streets. By the 15th century, however, beeswax replaced tallow as the most common candle component. A substance secreted by bees while making honeycombs, beeswax burned cleanly without emitting excessive smoke or stench. The cleanliness produced by beeswax candles came at a price, however, and only wealthy people could afford them.
When the American colonies were first becoming sparsely populated, colonists attempted to use sweet-smelling bayberries to manufacture candles. Though they burned clearly and produced a pleasant aroma, it required nearly 15 pounds of boiled berries to create one candle. This tedious process forced colonists to look for alternate ways to create candles.
In the late 1700s, spermaceti became the foremost candle ingredient. This substance, which was created by crystallizing sperm whale oil, was harder than tallow or beeswax and did not melt in the summer heat.
Paraffin wax, made from oil and coal, was the next big discovery in candle making. It was processed by distilling residue left behind after petroleum refining and, for the first time in history, allowed candles to be mass produced at a relatively low cost. Stearic acid was added to paraffin to strengthen its low melting point, making the candles durable and allowing a clean burn with no unpleasant odor.
With the introduction of kerosene and the subsequent invention of electricity, the necessity for candles diminished. Brought back by a surge of popularity in the late 20th century, today's candles are used for decoration, aromatherapy or as integral parts of religious ceremonies.
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