Most likely you have a candle or two around your home for lighting,fragrance,or just simply looks. Did you know that the candles we have today are nothing like the candles of old though? The first candles were ugly,burnt poorly, and had a rather bad smell. Lets look at where they came from and where they seem to be going.
The first candles were made from the tallow of animals, this was collected from the hides and melted into a “wax” like substance. When they formed these candles they would insert a wick made from whatever locally sourced materials they could find. This wick combined with the tallow “wax” would create a primitive candle that burnt very unreliably. The air would be filled with a thick smoke and putrid aroma that none of us would wish to have in our homes today.
The next advancement in candle making came in the form of beeswax candles. These candles were made from natural beeswax and the finest wick materials of the time. This made for a pleasant burning candle that is still popular to this day. At the time though, they were limited to religious services and the wealthy due to the high cost of production.
Then came whale oil candles, this was the first major step in candle making that affected the populace. With whale oil and factory techniques these candles could be produced on a large scale and for a low cost. This meant that everyone could finally afford to buy candles rather then making their own. These tended to smell rather foul as well though, and this combined with the unpopular use of whale oil, has led them to be largely gone from the world today.
Finally, paraffin wax candles were created, these are still in production and likely what you own for your home. They can be made in any shape,size,or fragrance and very cheaply. They come in every form from tapered to tea candles with more options yet to come.
Surely though, the history of candles has yet to finish unfolding. In the future they may be made of materials we have yet to discover or perhaps they wont be made to burn at all!