| The history of candles is a part of the history of fire. It | | | | work out. |
| is an understatement to say that the discovery of fire | | | | What was needed was a way to carry a flame on a |
| was a big development for early humans. First, food | | | | pole that was not too heavy, and that kept the heat |
| that was cooked could be digested more easily than | | | | far enough away so that you wouldn't be burned. |
| when it was raw. Second, fire provided heat, which | | | | Our ancestors undoubtedly noticed that woods with lot |
| allowed humans to survive in colder climates. Third, | | | | of resin in them burned more quickly than hardwoods. |
| historical candles - torches, really - provided light during | | | | They also noticed that this sticky substance, called |
| the night, and enabled humans to explore and live in | | | | "pitch" could be extracted from woods such as pine |
| naturally dark caves. | | | | when the wood was heated. Thus, early man probably |
| Now, the first fire seen by humans probably occurred | | | | began to coat then ends of branches in resin or - even |
| as a result of a lightning strike in a forest. And the first | | | | better - soak the ends of longer logs in resin. The |
| fires constructed by man were most likely made from | | | | results were torches - the first types of candles - |
| wood taken from a forest. A wood fire gives off heat | | | | where the resin was the fuel that burned, and the |
| and light. Making that portable would have been very | | | | wood stick was used as a carrier, so it was not |
| desirable. Probably the first thing that was done was | | | | immediately consumed. |
| to remove a stick from the fire that was burning only | | | | Since the hot resin would drip and cause burns, other |
| on one end. You could carry it with you and start a fire | | | | methods of carrying fire were found. Torches could be |
| somewhere else. Or you could carry it with you to | | | | made by wrapping together strips of bark or cane. |
| provide light as you walked. | | | | Sometimes they were wrapped around a tinder core. |
| If the burning wood that you took away from the | | | | In Conquering the Darkness: Primitive Lighting Methods, |
| bonfire was producing a lot of light because it was | | | | published on the Society of Primitive Technology Site, |
| flaming, then it was also producing heat and consuming | | | | primitive.org, Benjamin Pressley tells of his endeavors |
| itself quickly. So then there was a balance of how | | | | to recreate primitive torches. He provides photos of |
| large of a stick you could carry: a small branch would | | | | some of his creations and describes his explorations, |
| be easier to carry, but would burn quickly. If you took a | | | | including one where he used his homemade torches at |
| larger log, then it would be heavy to carry. Not only | | | | Langdon's Cave in the Harrison-Crawford State |
| that, but it would require more heat to stay burning, so | | | | Forest in Indiana. |
| you couldn't let it get too short or it would become too | | | | In conclusion, historically, candles, in the form of primitive |
| hot to hold. If it didn't stay hot enough, then the flame | | | | torches were among the first tools that humans used |
| would go out, and you would be left holding a smoking | | | | to harness and transport fire. |
| log. So carrying a piece of burning wood just didn't | | | | |