The history, use and value of candles – beeswax candles

In the Middle Ages, when Christianity was the only bastion of civilisation after the collapse of the Roman Empire, beeswax candles were introduced and became an instant hit among the upper echelons of society, and especially with the ecclesiastical community. There were several reason for this religious popularity

unlike tallow candles, beeswax produced long-burning and smoke free candles which gave off a pleasant odour
beeswax candles did not stain the glass, ceilings and painted altars of churches as candles made from animal fats did
most monasteries and nunneries had an orchard and orchards always had beehives because bees are the primary pollinator for fruit trees – this meant that while the candles cost a fortune for ordinary people to buy, religious communities had a ready supply of cheap source ingredients (and, of course, an unlimited supply of completely free labour in the monks and nuns).

Today beeswax candles are becoming increasingly popular because they are non-toxic and organic and, of course, they have a wonderful natural fragrance of honey. In addition, they possess the highest melting point among the varieties of pure wax, giving them a considerably longer burn time even than paraffin based candles. Finally, they are almost drip free – they burn away to nothing without leaving large deposits of wax. For all these reasons beeswax candles, both rolled and pressed, are making a big come-back and feature in many prestigious restaurants where the owner thinks the smell will stimulate the appetite of the diners.

Church Candle photograph by jswieringa, used under a creative commons attribution licence