The first known use of candles is not completely known. The remains of clay candle holders that date back to 4 BC have given us the knowledge that they have been in use for a very long time. Those clay candle holders were found in Egypt.
Candles were also used in ancient times in both China and Japan. These candles were made of wax extracted from insects and seeds. The taper candles of India were made from the wax extracted from boiled cinnamon. Candles are not known to exist in American until 1 AD. It is believed Native Americans burned oily fish and the back of the Cerio tree. When settlers came to New England, they used similar techniques to extract wax from bayberries. Many modern candle makers still use that process to make bayberry candles. However, it is quite expensive to do so.
Tallow was the product used to make candles in the 1600s and 1700s. This is a byproduct from animal fat. The product worked well but had a foul odor, especially when it was burning. Bees wax and paraffin wax both were introduced in the early 1800s, and tallow stopped being used.
The dipping process for taper candles as we know it today began in 13 AD. Traveler merchants...