Looking for history of candlelight vigils

Newai

Wikipedia has almost nothing on when this all started. Ditto for history of candle making.

Anyone know the history of this kind of vigil?

Evo

You will probably find it most commonly in religious vigils. Since candles were a common manner of light at night before electricty or even gas, the only reference to them would be as gatherings at night. Perhaps torchlight ceremonies. But torchlight was common.

Evo

If you just want a history of candlemaking, I can probably find some articles on that, I used to have some. They used to have oil lamps long before candles.

Newai

Not so much candle-making, really. I only mentioned that because it was part of my search strategy. Odd that I can't find anything on the history of this kind of vigil. But where you mention religion, I'll try to find a religion forum and see if anyone knows.

Pray I avoid any proselytizing snowballs.

arildno

Although this is more in the candle-making business than about vigils, I suggest you contact, for example, the Chandler's Guild in London. (It still exists).

The waxchandlers have their own website; here's a chronology from there:
http://www.waxchandlers.org.uk/origi...ys-history.php

Furthermore, at amazon.com, a history of the guild "The Wax Chandlers of London" is available from independent sources:
http://www.amazon.com/Wax-Chandlers-...3734832&sr=8-1

Newai

Will do. Thank you.

arildno

The following 700-page book by the historian Philippe Arries, "The hour of our death", seems to be a study of the changing perceptions of death, how death has been ritualized, and so on.

Perhaps worth looking into?
http://www.amazon.com/Hour-Our-Death...ref=pd_sim_b_3

Newai

Nice find. I will look at that one.