Castle Quest - Reply to Topic

Forum:	Medieval Life And Culture
Topic:	another scottish question:lights

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T O P I C R E V I E W
Glaive203
Well what did the scots mainly use to light their Castles? Firebrands(miscalled torches by moderns),rush lights,paris(tallow)candles,candles(of which the "torch' is properly a type) or some other types of light.There were several type of rush lights;but I cann't rememeber their other names at the moment-rushlights being split rushes dipped in lard and used as cheap candles by the poor and skinflints in the MA.
duncan I'd like to know what references your info is comeing from? The auther's name, titles, isbn numbers ect. would be nice. It will be interesting reading.
wurdsmiff The production of beeswax candles was big business for the numerous Church properties around Scotland, these undoubtedly were used in the homes of wealthier individuals. As I have said on other topics, they used what was available locally and what was affordable, though torches, or firebrands as you prefer to call them, and oil lamps were commonly used. Candles of sheep fat and ceramic burners for linseed oil have been found in excavations of MA Perth. Local potters in Scotland have been shown to have produced oil lamps and curfews throughout the period. Sections of Scots or bog pine, rich in a brightly and long burning resin, were used where available.
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Gordon.
Glaive203 Duncan in general my info comes direct from ME sources:literature;inventories and chronicles.There's,however,a very excellent book written on the subject of utensils and tools which i'll dig up the title,author and publisher as soon as I have time to go through my notes(which are very large and chaoticly organized).The MA torch was specificly a 14 pound candle,which was often born before important people during the MA and renaisance mounted on a stick;but there were also torch holders for indoors.During the MA candles had numerous names depending upon their weight and whether they tapered or not.That book is actually quite readable and not a completely dry scholarly or ME source of interest and readable only by medievalists.It covers the whole period of the pre-industrial british world-you should enjoy it!
duncan And a light in the Middle ages was any source of out side illumination. Often the word also refered to the glazed area between the mullions of a window.
As a point of discussion. I don't mind dry reference books on history topics, but the type i don't like are the boreing ones that take off on tangents and have no supporting facts or truth to them.
[This message has been edited by duncan (edited 11-13-2000).]
Glaive203 duncan i dug up the title for you."Iron&brass implements of the english house"by J.Seymour Linsay,pub.1917 by the boston and london medici society.It includes comtemporary quotes and reproductions of illuminations/illustrations.
duncan Thank you, very much appreciated, i like all sorts of books and will try to add this one when and if i can find it. I've found most
old books are well worth the effort and cost.