Candles were invented and developed independently by different groups of people as far as 5000 years ago. The Romans made them from tallow as early as 500 BC, while the Qin dynasty in China used whole fat around 221–206 BC. In India, temples boiled cinnamon to make candles, and the early Greeks used them to honor the goddess Artemis. The wicked candle is believed to have originated in Rome by dipping rolled papyrus repeatedly in melted tallow or beeswax.
When the Roman Empire collapsed, olive oil, the most common fuel for oil lamps, was suddenly widely unavailable throughout Europe. This is one reason why candles became more widespread, usually made from fats saved from the kitchen and accompanied by the manufacture of sauces, vinegar, soap, and cheese.
The most used material was tallow, fat from cows or sheep. Its smell was so unpleasant that its manufacture was banned by ordinance in several European cities. Fortunately, beeswax didn’t share the problem. However, only the rich could afford it.
Candle making became a guild craft in England and France in the 13th century.