Candles and Fire in Religious
History
Humankind has always held a deep respect for fire and
its power. This respect for and curiosity about fire
probably began when humans first became brave
enough to take fires caused by lightning back to their
camping places to use for warmth and cooking. Some
archaeologists place this occurring about 250,000 to
500,000 years ago. Until humans learned how to start
fires on their own, these early people were very careful
to keep such "captured, sacred" fire burning at all times.
It was not long before humans discovered that fire had
two aspects: the sacred and the mundane. Shamans
kindled their fires in specific ways with special woods.
They used this fire to light mysterious caves and sacred
power sites that only certain people entered for mystical
rituals. These holy fires helped the shaman and other
initiated participants connect with the spiritual worlds
where they received messages and first learned healing
and magick. Later, they learned other secrets, such as
metalworking. Because fire could be either creative or
destructive, those who handled fire were considered to
be divinely touched.
Early myths and legends tell of various divine beings
who either stole fire from heaven, as Prometheus did, or
who gave this wonderful gift to humans so they could
survive and worship the deities. Many deities from
cultures around the world are associated with fire in one