The WaxChandler Guild

A Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers – by NatureCraft

If you wander around your local renaissance festival looking for the NatureCraft shop, you will find we have a different, much longer name at the shows. Why is that? The short answer is that “The Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers” is our stage name, it is the part we play at the renaissance festivals in which we showcase the craft. We play the role of one of the historical guilds of old England.

The worshipful companies, which were also known as the Livery companies were the original guilds in medieval London, England which were given charter and rights to control trades. Livery companies still exist today as charities, and more as significant roles in society. Some examples of the early guilds were the 2nd livery, the Worshipful Company of Grocers, or spice merchants. The 1st livery was the worshipful Co. of Mercers, or general merchants who traded in a multitude of goods. The 9th company, an ancient merchant guild, was one of the great twelve city liveries, the Worshipful Co. of Salters. The salters traded and controlled salt and chemical traders.

“The Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers”

is the 20th livery of London in order of precedence and one of the oldest, with one of the smallest memberships. The guild was established well before 1330 when it was mentioned in invitations to provide funds for Kind Edward III. There is evidence that it likely existed before 1200. It was officially recognized first in 1358, and given a Royal Charter in 1484. While we play the old guild as a part at our show shops, we believe the craft is precious enough that we even adopted the guilds motto “Truth is the Light”, as our own company motto.

The worshipful companies, which were also known as the Livery companies were the original guilds in medieval London, England which were given charter and rights to control trades. Livery companies still exist today as charities, anThe Wax Chandlers, not to be mistaken for the 21st livery, the Tallow Chandlers, were the guild and merchants trading in not just candles, but beeswax products specifically including balms, salves, and even coins. Since beeswax was far more expensive in that era they were usually only found in the homes of nobility, royalty, upper class merchants, and in churches. The Tallow Chandlers on the other hand dealt with candles, and burning oils alone found in most common households, and public houses.

In medieval times beeswax was a prized commodity. For candle making it is essential as in its pure state, beeswax does not smoke, drip or soot at all. Where tallow (animal fats) and lamp oils put off tremendous amounts of soot and smoke making them a detriment to arts works, tapestries, and ceiling displays over time. To remedy this concern, the church traditionally only used beeswax.

Church law, created in the 1300’s, only allowed beeswax to be burned in churches, protecting the many tapestries and fine detailed art work. This law stayed in effect up until the last century and is still observed by many churches to some degree. The virginal attributes of the honeybee made the wax a symbol of purity and it is still used for many rituals even today.

The value and demand of beeswax being so high, it was pressed into coins and used in trade throughout the middle ages. Since beeswax in the old world was both costly and rare, its value typically made the wax chandler an upper class merchant. Servicing the church, royalty and nobility as their primary patrons, the items the wax chandler offered reflected the needs of these classes.

To many the properties of beeswax brought more than just light. Beeswax became a way to worship, meditate, clean the body, condition the skin, set ambience and dispense fragrances from incense, herbs & scented oils.d more as significant roles in society. Some examples of the early guilds were the 2nd livery, the Worshipful Company of Grocers, or spice merchants. The 1st livery was the worshipful Co. of Mercers, or general merchants who traded in a multitude of goods. The 9th company, an ancient merchant guild, was one of the great twelve city liveries, the Worshipful Co. of Salters. The salters traded and controlled salt and chemical traders.

The wax chandler guild was where the upper classes could obtain beeswax crafted candles, soaps, skin lotion/salve, pigments, wood polish, leather treatments and more. We have added a few modern ideas to this ancient line, but while the ideas are new, the raw materials & tools used are the same as have been available for two thousand years.

Like the wax chandler of centuries past we emphasize the purity of the beeswax we use. We have our own source of beehives and renewable resourced American suppliers producing the finest all organic pure wax that can be made.

Our dyes, for the few candles we color, are specially made by us from beeswax to blend with minimal amounts. Even the pillar candles we do dye are only dipped or dripped in the colored wax. The center of the candle is always solid pure natural unadulterated beeswax.

Though we have our own hives, we are not bee keepers. We concentrate on our trade of purifying and crafting, and sculpting for & from the beeswax. We do not offer honey, honey products or honey treats. We offer very few molded or decorative candles. We create beautiful, useful, one of a kind, & practical candles, lotions, soaps, balms, salves & fragrances handmade, as historically accurate as safety, efficiency and quality will allow.