Candle Clocks
An Early Method of Telling Time
A candle clock was one of the first methods of measuring the passage of time. From ancient Asia to the Dark Ages of Britain, people found ways to use candles to tell time. Though no one knows who invented the first candle clock, there is no doubt that they have been in use for centuries.
Types of Candle Clocks
Most candle clocks consisted of a 12-inch tall thin candle with markings that represented blocks of time. Common markings used were simple lines or numbers placed on both sides of the candle. As the candle burned past each marking, a person could have a sense of how much time was passing.
Candle clocks were also used as timers. A person would stick a nail into the candle at the marking that represented the desired amount of time. Eventually the wax would melt and release the nail. The sound of the nail falling onto the candle plate alerted the person to the passage of time.
Some candle clocks incorporated multiple candles and special holders. In multiple candle systems, candles of graduating sizes and markings indicated a specific period of time. As each candle burned, a person could measure time. Sometimes the candle holder or plate had panels with markings that assisted time keeping.
Ancient China used candles and sticks of incense to measure time. Crude versions used sticks of different scents to measure time. Time passage was noted by a change in fragrance. Later versions of incense clocks combined sticks of incense with weights held by thread. When the stick of incense burned a thread, a weight was released and dropped on a plate. The sound of the weight on the plate indicated a passage of time.
Uses of Candle Clocks
Candle clocks cannot tell time the way that modern clocks do. However, the devices were effective in keeping track of the passage of time. These crude time pieces allowed people to estimate and measure the time necessary for daily activities.
Candle clocks were useful for measuring time indoors, on grey cloudy days or at night when other time keeping methods, such as sundials and water clocks, could not be consulted.
Historical References to Candle Clocks
The earliest known use of a candle clock was referenced in a poem by the Chinese poet You Jiangu in 520. You Jiangu mentioned a candle clock with markings used at night.
The most famous candle clock was invented by King Alfred the Great of England in 878. King Alfred created a device that utilized six candles. The candles were made from 72 pennyweights of wax and were each 12 inch tall and of equal thickness. Each candle had 12 one-inch markings which represented a block of time and burned away in four hours. The candles were placed in wooden cases with transparent horn panels. King Alfred used his candle clock to organize the time he spent on monarchy duties, prayer and study.
Donald Routledge Hill wrote about elaborate candle clocks created by Al-Jazari in 1206. Al-Jazari created candle clocks that included dials that displayed time and a fastening device in the form of a bayonet fitting that is still used in some modern clocks. The clock sat on a dish with a ring that was connected to a weighted pulley system that pushed the candle upwards as it burned.
Even though modern clocks are very different from candle clocks, the legacy of the ancient device lives on. From the earliest of times, people found ways to measure time.
Sources:
Hill, Donald Routledge, "Mechanical Engineering in the Medieval Near East", Scientific America, May 1991
Britannica.com ,"Candle Clock"
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