A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end, which is ignited and used as a light source. Torches have been used throughout history, and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggling entertainment. In some countries "torch" in modern usage is the term for a battery-operated portable light.

Etymology

From the

Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...

"''torche''" meaning "twisted thing", hence "torch formed of twisted tow dipped in wax", probably from Vulgar Latin *''torca'', alteration of Late Latin ''torqua'', variant of classical Latin ''torques'' "collar of twisted metal", from ''torquere'' "to twist". Firebreathingtorch

Torch construction

Torch construction has varied through history depending on the torch's purpose. Torches were usually constructed of a wooden stave with one end wrapped in a material which was soaked in a flammable substance. In the United States, black bear bones may have been used. Modern procession torches are made from coarse

hessian A Hessian is an inhabitant of the German state of Hesse. Hessian may also refer to: Named from the toponym *Hessian (soldier), eighteenth-century German regiments in service with the British Empire **Hessian (boot), a style of boot **Hessian f ...

rolled into a tube and soaked in wax. A wooden handle is usually used, and a cardboard collar is attached to deflect any wax droplets. They are an easy, safe and relatively cheap way to hold a flame aloft in a parade or to provide illumination in any after-dark celebration. Modern torches suitable for juggling are made of a wooden-and-metal or metal-only stave with one end wrapped in a Kevlar wick. This wick is soaked in a flammable liquid, usually paraffin (

kerosene Kerosene, paraffin, or lamp oil is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in aviation as well as households. Its name derives from el, κηρός (''keros'') meaning "wax", and was regi ...

Symbolism

The torch is a common

emblem An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a king or saint. Emblems vs. symbols Although the words ''emblem'' and '' symbol'' are often use ...

of both

enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...

and

hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large. As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...

, thus the

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a List of colossal sculpture in situ, colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the U ...

, formally named ''Liberty Enlightening the World'', lifts her torch. Crossed reversed torches were signs of mourning that appear on Greek and Roman funerary monuments—a torch pointed downwards symbolizes

death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

, while a torch held up symbolizes life, truth and the regenerative power of flame. The torch is also a symbol used by political parties, for instance by both

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

(from 1918 to 1980) and the Conservatives (from 1983 to 2006) in the UK, and the Malta Labour Party. In the seals of schools in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, the torch symbolizes the vision of education to provide enlightenment to all the students. The torch is also associated with the Greek goddess of

witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...

known as

Hecate Hecate or Hekate, , ; grc-dor, Ἑκάτᾱ, Hekátā, ; la, Hecatē or . is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, snakes, or accompanied by dogs, and in later periods depicte ...

in some works of art. File:Main Reading Room. Detail of frieze of winged half figures with torch of learning. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C. LCCN2007684396.tif, Detail of frieze of winged half figures with torch of learning in the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C. File:Liberty Island Jul 2019 27.jpg, The original 1886–1984 torch of the

(''Liberty Enlightening the World'') is housed in the Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island, New York City Image:Sculpture pont de l'alma Paris FRA.jpg, ''Flame of Liberty'', Place Diana, Paris File:Hécate - Mallarmé.png, The goddess Hecate holding a torch to her right

Uses

Olympics

A torch carried in relay by runners is used to light the Olympic flame which burns without interruption until the end of the Games. These torches and the relay tradition were introduced in the 1936 Summer Olympics by Carl Diem, the chairman of the event because during the duration of the Ancient Olympic Games in Olympia, Greece, Olympia, a sacred flame burnt inside of the temple of Hera, kept in custody by her priestess.

Juggling

Torch (juggling), Juggling torches are often used as a prop in toss juggling: they can be flipped into the air in an end-over-end motion while being juggled, in the same manner as juggling clubs or Knife juggling, juggling knives, but because of their sound and 'trail of flame', they can appear much more impressive to audiences. To a skilled juggler, there is only a slight chance of being burned, but they are still dangerous.

In Roman Catholic liturgy

In former times, liturgical torches were carried in Eucharistic processions simply to give light. The Church eventually adopted their use for Solemn High Masses. According to Adrian Fortescue, the more correct form of liturgical torches are non-freestanding (i.e. cannot stand up on their own). However, today, even in the Vatican, freestanding, tall candles in ornate candle-stick holders have replaced the former type. The torches are carried by torchbearers, who enter at the Sanctus and leave after Communion. Anglicans of the High Church and some Lutherans use torches in some of their liturgical celebrations as well.

Torchlight march

Torchlight march is a type of illuminated procession which is held after dark so that torches carried by the participants form a spectacle (other types of an illuminated procession involve candles, lanterns etc). George Rennie Cupid Rekindling the Torch of Hymen at the V and A 2008

George Rennie Cupid Rekindling the Torch of Hymen at the V and A 2008

Underwater diving

Magnesium torches were used commonly in the 1950s and 1960s as a means of underwater illumination. Magnesium burns with a bright white light, and burns underwater also.

Associations

Love

The association of a torch with love may date to the Greek and Roman tradition of a wedding torch, lit in the bride's hearth on her wedding night, then used to light the hearth in her new home. Such a torch is associated with the Greek god of marriage Hymen (god), Hymen. The idiom ''to carry a torch'' (for someone) means to love or to be romance (love), romantically Limerence, infatuated with someone, especially when such feelings are not reciprocity (social psychology), reciprocated. It is often used to characterize a situation in which a romantic relationship has ended, but where one partner still loves the other. It is considered by some to be dated, but still in wide usage. A torch song is typically a sentimental love song in which a singer laments an unrequited love.

Gallery

Image:Tikitorch.JPG, A tiki torch Image:43-aspetti di vita quotidiana, illuminazione,Taccuino Sanita.jpg, Torch seller, tacuinum sanitatis casanatensis (14th century) Image:18th November Torchlight procession 2013.jpg, 18 November Torchlight procession 2013 in Riga, Latvia Image:Lewes Bonfire, Lewes Borough Bonfire Society.jpg, Guy Fawkes Night, Bonfire Night celebrations in Lewes, Sussex on 5 November File:Hartola.vaakuna.svg, Two torches in the coat of arms of Hartola, Finland, Hartola File:Flag of Zaire (1971–1997).svg, A torch on the Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Flag of Zaire, 1971–1997

References

External links

Picture of non-freestanding torches
Antique Liturgical Torches in Procession
Picture of non-freestanding torches
Antique Liturgical Torches in Procession {{Authority control Ceremonial flames Fire Lighting Signalling lights Torches, Shinto religious objects