Torch

Lore & Background

The torch is a common emblem of both enlightenment and hope, thus the Statue of Liberty, 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, 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 (from 1918 to 1980) and the Conservatives (from 1983 to 2006) in the UK, and by the Malta Labour Party.

In the seals of schools in the Philippines, 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 known as Hecate in some works of art. Ancient Greeks used torches in some of their festivals. For example, the Athenians held at least five festivals featuring torches, including the Panathenaea, the Hephaistia, and the Prometheia.

According to Istros the Callimachean, the torch race was first introduced by the Athenians during sacrifices to Hephaestus, in honor of him as the one who mastered the use of fire and taught it to others. The origin of the custom may also lie in honoring Prometheus, the bringer of fire. Torch races were celebrated in many different Greek cities in honour of various deities.

Reader's Guide

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 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, such as kerosene.

Did You Know?

• The torch carried in relay by runners is used to light the Olympic flame which burns without interruption until the end of the Games.
• 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 former times, liturgical torches were carried in Eucharistic processions simply to give light.
• Magnesium torches were used commonly in the 1950s and 1960s as a means of underwater illumination.
• The idiom to carry a torch (for someone) means to love or to be romantically infatuated with someone, especially when such feelings are not reciprocated.