Straw into Gold, Fairy Tales respun. How to make the rushlights in Sweet William by Rushlight

These are the rushes used to make rushlights
Pick a few, soak for an hour or two...
Peel to leave the white pith(that is the wick) with a strand or two of green to strength
Leave them to dry for a while...
then they need dipping or covering in some sort of fat. Poor people used tallow left over from cooking, but I will use beeswax....
Here they are, a pot of beeswax rushlights
They give a good light, bright enough for reading or writing

These are the rushes used to make rushlights.

 

 

 

 

 

Pick a few, soak them an hour or two if you have time (they peel more easily soaked).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The white pith inside will be the wick. Strip away the green, but leave one or two strands to strength your taper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leave them to dry for a while. Then they need dipping in some sort of fat. Poor people used tallow, which is animal fat, left over from cooking.

 

 

 

 

 

I will use beeswax, which will smell much nicer.

 

 

 

 

 

Here they are, a pot of beeswax rushlights...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They give a good light, bright enough for reading or writing. This room was completely dark.