[Ansteorra] Rush lights

[Stefan li Rous]

Greetings Your Grace,

Perhaps this file in the HOME, SWEET HOME might be of use in working with rush lights. 
Rushlights-art (8K) 11/29/08 "Working With Rushlights" by Master Bedwyr Danwyn.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/HOME/Rushlights-art.html

A few quotes from this article:
"Rushes are from the family Juncus, which can be found throughout AEthelmearc (NY State, Pennsylvania and West Virginia). They seem to prefer shallow, standing water, as do cattails. Cattails in fact seem to be the natural enemy of rushes, as they offer superior competition for the same habitat and crowd the rushes out."

"Of all the rushes, Juncus effusus is said to be the best, but use whatever rush you can find. Other rush may not burn as well, but the point is that today, as in period, to use whatever you have on hand for free."

"They are nothing more than a properly trimmed and dried plant which is subsequently soaked in tallow."

So getting tallow may be your next challenge, although I know a few people have made tallow candles in the SCA. There is some info on obtaining and processing tallow in other files in the Florilegium such as this one in the same section, or the soap making files.
candles-msg (88K) 1/13/08 Candle snuffers, making candles, wax, tallow

Here is another file in this section which might be of use:
torches-msg (28K) 8/ 9/09 Medieval torches.

You might also find that dipping the rushes in paraffin wax might be a less-period way to get useable rushes if you have problems with the tallow. It might also make up for the lessor quality rushes or rush substitutes you might find locally.

I also don't know, but perhaps wax or tallow soaked pieces of inner rattan scraps would work.  And might be more available in an unusual environment such as the ... SCA.

I'd be interesting hearing about how anyone's experiments with this go.

Stefan

On Jul 8, 2010, at 11:36 PM, willowdewisp at juno.com wrote:

> Hello everyone
> I was wondering if any of you could provide me with rushes for a "rush light". In all my time in the SCA I have never seen anyone using or making a rush light. They were commonly used in most of our times so I would really like to see an example and I would like to be able to spot the plant and make my own. 
> I have created a holder to use while traveling.
> Please help a "plant disadvanage" person.
> Duchess Willow de Wisp

--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
   Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****