Torch
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A burning torch, discarded on the road in the wake of the Lewes Bonfire Night celebrations. |
Originally, a
torch was a portable source of
fire used as a source of light, usually a rod-shaped piece of wood with a rag soaked in
pitch or some other flammable material wrapped around one end. Torches were often supported in
sconces by brackets high up on walls, to throw light over corridors in stone structures such as
castles or
crypts.
A torch carried in relay by cross-country runners is used to light the
Olympic flame which burns without interruption until the following Olympics. These torches were introduced first by
Adolf Hitler's movie maker
Leni Riefenstahl for the
1936 Summer Olympics.
If a torch is made of
sulphur mixed with
lime, the fire will not diminish after being plunged into water. Such torches were used by the
ancient Romans.
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
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.
The torch is a common
emblem of enlightenment. Thus the
Statue of Liberty, actually "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 and the regenerative power of flame. The torch is also a symbol used by the
British Conservative Party.
It is a long standing tradition of the Catholic Church never to completely drop anything which once occupied a place in her public worship. 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 Mass: A Study of the Roman Liturgy [1912]"), the more correct form of liturgical torches are non-freestanding (i.e. cannot stand up on their own). Today, however, 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.
In construction usage, a
torch is a small hand-held burner which makes a hot flame, usually fueled by
oxygen and either
acetylene or
propane, that is used for either cutting or
welding metals, particularly
iron and
steel. For example,
blowtorch,
cutting torch, or
welding torch. For more information, see
gas welding.
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List of light sources*
Picture of non-freestanding torches Antique Liturgical Torches in Procession
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Picture of non-freestanding torches Antique Liturgical Torches in Procession
