THE FAITH OF THE PUREST BEESWAX

At the traditional candle workshop of the Monastery of Agia Moni, Kythera, in a prominent location overlooking the Myrtoan Sea, beeswax comes alive as pure, warm candles for the sacred temples of Kythera - a symbol of faith and continuity. Here, Father Giorgis Adikimenakis, a worthy guardian of tradition, defending a vanishing craft (candle making), reminds us that bees and humans share a sacred rhythm — one of humility, patience, and reverence. To make a candle is to honour the gift of the hive, to carry its light into the world. This is more than craft; it is a prayer woven with wax and flame.

Father Giorgis's appreciation for natural beeswax is unmistakable. As he emphasises: "The difference between beeswax and paraffin is that when a paraffin candle burns, it deforms, becomes unstable and eventually falls, whereas natural beeswax melts vertically leaving the candle even".

First, we melted beeswax combs in a tank (the combs were kindly donated by local beekeepers). The melted and filtered wax mass, which serves as the raw material, was poured into a cylindrical mould, known as 'tipari'. Using a makeshift yarn spinner, Father Giorgis proudly winded cotton thread on metal frames and weaved the wicks. Then, we placed the woven frames in a makeshift dipping machine and dipped the tipari wax inside a cauldron (vat), where the wax was melted and kept liquid throughout the process. The machine rotated like a mill and repeatedly dipped the frames into the molten wax. The wax quickly solidified on the cotton threads. The frames were dipped several times, until the candles reached the desired thickness. With this manual method, Father Giorgis can make up to 1500 candles in just one hour!

According to Father Giorgis: "The beeswax of Kythera was superior and preferred over beeswax from other regions, as it was considered the purest." In fact, he retrieves from his archive a related request from Constantinople dated February 28th, 1903, for the supply of pure Kytherian wax. The notion of superior purity of Kythera's beeswax in times when nature was pristine and unpolluted almost everywhere should be interpreted not in environmental terms, but rather in terms of sacredness, spiritual aura, and religious faith. Kythera was home to thousands of beehives, from which they exported the internationally famous and sought-after Kytherian honey. Furthermore, since the wax is produced by virgin bees, the beehives were considered sacred, believed to be protected by the Virgin Mary, and the wax was destined for pilgrimages as an offering to her. The church was rebuilt following the discovery of an icon of the Virgin Mary by a shepherd in 1767 at this site, bearing the inscription "Ἡ Μόνη τῶν πάντων ἐλπίς" (The only hope of all) and is dedicated to the Mother of Jesus.

This activity has been implemented as part of the action 

TRADITIONAL BEEKEEPING IN MOVABLE-COMB HIVES (ATTICA & KYTHERA)

With financial support and under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture

The BEELOSOPHY team were provided with accommodation at The Windmill Resort and at Kythira Golden Resort and travelled in a car placed at their disposal by Panayiotis Rent a Car.

The Windmill Resort (Mitata, Kythera, T.: 2736 031029, www.thewindmillresort.com)

Kythira Golden Resort (Diakofti, Kythera, T.: 2736 033407, kythiragoldenresort.gr)

Panayiotis Rent a Car (Airport, Kythera, T.: 6973957306, panayotis-rent-a-car.gr)