The original candles were made of beeswax and ant wax, so they were called "candles". Later, when the amount of beeswax was not enough for lighting, some people made candles from cattle and sheep: cut bamboo into brands, wrap the brands with rushes, then soak them in melted animal oil, take them out covered with oil, soak them again after coagulation, and repeat them many times before they condense into candles. Something seems to have been added to prevent it from melting, but I don't know.
It is a modern thing to make candles with paraffin wax (a by-product of petroleum refining).