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  1. Infel

    Infel Contributor Contributor

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    Benefits of Using Human Tallow to make Soap/Candles?

    Discussion in 'Research' started by Infel, Nov 2, 2018.

    Hello there, lovely forum-goers!

    I'll keep this one short and simple--I need a reasonable reason for a town to secretly be using human fat to produce soap and candles. Is there any benefit to using human fat over animal fat? Is human fat worse for making tallow than animal fat? Is there any benefit to using human fat to make soap/candles? Does it clean better, does it make soap soapier? Can I pull a "Wow, your soap is so good, what's your secret?!" "OH HO, I'LL NEVER TELL!" scenario here, or is that a no-go? Do candles made from human fat last longer or anything? Is there any real reason to prefer human fat over animal fat for this particular thing?

    I prowled Google a bit and found myths and actual evidence for people making candles and soaps out of humans in actual history, but most of it has to do with the availability of material, rather than effectiveness of material. They had human fat on hand and decided "Whelp, may as well use it for something!" But this city is going out of its way to murder-hobo people to obtain their fat. They could use animal fat if they wanted to, but instead they're using people. It's quite cult-y. Very much a cult scenario. But is it plausible? Is there any reason to go to the trouble beyond pure "Oh, we're so crazy!"? (Because that's boring.) I imagine kidnapping people to turn them into soap is a pretty risky endeavor, even in a fantasy setting.

    Did I mention this was a fantasy setting? It's a fantasy setting.

    Thanks in advance to anyone who's got some ideas!
     
  2. MusingWordsmith

    MusingWordsmith Shenanigan Master Contributor

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    You know you could come up with another reason other than 'effectiveness of materials' for them to use it? Maybe it's widely known they use it (but only from the criminal element of course) and it's a tourist thing/luxury. Or other reason.

    I know very little about candlemaking, but just an alternate line of thought for you too.
     
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  3. DK3654

    DK3654 Almost a Productive Member of Society Contributor

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    If you have magical stuff in your world, you could have some kind of weird magic thing where human fat is used to create some special material.
    You could have some weird religious thing were using human fat is seen as some kind of offering.
     
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  4. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    Just one thought, maybe two. Tallow is made from rendered animal (human) fat, hobos/homeless people are unlikely to yield much since they won't be...overnourished.

    Second thought: Fight Club

     
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  5. Infel

    Infel Contributor Contributor

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    Oh my sweet heavens, I never thought of the crazy factor of making it a 'luxury' item. That's some next level insanity there.

    "Yes, I only use soap made from the finest children. It costs quite a penny, but such is the price we pay for cleanliness!"

    I was considering the Fight Club aspect, but weren't they doing it just because the fat was easy to come by? A little cash on the side, rather than an in-demand commodity?

    Thank you guys so much for taking the time to ponder with me!
     
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  6. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    I think it was the social commentary:

     
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  7. Iain Sparrow

    Iain Sparrow Banned Contributor

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    Tallow has been used as a skin moisturizer since goodness knows when.
    Your town could have a line of skincare products, lip balm, hair conditioner, body wash, etc.

    In my WIP I've a convent of nuns that twice a month milk the goats on their island (Corsica), and brew the "pudding" with lavender and sell it as shampoo to the queen and her ladies at hefty prices. Of course, as you've probably guessed, it is male goats they've been milking.;)

    ____________ excerpt from chapter two ____________


    “Mistress Rose, for the time being these wayward ladies will remain nameless and formless to you. But what I can tell you is that they’ve awakened something in me. And that is not all they’ve awakened; as I journeyed here and there, I had an uneasy sensation that I was being shadowed.”

    “Were they Robespierre’s men? Did they mean to arrest you?”

    “That may well be in my future, but no, I think it was my comings and goings that was of interest to them. I seem to recall two men looking out of place whilst visiting an apothecary here in Paris. It was only as I departed Corsica at Saint-Florent that I —”

    “Oh! I know of ‘the Nuns of Saint-Florent.’ ” Rosemarie interrupted.

    Valerie arched a brow. “Pardon? Pray tell me, what would that be?”

    “It is said that on Corsica the goats are most”— she looked up at the ceiling, searching for the word— “prolifèrant! Gael told me a story about the convent at Saint-Florent, of which the nuns are very industrious, seeing to the good works of the Lord through diligent enterprise. Twice a month the old women of the convent venture out to a lowland plateau to milk the goats. They brew the,  pudding, as Gael referred to it, with lavender and bottle it to sell to the queen and her ladies at exorbitant prices. Do you know they wash their hair with it! It’s much sought after.”

    “Dear God! I’ll have words with Gael for allowing such crude stories to fall on tender ears. Bloody hell. As I was saying, whilst departing Saint-Florent, seeing to my voyage home and taking care that my trunk had been safely stowed, I caught a glimpse of two men standing on the wharf, the one conferring with the other. I felt their eyes had just left me, and it pricked up the hairs on my neck. I had seen them before. The one, who seemed to preside over their affairs, was broad-shouldered and barrel-chested. A wild boar of a man! But to his credit, he was impeccably turned out in a fine embroidered coat, so much so, I thought him handsome for a brute. His partner was of a more dainty build with hair immaculately coiffed like a doll’s. He had quick, wet eyes— ever alert was he, like a ferret who’s spied a clutch of robin’s eggs. These two had a vicious air about them; it held the promise of dire consequences if certain conditions weren’t met. I’ll do well to never cross paths with them again.”

    “How horrible! I’ll keep watch for them tonight,” Rosemarie said.

    “You will do nothing of the sort. Promise me you’ll attend to your duties and stay close to Gael.”
     
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  8. Infel

    Infel Contributor Contributor

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    That's absolutely amazing. I hadn't even thought of that.

    @Iain Sparrow That's so gross and I like it quite a bit. But gross!

    It sounds like the primary benefit, then, is that it's sort of a rare commodity--something worth selling to rich people for crazy prices. I think I can work with that! It might not actually be more effective than animal tallow, but then, Louis Vuitton purses don't hold your things any better than Don Qujiote purses, now do they?
     
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  9. DeeDee

    DeeDee Contributor Contributor

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    Well that's one way to make people want to exercise :supergrin:
     
  10. Cdn Writer

    Cdn Writer Contributor Contributor

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    Umm....creepy. I do think that this has overtones of some of the Nazi atrocities that occurred during WWII. I remember a character somewhere, a comic book probably who responded to a comment about his coat with, "Thanks. It's made from the skin of Jewish virgins." I could see that because I know they made lamp shades from the skin of the Jews they murdered. Harry Turtledove used it in his alternative history about the Great War. He had the American civil war take a different direction and being fought every decade or so.

    Anyways....I rather suspect that someone, somewhere has done this. If not the Nazi (my first guess) possibly one of the obscure tribes that practiced headhunting. As I recall, they boiled the bodies and ate them so there may have been a broth left over for people to throw out, wash with, feed to the animals, what have you.
     
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