A Babylon Candle is a magical artifact used to teleport a person from one location to another.
Use[]
In the book one must light the candle, thinking of where they wish to go. The user crosses leagues with each step, bringing them to their destination far quicker than if they were to travel on foot normally.
In the film one must light the candle, likewise thinking of where they wish to go. However unlike th book, they are transported to their desired location in a flash of light.
History[]
In the book, the candle is given to Tristan in Faerie by "the small hairy person" and is used first for him to get to the star's crater, over the mountains. Later, Tristan and Yvaine use the candle to escape the clutches of the Witch Queen. Tristan used his own hand as the wick, resulting in a scar.
In the film, Tristan is given the candle in a letter from his mother. He uses it to travel from his attic to meet her, however he is taken to the crater instead when Victoria and the star take over his thoughts. He later uses the candle to escape from the Witch Queen with Yvaine. However, having told Yvaine to think of home, she thinks of hers while he thinks of his and the two are left stranded on a cloud, stuck half-way between their homes. At the end of the film, Tristan and Yvaine are gifted a new candle at their coronation and they use it at the end of their eighty-year reign to return to the stars.
Rhyme[]
The Babylon candle appears to have been inspired by the nursery rhyme How Many Miles To Babylon?, which runs as follows:
How many miles to Babylon?
Four score miles and ten.
Can I get there by candlelight?
There and back again.
Yes, if your heels are nimble and light,
You can get there by candlelight.
Tristran recites this rhyme to the small hairy person, who laughs and says that there are those as would pay quite a bit for that. He also reveals that in the other world they sing it to babes in their cradles.