A Swedish torch (also Swedish candle, Finn candle, Swedish fire, Siberian tree torch or Russian tree torch; ) is a source of heat and light from a vertically set tree trunk, incised and burning in the middle. It became known in Europe during the 1600s and is now used by forest workers, and for leisure activities (especially in southern Germany). Due to its flat surface and good embers, it can also be used for cooking. Compared to a campfire, it is more compact, and therefore several small heat sources can be distributed over an area. Oral tradition attributes the development of the torch to the Swedish military during the Thirty Years' War; using a saw or hacksaw or an axe, the Swedes are said to have made burning and glowing logs to warm their soldiers. This method of providing heat meant that their troops did not have to carry their own firewood with them but were able to get supplies on site, as the freshly cut, green wood can burn due to the chimney effect. Manufacture and use A delimbed trunk, of a diameter of and a length of is required to make the torch. The wood should not be too dry, otherwise it would burn too quickly. The best types of wood for light and heat are resinous softwoods: spruce, fir and pine. The best types for cooking are hardwoods like beech, oak, apple, ash or cherry, as they are less sooty and would not taint the meat. A chainsaw is used to cut the trunk with two vertical cuts perpendicular to each other downwards while the trunk is standing. The cuts stop from the base so that the torch does not break apart. Normally, the trunk is divided into quarters by two cuts, or, in the case of larger trunks, in sixths (like a six-pointed asterisk) or eighths. The cuts aid in air circulation, which helps the log burn. As the log burns, embers and coals fall from the top and into the cut slots. This ignites the log from within and keeps the fire going. The log is easiest to ignite with paraffin (or lighter fluid), which is inserted into the side slots and also at the top at the saw cut point of the trunk. Rags soaked in oil are also suitable. Lumberjacks pour a little bit of their chainsaw fuel into the center of the