Butter lamps are structurally very similar to standard oil lamps; however, while oil lamps are used to light homes, butter lamps are generally not for personal use.  Instead, butter lamps are used in religious settings, allowing butter to be burned as an offering. As such, butter lamps are more likely to be kept in an imposing building. They consist of a sea of melted oil around a fibrous, plant-based wick, and the top of that wick holds the lamp's flame. In the riddle, a castle holds a lake; this lake is the tray of butter used to fuel the lamp. The saffron wood king is the lamp's wick, on top of which a golden fire burns, which the riddle represents with a high lama.