The Bumblebee. https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kCWrQsrYFj4mrZmS6RdAwS.jpg
During one of my sessions researching material for this website, I was scrolling through Sidney Oldall Addy’s indispensable ‘Household Tales and Other traditional Remains’, when I stumbled upon a collection of folkloric beliefs about bees, with reference to a number of such beliefs in ‘old’ Derbyshire. Further research led me to discover a wealth of folklore about these humble insects, common to the UK. Enjoy, then, this short article on the Folklore of Bees, in the UK and Derbyshire.
A little about bees
There are around 270 species of bee in the UK today. These are generally split into three categories: Bumblebees, of which there are 24 species; Solitary bees, over 240 species and the Honeybee, of which there is only one species. The honeybee is the only one who lives in the kind of large hives that we are used to seeing. It is actually rare to find any large colonies in the wild as most live in ‘commercial’ colonies. Honeybees are essential for pollination and honey production. Contrary to popular belief, Bumblebees do not die when they sting, but they are such placid creatures that you would have to really annoy them to cause them to sting.
General beliefs about bees
In folklore, bees are seen, almost exclusively, as a good thing and were held in high regard. During the Elizabethan and Stuart eras, bees were considered to be both mysterious, intelligent and holy, and the hive was lauded as a model for the perfect society; though this was before they realised the ‘King Bee’ was actually a Queen. In early beliefs; probably from Celtic roots, bees were thought to be messengers between the realms of the living and the dead. Some believed that a person’s soul could leave the body during sleep, taking the form of a bee as it did so.
Throughout British folklore, it was considered that bees were to be highly respected and could easily be offended, potentially even bringing bad luck to those who treated them badly. It was widely considered that a bee buzzing around your window or coming inside was a sign of an imminent visitor. In some places, the appearance of a Bumblebee indoors was to be feared, as the householders would have to be extremely careful to ensure that no harm came to the bee, whilst it was in the house, less ill luck followed. A bee landing on one’s head was an omen that you would be coming into money or, even, that you would become a great person! As very sensitive creatures, bees were said to not thrive in quarrelsome households and were particularly averse to bad language.
Swarms of bees were treated somewhat differently, though, mainly dependent upon where they chose to settle. If a swarm of bees were spotted, then local people would take careful note of where they settled. Beliefs regarding this were diverse and sometimes contradictory. In Dorset, a swarm settling upon a roof was a sign that the owner would soon die, whereas, in Wales, it was a lucky sign. In Sussex such an event portended the immanent marriage of a daughter in the house. However, all accounts agree that a swarm settling on a dead tree or rotten wood was a sure sign of impending death.
It was considered to be an extremely bad omen to sell a swarm/hive of bees. Colonies of bees may be bartered for, freely given, borrowed or even stolen! If you were foolish enough to buy a colony of bees then gold would be the only currency to use - perhaps as a reflection of the colour of honey?
Bees, death and funerals
An important part of ‘bee lore’ regarded what to do when the owner of a hive died. It was custom, in many areas, to inform the bees of any important changes of circumstance in the beekeeper’s household. To not do so could cause the bees to leave or even die. Most important though would be to tell the bees if their human keeper died.
Folklorist Sidney Oldall Addy (see above), recounts the Derbyshire traditions, associated with the death of a bee-keeper:
“When a bee-master dies, tins containing funeral biscuits soaked in wine are put in front of the hives, so that the bees may partake of their master's funeral feast. Two kinds of funeral cakes are used, namely, biscuits and “burying cakes” the latter only being given to the poor. The bees always have the biscuits and not the “burying cakes.” At Eyam, in Derbyshire,a portion of the “burnt drink” and of the three-cornered cakes used at funerals is given to the bees of the deceased bee-keeper. Sometimes pieces of black crape are pinned upon the hives … These customs are rarely or never practised now, but they are remembered by old people.”
He describes ‘burnt drink’ as follows:
“It was a dark-looking liquid, with a strongly aromatic smell and consisted of ale spiced with cloves, nutmeg, ginger and mace. It was drunk out of a large tankard, which was handed round to the mourners at the door of the house …”
This custom, particularly the passing round of the ‘burnt drink’ has strong echoes of the Norse ‘Wassailing’ traditions. Considering the strong Norse ancestry in the Peak District and the Vikings’ legendary love of the honey-based alcoholic drink, mead, it is hardly surprising!
A little about bees
There are around 270 species of bee in the UK today. These are generally split into three categories: Bumblebees, of which there are 24 species; Solitary bees, over 240 species and the Honeybee, of which there is only one species. The honeybee is the only one who lives in the kind of large hives that we are used to seeing. It is actually rare to find any large colonies in the wild as most live in ‘commercial’ colonies. Honeybees are essential for pollination and honey production. Contrary to popular belief, Bumblebees do not die when they sting, but they are such placid creatures that you would have to really annoy them to cause them to sting.
General beliefs about bees
In folklore, bees are seen, almost exclusively, as a good thing and were held in high regard. During the Elizabethan and Stuart eras, bees were considered to be both mysterious, intelligent and holy, and the hive was lauded as a model for the perfect society; though this was before they realised the ‘King Bee’ was actually a Queen. In early beliefs; probably from Celtic roots, bees were thought to be messengers between the realms of the living and the dead. Some believed that a person’s soul could leave the body during sleep, taking the form of a bee as it did so.
Throughout British folklore, it was considered that bees were to be highly respected and could easily be offended, potentially even bringing bad luck to those who treated them badly. It was widely considered that a bee buzzing around your window or coming inside was a sign of an imminent visitor. In some places, the appearance of a Bumblebee indoors was to be feared, as the householders would have to be extremely careful to ensure that no harm came to the bee, whilst it was in the house, less ill luck followed. A bee landing on one’s head was an omen that you would be coming into money or, even, that you would become a great person! As very sensitive creatures, bees were said to not thrive in quarrelsome households and were particularly averse to bad language.
Swarms of bees were treated somewhat differently, though, mainly dependent upon where they chose to settle. If a swarm of bees were spotted, then local people would take careful note of where they settled. Beliefs regarding this were diverse and sometimes contradictory. In Dorset, a swarm settling upon a roof was a sign that the owner would soon die, whereas, in Wales, it was a lucky sign. In Sussex such an event portended the immanent marriage of a daughter in the house. However, all accounts agree that a swarm settling on a dead tree or rotten wood was a sure sign of impending death.
It was considered to be an extremely bad omen to sell a swarm/hive of bees. Colonies of bees may be bartered for, freely given, borrowed or even stolen! If you were foolish enough to buy a colony of bees then gold would be the only currency to use - perhaps as a reflection of the colour of honey?
Bees, death and funerals
An important part of ‘bee lore’ regarded what to do when the owner of a hive died. It was custom, in many areas, to inform the bees of any important changes of circumstance in the beekeeper’s household. To not do so could cause the bees to leave or even die. Most important though would be to tell the bees if their human keeper died.
Folklorist Sidney Oldall Addy (see above), recounts the Derbyshire traditions, associated with the death of a bee-keeper:
“When a bee-master dies, tins containing funeral biscuits soaked in wine are put in front of the hives, so that the bees may partake of their master's funeral feast. Two kinds of funeral cakes are used, namely, biscuits and “burying cakes” the latter only being given to the poor. The bees always have the biscuits and not the “burying cakes.” At Eyam, in Derbyshire,a portion of the “burnt drink” and of the three-cornered cakes used at funerals is given to the bees of the deceased bee-keeper. Sometimes pieces of black crape are pinned upon the hives … These customs are rarely or never practised now, but they are remembered by old people.”
He describes ‘burnt drink’ as follows:
“It was a dark-looking liquid, with a strongly aromatic smell and consisted of ale spiced with cloves, nutmeg, ginger and mace. It was drunk out of a large tankard, which was handed round to the mourners at the door of the house …”
This custom, particularly the passing round of the ‘burnt drink’ has strong echoes of the Norse ‘Wassailing’ traditions. Considering the strong Norse ancestry in the Peak District and the Vikings’ legendary love of the honey-based alcoholic drink, mead, it is hardly surprising!
'Telling the Bees' 1879. https://burialsandbeyond.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/telling-the-bees_u-l-oreqf0.jpg