The Sacred Bee in Ancient Times and Folklore

by Hilda M. Ransome

No creature has provided man with so much wholesome food as the honey bee. Equally impressive is the number of beliefs and superstitions the industrious insect has inspired. Its honey, which was known to the ancient Greeks as the “food of the Gods,” played an important role in early religious rites and was also mentioned in the folklore of many peoples. Hilda Ransome's well-documented and copiously illustrated study of bees focuses on this valuable byproduct of nature and its creator — the "sacred" bee.
Chapters cover the folklore of bees and bee culture — from Egyptian, Babylonian, Chinese, Hittite, and other ancient sources as well as practices in modern England, France, and Central Europe. Thirty-five plates of rare black-and-white illustrations depict bees, hives, and beekeepers as they appear in ancient paintings and sculpture, on coins, jewelry, and Mayan glyphs; and carved into African tree trunks. Folk stories from Finland and the bee in America are also described.
Hailed by The New York Times as possessing an "oddity, beauty, and broad scholarly interest," this unusual book will attract a wide audience — nature lovers and folklore enthusiasts included.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Folklore, Nature, Animals, Religion, Mythology

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1937

Reviews

[Karen]

This is a Dover reprint of a 1937 book. It is full of fascinating information about bees and bee-keeping around the world, and as a sacred animal. There is a lot of marvelous folklore and old illusstrations covering ancient to modern times. Bees are and have been sacred to people for generations. This is a delightful introduction with a scholarly bent to it.

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off well enough, but got old pretty fast. Be clear that there's no pop-sci/pop-history about it. It's best suited for people who are doing related academic studies, meaning much too comprehensive for the casually curious.

[Scot · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet little treasure!

Yes of course I mean bees and honey, but also this book written in the 1930's, and which in many ways it still holds up today.

"The Sacred Bee," follows the folklore, mythology, history, and culture of bees, beekeeping, and honey through a variety of cultures around the world, with a heavy emphasis on Europe and the British Isles, as the author is British.

Bees and beekeeping have been an integral part of most cultures around the world from Africa to Central America to Europe, India and Australia. Honey was sacred, connected to Gods and Christianity, used to make the original intoxicants (mead) and sustained many people. Beekeeping went from wild collection in caves and trees to primitive hives to much more ornate styles.

There are some areas lacking because of the time of writing, the understanding of certain cultures and religions, and again a slightly Eurocentric view of the author. Setting that aside, this is a fascinating read for anyone that loves bees or honey, enjoys cultural anthropology, or folklore.

[Darik Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most thorough historical study that I know of concerning the honeybee. It is replete with great insight and details about how the honeybee has played such an integral role in spirituality and practicality. Excellent book!

[Sarah Pangloss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book on the holy bees, just filled with juicy morsels about the sacred little creature! The only problem is that the book needs updated!

[Jen H]

dry but interesting for the history!

[Samantha Gramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dry in parts, but a well done book. With fun stories

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book written in 1939. It is a very thorough history of bees. Apparently, bees are revered in every culture and Hide Random proves it. It is an academic read but shows all the customs in each culture. Some similar, some different but bees are divine, bring luck and misfortune. The term honeymoon is a good year or to swwet. The Egg tions used bees in mummies, mead is honey,nuts and wine. Bees are with us from the beginning providing nourishment with danger. God made bees and the devil made wasps. Bees provide wax for candles and shows a person value. When a babe master dies, the next hive master has to be picked at random not chosen, the fees will choose. Bees spur trade and mead is unifying feature. I learned a lot. Bees are divine.

[Molly Sponsler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This lady has some very weird takes on religion...I was foolishly reading along about how all religions come back to bees, until I got to the chapter on how the Hebrews built Judaism from a base of other bee-based religions, simply because the bible mentions honey occasionally. At that point, it dawned on my darkened mind that perhaps all those other bee-based religions were perhaps being misinterpreted as well.

That said, I really got it to read the folklore sections, which contained some interesting stories and customs. And to be fair, the "ancient times" section was also very entertaining.

[Igal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very thorough examination of how the honey figures in human culture all around the word. The author seems to be a consummate researcher and goes about her science with detailed documentation and supporting evidence. It was written in the early 20th century; some of the knowledge and conclusions may be outdated, but my hunch is that much of the work on ancient times still stands.

[Bri Lamb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Has some interesting tidbits but it dragged on and on. Read like an academic thesis. Also you can tell it is quite outdated (didn't realize the original publication was 1937 when I picked this up at a book sale).

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting examination of world history though the lens of humans interaction with bees, if a bit dry.

[Laura]

Very thorough, sometimes to the point of repetition. But interesting.

[Monika · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book contains a lot of interesting stories and facts. But it’s told in a way that makes it so boring, and slow.

[Dorothy S · Rating 1 out of 5]

A dry and tedious read with few nuggets of interest buried within.

[Violet Z Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really informative and full of information I have never heard before.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes old books has gems and sometimes old books are trapped within constructs. This one was a mix.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

🐝 I mean, fun, but at the end of the day you're just reading about bees and wondering what has happened to you. A very, very good clacissism time, don't get me wrong.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!
This book was a really interesting read... deep glimpses and explorations into the world of apiary folklore and history... everything from apiary logistics to magic. However, if you are not into academic reading, you will likely find it a bit dry and slow to read. To best describe what that means: the writing style seems to come from an impassioned apiarist writing from an academic perspective, rather than a scholarly dissertation on melittology... so it will still be accessible to most. But it truly is a fascinating read, as it explores the folk and historical world of the honey bee, one culture at a time.