Telling the bees

[Ian]

Can someone tell me the superstision about when the beekeeper dies, someone must tell the bees. What is the story behind this?
Thanks

Ian

[mark williams]

Ian:I've got a copy of it somewhere but could'nt find it, But the story is if an old bee keeper dies,someone has to go to the bee keeper bee yard & tell the bees are they will just quit working & die.if you would I'll look& see if I can find it.

[The Honey House]

Here's one.
The procedure is that as soon as a member of the family has breathed his or her last a younger member of the household, often a child, is told to visit the hives. and rattling a chain of small keys taps on the hive and whispers three times:

Little Brownies, little brownies, your mistress is dead.
Little Brownies, little brownies, your mistress is dead.
Little Brownies, little brownies, your mistress is dead.


A piece of funeral crepe is then tied to the hive and after a period of time funeral sweets are brought to the hives for the bees to feed upon. The bees are then invariably invited to the funeral and have on a number of recorded occasions seen fit to attend.

http://www.mjt.org/exhibits/bees/bees.htm
http://www.yeoldesussexpages.co.uk/folklore/thebees.htm

Here's one with a bit of story.
http://www.theosophical.org/theosoph...eb2001/ogrady/




[This message has been edited by The Honey House (edited March 18, 2003).]