Bees + Literature

[3pianists]

"We are getting near," said Gandalf. "We are on the edge of his bee-pastures." --JRR Tolkein, The Hobbit

As part of my 4-H project this year, I'm looking for references to beekeeping in literature. I'd like to compile as large a list as I can, and then examine it for trends that could give clues to how bees are perceived. Given that, I'm not so much interested in works on beekeeping as such, but fictional references such as the one above, poetry, mythology, and non-fiction works that use beekeeping as a metaphor are fair game. I'll be sharing my conclusions on my blog and website.

This is a pretty broad field, so I need your help! Is there a reference to bees in your favorite book, or a book you've read recently? Please post information about the book and anything you can remember about the reference so that I can find it.

Thanks so much!
Sarah

[TimnEsther]

Langstroth's book "The Hive and the Honeybee" has quotes like you are looking for at the beginning of each chapter.

[Mbeck]

" I keep the bees and the bees keep me" Friar Tuck

" What is not good for the swarm is not good for the bee" Marcus Aurelius

“The men of experiment are like the ant; they only collect and use. But the bee . . . gathers its materials from the flowers of the garden and of the field, but transforms and digests it by a power of its own" Leonardo da Vinci

Also Mark Twain wrote an essay titled " The Bee"

[indypartridge]

Gene Stratton-Porter's "The Keeper of the Bees" is a nice fictional read. "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd is also good.

And you've probably got a Bible lying around. There are scores of references to land "flowing with milk and honey". Samson told a riddle about bees in Judges chapter 14. Honey was considered one of the best products of the land in Gen 43:11. When the Israelites were fed Manna by God, it tasted like honey - Exodus 16:31.

"See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey" 1 Sam 14:29

"Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste." Prov 24:13

"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb , sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." Prov 16:24

"I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey." Song of Solomon 5:1 (How's that for a double entendre!)

John the Baptist lived on a diet of locusts and honey - Matt 3:4

And lastly, what did Jesus eat after his resurrection? "And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb." Luke 24:42

[Gibbus]

'Bees in America' by Tammy Horn has a lot of examples of bee metephors, symbolism, similes, and imagery throughout American history, from the origins of European, Greek, and Asian myths (bees make honey fr/ lion's head) to present pop culture and phrases ('Buzzed', 'Bees' Knees', 'Birds and the Bees' etc.)
And dont forget the concept of 'hive mentality'...
And my personal soapbox, bees in American music ("I'm a King Bee", "Buzz,buzz,buzz", "Honey Bee",)

Liked your website (LOVED your copyright enforcement and e-mail) and good luck to you. My son is doing beekeeping again this year (more of the hive products/business angle) -- hope we see you in Columbus

[summer1052]

Bartleby dot com is a great resource for what you are seeking. Good luck!

Summer

[3pianists]

Thanks for the replies--this is super helpful!!

Gibbus, good luck to your son as well. Let me know if he qualifies, and we should totally meet at the state fair!

Summer, this is a goldmine. Thanks so much!

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