Did you know that bees have been around for over 100 million years? Or that the Brehon Laws included judgments about the rightful ownership of swarms? And why Irish beekeepers plant bluebells around their hives?
From the perfection of their hexagonal honeycombs to their ordered matriarchal society, bees have been revered for thousands of years.
In this beautifully illustrated book, beekeeper’s daughter and student of folklore Eimear Chaomhánach weaves folktales about bees with memories of growing up in a beekeeping household, collecting swarms with her father and learning how to harvest honey.
With legends about Aristotle and Irish saints and accounts of customs such as ‘telling the bees’, this is a fascinating look at the beliefs and traditions about bees and beekeeping.
Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter One: The Work of the Honeybee
Chapter Two: The Arrival of the Honeybee into Ireland
Chapter Three: The Divinity of the Honeybee
Chapter Four: Saint Gobnait, Patroness of the Bees
Chapter Five: A Homage to Honey
Chapter Six: Beeswax and Honeycomb
Chapter Seven: Aristotle and the Bees
Chapter Eight: Telling the Bees
Chapter Nine: Ringing a Swarm
Chapter Ten: Bees as Omens of Luck and Misfortune
Epilogue
Bibliography
About the Author :
Eimear Chaomhánach grew up in a beekeeping household in Dublin. As an undergraduate and postgraduate of Irish Folklore in UCD, she spent many years researching the lore of bees and beekeeping in Irish and international folk traditions. This work is the culmination of academic and field research, alongside very personal experiences as a beekeeper's daughter, shadowing her father's beekeeping practice for more than forty years. Eimear has worked in the arts and heritage sectors in Ireland for more than twenty years and is currently a director on the board of The Stinging Fly literary magazine.
Review :
Eimear Chaomhánach's beautifully presented and illustrated book, shares a gentle pride in her father's lifelong care of these essential creatures, delving into beekeeping etiquette and the folklore that surrounds the matriarchal communities which work tirelessly in an elegant illustration of self-sufficiency. It's the perfect read as we wait for winter's cold fingers to loosen their grip and allow spring to arrive
I recommend it highly…for beekeepers in your life ... nature lovers. Get this book, give it as a Christmas gift, it will be loved all around! ... It’s absolutely beautiful, you’ll love it!
This delightful and unusual book about bees is the perfect Christmas gift for a beekeeper or a buddy interested in all things bees. The emphasis on Irish folklore is especially welcome, as many of us will have heard similar stories over the years, and it is interesting to discover the variations and local references. In an easy, almost conversational manner, Eimear Chaomhànach, a scholarly folklorist, includes folk tales from many parts of the world and from ancient history, as well as Irish folklore. A strong autobiographical narrative runs through the book, so it is very far from being the typical collection of folk tales. Eimear is the daughter of a highly experienced beekeeper who took her to the bees as a young child. She learned from him both how to handle and how to appreciate and understand the bees, so her comments about some very tall folk tales are particularly apt. She writes as one who admires bees as remarkable social insects, and is intrigued by the long-standing relationship with humans. It is clear throughout that she also admires her father, who is probably the inspiration for writing the book. She tells affectionately of times when she has been with him to tend his colonies, and often repeats his words describing honey as “liquid gold”. The book is a wonderful corrective to the commercial world of honey production and this term, suggesting honey is an almost holy natural resource, is worth retaining when speaking to our beginners … I strongly recommend this beautifully illustrated and produced book
