When a household told its bees

Bees in household rites

Cowan records a striking household custom: people told their bees when someone in the family died. 🐝 Here’s how the rites differed by place.

Bees in household rites

A Suffolk cottager said she told each skep after her aunt died and “put them into mourning.” Cowan says he found the custom in Cornwall, Devonshire, and Yorkshire. 🖤

Bees in household rites

Mourning could be made visible: Cowan describes black cloth, cotton, or silk over hives. In Devonshire he saw black crape on a hive or on a small stick beside it. 🖤

Bees in household rites

For weddings, Cowan quotes a *Cambrian Quarterly Magazine* account of Brittany: hives at a marriage feast were dressed in scarlet cloth or another bright color. ❤️

Bees in household rites

Cowan’s accounts place mourning and wedding color side by side: bees were included in household rites in several regions, but customs varied by place. 🐝

When a household told its bees

Explorer des sujets liés