Humans have interacted with bees for many thousands of years. The very first cave painting of a man collecting honey from wild bees (‘Man of Bicorp’), which was found in the ‘Spider Cave’ in Spain, is 8,000 years old. Not surprisingly, as a result of this long interaction, people in different countries and historical periods have used different symbols of the bee to explain its origin and importance in human life.
The diversity of bee symbols
The bee is an incredibly versatile symbol. It represents wisdom, fertility, industriousness, frugality, order, purity and chastity. In many traditions, the bee is a symbol of the sky and the stars, taking part in the creation of the world and acting on the side of God against the evil spirit.
On the other hand, bees and honey are closely associated with the afterlife, the cult of the dead and funeral rituals. At the same time, bees depicted on tombs signified immortality and resurrection, perhaps because the hibernation of bees was interpreted as their temporary death. In Greek, Aryan, Middle Eastern and Islamic traditions, bees were allegories of the soul.
A swarm of bees represents the earth, the soul of the earth, protection and motherhood, diligence and thrift. The beehive also has a number of positive symbolic meanings: orderly society, wisdom, eloquence. The bee and honey are universal symbols of the poetic word and poetry itself. In the ancient Greek and Roman tradition, poets often compared themselves to bees.
The symbol of the bee in ancient Greece
The Greeks saw in the symbol of the bee diligence, prosperity, purity, immortality. The bee theme determines many features of the structure and organisation of ancient sanctuaries (for example, the temple of Artemis in Ephesus). Artemis herself was seen as the image of the sacred bee, Demeter was called ‘pure Mother Bee’, the Great Mother was called ‘Queen of Bees’. In the honey-rich Epidamnos, the nymph Melissa, the ancestor of the bees, was especially honoured.
Bees were considered the guardians of eloquence and singing, the ‘birds of the Muses’. Zeus of Crete was Zeus was hidden in a cave and guarded by bees who fed him honey. In Greece, the shape of a beehive was often used for burials; it was thought to be associated with the immortality motif. It was also believed that the souls of the dead could move into bees.
The Pythian prophetess was called the ‘Delphic Bee’, the bees being credited with the ability to foretell. According to the Delphic tradition, they erected a second temple at Delphi.
The symbol of the bee in ancient Egypt
The Egyptians had the bee as an emblem of Lower Egypt. It is the giver of life, a symbol of birth, death and resurrection, harmonious life, diligence and purity. At the same time, the bee was the image of royal power, special vitality, royal wisdom, accumulated like bees collect nectar.
The symbol of the bee in ancient India
In ancient India the bee was a symbol of Indra, Vishnu, Krishna, Shiva. The blue bee on the forehead is the sign of Krishna; on the lotus – Vishnu; above the triangle – Shiva. The bowstring of Kama, the god of love, is made of bees, representing ‘sweet torment’, and a string of bees follows him forever. In the Atharvaveda, spiritual knowledge is likened to the production of honey by bees.
The symbol of the bee in Christianity
In Christianity, because of its industriousness, the bee has become a symbol of activity, diligence, hard work, order and religious eloquence. It is said of saints who were famous for their speeches, such as St Ambrosius and St John Chrysostom, that their words were as sweet as honey. St Ambrosius compared the church to a beehive and the Christian to a bee that works tirelessly and remains devoted to its hive. The beehive is thus a symbol of a cohesive religious community and signifies an orderly and godly community. The bee, which is believed to never sleep, symbolises, among Christians, zeal and vigilance. The bee flying in the air represents the soul entering the kingdom of heaven. The notion that bees live only by the fragrance of flowers has made them a symbol of purity and temperance.
The Hittite symbol of the bee
In Hittite myths, a bee saved the world from drought by finding the vanished son of the fertility god Telepinus.
The Celtic symbol of the bee
In the Celts, bees carried secret wisdom coming from the other world. In the description of the Germans, the air filled with the souls of the dead appears as the ‘bee path’.
Conclusion
Bees played an important role in the lives of our ancestors. Therefore, the symbolism of the bee found a great reflection in the world view of man. The symbolism of the bee varied in different cultures. In most cases, however, the bee was associated with various positive qualities and brought benefits to mankind.
