Keeper of the Bees

Bees and Beekeeping in Irish Folklore

Inbunden, Engelska, 2024

Av Eimear Chaomhánach, Eimear Chaomhanach

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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.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2024-10-21
Mått130 x 196 x 18 mm
Vikt362 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor160
FörlagO'Brien Press Ltd
IllustratörCarkill, Jane
ISBN9781788495233

Tillhör följande kategorier

Biografier inom Biografier
Sanna berättelser inom Biografier
Traditionella hantverksyrken inom Naturvetenskap och teknik
Sociala och etiska frågor inom Samhalle och politik
Djurhållning inom Naturvetenskap och teknik

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.

List of Illustrations Acknowledgements IntroductionChapter 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 BeesChapter Eight: Telling the Bees Chapter Nine: Ringing a Swarm Chapter Ten: Bees as Omens of Luck and Misfortune Epilogue Bibliography

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