The Sacred Bee in Ancient Times and Folklore (Dover Books on Anthropology and Folklore) [Paperback]

Hilda M. Ransome (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dover Books on Anthropology and Folklore | Publication Date: April 9, 2004

Chapters cover the folklore of bees and bee culture — from Egyptian, Babylonian, and other ancient sources to practices in modern Europe. Rare illustrations of bees, hives, and beekeepers as they appear in paintings and sculpture; on coins, jewelry, and Mayan glyphs; and carved into African tree trunks.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (April 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 048643494X
• ISBN-13: 978-0486434940
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #510,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars what a great tool!, July 15, 2006

By 

Mar A. Konitopoulou "Eleni Kakampoura" (Athens, Greece) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sacred Bee in Ancient Times and Folklore (Dover Books on Anthropology and Folklore) (Paperback)

this book has been of utmost help to me, since I've been working on my degree essay, which concerns the symbol of the bee in the poetry of Pindar, Theocritus and Callimachus.
The information in this book is very very wide as far as time and peoples are concerned.
the perfect tool for a philologist or an anthropologist (even an archaeologist) who is doing research in the relative field.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love ancient lore?, August 16, 2008

By 

Elizabeth L. Seaton Frankfort "avid yard reader" (Montclair, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Sacred Bee in Ancient Times and Folklore (Dover Books on Anthropology and Folklore) (Paperback)

This book is chock-full of ancient lore and symbolism, situating the honeybee near or within a wide range of human societies, from the deepest to the recent past. Maybe we are 'co-evolved' -- who knows? First published in 1937, the author already seems to be suggesting the idea that human observation of the bee may have provided early models for complex, layered societies, with specialized occupations and professions. Honey was evidently used in the deep past for medicines and the first known intoxicants, wax for preservation, magic, and metallurgy, and bees have been mentioned in the earliest literature that has survived. Surprisingly early on, beekeeping was a well-established industry. Perhaps the honeybee, like many other symbolically charged animals, is one of the principal "metaphors we live by". Loved this book ...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History of beekeeping around the world, July 4, 2009

By 

Beekeeper "Beekeeper" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sacred Bee in Ancient Times and Folklore (Dover Books on Anthropology and Folklore) (Paperback)

Looking for more information about honeybees? This paperback book takes a look at the age long history of honey bees and people. I found this book very interesting and informative.