The Keeper of the Bees

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.

Auteur

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.