Bees are believed to have originated in Paradise and they are traditionally known as the “little servants of God” or “divine messengers.” The belief, in ancient times, was that they had knowledge of the future and of all secrets. It is often still felt to be very unlucky to kill one.

Country people and beekeepers take their relationship with the bees very seriously. To prosper, bees need love and harmony around them. Should the beekeeper’s family be contentious and full of anger, the bees will suffer illness and die, or they will fly away. Beekeepers in the past would communicate regularly with the bees; some visiting the bee hives each evening to tell of the day’s events. It was particularly important to inform the bees of a death in the family.

Should a beekeeper die, it was up to the eldest son or widow of the owner to convey this news to the bees and they had to do this properly and promptly. If they did not hit each of the hives with the door key while telling the bees that the master was dead, it was believed they would fly away or die.

Even how bees are obtained was subject to old customs and superstition. They should not, for instance, be bought. Any bees that were purchased would either die or fly away. So how did beekeepers acquire their bees? They might barter goods in exchange for the bees. Or they may have borrowed a stock of bees to start their own swarm with the promise of returning the bees to the rightful owner should they ever demand it.

There remains many superstitions regarding bees. If a bee lands on a person’s hand, this suggests money is on its way. If a bee lands on someone’s head, they will be successful in life. Good luck or the arrival of a stranger should be expected should a bee fly into the home. The bee of course should never be killed but can be encouraged to fly out of an open window.

A bride should inform the bees of her marriage otherwise they will leave the hive and not return. It is also customary to leave a piece of bridal or funeral cake for the bees to feed on. The familiar humming of the bees was felt to be a hymn of praise.

The Cornish would never move bees without warning them first otherwise they will sting the beekeeper. This is not all bad, however, because the bee’s sting is said to be a good cure for rheumatism!