| For many, the headline in The Daily Mail over the weekend was very puzzling. It read, "the royal beekeeper has informed the Queen's bees that the Queen has died." The tradition is an old one, according to folklore historians. "Telling the bees" is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially grave consequences if not followed. Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of "Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts," says, “It’s a very old and well-established tradition, but not something that’s very well-known.”
The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of major life events in the family, especially births and deaths. The practice is that beekeepers knock on each hive, deliver the news and then possibly cover the hive with black cloth during a mourning period. John Chapple, the beekeeper at Buckingham Palace, declined to comment. The Daily Mail reported that he had placed black ribbons tied into bows on the hives before telling them in hushed tones that the queen had died and that they would have a new master. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various misfortunes, including their death or departure, or a failure to make honey. Today, it is generally done "as a mark of respect.” |
