Source: gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov
Many cultures around the world recognize the significance of honey bees. This is reflected in the widespread use of bees as important symbols. There are many interpretations of what the bee represents and a wide variety of people who use or have used bees as their symbols. ...
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Many cultures around the world recognize the significance of honey bees. This is reflected in the widespread use of bees as important symbols. There are many interpretations of what the bee represents and a wide variety of people who use or have used bees as their symbols. Here are just a few fun facts:
These famous humans used bees as their personal symbols:
Egyptian pharaohs in Lower Egypt used bees as the royal symbol from 3000 to 350 BC.
The Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte used the bee as a symbol of immortality and resurrection. Napoleon's red cape is famous for its bee print. Some say the fleur-de-lis was actually a bee.
Pope Urban III in 1626 (Rome)
St. Ambrose is the patron saint of beekeepers.
Virgil, the Roman poet was a beekeeper.
Many tribes in Africa use the bee as their totem.
It is rumored that Alexander the Great was buried in honey. Burying the dead (especially nobility) in or with honey was common practice in Egypt, Assyria, and other regions. Honey was also used to embalm the dead.
Many famous poets and writers such as Virgil, Sophocles, and Plato were associated with the bee. A common story was that infants whose lips were touched by bees would become great speakers, poets, storytellers, and philosophers. Thus, bees were often called 'birds of the muses'.
Bees also represent Gods and Deities:
Artemis, the Ephesian Mother goddess.
Vishnu, the Indian god known as the preserver, is depicted as a blue bee resting on a lotus flower.
Krishna, an Indian god is often depicted with a blue bee on his forehead.
Kama, the Indian god of love has a bow string made of bees.
Re, the Egyptian sun god created bees and humans from his tears.
Pan, the Greek god of Nature was a beekeeper and protector of bees.
Austeja, is a Lithuanian bee goddess.
Bubilas, is a Lithuanian bee god representing the drones.
Mellonia or Mellona was the Roman goddess of bees.
In Russia, the bee god Zosim was the protector of beekeeping.
http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/beeclass/facts.html "
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