A Dip In the Honeypot
Honey. A potent word with powerful associations. It is golden ambrosia, a god's sustenance. It is hydromel, honey wine, foamy mead, Beowulf's cheer. It brings to mind fields of summer flowers, lazy picnics, a child's sticky fingers. Honey and lemon, a soothing comfort; honey cakes, a satisfying treat. It is the sun-kissed glow of a woman's skin and the sweet endearment for a familiar love.
Man's relationship with honey goes back to pre-history. We know that bees have been producing honey for at least 150 million years, and the practice of beekeeping dates back to the early Egyptians - as far back as 2400 BC. References to honey can be found in Sumerian and Babylonian cuneiform writing, in the Hittite code, in the sacred texts of India and in ancient hieroglyphs. The Bible mentions the words honey or honeycomb over 40 times.
Of all food products, honey has the greatest mythological significance. It is mentioned in Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythology as food and gifts for both kings and gods. Honey was also used as an embalming fluid for Egyptian burials. Honey bees were considered to have special powers - a bee was the symbol for the goddess Artemis and was used to signify royalty throughout much of history. Its healing and magical properties are legendary and it was often used as medicine and in sacred rites.
Having survived ancient civilizations to thrive in modern metropolises, honey continues to intrigue and capture new generations with both its physical and metaphysical benefits. When you next pick up a spoonful of this spun sugary light that has existed since the dawn of man, think of Winnie the Pooh who declared, "Although Eating Honey is a very good thing to do, there is a moment just before you begin to eat it which is better than when you are."
Man's relationship with honey goes back to pre-history. We know that bees have been producing honey for at least 150 million years, and the practice of beekeeping dates back to the early Egyptians - as far back as 2400 BC. References to honey can be found in Sumerian and Babylonian cuneiform writing, in the Hittite code, in the sacred texts of India and in ancient hieroglyphs. The Bible mentions the words honey or honeycomb over 40 times.
Of all food products, honey has the greatest mythological significance. It is mentioned in Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythology as food and gifts for both kings and gods. Honey was also used as an embalming fluid for Egyptian burials. Honey bees were considered to have special powers - a bee was the symbol for the goddess Artemis and was used to signify royalty throughout much of history. Its healing and magical properties are legendary and it was often used as medicine and in sacred rites.
Having survived ancient civilizations to thrive in modern metropolises, honey continues to intrigue and capture new generations with both its physical and metaphysical benefits. When you next pick up a spoonful of this spun sugary light that has existed since the dawn of man, think of Winnie the Pooh who declared, "Although Eating Honey is a very good thing to do, there is a moment just before you begin to eat it which is better than when you are."
posted by Flora at 9:55 PM
<< Home