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| Bee Goddesses, 7th Century BCE (Public Domain) |
Once upon a time, bees were revered and protected.
Minoan and Delphic priestesses were referred to as “Bees.” The honeycomb was looked to for inspiration. Greek mythology speaks of a nymph named Melissa (“Honey Bee”) who fed Baby Zeus (“King of the Olympian Gods”) honey instead of milk.
Wikipedia tells us that domed “beehive tombs” were quite popular within certain ancient cultures of the Mediterranean and West Asia. Beehive-shaped
houses “are some of the oldest known structures in
Ireland and Scotland.”
Bees are no longer held in such high esteem. Many are now fast
disappearing, due to mankind’s disregard for their overall welfare.
Brad Plumer of Vox
explains that some wild bee species have “undergone big range declines, and some species have gone globally extinct.” This means that “we’re becoming more and more dependent upon a smaller number of bee species” for pollination of our crops.
These population declines have been linked with the following: an
international trading of honeybees, thus contributing to the spread of “parasites and pathogens.” Imported pollen (nourishment for these bees) also contributes to the spread of bee killers.
Couple this with the wide use of pesticides, then add the mass conversion of wildflower fields to farmlands, and the result might be an extinction of Melissa’s many marvels.
Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_%28mythology%29
http://www.vox.com/2015/3/9/8174949/bee-decline-parasites-pesticides-flowers
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