Busy Bee

This week, I have been researching for my new Studio Project which focusses on the Bee Goddess and is further investigation into my on-going theme of Goddesses.     I chose to investigate the Bee Goddess, because I wanted to learn more about making art using melted beeswax.  Worker Bees make wax and honey, so researching the Bee Goddess brings together my chosen process and my theme.   It also links my studio practice and research. 

Whilst I was researching online, I found this image of a gold plaque.  It’s an ancient piece of jewellery, which is embossed with an example of a Bee Goddess.  It was discovered in Rhodes in 1860, created in the 7th Century BC and is currently in the British Museum in London. The gold plaque is believed to have been worn at the top of a garment, probably strung across the shoulders.   I also discovered that there are many myths and legends about Bees.  They have been associated with life, death, secrets, magic, civilisation, organisation, virginity, hard work, health and romance.  They have also been associated with matriarchal society, because each hive has its own ‘Queen Bee’ but no ‘King Bee’.  All the bees in the hive work together, to serve and protect their Queen.  At the end of the year, all the bees die off apart from the Queen who hibernates over winter and then gives birth to a new family of bees (her new colony).  So the Queen Bee is the future of the hive; she is bigger, stronger and clearly, very fertile.  It is easy to see why she was chosen to represent a Goddess as strength, fertility and the ability to survive in harsh conditions, was essential for the survival of the palaeolithic people.     

Mythology tells us there were three Bee Goddesses in ancient Greece, who were called the ‘Melissae.’ They were considered to represent triple aspects of one great Goddess or ‘Mother Bee’.  (An early example of a holy trinity, a concept later adopted by the Christian Church). The priestesses of the Bee Goddess within this culture, were known as ‘the Melissae’ or simply ‘the bees.’ They are believed to have been virginal priestesses who drank ‘toxic honey’, made from psychedelic plants which enabled them to see visions.  The priestesses lived and worked together, assisted by the ‘drones’ who were transgender priests.   If you’d like to know more about this fascinating subject check out ‘The Sacred Bee’ by Hilda Ransome.  

#Melissae #Jewellry #AncientGreece #Bee #Melissa #BeeGoddess #paleolithic