Oct. 25. 1851.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



309 



of Beverley, p. 499.), speaks thus on tlie supersti- 

 tious ])ractice of informing bees, and jjutting them 

 in mourning on the occasion of a death in the 

 family : 



" The inhabitants entertain a supcistitious belief, 

 that wlien the head of a family dies, it is necessary to 

 clothe the bees in mourninj; on the funeral day to 

 ensure the future prosjjerity of the hive." 



He then refers to an instance, and says : 

 A scarf of black crape was formally applied to each 

 bee-hive ; and an oflfering of pounded funeral biscuit, 

 soaked in wine, was placed at its entrance."' 



In a note, he accounts for tiie ceremony's origin 

 by a quotation from Porph. De Ant. JVi/mp., p. 261., 

 in which honey is spoken of as being " anciently a 

 symbol of death." For other notices of supersti- 

 tions in reference to bees, see Hone's Mijsteries, 

 pp. 220. 222. 283. R. ^Y. Elliot. 



I was lately informed by a native of Monmouth- 

 shire, that the belief relative to bees is entertained 

 in that and some of the adjacent counties even by 

 educated persons. My informant gravely assured 

 me that though the bees are aware of the approach- 

 ing event, from the acuteness of their organs of 

 smell, they require to be duly and timely commu- 

 nicated with on the subject, to induce them to re- 

 main with the survivors ; but if this be neglected, 

 they will desert their hives, and disappear. The 

 propriety or necessity of offering them any refresh- 

 ment was not stated. Yunaf. 



The custom mentioned by L. L. L. still prevails 

 in the Weald of Surrey and Sussex; probably 

 through all the southern counties ; but certainly 

 in the Isle of Wight, where the writer only the 

 other day, on noticing an empty apiary in the 

 grounds of a villa, was told tliat the country 

 people attributed its desertion to the bees not 

 having had this formal notice of their master's 

 death. 



Tiie same superstition is practised in some parts 

 of France, when a mistress of the house dies ; the 

 formula being much like our English one, i. e. to 

 tap tin-ice on the hive, rejieating these words, 

 "Petits abeilles, votre maitresse est morte." A.L). 



Bees invited to Funerals. — North Side ofChurch- 

 yard.t. — At liradfield, a jirimilive village on the 

 edge of tlie moors, in the parisii of Ecclesfield, I 

 was informed by a person of much inteUigence, 

 that a custom has oljtaincd in the district from 

 time immemorial — "for hundreds of years" was 

 the expression used — of inviting bees to funerals; 

 and that an instance could be produced of the su[)er- 

 slilion having been practised evei/wilhin the last 

 year. What is done is this. Wiien a death occurs, 

 a person is appointed to call the nciglibours to the 

 funeral, who delivers tiie invitations iu one form of 

 words: " You are inviteil to the funeral of A. U., 

 wliich is to take place at such an hour, on such a 



day; and there will be dinner on table at — 

 o'clock." And if it should happen that bees were 

 kept in the garden of the house where the corpse 

 lies (not an unlikely thing near moors), the mes- 

 senger is instructed to address the same invitation 

 to the bees in their hives; because it is considered 

 that, if this compliment be omitted, the bees will 

 die. 



I asked the sexton of Bradfield why, in a church- 

 yard that was rather crowded with graves, there 

 was no appearance of either mound or tombstone 

 on the norih side? His only answer was, "It's 

 mostly them 'at died i' t' workhus is buried at t' 

 backside o' t' church." An instance, but no ex- 

 planation of the prejudice entertained against the 

 north side of churchyards. Axfred Gatty. 



In answer to your correspondent L. L. L. re- 

 specting bee etiquette, I can inform him, from my 

 personal observation, that the ceremony of inform- 

 ing the bees of their owner's death is in full force 

 in Ashborne, Derbyshire, Hinton, Wilts, and even 

 in the highly intellectual city of Oxford. The 

 ceremony is the same in all these places. Three 

 taps are made on the hives with the house-key, 

 while the informant repeats : " Bees, bees, bees, 



your master is dead, and you must work for ," 



naming the future owner. A piece of black crape 

 is then fastened to the hive. Many bee owners 

 think it politic to inform the bees of the death of 

 a relation : but in this case they never give the 

 name, but the degree of relationship; as "your 

 master's brother, sister, aunt, &c. is dead." On 

 weddings the bees always expect to be informed 

 of the auspicious eveiit, and to have their hive 

 decorated with a wedding favour. J. G. Wood. 



Oxford. 



Asliton Faggot: a Decunshire Custom. — The 

 ashton faggot is burned on Christmas eve. The 

 faggot is composed entirely of ash timber, and 

 the separate sticks or brandies are securely bound 

 together with ash bands. Tiie faggot is made as 

 large as can convenientlv be burned in the fire- 

 place, or rather upon the floor, grates not being in 

 use. A numerous company is generally assembled 

 to spend the evening in gar.-.es and amusement, 

 the diversion being heightened as the faggot blazes 

 on the hearth, as a quart of cider is considered 

 due, and is called for, and served upon the burst- 

 ing of every hoop or band bound round the faggot. 

 The timber being green and elastic, each band 

 generally bursts open with a smart report when 

 tiie inilividual stick or hoop has been partially 

 burned through. 



Offerings to the Apple-trees : Deuon.iJiire Su- 

 perstition. — It was a custom in Devonshire, and 

 j)rob.ibly in some of the adjoining counties also, 

 to pcrlbnu tiie following eereiiiouial on Old 

 Gln-istmas Eve, or Twelfth Day, namely : In tlie 



