342 The Honey-Makers 



conducted with the greatest state and ceremony when forth 

 rushed the outraged inhabitants of the disturbed hives and 

 fell upon the assembly with such fury that all took to 

 flight. They stood not upon the order of their going — 

 but went. 



In Westphalia there is a pretty custom of telling the 

 bees the happy events of the family as well as the sad ones, 

 and the newly-married couple going to their new home 

 must introduce themselves to the bees, or else their mar- 

 ried life will be unfortunate. 



It seems this custom is rather wide-spread, and the 

 following introduction of the young couple to the bees has 

 a very merry swing. 



" Imen in, imen ut, 

 hir ist de junge brut. 

 Imen um, imen an, 

 hir ist de junge man. 

 Imekes, verlatt se nitt 

 wann se nu mal kinner kritt I " 



In the folk-songs of the Poles is a ditty said to be 

 sung at Polish peasant weddings while mead is drunk 

 around the circle : — 



Industrious as the life of the bee 

 Is the life on the farm. 

 And sweet as honey 

 Is the married state. 



In some northern countries honey was used in extrava- 

 gant profusion at weddings, as Bergius in his book upon 

 sweetmeats relates of the daughter of a certain Swedish 

 person of note who in 1500 a. d. used half a ton of honey 

 at her wedding. And in 1567 at Sigrid Sture's wedding 

 453 cans of honey were used. 



In Brittany the bee hives are decorated with pieces of 

 scarlet cloth at a wedding, the people believing that unless 



