Bees Symbolic Meaning
Bees are vital for our ecosystem. They are pollinators as they transfer pollens from one specimen to another. Moreover, honey bees are a source of honey that imparts many health benefits to humans.
Bees have always been a fascination for humans and appeared in many myths and folklore.
The honey that you get from bees has special importance in many religions. For instance, dipping apple in honey at the start of the meal on Rosh Hashanah evening is a tradition among Jews. According to them, it brings a good and sweet year. In Islam, it is a cure for many diseases.
In different cultures, bees' symbolic meaning varies. In Buddhist culture, the honey bee symbolizes rebirth because their lord Buddha gave a new life to a monkey who brought him a honeycomb and some fruits as a gift. Likewise in Hinduism, gods like Vishnu, Krishna, and Indra have associations with a bee.
What are Bees' Symbolic Meaning?
Are you interested in knowing about bees? Do you know what bees' symbolic meaning is? Let’s check it out!
1. Bees symbolize industry
The coat of arms of Manchester city has a globe on the top. The globe has seven honeybees sitting on it. The seven bees are actually on seven different continents which represent Manchester's industry in demand around the world. In other words, Manchester exports its goods across the globe.
2. Bees are a symbol of fertility and life
Hindus associate bees with fertility. In their holy book Rig Veda, it is mentioned that their God Vishnu made a spring on one of his footprints. The spring produced mead instead of water. And anyone who would drink the mead from the spring would get pregnant. Mead is made from honey so that is why in Hindu culture bees are associated with fertility and life.
As mentioned afore, bees are natural pollinators. The pollens they carry while collecting nectar, cause fertilization in plants. As a result, you get seeds. From the seeds, new life germinates. Thus, life became one of the bees' symbolic meanings.
3. Bees in Roman and Greek Mythology
Bees symbolize immortality. In Roman and Greek mythology, the Gods used to drink nectar and ambrosia that was extracted from honey. It made them immortal. Therefore, their devotees used to offer honey to them.
Another story from Greek Mythology is of Zeus, their god. His father wanted to kill him during his infancy. Due to the fear of losing the son, Zeus's mother smuggled him to a secret cave where there was a swarm of sacred bees. Zeus grew up with those bees while having honey. When he became young, he took over his father's thorn and became the King of Gods. As a reward for the services provided by the bees, he gave them their golden color. Also, it was believed that the capability of bees to bear the cold and stormy weather is also a reward from Zeus.
Furthermore, bees were considered a sign of wisdom in the Celtic myth. They were considered a messenger between the two worlds. Likewise, the Egyptians of ancient times believed that bees represent the sovereignty of Pharaoh.
Spiritual Meaning Of Bees
Though bees are tiny creatures the lessons they give us are immense. Here are some of the spiritual meanings of bees that will leave you astonished.
- They are the symbol of teamwork, leaving a lesson for us that together impossible is even possible. Only what you need is consistency, struggle, and hard work.
- Bees are the symbol of kindness. They produce honey with a lot of effort and hard work that we consume. A thing achieved with such a great effort for someone else, isn't it next-level kindness? So, in the form of a bee, nature teaches us to be kind and giving.
- Bees are peace-loving creatures. They attack you only when teased. This teaches us to stay humble and peaceful but resist what’s not right.
The Bottom Line
Bees are tiny creatures with a plethora of lessons for humans. The symbolic and spiritual meanings of bees have a great link with ancient cultures. Many people still associate good things with bees. Moreover, bees maintain a balance in the ecosystem as well. Therefore, their importance in human lives can't be denied.
Learn more about Bow to the Bee's jewelry and mission to save the bees, our tiny gold bee necklace or the gold bee pinky ring.