From the perfection of their hexagonal honeycombs to their ordered matriarchal society, bees have been revered for thousands of years.

In this beautifully illustrated book, beekeeper s daughter and student of folklore Eimear Chaomhanach weaves folktales about bees with memories of growing up in a beekeeping household, collecting swarms with her father and learning how to harvest honey.

With legends about Aristotle and Irish saints and accounts of customs such as telling the bees , this is a fascinating look at the beliefs and traditions about bees and beekeeping.