For a Swarm of Bees facts for kids

"For a Swarm of Bees" is an ancient Anglo-Saxon poem or "charm." People used it to help control honey bees and stop them from swarming. Swarming is when a large group of bees leaves their old hive to start a new one.

A scholar named John Mitchell Kemble found this charm in the 1800s. Its name comes from its first words, "wiþ ymbe." This means "against a swarm of bees" or "towards a swarm of bees."

What is a Bee Charm?

This special poem was like a magical spell for people long ago. They believed it could help them manage their bee colonies. Bees were very important for honey and wax. Losing a swarm meant losing valuable resources.

The Mystery of "Victory-Women"

In the charm, bees are called "sigewif." This means "victory-women." Some experts, like Jacob Grimm, thought this name might connect bees to powerful female figures. These figures are similar to valkyries from old Norse stories. Valkyries were strong female spirits who chose warriors for battle.

Other scholars think "victory-women" is a simpler idea. They believe it just means the bees are like "victorious swords." This refers to their powerful sting.

This old manuscript, called the Lorscher Bienensegen, is similar to the bee charm.

An Ancient Connection

In 1909, a scholar named Felix Grendon noticed something interesting. He saw that "For a Swarm of Bees" was very much like another old text. This text is called the Lorsch Bee Blessing. It comes from a monastery in Germany. Grendon thought both texts might have come from even older traditions. These traditions existed before Christianity in Germanic cultures.

The Charm's Words

Here are the words of the charm in Old English and what they mean today:

Sitte ge, sīgewīf,   sīgað tō eorðan,
næfre ge wilde   tō wuda fleogan,
beō ge swā gemindige,   mīnes gōdes,
swā bið manna gehwilc,   metes and ēðeles.

Settle down, victory-women, sink to earth,
never be wild and fly to the woods.
Be as mindful of my welfare,
as is each man of border and of home.