To Bee Or Not to Bee In The History Of Mankind
“Sì come schiera d'ape, che s'infiora /as a host of bees, which blooms” said Dante Alighieri in Paradiso, XXXI, v.7
The Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the mythology of the Maya, tells how the bee was born from an 'universal beehive' that represents paradise and that the gods sent the bees to earth to promote the spiritual elevation of mankind, removing him from ignorance and barbarism. The Maya culture also provides a scientific rational to the disappearance of these little insects. A few years ago, the World Watch Institute issued a warning that a third of the beehives in the United States were disappearing due to bees dying. This may not have the same sensational value as huge dinosaurs becoming distinct, but the death of the bees impacts on the survival of mankind.
Ah-Muzen-Cab or Mok Chi, shown with insect wings, perhaps patron deity of beekeepers, on a codex-style Maya vessel. ( Public Domain )
