The Elixir of Youth Everlasting in Irish Mythology
http://www.aliisaacstoryteller.com
So the chalice she’s holding has bunches of grapes on it, but that’s not what’s inside, oh no. Come a little closer, and I’ll share with you a secret. It begins with bees…
In ancient times, Ireland was renowned for its abundance of honey. In fact, Gerald of Wales,who was arch deacon of Brecon (C12th) and was also known as Giraldus Cambrensis, claimed there would have been even more still were it not for the bitter and poisonous effect of the land’s many yew trees. (You can read about Ireland’s yew trees in my post Sacred Trees of Ireland | The Yew.)
The Irish word for ‘bee’ is beach, pronounced (ba-ch, with the ch soft in the back of your mouth). In Old Irish it was bech. Bees were considered so important, that they had a complete section all to…
View original post 1,759 more words