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Curious Customs and Beliefs in Modern: Wildman

A better accredited account is that of the English beekeeper Wildman, who himself explains the secret. "When under a strong impression of fear," Wildman says of the bees, "they are rendered subservient to our wills, to such a degree as to remain long attached to any place they afterwards settle upon, and will become so mild and tractable as to bear any handling which does not hurt them, without the least show of resentment. Long experience has taught me, that as soon as I turn up a hive, and give some taps on the sides and bottom, the queen immediately appears. Being accustomed to see her, I readily perceive her at the first glance; and long practice has enabled me to seize her instantly, with a tenderness that does not in the least endanger her person. Being possessed of her, I can, without exciting any resentment, slip her into my other hand, and, returning the hive to its place, hold her till the bees, missing her, are all on the wing, and in the utmost confusion."

When in this state he could make them alight wherever he pleased; for on whatever spot he placed the queen, the moment a few of them discovered her the information was communicated to the rest, who in a few minutes were all Curious Customs and Beliefs collected round her. In this way he would sometimes cause them to settle on his head, or to hang clustered from his chin. Again, he would transfer them to his hand, or to any other part of his body, or would cause them to settle on a table, window, etc. Prior to making his secret generally known, he deceived his spectators by using words of command; but the only magic he employed was to summon into activity the strong attachment of the bees to their queen.

Cautioning his readers as to attempting what he himself accomplished only by long experience and great dexterity, Wildman concludes his account with a parody of the reply of C. Furius Cresinus, a liberated Roman slave, who, being accused of witchcraft in consequence of his raising more abundant crops than his neighbors, and therefore cited before a Roman tribunal, produced his strong implements of husbandry. his well-fed oxen, and a hale young woman, his daughter, and pointing to them, said, "These, Romans ! are my instruments of witchcraft; but I cannot show you my toil and anxious cares." "So," says Wildman, "may I say, These, Britons! are my instruments of witchcraft; but I cannot show you my hours of attention to this subject, my anxiety and care for these useful insects; nor can I communicate to you my experience, acquired during a course of years."

We hear of naked priests in India who live in the forests alone with the bees and are continually swarmed over by them.

There is a story of a negro whom the bees accompanied wherever he went, and who, like Wildman, could wear them as a cap upon his head; and of a Pole whose every motion the bees obeyed.

In short, similar stories are innumerable, and doubtless it is true that the operator has possession of the queen-bee; yet there are some among us who could not with impunity handle a swarm of bees even under these circumstances. There is no doubt that bees are friendly to some and unfriendly to others, the exact cause for their likes and dislikes being as inscrutable perhaps as the affinities and repulsions which people oftentimes feel for each other.

By some it is believed that the possession of certain herbs will attract bees to an individual. The belief in the influence of these herbs upon bees is widespread.