The Honey-Makers

Half natural history, half literature: how the honey-bee actually works — tongue, wings, sting, swarm — and then three thousand years of what people have believed about her, from the Vedas to mead.

In Hindu Literature

11 pages in this part of The Honey-Makers.

In Hindu Literature

THE Latin writer Varro fancifully calls the bees the Birds of the Muses, thus paying a poet's tribute to the airy creatures that wing their…

In Hindu Literature: Honey

And again, where the newly married husband kisses his wife: - "He then seeks her mouth with his mouth, with the two verses, ""Honey! Lo!…

In Hindu Literature: Indra

The inmates of the house look at the madhuparka and murmur, "May Indra come thither." - Mention of honey occurs over and over again in…

In Hindu Literature: Vishnu

Vishnu has come upon the scene and is the chief of the gods; from him everything emanates; he creates everything, he is everything. Vishnu…

In Hindu Literature: Dushyanta

King Dushyanta riding in the forest comes upon the hermit's lovely daughter, Sakoontalá, watering the flowers, and driving away a bee that…

In Hindu Literature: Sweet

An early love of the king, fearing his disaffection, is heard to sing, — "How often hither did'st thou rove, Sweet bee, to kiss the mango's…

In Hindu Literature: Spring

Umá is destined to become the bride of Siva, who has become a hermit, and all the forces of Káma, the god of love, his humming bees, his…

In Hindu Literature: Siva

Love, "the god of the flowery shafts," sent his arrow into Siva's heart, but the merciless deity, inflamed with anger, slew the gentle god…

In Hindu Literature: Hero

In Kālidāsa's "Hero and Nymph" the manager repeats before the play begins, - "What sounds are these in the air, that like the plaintive…

In Hindu Literature: Like

I mark where thou appearest A fair and mountain river. "Like Gangá proud thou showest, From heavenly regions springing; Around thee, as…

In Hindu Literature: Bana

In the prose romances written by Bana in the seventh century we find the wildest extravagance of speech, which is far less pleasing to…

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