Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts

by Mark Norman

The skills of weaving, spinning and knitting were vital to clothe and keep warm members of every class, race, religion or social group from the poorest to the richest. And so, we find wool, yarn and thread and the working of those materials rooted very deeply in the folklore of countries around the globe. This book discusses the folklore associated with wool, thread, spinning and associated crafts, through folk and fairy tales, customs and more. Did Eve really spin in the Garden of Eden? What does Mother Goose have to do with crafting? And who really knitted the first telephone box cosy?

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Folklore, Mythology

190 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Juliet Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Subtitled The Folklore of Rural Crafts, this book explores the folklore relating to some of the world's oldest crafts.

What we now think of as 'traditional crafts' are skills that used to be woven into the everyday life for whole communities, and they came with their own set of beliefs and ideas. Each chapter gives a brief over-view of the history of a particular group of crafts, the patron saints or the gods associated with them and the folk tales, superstitions and beliefs that grew up around them. The author specifically states that he has limited the areas covered in the book to ensure a deeper examination of specific beliefs, so the chapter on baking covers bread but not cakes (so now I want to research folklore around cakes!)

Norman takes an interesting approach, weaving stories of how crafts have historically been carried out together with strands from different mythologies to create an overview of how our ancestors viewed certain crafts, while also highlighting the similarities between different follkloric traditions.

The first chapter examines the importance of spinning in Egyptian, Norse, Greek, Chinese, Japanese and Christian traditions, drawing parallels between the different belief systems as well as looking at the role of spinning in day to day life for different cultures. The chapter continues, examining weaving, knitting, and, bringing it all up to date, yarn bombing, showing that we continue to make new traditions.

Interestingly, bees are one of the most popular animals to feature in folklore and Norman devotes a chapter to bee-keeping, looking at the evolution of bees themselves, the treatment of bee-stings and the use of honey in folk medicine as well as to the development of bee-keeping and the traditions surrounding it.

The chapter about blacksmithing shows how in ancient times, blacksmiths were believed to have mystical or healing powers that aligned them with shamans, though other traditions assign a more sinister alliance to the blacksmith - the story The Blacksmith and the Devil is one of the oldest known folktales. This chapter also gives detailed advice on what type of horseshoe to use and how to hang it on your home if you want it to bring you luck!

The chapter on brewing traces the importance of beer back to ancient Egypt where the brewery of Ramses gave payments of beer to temple administrators. There are over one hundred deities linked with beer and the brewing process, which attests to the drink's central value over the centuries. "..it was generally believed that getting drunk would bring you closer to the gods." A whole section is devoted to the health benefits of beer, most of which have been superseded by modern medicine if not downright debunkedthough it is certainly true that in times when good drinking water couldn't be guaranteed "switching from water to beer during periods of widespread illness did help to save more lives.">

The final chapter focuses in baking bread - old folklore traditions link the stones used for grinding grains to make flour to the turning of the seasons and in fact "[m]yths from Finland and the
Scandinavian countries speak of the World Mill, constantly turning out cosmological good or bad fortune." This chapter outlines the evolution of the role of millers in communities, as well as stories around the dietary value and religious significance of bread.

The dashing through the various traditions could possibly be overwhelming for some readers, but I found it fascinating.

[Zana Fraillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Telling the Bees by Mark Norman is a true gem of a book. Beautifully written and full of fascinating information, Norman takes us deep into the roots of folklore, folkcrafts and customs from around the world. While many folklore books focus on a particular singular area, the beauty of this book is in its span. The connections of folklore run deep, across countries and continents and through time. Reading this book made me feel connected to our deep past in a way I haven’t felt before. Patron Saints, Gods, superstitions, mythology and beliefs of the crafts are all explored, fueling a desire to find out more. And as soon as I am able, I may just have to go out and buy myself a spinning wheel…

[Shannon (That's So Poe) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is filled with so many interesting tidbits about folklore relating to crafts. It was fascinating to read through this and see what different beliefs and practices exist relating to beekeeping, milling, blacksmithing, etc. I appreciated how the author included lore from places all around the world related to these as well. It wasn't the most cohesive narrative, so I'd definitely recommend reading it slowly, just a few pages at a time, but if you do, I think it'll be a fun experience.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good introduction to a wide array of folklore practices around rural crafts.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read, Telling the Bees and other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts is a fast, fun overview of the folklore of certain crafts and occupations. The book examines spinning weaving and knitting (under a single chapter), beekeeping, blacksmithing, beer brewing, and milling and baking. Each chapter offers brief consideration of folklore from a variety of cultures. This book is a great starting point for someone with an interest in folklore and rural crafts, which could lead to much more in depth research elsewhere. It will also appeal to a reader with general interest, offering entertaining anecdotes without becoming academic. Telling the Bees is a fun and interesting read with a light conversational tone.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good primer on folklore associated with 5 areas of traditional craft. It will make for an interesting discussion in various craft groups and the basis of further study for those individuals who want to pursue some traditions in particular places in greater depth.

I was particularly interested in the association of spinning wheels and yarn with the sun and sun rays , the notion of knot magic, wool as a promoter of fertility and the transmission of knitting pattern via herring girls. There is a lot of detail, so the book repays rereading. The chapters on each of the five areas are short and accessible enough to be marked and reread easily. There is no index, but the density of information would probably have rendered it longer than the book.

An interesting and enjoyable read.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Norman’s Telling the Bees is a beautifully written exploration of the small, intimate rituals that once wove communities together. From death and marriage customs to curious agricultural traditions, Norman gathers a treasure trove of British folk practices that feel both familiar and hauntingly distant. His research is solid and accessible, and the book strikes a lovely balance between scholarship and storytelling.

At times, the sheer breadth of examples makes you wish for a bit more depth in certain sections—but that’s a small quibble in an otherwise enchanting and informative read. Perfect for folklore enthusiasts who love uncovering the quiet magic of everyday life.

[Evin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mildly interesting but very meandering. The author doesn't really seem to have a point in having collected the specific stories and traditions he included. I was hoping there would be some real cultural anthropology included in this, and that I'd learn something meaningful about pre-industrial cultures through the folklore they created, but I didn't really. This is more like a collection of loosely connected fun facts. It touches on a bunch of different beliefs held by a bunch of different groups of people but presents them passively, without saying anything insightful about them.

[Krystelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good introduction to the ideas and folklore behind many rural and regional crafts, although reasonably small in comparison to what I was expecting. I was left a bit disappointed that embroidery, crochet, and cross stitch were left out, particularly as my main crafts are very much around this kind of line!

There were some interesting facts in here, but all in all this one felt a bit lacking and I could have done with a lot more info, and a lot more from different places. This is a lovely intro, but it doesn’t go as far as I would have appreciated seeing.

[indy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amiable enough and easy to read, but not especially satisfying or thought-provoking. Treat this as a short primer to the subject of craft-related folklore. My favourite anecdote? Vampires are compulsive counters, so throw breadcrumbs down to keep 'em busy. I love Sesame Street's Count all the more now, ahh ahh ahhhh.

[Red · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light hearted read with end notes to further (sometimes academic) reading. I had never considered that keeping track of folktales was a profession until I stumbled across this book. How interesting to see what continues to be a part of humanity's daily life and ritual, from the very beginnings of civilization to the present day.

[Mark waite · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book covering a range of what are now classed as rural crafts but in days gone were more about a way of life . The book covers traditions and folklore connected with said crafts and makes for an educational and fantastic read

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little book, full of fascinating historical and contemporary facts. I’m not sure why he chose the specific crafts covered in the book, and I couldn’t always follow how it was organized, but I did enjoy reading it

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tengo pensamientos contradictorios con este libro, fue educativo y aprendí par de cosas, pero lo noté un poco vacío. Lo recomiendo si necesitas algún tipo de información que te ayudará a darle forma a algo más profundo, pero no más allá.

[Ronnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 personally. I found the history behind the folklore to be fascinating . I believe Mark Norman was telling an old soul a story. The descriptions and detail were written with such passion of the history

[Rachel (Sfogs) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little read. Some really interesting folklore.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this well done collection of the tales around “traditional crafts”—AKA things that used to be commonplace.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating folklore and customs.
I was attracted to it by the bee folklore in Elizabeth Goudge's 'Linnets and Valerians'.

[Helle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collection, but a bit rambling.

[N · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

[STO · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned about this custom when HRH Queen Elizabeth II past away really took an interest in the basis of the tradition and this book gave the answer and more

[Joana Varanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published by The History Press, 'Telling the Bees' delves into the folklore and superstitions of disused crafts such as blacksmithing, weaving and milling. The book does not talk about them extensively, that would be quite impossible as the author states in the introduction; but it is a wonderful experience to read nonetheless, as it is full of humour and simple, accessible language, just like folklore is supposed to be like. It also mentions a lot of overlaps between different cultures, reminding us barriers between races and countries are all but imaginary.

[Chris Tetreault-Blay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having already read the author's previous book 'Black Dog Folklore', I picked this book up expecting great things. And I was not disappointed!

'Telling The Bees' contains some fascinating accounts of the history and folklore attached to many rural crafts, such as bee-keeping, brewing, baking, spinning, blacksmithing, and many more.

This is an ideal companion for anyone interested in folklore as a wider topic, and left me wanting to delve even further into a couple of areas in particular.