Many a long dispute between divines may thus be abridged: It is so. It is not so. It is so. It is not so. -- Benjamin Franklin, "Poor Richard's Almanack"
Honey
In The very beginning, there was honey. The "gods" sustained them selves entirely on honey alone as they created the universe. In Indian myth the Savins, the twin horsemen of the sun god Surya, acquired honey from celestial bees and brought it down to earth in a three-wheeled cart called a madhu-valhana.
The sanctity of honey may stem from the myths of the Mordvinian Ugro Finns story of a chief God, chkai, a bisexual king bee responsible for creating the human race. These people believed that humans came from bees, they envisioned the earth as a beehive, ruled by the bee God chkai who laid eggs from which all bees and creating goddesses were born.
Egyptians believed that when the sun God Ra cried, his tears turned into bees, which immediately began making honey. According to Greek myth, the first bee in the universe was named Melissa; Melissa lived in a cave, as it was believed all bees lived in caves. When Zeus was born his mother the Goddess Rhea, was forced to leave him with Melissa to protect him from his fathers rage. Melissa fed Zeus honey and protected him from harm.
Civilizations all over the world considered honey sacred, magical and pure. The ancient Persians used honey to cleanse mortals of sin, which they believed possible because honey came from sinless bees, who created honey without touching the flowers.
Because honey personified purity, innocence and beauty, the ancients used it in marriage rituals. The bride and groom were given gifts of honey to for both fertility and as an aphrodisiac. Honey was also to protect the new marriage from all forms of evil interference. The newlyweds were to eat only honey for the first complete phase of the moon to ensure conception. Hence the origin of the term honeymoon.
Honey is an essential ingredient in love potions, medicines and as protection from all forms of evil. Ancient Babylonians used honey to exorcise evil spirits. The Balkans offered honey to demons in the hope to stop diseases. Offering honey to the dead is ancient as well, Vedic priests offered honey to Yama, the god of death. Scandinavians gave gifts of honey to sustain them in the afterlife. Russians poured mead made of honey on graves.
Honey is the world's first sweetener, and the world's first alcoholic beverage. Mead was a gift to humans from the gods, and was drunk at religious ceremonies to gain godlike insight. The golden threads of honey are tightly woven through the fabric of time. As with all myths, honey pops up in modern culture, one example is in movies. In the film Fried Green Tomatoes honey plays a vital role in the character development of the protagonist Gidgie. Gidgie as a child asked if god makes mistakes, she believes herself to be different. Honey in this film symbolizes her uniqueness. As an adult this is illustrated when she retrieves honey from a tree as their bees swarming in their hive. She climbs up and fearlessly collects her prize unscathed. In traditional symbolism this represents Gidgies special and unique qualities. She is pure, strong, and courageous and possesses an inner power even the bee's revere. In the end of the film honey appears again, this time revealing an enduring love and a hidden truth.
Honey is one of two foods created by mothers specifically to feed their young; the other is milk.
Honey contains no water, therefore, no bacteria can form. Also, honey produces an acid that kills bacteria. During the construction of the Panama Canal, a Dr. W.E. Auginbaugh described an operation he witnessed. A native Indian surgeon performed this surgery while chain smoking in a filthy environment. He sutured the injury by setting beetles on the open wound. The beetles snapped their mandibles shut and sealed it acting like staples. The Doctor then cut off the beetle's heads, covered the wound in honey and finished by covering it all with wax. The results were excellent. Chinese women have used honey to cure all ailments especially of the skin for eons. There is nothing better for burns.
Honey contains enzymes, trace amounts of minerals, copper, iron, and manganese. Bee propolis, which is the substance bees cement the walls of the hive together with stimulates the thymus to produce antibodies. The health benefits are too numerous for this column.
You can learn more by going to Glorybeefoods.com.
I love Chai Tea, so here's how to make it at home.
Chai Tea
2c.water
2 Black tea bags
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Ground ginger
1/2 tsp. Ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ground allspice
1/2 c. Honey
2 c. Milk, or soy milk
To make chai tea base, combine all but milk. Mix in sauce pan, bring to boil then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes.
Remove tea bags, cover and refrigerate. To serve hot: combine equal parts of milk and base and heat. To serve cold, combine equal parts base and milk and serve over ice. This recipe will last in refrigerator for a week.
Enjoy.
To reach Crystal Hayes via email : crystalhayes@peak.org
Added 25 June, 2007 by Crystal
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