Telling the Bees

So I've recently taken an interest in learning traditional crafts. I  think it would be interesting to learn things that humans, at one time all, knew how to do.

I went with Jim to the New York Public Library on Saturday to go see a photo exibit and in the bookstore I found this book. 

It's pretty amazing and covers breifly everything from building stone walls, to beer brewing, cheesemaking, pickling, making your own bow and arrows, how to make hay, etc.

The favorite chapter I've enjoyed thus far is on Beekeeping.  It covers things like at one time, people used to have to tell their bees major things going on in the family for fear that they may swarm or disappear from the hives. People once thought that bees were very sensitive to human behavior and emotion. It was thought that at one time, people who lived really chaotic lives, could not keep bees because the bees would leave.

For example, "Telling the bees" would involve  informing them of all deaths in the family and during the time of mourning, the bee hives were shrouded in black mourning cloth and as the coffin was raised out of the home to be buried, someone would go lift the beehives to signify their importance to the family and to involve them in the funeral. 

There's also chapters on simple cheesemaking, butter making (which I'm so going to try),and how to pluck a chicken (which I'm not going to try).