Coming
from a long tradition of apiarists (or beekeepers), I have always
wanted to learn how the word «μέλισσα» (honeybee)
came to define the animal we all know. “Melissa” is the greek
word for bee and also a nymph in greek mythology. Daughter of the
Cretan king Melissos, she supposed to have taught the use of honey to
people.
When
Zeus was about to be born, Rhea, his mother, in order to save him
from her husband Cronus (who swallowed all of his children because he
learned that he was destined to be overthrown by his son), she hid him in a cave on Mount Ida in
the island of Crete.
There, the nymph Melissa fed the baby Zeus honey (or according to
other sources made the bees bring honey directly to his mouth) giving
him a permanent taste of it. Cronus became aware of Melissa's role and transformed her into an earthworm. Zeus, however, took pity of her and he changed her into a beautiful bee. Another story speaks of the priestiess of the goddess Demeter, goddess of corn and grain. The goddess initiated Melissa into her mysteries. When her friends and neighbors tried to make her reveal the secrets of her initiation, she remained silent. In anger, the women tore her to pieces. When Demeter found out, she sent plague upon them and bees were born from Melissa's dead body. Actually, the sacrifices in honor of the goddess consisted of honey, oxen and bulls.
Honey has been used for thousands of years and apart from sweetening up our beverages, it has a number of health benefits. We use it in medicine (to heal burns, to prevent infections and as treatment for coughs and sore throats) and in beauty-products (face-creams, lotions, shampoos, etc). Unfortunately, honeybees are disappearing at astonishing rates today and scientists are working to prevent their further loss.
