Bavarian State Library
Medieval Ireland had a set of laws called Bechbretha dedicated solely to regulating beekeeping.
Who owns a swarm of bees? And what happens when they invade a neighbor’s property?
In early medieval Ireland, these issues were addressed by a remarkable set of laws known as Bechbrethawhich established the rights and responsibilities associated with beekeeping. Also known as the bee trials, these laws were part of the medieval irish legal system broader, Brehon Law (known in Old Irish as fénechas or customary law).
Brehon Law defended the restorative justice rather than criminal justice and was mainly concerned with the type of compensation to be paid for crimes committed. Most of these laws were written in the 7th and 8th centuries, but they probably preserve much older traditions that had been transmitted orally.
Early medieval Irish society was hierarchical. In legal cases, the amount of compensation due or received depended entirely on the social position of the personwith payments varying according to their status.
Bechbretha served as a legal guide for lawyers handling cases involving property invasion by bees (when one neighbor’s bees invaded another’s property and allegedly stole nectar from flowers and plants), injuries or death caused by bees, hive theft, and the compensation due in each situation.
In medieval Ireland, bees had legal status because they are classified as domestic animals. Like cattle, horses, pigs, birds and sheep, they were legally protected due to their considerable value. Beekeeping produced a wide range of goods, including honey for food and sweetener, as well as mead and beer, beeswax for candles, sealants and writing tablets, and other products used in medicine, polishing, lubricating, skin care, and waterproofing.
Bechbretha also had another purpose: to maintain good relations within local communities. According to the Bechbretha and another legal text, the eighth-century Bretha Comhaithchesa (Neighborhood Judgments), a mutual agreement between the agricultural community guarantee payment of compensation in case of break-in, theft or damage caused by animals. A certain level of trust between neighbors was necessary for this process to work.
That said, it’s one thing to show where a neighbor’s large domestic animal has trespassed or caused damage. It’s quite another thing to prove that neighboring bees ravaged your flowers, stealing nectar before making off with their ill-gotten gains.
One suggestion from Bechbretha is Sprinkle flour over the beesfollow them to locate and identify the culprits. Since bees tend to repeatedly return to the same nectar sources, following them and marking them with white flour – which scatters on the ground as they fly, leaving a visible trail – can be effective. The laws also stipulate that the owner of wandering bees has three years to collect the honey, but in the fourth year, he must deliver the first swarm from that hive to the injured party.
Bechbretha also addressed questions about the ownership of swarms that have settled and built new hives on private or common land. The beekeeper who found the new hive was entitled to a third of the honey for three yearsbut, after this period, the owner of the land where the swarm settled became the owner. When a swarm was discovered in a forested area, whoever found it had the right to (almost) everything. The local church and the patriarch of the finder’s family group were also entitled to a share.
In cases where hives were stolen or moved illegally and offenders were stung or died As a result of the stings, beekeepers were not held responsible. When bees stung people without provocation, compensation was due, although if the victim killed the bee(s), their death was considered sufficient compensation. Generally, in legitimate situations where someone was bitten, killed or maimed, the hives were given as payment.
Beehive theft carried severe penalties, depending on their location. The closer a hive was to a rural property, especially one of high status, greater was the compensation. This was usually done in cattle, the main currency used in pre-coinage Ireland. The theft of beehives from monasteries also carried high fines.
The fact that there was a set of early medieval Irish laws dedicated exclusively to bees reveals the high esteem in which these little creatures were held. Restitution through beehives and bee products contributed to the proliferation of beekeeping throughout the community. In pre-industrial Ireland in the early Middle Ages, where the survival of society depended so much on the climate, bees were a fundamental part of the agricultural system, just as they are today.
At the end of the 10th century, Irish historians documented two cases of “bech-dibad” – bee mortality – that resulted in starvation and mass deaths among the human population. The fact that these disasters were recorded is significant as it suggests an awareness of what would happen if bees disappeared.
Today, bee colonies around the world face multiple threats – from habitat loss, climate change, toxic chemicals and deadly invasive parasites. The Bechbretha bee demonstrates that, if there is political will and communities are involved and feel committed, it is possible to protect our bees.
