Melissa

The little “bee” ,as well as the insect, in general,is closely associated with the women affiliated with cults of a number of Greek and Roman goddesses with similarly complex natural world associations, all of whom fall into the category of “goddess types”.

The worship of such goddesses ,such as Cybele,Ma ,Rhea,Ishtar and Artemis was prominent among the early religions of the Mediterranean, Near East ,and Western Asia, and through cultural contact,syncretism, some common divine predecessor,or perhaps a combination of these factors,goddesses from a number of civilizations share several features in regard to their associations and iconography.

These goddesses are associated with life and death light and dark and the natural world,sometimes being depicted as a Mistress of Animals.

That being the case ,they are often given the role of a leader a queen or even King like in ancient Egypt to other major divinities in the pantheon ,bridging the gap between earthly and female fertility, as was the case with Demeter ,as well.

Animals, standing flanked by a pair of beasts,often lions or deer,though as one sees in the case of the Greek and Roman goddess types,bees are also part of their common iconography.

In visual images, these goddesses are often shown enthroned or,as the Mistress of wild animals.

But the bee also has a sting….

-so

Anacreontea wrote

-Eros once did not see a bee sleeping amidst the Rose’s

But was stung.

Having been struck on the finger Of his hand,he cried,

Running off and flying

To lovely Cytherea

“I have perished ,mother,” he said, “I have perished and I am dying;

A little serpent which stuck me,

A flying one,the farmers

Call a bee.”

And she said “if you suffer

From the prick of the bee,

How much do you think they suffer, Eros,those whom you strike?”

These ties to death and rebirth,the bee was used as a symbol of fertility and production, which was connected to the underworld and ideas of death and rebirth.

Several life goddesses, like Ephesian Artemis and Cybele,were associated with the bee,and their priestesses attested to this connection by bearing the name Melissa.

Furthermore,Zeus (Zoi life) was tied with the bee as well,in part because of the link between this creature and mother goddesses,such as Rhea and Cybele,who served as the God’s mother.

The cave of Zeus birth was inhabited by bees and several myths attest to their role as nurses,not only of the king of the gods,but also to his sons ,and some tales tell of Zeus bestowing special favors on the creature, like their sting or their color

For the Bee is the unattainable model of perfection as a society, but as a sorcerer and finally as a woman she is not?