Lorsch Bee Blessing



The Lorsch Bee Blessing (German: Lorscher Bienensegen) is a bee-keeping prayer intended to bring home honey bees in good health to their hives. It is believed to have been written in the 9th century, and was discovered in a manuscript (on fol. 58r of the Pal. lat. 220 in the Vatican Library, a copy of the Apocalypse of Paul) from the monastery in Lorsch, Germany, famous for the Lorsch Codex. Despite being a Christian prayer written in Old High German, it has remarkable similarities to the Anglo-Saxon and apparently pagan "For a Swarm of Bees" (Old English "wiþ ymbe") magic charm. It may reflect a common pre-Christian Germanic cultural heritage.

Old High German

 * Kirst, imbi ist hûcze
 * Nû fliuc dû, vihu mînaz, hera
 * Fridu frôno in munt godes
 * gisunt heim zi comonne


 * Sizi, sizi bîna
 * Inbôt dir sancte Maria
 * Hurolob ni habe dû
 * Zi holce ni flûc dû


 * Noh dû mir nindrinnês
 * Noh dû mir nintuuinnêst
 * Sizi vilu stillo
 * Uuirki godes uuillon

Translation

 * Christ, the bee swarm is out here!
 * Now fly, you my animal, come.
 * In the Lord's peace, in God's protection,
 * come home in good health.


 * Sit, sit bee.
 * The command to you from the Holy Mary.
 * You have no vacation;
 * Don't fly into the woods;


 * Neither should you slip away from me.
 * Nor escape from me.
 * Sit completely still.
 * Do God's will.