Lorsch Bee Blessing
# 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.

## Text

### 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.
