History of Honey in Civilisations & Religions

Honey is a sweet substance made by bees from the nectar of flowers. Bees existed millions of years before humans, and people have valued honey for as long as we have records. Cave paintings in the Mahadev Hills near Pachmarhi in Central India, and in Valencia, Spain, show honey being gathered in prehistoric times. Aristotle, Cato, Virgil, Columella and Pliny the Elder all wrote about honey and bees.

Ancient civilisations

In Egypt, Mesopotamia and Assyria, honey was a prized food and an offering. Egyptians placed honey in tombs for the final journey, and jars of honey more than 3,000 years old have been found in Egyptian tombs, still preserved because honey is naturally low in moisture and resistant to spoilage. Greek physicians including Hippocrates and Galen wrote about honey, and Roman athletes ate it as a source of quick energy.

Honey in Indian culture

In India, honey is one of the five ingredients of Panchamrit used in rituals. Spring, when flowers are most abundant and bees make the most honey, is called Madhumas, the month of honey. The Rigveda, one of the oldest texts in the world, praises honey, and Ayurvedic texts describe it in detail (see Honey in Ayurvedic Tradition). Some families follow the custom of giving a newborn a first taste of honey; paediatricians today advise that honey should not be given to infants under 12 months.

Honey in religions

In the Quran, Surah An-Nahl (16:68–69) describes how bees are inspired to build their homes in mountains and trees, and says of honey: "From their bellies comes a drink of varying colours, in which there is healing for people." The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have loved honey (Sahih al-Bukhari). In Buddhism, Madhu Purnima celebrates honey, and in Greek tradition honey was considered a gift of the gods. Almost every culture in the world holds honey in high regard.

This page describes historical, cultural and religious traditions. It is not medical advice. Our honey is a food, not a medicine.

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