St. Ambrose, the honey-tongued doctor of the Church, has a fun story for tellers. Credited with converting the great St. Augustine, overcoming the Arian heresy in Milan, and inspiring the Ambrosian rite of Milan, St. Ambrose nearly escaped this legacy by running away- literally. When Ambrose, then the governor of the city, was popularly elected to succeed the Arian bishop of Milan (even though he was not yet baptised) he attempted to run away and hid in a senator's home. He appealed to the emperor to overturn his election but the emperor too was impressed with his character and believed Ambrose was just what the Church needed. Ambrose resigned himself to his fate and then embraced his new mission with passion. He studied Scripture with St. Simplician, gave up all his property, and became such an eloquent theologian and peace-maker that legends arose that honeybees would gather at his lips when he preached.

As one of the proud founders and owners of the AA Honey Farm, I couldn't let this honey-themed day pass without a bit of praise for the liquid gold. In honor of St. Ambrose, here is a simple recipe for Ancient Roman Honey Cake. 

Beekeeping is major part of the Kirkos Caravan's homesteading studies curriculum, not only because it's our business, but also because it's such an interdisciplinary subject. One-third of the produce we all eat is pollinated by bees- just one example of how bees are a crucial part of ecology. Here's a fascinating documentary on life in the hive from Nova, and here's one on the plight of the honeybee and the need for an increase in the number of small scale beekeepers around the globe.

Back to storytelling and bees-- during the KC Autumnal studies, our favorite story to emerge was that of "The Beekeeper and the Bewitched Hare", a Scottish story illustrating the special relationship between beekeepers and their bees. It was passed on to us by the same storyteller who passed on "The Baker's Dozen", and we in turn passed it on to students at a bonfire this Autumn. Here's a video of a Scottish storyteller relaying the tale.