Bugonia
Sign in to savethumb|300px|Aristeas and bugonia. Virgil's Georgics. Lyon. 1517 Bugonia (; bougoníā) was a folk practice in the ancient Mediterranean region based on the belief that bees were spontaneously generated from a cow's carcass. By extension, it was thought that fumigation with cow dung was beneficial to the health of the hive.
~8 min read
Article
9 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Origin
- Ancient attestation
- Variations
- Ancient scepticism
- In Judaism
- See also
- References
- Further reading
thumb|300px|Aristeas and bugonia. Virgil's Georgics. Lyon. 1517 Bugonia (; bougoníā) was a folk practice in the ancient Mediterranean region based on the belief that bees were spontaneously generated from a cow's carcass. By extension, it was thought that fumigation with cow dung was beneficial to the health of the hive.
It is possible that bugonia had more currency as a poetic and learned trope than as an actual practice. The process is described by Virgil in the fourth book of the Georgics. Multiple other writers mention the practice.