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Forest tree beekeeping in Belarus

Cipher (in the State list): 33АК000112
Date inclusion: 23.11.2017
№ Protocol Rada: Пратакол пасяджэння Беларускай рэспубліканскай навукова-метадычнай рады па пытаннях гісторыка-культурнай спадчыны ад 15.11.2017 № 11-01-01/12. Пастанова Міністэрства культуры Рэспублiкi Беларусь ад 23.11.2017 № 72 / Minutes of the meeting of the National Council of Historical and Cultural Heritage of 15.11.2017 № 11-01-01/12. Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus from 23.11.2017 № 72
Cipher (in inventory): НКС-180222/1

Identifying the elements of the ICH

Name:

Forest tree beekeeping in Belarus

The second item name ICH (adopted in a particular community, the local version):

Tree beekeeping, Honey hunting

Corresponding to (s) Community (s), group (s) or individual (s) described:

The community concerned with forest tree beekeeping traditions comprises all generations of tree beekeepers. Among them are practicioners, who directly participate in the tree beekeeping process, and those, who helping them and studuing this practice as well as craftsmen who are engage in the production of special facilities which needed for beekeeping. As a rule old masters provides teaching for young people and transmit special knoweledge and skills. Men from 18 years old and over are practicing; teenagers and children are helping and studying, women are broadening the practice by other aspects ( traditional medicine and cuisine concerned). Community often comprises entire families, or groups and individuals. Some public institutions (administration and staff of forestries (ranger stations), nature reserves, local centres of cultures) are also engaged, as well as non-governmental organizations such as Brotherhood of Barefooted Tree Beekeepers, Tree Beekeepers’ Brotherhood from Dzebri, and the representatives of other communities that are indirectly related to the practice through the specific work (forestry, traditional medecine, cuisine, candle production, etc), or by the personal interest

Habitat:

Gomel region » Lelchitsy district » Lelčycy district Homiel region;  

Short description:

Forest tree beekeeping is an ancient forest-based practice, the initial form of cultural beekeeping. It is based on breeding and keeping forest bees (Baroūka) in artificial hollows (tree-hive). This practice has evolved from honey gathering from a wild bee, when a man accidentally, later intentionally (the hunt for honey) used forest bees for collecting honey. As an independent forest craft, tree beekeeping passed three stages of development: the protection and care of wild bees found in the hollows; protection and care of living swarm in tree-hives made into living trees; breeding and keeping swarm within a specially made log-hive putet on the height of minimum 3 mt. Forest tree beekeeping includes a wide-range of skills and practices which relate not only to the craft (care for bees and collecting honey). Forest tree beekeeping also is based on a great respect for natural environment, mantaining of the ecological ballance and practically sacral attitude to a bee associated with the God's. Tree-beekeepers visit they hives only few times a year. The honey collecting is always in Autumn, traditionally after the Navity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (8th September), only small amount of honey can be collected, rest should stay for the bees. It’s also a believe that only a righteous and honest man could keep the bees

Identification and description

Category:

Traditional Craftsmanship

Origin:

The formation process took place in the 1st century AD, as evidenced indirectly-linguistic materials (the word "honey", "wax", "womb", "bee" is etymologically traced to the common Slavic linguistic unity). The transition to the classical form of tree beekeeping occurred with the advent of iron tools, when it became possible hollowing tree-hive in damp tree trunks; its peak reached from 10th to 12th centuries.From the late 17th century as a result of massive felling of forests for sale, for plowing for industrial purposes began the decline of tree beekeeping, and in the first half of the 19th century it has lost its former economic importance and gave place to tree beekeeping.In a separate, clean relict cases, tree beekeeping has survived to the present day. Such relict craft preserved in the "live" view on the territory of UbarckajePalessie (Lelčycy district, Homiel region). From the 14th century in the Belarusian cities and towns was professional tree beekeeping associations with broad rights of self-government.Their activities were regulated by the Statute approved by the city CouncilThe statutes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania legally enshrines the rights of tree beekeepers. Tree beekeepers of Lelčycy district are not united by any union or other public organizations engaged in this craft in her spare time and consider it as their sacred duty to keep the traditions of their ancestors.In the forests you can still see the old deck, made only with an axe which 100 years or more.Young and old tree beekeepers work together, they help wives, and children from childhood to observe, gradually accustomed to help tree beekeepers who climb a tree.It's a risky thing, because sometimes it takes 20 meters to climb, which requires dexterity, training, observance of certain rules and tools

Language or dialect used:

Despite the fact that the distribution of the tradition of Forest tree beekeeping covers almost all the woodland, you can talk about the difference in the terms beekeeping (dialect type) — it's Eastern and Western Paliessie speech. Professional vocabulary which is used tree beekeepers of Lelčycy district, has its own characteristics Eastern woodland speech in its local variants (almost every village has such features), which is reflected in our dictionary, compiled on the basis of interviews with tree beekeepers. Dictionary attached

Material objects that are associated with the practice of the element:

Tree beekeepers produce, use and store special tools (rope – 'leziva'; long hisel – 'pieshnia'; axe – 'barta; linden box – 'lazbien' etc.)

Other intangible elements associated with the practice of the element:

The custom to take with you into the woods bread on a towel and leave it under the tree while working on care of bees.Family rites associated with the use of honey and candles: baptisms, weddings, funerals, and the custom of remembrance of ancestors.Candlemas – winter meeting with the summer

Transmission model element in the community:

Today, like many years ago the transmission of the ICH element takes place in the tree beekeepers families, from generation to generation in the process of common activity as a form of social pedagogics. The model provides for long-term assimilation of knowledge and practical skills through training by bearers of tradition during common work process. The knowledge and skills related to this practice also transmit within relevant rural communities, through common rituals, mutual cooperation, local forms of communication. There are different form of informal education in the community where ICH bearers act as trainers for community members who are interested in this craft. There are so-called secondary forms of the ICH transmitting -- recovery studies which occur on the basis of the analysis of the existed form of tree beekeeping ( using special literature, documentary souses, photos, films), as well as directly from the bearers of traditions and skills, the old tree beekeepers, who are storing the information in memory. The Brotherhoods experienced in this kind of transmiting are then organizing ttraining courses in poland and in belarus to spread the knowledge and involve more people to keep the tradition of forest tree beekeeping. Modern form of transmitting is the educational co-operation of representatives of different ages and gender during workshops, meetings and in some cases – in the process of making and learning the basic practices and skills within the bearers’ communities as well as during different festivals and special holidays

Keywords

beekeeping , beekeeper, wood, bee,baroūka, bee tree, honey

Included in the list of UNESCO

Documents

Карта_Лельчыцкі р-н_бортніцтва.pdf

Карта_Лельчыцкі р-н_бортніцтва.pdf

Карта і апісанне_Убарцкае Палессе.pdf

Карта і апісанне_Убарцкае Палессе.pdf

Арэал сучаснага бытавання бортніцтва .pdf

Арэал сучаснага бытавання бортніцтва .pdf

2018_Almanah_Bortnyia_hroniki.pdf

2018_Almanah_Bortnyia_hroniki.pdf

Экспертнае заключэнне_Сахута Я.М..pdf

Экспертнае заключэнне_Сахута Я.М..pdf

Экспертнае заключэнне_Сахута Я.М..pdf

Экспертнае заключэнне_Сахута Я.М..pdf

Іван Восіпаў_Бортніцтва ў Беларусі.pdf

Іван Восіпаў_Бортніцтва ў Беларусі.pdf

Бортніцтва_Кароткая-прэзентацыя_аўтар І. Восіпаў.pdf

Бортніцтва_Кароткая-прэзентацыя_аўтар І. Восіпаў.pdf

Родная прырода_Народнае бортніцтва.pdf

Родная прырода_Народнае бортніцтва.pdf

Photo

Video

Бортніцтва на Палессі..mp4

bortniki sbor.mp4