Apollo's Bee Maidens in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes

Abstract

In the Homeric Hymn to Hermes, the burlesque conflict between Apollo and the newborn Hermes,  which is caused by Hermes’ stealing of Apollo’s cattle, is solved through the exchange of gifts between the  two brothers. One of Apollo’s gifts is represented by three maiden-bees, which will endow Hermes with some  mantic powers. The reason for this association between bees and divination is a vexed issue. I argue that  the origin of this connection resides in a pun.