Sharing insights from the past that help us to make sense of the present.

Bee populations in the UK have been in decline over the last 40 years particularly as a result of habitat loss, but the medieval world was teeming with bees. Bees themselves were considered a potent symbol of chastity in medieval Christianity while in Islam, honey was believed to have spiritual and physical healing powers. A thriving and lucrative international trade in bee products, driven by these religious and cultural beliefs, encouraged beekeeping on a vast scale among landowners and peasants alike.

In this event, Alexandra Sapoznik explores the cultural and religious significance of bees in the medieval world, considering the impact of beekeeping on the environment and economy of the period and how we might think about the importance of bees in our lives today.

Sign up to watch the event live and take the opportunity to submit your question during the audience Q&A.

Speakers: Dr Alexandra Sapoznik, Senior Lecturer in Late Medieval History, King's College London; former British Academy Small Research Grants award holder

Chair: Farhana Haider, journalist and broadcaster, presenter for the BBC World Service’s Witness History

Free, booking required

This event will have live subtitles provided by StageTEXT, delivered by MyClearText.

A recording of this event will be added to our YouTube channel after the event has taken place.

ABOUT THE BRITISH ACADEMY

The British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. We mobilise these disciplines to understand the world and shape a brighter future.

From artificial intelligence to climate change, from building prosperity to improving well-being – today’s complex challenges can only be resolved by deepening our insight into people, cultures and societies.

We invest in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas, engage the public with fresh thinking and debates, and bring together scholars, government, business and civil society to influence policy for the benefit of everyone.

Booking form privacy notice: The personal data you provide to us on the event booking form is being collected so that we can administer the event efficiently, contact you with important updates about the event (where required), ensure that your accessibility requirements are accommodated, notify event partners or individuals shaping the event about the event guest list (N.B. only your name and job title/organisation will be shared with relevant partners and individuals. Your contact details will never be shared) and to pass on an evaluation survey after the event. It will only be used by the British Academy for this purpose and it will be securely deleted within eight weeks of the event ending. This privacy information does not apply to the processing of your personal data by TicketTailor which will be governed by their privacy policy or by Zoom which will be governed by Zoom’s terms and conditions. If you choose to donate to the British Academy, your personal data will be used for the purpose of administering your donation, both by the British Academy and the financial services company Stripe, who will process your card payment. This privacy information does not apply to the processing of your personal data by Stripe which will be governed by the terms outlined in their privacy policy. If you have any questions or concerns about how we use your personal data, please contact the British Academy’s Data Protection Officer at dpo@thebritishacademy.ac.uk.