Origins: Cupid and the Bee

Subject: Origins: Cupid and the Bee
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Feb 22 - 06:48 PM

Needs research

Bee, The

DESCRIPTION: "As Cupid in a garden strayed/midst the roses played)," he is stung by a bee and begins to cry. He runs to his mother and proclaims that he is dying. She responds that if a bee hurts him so much, think how much his dart hurts others
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1798 (The American Musical Miscellany)
KEYWORDS: injury love bug
FOUND IN: US(MA)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Thompson-BodyBootsAndBritches-NewYorkStateFolktales, pp. 339-340, "The Bee" (1 text)
Roud #V22674 and V11161
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Johnson Ballads 787, "Cupid wounded or the Mischievous bee" ("Little Cupid one day, o'er a myrtle bough stray'd"), J. Pitts (Seven Dials, London), 1808; also Firth b.26(56)=Firth c.18(65)=Harding B 16(66a), J. Pitts (Seven DIals, London (after 1819-1844)
NOTES [48 words]: There appear to be two versions of this, one beginning "As cupid in a garden strayed" and one which opens "Little Cupid one day o'er a myrtle bough stray'd." Both can be titled "The Bee," and the plot is the same, so I lump them, but Steve Roud gave them different tentative numbers. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.0
File: TNY339B

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Subject: RE: Origins: Cupid and the Bee
From: GUEST,cnd
Date: 15 Feb 22 - 08:14 AM

Joe, a great writeup on that poem can be read here.

It reminds me a lot of the John Donne poem "The Flea," though less sardonic in nature.