Bugonia

The word bugonia (or 'bougonia') is Greek in origin, meaning "ox birth". It denotes the mythical practice by which bees are produced from the carcasses of dead oxen- a misunderstanding similar to the notion of 'spontaneous generation'. The process is most clearly described by Virgil in the fourth book of the "Georgics", but had been rendered in literature by Varro Reatinus before Virgil.

A similar story of the creation of bees is seen in the Biblical story from Judges 14:14, where Samson puts forward the riddle of "out of the strong came forth sweetness," referring to a swarm of bees found inside a dead lion's body (as celebrated on tins of Tate and Lyle Golden Syrup).