In the entire history of mankind, the most urgent and important problem has been the organization and extraction of food resources. That is why people in ancient times constantly thought about the search for new sources of food.
Gifts of nature to the pantry
The beginning of the beginnings in this regard was gathering (flight-keeping is one of the varieties of collecting gifts of nature). Our ancestors found ready-made fruits, then to eat them or try to save. Over time, they learned to ennoble some plant crops, using their seeds for subsequent cultivation in the place where it was convenient for humans.
As for the consumption of animal food, people were content not only with meat. We are talking about the use of milk, which is produced by some animals, as well as specific ingredients that are beneficial to humans. Since time immemorial, honey from wild forest bees has been used not only for food, but also for healing.
Honey collection - the oldest craft
The process of collecting honey has been known since time immemorial. History is silent about the exact date of occurrence of such fishing as forest beekeeping. It is only known that the wild tribes that lived in the 4th-7th centuries BC already tried to put the extraction of this product on stream.
Ancient people, constantly hunting in the forest, noticed that very often bees use hollows for their nests in large trees. The hive in the hollow, given the fact that there are many large predators in the forest, who also do not mind eating honey, was located at a rather high altitude. It should also be noted here that the bees chose deaf forest thickets for their houses in order to limit access to the local fauna to them. Therefore, the flight of the ancient Slavs required extraordinary efforts to deliver a nutritious treat for its intended purpose.
Bortnichestvo is the oldest occupation of man
As is the case with plants whose seeds and fruits were used for food, over time, the extraction of honey from forest hives turned into a more cultured form. Initially, the basics of beekeeping were a set of natural hollows, which were simply selected on a territorial basis. Subsequently, people learned how to make artificial nests.
Bortnichestvo is a craft for creating a hollow with the hands of a person (it was called “bort”) for breeding bees. As a rule, borties were created in living trees, it was they who could provide the bees with coolness in the summer and relative warmth in the winter, which these creatures love so much. It will be useful to note that people specifically chose the most productive forests in terms of bee breeding. That is why wild bees eventually more willingly populated artificially created hollows. Which, in turn, allowed people to place them at their discretion.
How were hives arranged?
So gradually, taking into account natural factors, beekeeping in Ancient Russia began to mean not only the collection of honey, but also partly the regulation of its quantity and taste. The sides, as a rule, were arranged in trees at least 1.5-2 meters in diameter. It was such a plant that was able to successfully support the weight of the entire structure.
Much attention was paid to the height of the hive. They tried to place them as high as possible on the tree because of the numerous forest inhabitants who were not averse to eating honey. A height of at least 6 meters was considered optimal, so the work of a flight attendant required fairly good physical preparation, and among the people it was considered difficult and risky.
The time period when the flight-control developed in Russia is 4-7 centuries BC. Well-known to this day, this craft took on the advent of iron tools among mankind, which was necessary for the successful processing of trees for the installation of hives.
An interesting fact is that the iron fixtures made in the 10th century for installing the board practically did not change their structure to this day. Based on this, we can conclude that it was in those distant times that the optimal arrangement of the entire onboard craft was selected.
Bortnik is an educated and seasoned man
If we talk about the nuances, then flight-keeping is a rather privileged and partly mysterious craft. The knowledge associated with this fishery was, as a rule, family and transmitted by inheritance. Honey collection required a kind of unity with nature in order to know it. After all, stables were arranged only in those forest places where melliferous trees grew. To determine this location, ancient artisans needed to have a fairly large range of botanical and biological knowledge.
And if we take into account that the areas suitable for fishing were sometimes in the deaf more often, then it was a great courage, since in those days predators were often found in forests. In general, flight control in Russia was a revered occupation. A certain closeness and isolation of people engaged in honey collection among the common people aroused admiration and respect. The epics and fairy tales were composed of storages, in which they were called "squirrels" for their ability to cleverly climb trees. They were credited with the skills of healers and sorcerers for using the medical properties of different varieties of honey.
Devices and mechanisms
It should be noted that flight-control is not only strength, dexterity and observation, but also a tool that has improved and modernized over time. If in quite an ancient era, flight attendants used primitive scrapers and ropes, then in the process of developing this profession, the working arsenal has expanded significantly. For work with bees, for example, special masks appeared that protected the faces of the flight attendants from bites. These masks were usually made of horsehair, and the secrets of weaving were passed down from generation to generation.
As for the installation of the board itself, then the dominant element, of course, was a special hatchet, which hollowed out the "room" for bees. In addition, a chisel, sets of special scrapers and ring-shaped knives were actively used.
In order to make a board, it was necessary to climb a tree. There were several lifting methods. Some fighters used a system of leather belts, most often ropes (in very rare cases, ladders). However, the most common and effective way that the history of beekeeping knows is the use of special spikes and claws. They were put on hands and feet. By hooking on a tree trunk and gradually pulling it up, the stricker reached the desired height.
Performance
After making the board, he was allowed to stand, sometimes it took several years. Bees really do not like the smell of fresh wood and are reluctant to plant nests in such places. An interesting fact is that a well-made board could last a very long time. There have been cases when the age of the found "working" hives reached several hundred years.
If we talk about productivity, it should be noted that on average one beehive gave from 30 to 50 kg of honey per year. Given that one artisan could serve several dozen boards, the total volume is impressive even for our days.
Protection against animal attacks on honey
It is clear that such wealth needed to be protected somehow. After all, there were a lot of hunters to enjoy a sweet "potion" among animals. Unfortunately, the biggest lover of honey climbs trees very well. This is an ordinary bear. As a rule, it was he who busted and destroyed the sideboards. To combat this smart and dangerous predator, artisans have developed a whole security system, which is worth telling in more detail.
The most common way that guarded against predators climbing trees was a fairly simple mechanism. An impressive log was tied at the level of the entrance to the sidewall. When the bear reached the entry level, he needed to move away the obstructing obstacle. Given the mass of logs, the bear had to make considerable efforts to move it, thereby causing a swing. As a result of the pendulum movements of the logs, as a rule, the bear ended up on the ground.
Another rather original way to save honey on board was to equip a small platform, which was suspended at the entrance level. In order to enter the store, the bear had to sit on a structure, the fastening of which was made so that it could not withstand the weight of the beast. As a result, he found himself on the ground.
End of fishing
Unfortunately, the Slavic pilgrimage ended at the end of the 19th century. First of all, environmental factors influenced this. Actively developing heavy engineering required a reduction in forest resources. For obvious reasons, there are practically no arrays for equipping the sides. And the available forests to support this industry were already quite far away, which nullified the possible profit from the production and sale of honey products.