This is Sian Ellis

The portfolio of Illustrator Sian Ellis

Tag: tell the bees

New for Summer 2024; Tell the Bees Patreon Subscriptions

Posted on by sian

In July 2024 I’ll be launching a brand new subscription service for the zine ‘Tell the Bees’ via Patreon. Tell the Bees is a catalogue of bizarre stories from folklore, fiction and history. I spend countless hours researching, writing and illustrating every issue. Each issue includes a plethora of interesting and unusual tales such as ghost stories, strange history and local folklore. I include the stories from my research which I find the most interesting, creepy or compelling.

From July you will be able to access the Patreon at patreon.com/tellthebeeszine

After much research and deliberation Patreon seemed to be the best way for me to administrate zine subscriptions going forward. It will also provide a user-friendly interface to share a look behind the scenes into how the zine is made. This includes extra stories, sketches and a look into my library of vintage folklore books. It’ll be a look into the weird world where ‘Tell the Bees’ is made.

Patreon Memberships and Subscriptions

There will be tiers that include physical copies of the zine which will be sent out on a quarterly basis and also a tier that includes access to behind the scenes content only. The latter tier is perfect for those who’d like to support the zine without a physical subscription to the zine. There will also be tiers that include a whole host of extra goodies such as stickers and bonus zines. The zines will still be available for sale individually on my Etsy shop and at Redbrick Market Sheffield.

As the zine is a quarterly release, the monthly Patreon tier charges have been priced in accordance with the monthly membership fee model. This does mean that you will still be charged during the months where a zine is not released. However, these months will still include extra content being posted on Patreon so that you can get a fresh ‘Tell the Bees’ fix every month. 

I am launching this subscription model as so many of you have asked me about this previously, but in doing so this is a huge support to the zine. It allows me to have some foresight as to upcoming zine sales which allows me to dedicate more time to researching, writing and illustrating the zine. 

For me Patreon is also a perfect place for me to share stories that didn’t make it as far as the final edit, as well as showing you some of my resources and photographs from my research trips around the North of England.

A new chapter for ‘Tell the Bees’

‘Tell the Bees’ folklore zine is a real labour of love, and a lot of work goes into making every issue. It’s mind blowing that enough of you have supported the zine since it was first published in July 2023 that one year on a subscription model is something that makes feasible sense. I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to read my zine and for every single review that’s been left and the wonderful things that readers have said. I hope that by launching a Patreon page and subscription service for ‘Tell the Bees’ it can make getting your quarterly copy easier, share more insight into the background of the zine and the stories it contains and also allow the zine to continue to grow, leading it into bigger, better and weirder territories.

From July you will be able to access the Patreon at patreon.com/tellthebeeszine

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“Tell the Bees” Folklore Zine

Posted on by sian

Tell the Bees is a 32 page fully illustrated folklore zine launched in 2023. It is a zine born from a love of folklore, grisly tales, strange facts and alternative art. Each issue features a tapas board of illustrated tales, mysteries and traditions. All handpicked along the themes of the supernatural, the macabre and the unexplained.

Telling the Bees

The title of the zine comes from the custom of informing hives of bees of any deaths within the family. This is to ensure that the bees accept their new masters and remain productive. It’s also to let them know that they should produce extra wax for the funerary service.

In Celtic mythology Bees are regarded to be a link between the worlds of the living and the dead. In telling a message to the bees they are then able to pass this message to loved ones beyond the veil. Within the tradition of ‘telling the bees’ the bees themselves are expected to share within the mourning. It is traditional to drape black cloth on the hives, and indeed believed that there are risks to withholding from this practice.

The bees are traditionally told also of more celebratory events such as births and marriages. It is considered bad luck not to tell the bees of a big family event. This risks the death of the colony or their abandonment of the hive.  In some instances bees would be simply told of the news and in others it is asked that the news be sung to them. Each hive is required to be told in turn. In a tradition known as ‘ricking’ upon the death of their master the family’s eldest son must move the hives to show that a change has taken place.

The Zine

I first began researching articles and creating illustrations for the zine in 2021. I knew that I wanted to create something that shared my love of folklore combined with my work as an illustrator. As a lifelong lover of the weird and unusual I knew I also wanted to make sure that the zine always focused on the stories that stood out to me the most. Whether because they are really unusual, they are fascinating stories or they show us something about particular places or people. 

My interest in folklore is one that I shared wholeheartedly with my mother. The stories contained within issue 1 are all tales that myself and my mum shared. Stories that she told me like the tales of the fairy folk, or that I told her. It features instances of the bizarre that we discussed together, the tale of the Red Barn Murder.

You can find out more details about the zine and purchase copies over at https://thisissianellis.Etsy.com