ETHNOBEEOLOGY: WORD ROOT OF HACKLES To raise someones hackles means to upset, annoy, or anger someone. Hackles are also the thatched roofs atop straw skeps (old-fashioned bee hives) seen here which protect bees from inclement weather. From Old English hacele (cloak, mantle), Old High German hachul and Gothic hakuls (cloak), and Old Norse hekla (hooded frock), etc. one can easily see why raising hackles and the annoyance of honey bees might be the source of this common phrase! And yes, this phrase was later used metaphorically for upset roosters and their raised feathers! Image is by William Hammer, Danish artist (1821-1889) - Home of the Bees.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:26:38 +0000