Bookmark Abeille

Napoleon's choice of this symbol is certainly due to the fact that the animal evokes organization and work, but it also recalls the discovery, in the 17th century, of the tomb of the Merovingian king Childeric I, in which were found golden insects that scholars call "bees". Napoleon's choice of this emblem was intended to link him to the first dynasties of French royalty.
Recent research also suggests that Childeric's golden insects are not bees, but rather cicadas.