Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-07-19
TIE PASSING BELL.
IT WAS RUNG TO TERRlFY AND
DRIVE AWAY THE EVIL SPIRITS.

DRIVE AWAY THE EVIL SPIRITS.
Bells of Different Size to Indicate the
Rank of the Deceased-Beating Pans
to Increase the Noise-origin of the
Modern Custom of TolIing.
In the Tenth and Twelfth centuries the
twofold efficiency attributed to the early
bells, that of breaking lightning and calling
to worship, gave away to one which accorded
70 the bells much greater influence over the
veal and woe of the sinful world. The Latin
inscription on all bells of that time VIXEN
translated read:
Mems death tell by doefu knell,
Lightning and thunder break asunder.
On Sabbath all to church call,
The sleepy head raise from bed,
The winds SO fierce do disperse,
Mems cruel rage do assuage.
Some writers believe that superstitious
idea prevailing among the high and the low
of early times, which attributed to tho bell
the power to dispel evil spirits, was the prime
cause of its Introduction, the idea being that
the ringing would so terrify the diSembodied
spirit of an evil doer that he would permit
the followers of the lowly Jesus to send forth
their praises i'll peace
IN THE MIDDLE AGES.
We know that there is good reason for be-
lief in the evil spirit theory. AS late as the
beginning of the Eighteenth century it is an
historical fact that the passing bell was IL
ways rung during the time communicate
was dying to terrify evil spirits and give the
spirit of the departing Christian an ample
start in the heavenly race, otherwise it was
in danger of being overtaken and carried to
the realms below by internal emissaries de-
tailed by the devil for that purpose.
Mr.. Deuce, the antiquarian, says that he
believes that the passing bell was originally
intended to drive away any demon that
might seek to take possession of the soul of
the deceased or the one dying On this ac-
count it was not infrequently called the
soul bell He also adds that he believes an
Gent engravings of dying dignitaries, in
whose room both the priests and the devils
have assembled, the former to administer ex-
IRENE JUNCTION and the latter to take the soul
of the unlucky wight as soon as it leaves the
body, warrant this inference.
If the dying person was one of rank or
wealth, the largest bell in the Immediate
vicinity was tolled during his or her time Of
passing from life But, on the contrary,
should the dying one be poor, only small
hand bells were rung. Occasionally, how
ever, the din was augmented by pounding an
unearthly noise on tinware from the kitch-
en- the idea being to scare the devils and
COLLINS as far away as possible, by which
the poor soul would get that much the better
start of its tormentors. The louder the noise
the farther off it could be heard, thus serv-
ing double purpose, that of soaring the dew
lis out of sight and securing for the dying a.
greater number of prayers, as each one who
heard the noise was supposed to pray for the
departing spirit Excuse the travesty, but
does not the plan remind you, gentle reader,
of the one now used by an apiarist in settling
his bees2
In the seventh year of Queen Elizabeth's
reign, in the advertisement for due order,
etc." may be found the following: "Item,
that when a Christian bodie is in passing,
that the bell be tolled, and that the curate be
specialize called for to comforte ye sickle per-
son; and after the time of his or her passing
to ring no more but one short peale, and an
other short peale after the BURIAL"
AFTER THE REFORMATION.
After the Reformation, when people had
become more enlightened, it was with great
difficulty that the old custom of ringing the
passing bell was adhered to. The holder of
the people rebelled against the idea of ring
ing bell to brighten away evil spirits in
whose existence they did not believe. First,
the dssenters were told that the bell was
rung to excite within all of those in hearing a
desire to pray for the departing soul, but this
did not have the desired effect. Gradually
the people began to see that it was relic Of
superstition, and that it aroused in the dying
undue anxiety. After time it was diScon-
tnued, as mentioned above. Before the pass
ing bell had become entirely extinct how
ever, new custom of tolling the bell after
the death of the person, and before his burial,
had been engrafted into the minds of the peo-
pie by the clergy, the people being informed
that it was done sin honor of the deceased"
That this is the case in the present age no
one will doubt for an instant, but that it was
the original heir of the old devil chasing pass
ing bell of the middle ages is equally apparent.
Jacobs, in his Travels, says: Akin to the
superstitious reverence once attached to bells
in England may be mentioned the oracion in
Spain, which sounds at sunset, when every
one, as if by magic, seems fixed in his place,
uncovers his head and repeats or is supposed
to repeat, a mental prayer for a few minutes.
In tolling death the custom OF making
numerical distinction in the taps of the clap
per or tongue, in order to inform those within
the sex or the age of the person deceased or
Durand, Spaniard, who lived and wrote in
the Twelfth century, says: "Bells must be
tolled twice for woman and thrice for
man; if for clergyman, as many times as
he has orders, and at the conclusion peal on
all the bells to distinguish the quality of the
person for whom the people are to put up
their prayers.
The ceremony mentioned by Durand was
very dissimilar to that in vogue in England,
Scotland and America in later times. In
northern England and in Scotland, after the
conclusion of the regular ceremony, nine slow
taps or knells are given for man, six for
woman and three for child of either sex. In
the United States, since earliest times, one
knell has marked the demise of a man and
two that of woman. No distinction is made
in case of child the one knell sgnifying the
male sex, two the female.-John W. Wright
in st. Louis Republic.