The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-29
THE HISTORY OF BELLS.
Their Origin and Use in Christian
and Pagan Worship.

Quaint Inscriptions-The Curfew.
England the Land of Bells-Notable
Absence in America.
From the Philadelphia Ledger.
1.-THE shiyering wretches at the curfew sound
Deiected sank into their sordid beds,
And through the mournful gloom of ancient
times
Mased sad, or dreamt of Better.
Thomson S Seasons.
Bells or their substitutes have been
used among all nations from the times Of
the earliest records, and the customs con-
nected with their use in war, religion and
domestic life have been transmitted to us
so fully that we need have no lack Of
knowledge on this interesting subject.
The limits OF, newspaper article neces-
sarily preclude an exhaustive treatment
of this portion of the development of our
civilization. and only the most cursory
sketch can be given even of the noted
bells of history.
The earlier tradition regarding bells is
recorded by the venerable Dionysius Bar
salabi who tells us that Noah summoned
his carpenters to their daily duties on the
ark by ringing hand bell made by Tubal
Cain In the book of Exodus the dress
of the high priest, with its border of pome-
granates and bells proves that
in the early Hebrew worship
bells We're freely used. Also,
wherever the sun and fire have been
adored bells have always been struck or
rung, as all Pagan records prove.
The Greeks and Romans used bells
freely Pliny speaks of the bells which
'announcedn the sale of fish in Athens,
and he and Martial both allude to the
bells rung for the opening of the public
baths at the ninth hour in the winter and
the eighth in summer. 1t is supposed
that the Phmnicians, when they visited
Britain for its tin, copper and pearls, in
troduced the use of bells amongst the an
Gent Britons, and the Druids lived in the
island 1000 B. Q. Caesar found the Brit
ish warriors well armed, ridingin scythe-
axled chariots ana carrying spears, the
shafts of which were surmounted by
tinlxlng bells.
Baalism was introduced into South
America by the CarthaGenian descend
ants of the Phpnicians, and so bells and
gongS were in use in the western hemi-
sphere long before Columbus landed
At the great feast of Cybele, 'the
mother of hundred gods, . in the month
of March, the vestals rekindled their sa-
cred lamps from the suns rays with their
burning mirrors, whilst the priests in pro
cession beat drums, rang bells and made a
loud noise in honor of their great
mother.
THE SANCTUS BELL
was hung by the Romans upon the necks
of all animals offered for sa rifice, as also
upon the necks of criminals, for Phedrus
tells US it was considered such a bad
omen to meet anything on its way to dill
81, L. LII
everyone to get out of the way of the
victim.
Bears were sacrificed to Diana in Au-
gust, and some of the "sanctus" bells
hung around their necks may still be seen
in our museums A few years ago bell
and metal speculum were found in an
ancient Japanese fire temple, the bell being
used TO assemble the people, and the spec
ulum TO produce the sacred flames, as
amongst the Greeks and Romans.
BELLS OF ANTIQUITY. a-s
In the British Museum may be seen in
the Nimroud Gallery a case of ANTICIPATED
Assyrian bells, so in number, made of
bronze, with iron tongues. They were
found by Layard in cauldron at MIN
roud, the ancient Calah, on the Tigris,
and they probably date from 835 to $50,
B. c., as the city fiourished then.
BELLS IN CHRISTIAN WORSHIP.
Although we have no authentic record
of the use of bells until the fourth centu-
ny, when the Juba was used in the con-
vents of Egypt, still we are fairly as
sured that in Britain the ritual was most
gorgeous and pompous with robes, i'm
ages, tiaras, miters, pictures and bells.
The nuns Of the great convent at Bethle-
hem used to announce the morning hour
by shouting 'Hallelujah."
In old S3DcrIiE WRITINGS cueb tho
Hitop-desa of the fifth century, bells are
mentioned and we find that St. Columbia
had bell in his magnificent church as
early as 500 A. ID.
In the sixth century bells had become
more general, for Gregory of Tours
alludes frequently to the signum being
struck at the beginning of divine service
and to announce Canonical hours. The
Venerable Bede writes OF the bellies of St
HiIda's convent, and his pupil, St. Cuth-
bert, sent famed bell to Bishop ILLUS
of Germany, and calls it clocca, word
which has held its significance in every
language but our own.
Dunstan was d well-known bell founder,
and the famed Croyland Abbey, in
Lincolnshire, had one of the first peas of
bells on record. Ingulphus, who died in
$40 A. D., writes of this peal, Non erat
tune tanta consonantia eompanarum in
King Egbert in $50 A. D. commanded
all priests to sound bells at the proper
hours, and as his law is referred to in the
French Capitulary Of date S0l A d., we
ln1er that bells were now freely used in
the parish churches of both countries. A
curious S DRY is told that when Clotaire
II, invaded the town OF Sens. Burgundy, in
0lO A. D., the bishop ordered the great
bel Of St Stephen church to be rung,
and the invaders became so terrified at
this as they supposedly supernatural in
teHention that they flung down their
arms and gave up the siege,
THE EFFECT ON ARCHITECTURE.
We read of bells suspended aloft in tho
eighth century, ana we find in old Anglo
Saxon and Norman churches that the
neIllles We're made very strong Gothic
architects made everything contribute to
the design of their cathedrals and
churches, SO this elevation of the bell
necessary 10 summon worshipers) pro-
uqred the tail bell towcr-Campani
winch IS often detached, as at Canterbury
ana Colchester Cathedrals, and at the
Tyn4urches of Beecles, Ledbury and West
"aion. Salisbury originally had one,
o1y JAe central Lambeth Towers, origi-
iH@ay DESIGNED for Light, have been util-
alV1 Iot bells, as at Ely and Winchester,
anu mus the general effect is married.
ST. PATRICK's BELL,
Ireland is particularly rich in old bells,
da.. OF Lradltionary history as TO their
IDSllF eWeled shrines ST patrjck's bell