The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-08-01
THE LORE OF BELLS.
Their Early Purpose Conservation
Ceremonies--Pre -Preternatural Endow-
ments

Ellen Painter Cunningham in n. Y. Evening Post.
All sorts of interesting traditions and
superstitions are associated with the stories
of ancient bells, many Of which were
credited with supernatural attributes, such
as the power of fight, of active interference
in human affairs, and of exercising demons.
This last belief in the power of bells over
spirits seems to have originated in the idea
that sound disturbs the air where they
dwell The Turks alone believe that good
spirits are frightened by bells, for in India
the Hindus hung them upon their temples
to alarm evil spirits, while in China, which
next to Russia possesses the largest bells
in the world, bell was sounded to prevent
the dreaded dragon from devouring the
moon, and in Greece the Athenians dis
persed the Furies by ringing bells,
In Christian Europe bells are said to
have been originally hung on churches
merely to frighten birds away, until 400
A. D., when St. Paulinus, Bishop of Nola,
in Campania, Italy, is said to have been
the first to avail himself of bell-ringing to
assemble congregations Hence the name
campanile (from Campania) for bell
towers. Before going further it may be
noted that some authorities assert that the
word belfry is from bell and the Latin terO,
to support Another explanation is that
the word is of Greek origin, from beIOs,
missile, and phreo, to dart forth, because
the belfries were patterned after movable
towers, which were used in assailing be-
sieged cities with missiles However these
facts may be, after their association with
religious observances began, bells quickly
multiplied their supernatural proclivities
In 789 A. d. there is record of the
conservation of bells, the ceremony of which
may have varied, but according to Picard
quaint 'Discourses on Religions, published
early in the last century, bells were washed
with salt and water which had first been
crossed, and then addressed with "God
be with you next prayer was made
that the bell might receive power to quell
storms and drive away ghosts as well as to
arouse devotional feelings Finally, the
bell was blessed with holy oil, in the name
of the Trinity, sponsor mentioned, and
the bell christened with the name of
saint, a pope, secular authority, or the
donor. In England it has been customary
for a village to celebrate merrily the reeep-
tion of a new church bell, drinking from
it being part of the festivities Following
this authorization of the belief among the
people that bells held sway over the ele-
ments as well as spirits, the relations be-
tween bells and the elements rapidly de-
yeloped into close and lasting intimacy.
as is repeatedly shown in France, where
they are still rung to ward off lightning;
in l718 twenty four churches were struck
by lightning on the coast of Brittany be-
cause their bells were ringing on Good
Friday As recently as 1852 the Bishop
of Malta caused bells to be rung for an
hour to assuage violent Storm In Dur
ham Cathedral England, the choristers
annually mount the tower, the eve of the
festival of Corpus Christi, to celebrate in
song the preservation of the bells during a
raging fire, the result Of lightning striking
the building. In this instance the relics
of st. Cuthbert l.ihg below in the cathe-
dral which he founded, conspired miracu-
lously to protect the bells from harm
In regard to influencing spirits, the toll
ing of the bell for the dead to-day Is a
reminder of the s'passing bell, which
sounded, not only to notify people of the
departure of soul that prayers might be
offered for its peace, but also to drive away
evil spirits who might be waiting to snatch
it. In this connection it will be remem-
bered by those acquainted with st.
Anthony, in art, that he is often repre-
sented with bell on his crutch to recall
his frequent conquests over tempting
demons and to suggest his ability to exor-
else them. In some parts of England and
America bell is still tolled according to
fixed rules, so that the age and sex of the
deceased is proclaimed.
The bell has proved as efficient in cursing
as in blessing, especially in times of plaques
from insects and serpents. A s'papal
cursing bell, = reputed to be the work of
Benvenuto Cellini, and made for Pope
Clement VII, was owned by Sir Horace
Walpole, in his mansion at Strawberry
Hill,s until 1912: The defiant saying :
ssIn spite of bell, book, and candle, refers
to the use of the bell on the most solemn
occasion, that Of excpmmunication, when
i is tolled as for one dead.
The middle ages resound with weird
echoes of mysterious manifestations of bells
In the eleventh century, the bells of Lans-
levillard rang of their own accord to an
nounce the murder Of the beloved St.
Landry. and in Madrid al; the bells of the