Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-12
Bells and
Their MAKING

C1URCH bells are of very ancient
origin. The ancients, as we
learn from the direct and Incl
dental mention of them by the old
historians and other writers. had
bells for both sacred and profane pur-
poses. BY Strabo we are told that
market time was announced by their
sound. and by Pliny that the tomb of
an ancient king of Tuscany was hung
round with bells. The hour of bath
ing was made known in ancient Rome
by the sound of bell; the night
watchman carried one, and it served
TO call up the servants in great
houses. Sheep had them tied about
their necks to frighten away wolves,
or, rather, by way of amulet. In our
own day this custom, like many 9th
ers, serves to remind us of former
times. Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, is
generally considered as the first per-
son who introduced bells into ecclesi-
astical service, about the year 400. And
we are told by ancient historians that
In the year 61O the Bishop of Orleans,
being at Seno, then in Il state of siege,
frightened away the besieging army
by ringing st. Stephens church bells,
which is clear proof that they We're
not at that time generally known in
france. The first large bells are mem
toned by Bede, in the year $50. Before
that period the early British Chris
tians made use of wooden rattles to
call the congregation of the faithful
together Hand bells probably first
appeared at religious professions, and
were afterward used by the seculars.
Ihe small bells were not always held
in the hand; they We're sometimes sus-
pended from stand and struck with
hammers.
The arrival of kings and great per.
sonases was anciently greeted by
pihglils phba she church bells. !ngulphus,
abbot of Croyland, who died about
llO9' speaks of them as being well
known In his time, and SAYS that the
first abbot of Croyland gave six bells
10 that monastery-that is to say, two
great ones, which he named Bartholo-
new and Beadipe two of a medium
size, called Turketullum and Beterine
TWO small ones, denominated Pega and
Bega. He also caused the great bell
10 pe maze called Gudla, which was
tuned TO the other bell, and produced
an admirable harmony, not to be
equaled IN England" The bells used in
the monasteries were sometimes rung
win ropes having brass or silver rings
at the ends for the hand. They were
anclently rung by the priests them
selves, atterward by the servants,
and sometimes by those incapable OF
other duties, as persons who were
bind. In the flourshing days of Pop
cry bells were actually baptized and
anointed with the chrism or holy oil
They were also exercised and blessed
by the bishop from a belief that when
these ceremonies had been performed
they had power to drive the devil out
of the air. to calm tempests, and keen
away the plague. The ritual for these
ceremonies is contained i'm the Roman
Pontifical and is still used i'm Roman
catholic countries, where il is usual TO
give the bells the name of some saint,
as was formerly done i'm England.
The doctrine Of the Church of Rome
concerning bells is that they have
merit and pray God for the living and
the dead second, that they produce
devotion I'm the hearts of the faithful.
The dislike Of evil spirits to bells is
extremely well expressed by Wynken