Evening star., 1937-12-19

IT WAS with the growth OF Chris
tianity that bells assumed i'm
portance. Before that time they were
associated in some measure with
pagan and Jewish rites, high priests
of both ornamenting their vestments
with golden bells. The old Romans
and Greeks used bells to ring the
hour when business began or the
equally important one Of the opening
of the public bath. The call to arms
by means OF bells summoned soldiers
to their duty and later the Christians
to prayer
Why the first Christians should
have chosen to elevate bells to the
high estate they gradually assumed
Is not known. But In the ancient
ritual of the church THERE association
in the services surrounded them with
sort of sacred character. They were
consecrated with a complete baptismal
ceremony and given names. Sponsors
were chosen at the amounting and the
bell was covered with the same white
garment used for the baptism Of in
fants. Pious inscriptions were carved
on their surfaces in superstititious
belief that their presence was efIlca-
cious in warding off pestilence, storms
or personal enemies.
From = purely sacred usage, bells
later were adopted by towns as a
means OF contact with the inhabitants
They notified the citizens of invasion,
fire or other catastrophies, or sum-
moned the burghers to political ses-
sions. Often the largest bell of the
principal church belonged to the
towns officials, and because of this
proprietary right was a point around
which many history making struggle
took place. for the man in charge of
the towns chief bell was also in COM
mand of the towns inhabitants.
WILLIAM THE coNoUERoR,
needing to keep track of his
disgruntled subjects. introduced the
"Curfew" into England, so that by
o'clock, all should be home and in
bed with no chance to spread dis
satisfaction with his orders. The sea-
son for planting was rung in by the
village bell as we'll as the time for
harvesting while cleaning bell" was
the signal for the start or the finish
OF days work in the fields. so that
no one could surpass his neighbor in
the amount of the harvesting done.
When the market place was open for
hn roo aiming tho tou,,,cfo1L u,ero oot;
fed by the bells pealing that the
days business could begin.
And lastly, there was the Burial
Peal" still in use in some countries,
the last salute of remaining friends
to the one who had passed on Al
though formerly used under the spur
of superstitious fear, in the hope of
driving away evil spirits from the
departed one, and eventually sup
pressed by order of the bishops. it was
later revived as a formal manner of
indicating the respect of the survivors
for those passed on.
Manufacturers have eXerted their
ingenuity in designing bells, progress
ing from the simple hand operated
type of early days to the complicated
carrilon with its power for musical
registration. The Netherlands excels
in this kind of musical art, the pro-
f1ciency of its carrilon players being
not inferior to that of artists on other
instruments. Over the quiet land
scape of country and peaceful towns
float, almost continuously, the lovely
tunes played on the bells by an expert
hand.
Today. the once powerful influence
Of bells has passed. discarded in favor
Of more modern inventions. 1t is
only at this sacred season of the year
that bells again assume prominence
in every festive occasion of the Yule
tide, merrily ringing out the ever
Joyous news Of the birth OF the Christ
Child, or mutely adding their his
torical meaning to every celebration.
A small sound in this day of magnifi-
cent tonal effects In music but hold
ing for all time the essence of spirit
uality in its sweet ringing.