Evening star., 1938-01-09
Tales Told by Bells
Through the Ages
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

AA cAAO AACW PCI1Ou VI tlulCs
Many pleasures in life are taken for
granted, as II they were right, without
thinking OF the ages required to perfect
the avenues through which these pleas
ures come, or of the artists who spent
the best Of their lives that others might
share their achievements. So it is with
the bells in churches and public buildings.
To many they are Just bells.
Symbolized in literature, mythology,
music and art, bells have rung in new
chapters in history as in the case of the
Liberty Bell. Unaware that the sounding
Of bells was signal for their massacre,
5000 Frenchmen in the 18th cen.
tury listened to the ringing Of Sicilian
vespers before being put to DEATH It
was in the 10th century that the
clamor OF bells in France cried out the
beginning OF wholesale murder Of the
HuguenOts. William the Conqueror en-
tered the history of bells as the first to
enforce strictly the fire prevention rule
that all lights and fires should be extin-
guished by eight o'clock. Time was when
bells at night brought terror to the
hearts OF the people of the Netherlands,
warning them OF the approaching of in
Vaders or that dyke had broken. Ships
today ploWlng through choppy seas lis
ten to the sound of bell buoys which warn
of danger reefs.
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Making of bells has been considered
one of the fine arts of many ages. In the
most famous bell foundry in the world,
located in Croydon England, the artisans
are descendants from families of bell
founders and their skill is said to be most
remarkable. From molten metal to the
tuning shop the bell in foundry passes
various tests that only experts can apply.
In the case of making series of bells,
only an artisan of the first order is able
to judge the harmonies of each individ-
ual bell.
Bells have a varied number OF uses
for alarms, for joy, for timekeeping. for
material purposes, for spiritual cere-
monies, for weddings, for funerals. The
first use of bells as musical instruments
was in the service of the medieval church,
but the development of the organ soon
robbed them of their place. In the early
days OF England, when timepieces were
few. bells were usd to signal the time OF
day for villagers. Bells have been In use
since the remotest days Of antiquity.
Aaron and the high priest in the Jewish
rison. and the Romans announced the
hours for the famous baths by bells.
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In some lands many are won't to think
of the sound of bell as a human voice
mysteriously speaking message of some
kind. Superstition is attached to bells
by many. One belief is that bad luck
will befall anyone stealing a bell; an
other is that ships carrying stolen bells
will never reach shore. In Austria it is
believed that on Good Friday all the
bells fly to Rome to be blessed, and on
Easter morning each flies to its own
belfry. Once prevalent in many lands
was the belief that bell could detect
criminal. All the suspected persons were
forced to pass bell and place their
hands on it. The bell began a murmur
OF sounds when touched by the guilty
party
In poetic literature bells come to full
recognition In such masterpieces as Ten
nyson's Crossing the Bar" Longfellow's
Bells of San Bias" Miltons I'll Pensero
and Comus," in Shakespeares "The Tenn
pest" and King Lear" Gray's "Elegy,"
Poe's THE Bells" Brethart's "Angelus,"
Kiplings Bell Buoy" Thorpe's "Curfew
Shall Not Ring Tonight"
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Lovers of art adore Millet's "Angelus"-
meaning ITO the Angels" This MASTER
piece depicts a custom prevalent at the
time OF calling the country folk to eve
ming worship by means of bell. In
hours of great distress bells have been
used. Pope Urban II issued an order at
time in the 14th century when a
great plague was raging that church bells
should be rung three times day and
prayers offered. Since the plague disap-
peared the custom has been handed down
through the ages as token of thankful
ness.
AS the "curfew tolled the knell Of
parting day." so for ages have village
bells knelled for the welfare of depart
ing SOUL The ring of passing bell or
soul bell, as it is frequently termed, Is
an old English custom which still prevails
in many old villages and country towns.
Very impressive and vibrant the solemn
booms of the old church bell, always
single and a deep-toned one for the pur-
pose which tolls out the years of life
spent!
France introduced church bells about
$50 AID, Greece in the 9th century and
Switzerland and Germany in the 11th
century. Christianity has carried bells
into all parts of the world. When
the early settlers came to America and
built missions and churches, all were
equipped with bells.
Paul Revere, who on the night of April
18, ITS, waited on the Charlestown
shore, booted and spurred and ready to
ride" from Boston to Concord so that the
Minute Men could be warned of the ad-
vancing British, was a member of the
society Of bell ringers then popular in
many New England towns. Christ
Church, of which Revere was a member,
still retains its official bell ringer. an
Office that has been handed down from
the days of the Revolution.
With beginning at Antwerp about
148O and developing throughout the
world, is the carlton. The first carlton
in the United States-25 bells, made in
England. and paid for by the patiently
accumulated pennies of Portuguese fish,
ermen-hangs In the austere little tower
of the Church Of Our Lady of the Good
Voyage, which looks of over a stretch of
gray New England coast line from slop-
ing hillside in the town OF Worcester
Mass. George Stevens gave the first
concerts on this carlton in 1922. Being
a wonder of their time, visitors came
hundreds of miles to hear the en-
chanted music. The Riverside Church
near Columbia University, New York
City, has carlton of 72 bells which send
their ringing notes over the great me-