“RING-A-LING” By Mary Davis

By Mary Davis

One of my aunts used to collect bells. Though I don’t know why, I thought they were such an interesting item to collect. I loved to ring them. I have collected thimbles and teapots because I love sewing and tea, which both make sense.

 

Back to bells. Bells have been around a very long time. The earliest bells go back 5,000 years in China.

 

Ancient Chinese Bell

Early bells were made out of earthenware, then later, pounded out of sheet metal into bowl shapes and riveted together. As metallurgy advanced and stable casting processes developed, molds of desired shapes were made so that molten metals could be poured into them, most often bronze. Now, bells could be made quite large, causing their tone to resonate farther.

 

The earliest bells didn’t hang in towers, they were hand-held items essential in daily life. They were used as warning devices by sentries who were on guard and at outposts by the ancient Greeks. In the book of Exodus, bells adorned the high priest’s robe. Bells became important in royal and religious ceremonies across the globe. Romans hung bells around their cattle’s neck to help locate those that might have strayed.

 

Bells have served as notification devices to signal a fire, call people to worship, announce births and deaths, invasion, celebrations, to toll the hour, and to let school children know when it’s time for recess. They were also used in mines for workmen to communicate with each other as well as for people above and below ground to deliver messages back and forth. Bells have been staples on boats, trains, schoolhouses, and town halls. Miners used bells as communication between workers underground as well as between personnel above and below ground.

 

On February 5, 1484, the Great Bell of Dhammazedi was cast and believed to be the biggest bell made. The bell was cast of gold, silver, copper, and tin. It stood twelve cubits high and eight cubits wide, weighing over 300 tons. Since there is no standard for a cubit (depending who, where, and when), I couldn’t determine the size in feet, but it could have been between 17 and 48 feet high by between 11 and 32 feet wide. In 1508, it was stolen to be made into cannonballs by an opposing army. The bell was put on a raft being towed by a ship, but the raft couldn’t take the weight and broke. The bell sunk to the bottom of the Bago River, taking the ship hauling it down with it.

 

Inevitably, bells became works of art and could be tuned to specific notes to be used as instruments.

 

The carillon—an instrument made up of a set of at least 23 bells—has been traced back to the 16^th century in the Low Countries (present day Belgium, the Netherlands, and French Netherlands). These bronze bells are hung in fixed suspension, usually in bell towers, and tuned in chromatic order so they are harmonious together. They are struck with clappers connected to a keyboard along with pedals operated by the feet. Jacob van Eyck and the Hemony brothers cast the first tuned carillon in 1644.

 

Oldest known picture of a playing carillonneur, from De Campanis Commentarius (1612) by Angelo Roccha (1545–1620)

Cast In Bronze-Author Photo

Here is Cast In Bronze playing Carol of the Bells on his carillon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGR4Lj8cpYs

And here is the Dance of the Fireflies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tVZxqEm5PQ

 

Fun Fact: Great Britain has the nickname the Ringing Isle because of its numerous bells.

 

Bells have had a wide variety of uses over the millennia. My aunt’s were merely for her pleasure.

 

I also collect gravy boats. Why? The only reason I can think of is that we had one when I was a child, plus I LOVE mashed potatoes and gravy. I am glad to say that I am in possession of that gravy boat along with the matching ladle and mashed potato bowl.

 

My favorite things to collect these days are hugs from my grandchildren (and my children).

 

Do you collect bells? Something else?

 
MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR (Heroines of WWII series)
3rd Place 2023 SELAH Award

A WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) flies a secret mission to rescue three soldiers held captive in Cuba.

Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon is a thirty-four-year-old widow, mother of two daughters, an excellent pilot, and very patriotic. She joins the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). As she performs various tasks like ferry aircraft, transporting cargo, and being an airplane mechanic, she meets and develops feelings for her supervisor Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg. When Peggy learns of U.S. soldiers being held captive in Cuba, she, Major Berg, and two fellow WASPs devise an unsanctioned mission to rescue them. With Cuba being an ally in the war, they must be careful not to ignite an international incident. Order HERE!

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle Book 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) is a SELAH Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; THE WIDOW'S PLIGHT, THE DAUGHTER'S PREDICAMENT, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection, Prodigal Daughters Amish series, "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at: Books2Read Newsletter Blog FB FB Readers Group Amazon GoodReads BookBub

 

Sources

https://www.bells.org/bell-history

http://www.historyofbells.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carillon

Sleigh Bells and a Giveaway

by Anita Mae Draper

Lady in cutter, Calgary, Alberta, ca 1910. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives

The winter songs that merrily sing out about sleigh bells jingling at Christmas weren't just a holiday tradition, but in many snow regions were a legal requirement to winter transportation. The reason being that fast gliding sleighs and other conveyances on steel runners were often the cause of accidents to the unwary. A leather strap of bells, as in the above photograph, was an easy way to warn the public as well as comply with any local laws concerning winter driving.

Porcupine Advance (Porcupine, Ontario, Canada), 23 Jan 1924

Although many states and provinces have taken the sleigh bell law off the books, it is still illegal to drive a horse-drawn sleigh without bells in Ontario, Canada, where according to the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, "Every person travelling on a highway with a sleigh or sled drawn by a horse or other animal shall have at least two bells attached to the harness or to the sleigh or sled in such a manner as to give ample warning sound."

Court records found in the London, Ontario public library show a common occurrence in 1877 for sleigh drivers to be fined $1.50 for driving a sleigh without having bells attached. 

Depending on size and how they are made, sleigh bells give off sounds from merry jingling to heavy clunking. The image below shows round bells with a single slit, called a throat, that is one open cut across the diameter to let out the sound of the iron pellet or ball bearing rolling around inside. Sleigh bells don't hang down like an open bell, but are riveted to the strap, or held in place with a shank, and stand upright for the best sound quality. 

Crotal bells with iron ball bearings, 19th century. Courtesy of National Museum of American History

There are no rules to how many bells are too many, or how elaborate sleigh bells and their harness can be. Take this late 16th to mid 17th century pen and ink watercolor from a Nuremberg, Germany parade which shows an impressive harness with many bells.

Album of Tournaments and Parades in Nuremberg, Germany. Public Domain, Wikipedia

Sleigh bells are known by several names and shapes depending on the region. What we call petal bells in North America are referred to as crotal bells in the United Kingdom. Manufacturers of petal bells - on both sides of the ocean - go back 400 years and vary in size from 3/4 inch to over 4 inches or more. Older petal bells have a ridge around the middle and two to four holes cast into the lower half. The older they are, the more decorative, with manufacturers initials or the size engraved near the throat. 

Crotal bell cast by the Robert Wells bell foundry of Aldbourne, Wiltshire, U.K. Public Domain Wikipedia

Early catalogs show strap with bells alone, or with chimes attached. The open bottom chimes added a melodious sound to the jangling strap of bells and could be heard from a greater distance. 

Strap Bells, Sears, Roebuck and Co., 1896. Public Domain

Chimes were often used alone where they sat above the horses back. Open bottom shaft bells were attached to the sleigh's trace, or shaft. This 1890 catalog from R. S. Luqueer & Company shows a variety of what was available at the time. 

Bells and Chimes, 1890 catalog. Public Domain

As a modern collector of jingle bells, I bought a strap of sleigh bells a few years ago and then gave it to my daughter. This year, my son is in his first apartment and drooled over my leather wreath with large sleigh bells attached, so I gave it to him. I am left with this modern reproduction assortment, none of which are worth anything of value, but pleasurable enough when it comes to testing their different shapes and sound quality. 

Anita's Jingle Bell assortment

Personally, I love the sound of No. 2 Ring of Jingle Bells which have hung on our front door Christmas wreath in winter weather for several years. I also like the richer tone of No. 3 and No. 5 which appear to be made of the same metal but have different throats. For contrast, No. 6 is an open bell and not a jingle bell.

I found this interesting video where you can hear and learn about the different sounds of sleigh bell types. More pics and info on their post by the same name.
Everything You Never Knew You Never Knew About Sleigh Bells

If you are interested in sleighs and horse-drawn winter conveyances, check out my post,  https://www.hhhistory.com/2017/12/sleighs-cutters-carioles.html for info and images from the past.

Have you ever been on a sleigh ride? Have you heard the sound of sleigh bells? Care to share your thoughts?

Giveaway of one new signed copy of a small hardcover book, A Cup of Christmas Cheer Volume One: Tales of Faith and Family for the Holidays to one person who leaves their email address in the comments of this post. 
Deadline to enter is Dec 5, 2019 at midnight PST. 
My first published story, Riding on a Christmas Wish, is part of this collection and is set in 1911 Ontario, Canada. Riding on a Christmas Wish features sleigh riding so if you liked this post, enter today for a chance to win the book.

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Anita Mae Draper lives on the Canadian prairies where she uses her experience and love of history to enhance her stories of yesteryear's romance with realism and faith. Readers can enrich their story experience with visual references by checking Anita's Pinterest boards. All links available on her website at www.anitamaedraper.com

Notre Dame Cathedral Part 5: The Bells

By J. M. Hochstetler

Today’s post finishes up my series on the magnificent Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris as it was before the recent fire. In this installment, we’ll focus on the bells whose beloved tones are a cherished daily part of Paris life.

During the French Revolution, all but one of the cathedral’s bells were melted down to make weapons and guillotines for the revolutionaries’ grisly work. The destroyed bells were first replaced during the mid-19th century, and then again in 2013 during the celebration of Notre-Dame’s 850th anniversary. In a formal ceremony that drew extensive media coverage, the new bells were washed with holy water, anointed inside and out with chrism oils, and blessed before being installed, again completing the cathedral’s full complement.

Emmanuel bell. Jason Riedy, CC BY 2.0

Each bell is given a name. Emmanuel, the cathedral’s largest bell and the bourdon, the one with the lowest pitch, occupies the south tower. It is tuned to F sharp and is the only bell that survived the revolution, possibly because at thirteen tons it would have required extraordinary efforts to remove it from the belfry. It was installed during the 15th century and was recast in 1681 at the request of King Louis XIV who gave it its name. Emmanuel sounds each hour of the day and has been rung to mark some of the most important events in France’s history. It sounded the “Te Deum” for the coronations of the French kings and has been rung for the funerals of French heads of state, the visits of important world leaders, the end of wars, national and international tragedies, and holy days such as Christmas, Easter, and Ascension. Bell ringers and musicians still consider this bell to have one of the most beautiful tones in all of Europe.

Accompanying Emmanuel in the south tower is the cathedral’s second largest bell, a drone bell named Marie in homage to the Virgin Mary. At six tons and tuned to G Sharp, Marie is called the petite bourdon). Cast in a foundry in The Netherlands, it is engraved with the phrases “Je vous salue Marie,” (in French, “Hail Mary”) and “Via viatores quaerit,” (in Latin, “The way is looking for travelers”). Below is an image of the infant Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, surrounded by stars and a relief with the Adoration of the Magi.

Eight bells of graduated sizes occupy the north tower. At left are nine of the bells on public display in the cathedral’s nave in February 2013. From left to right are Jean-Marie, Maurice, Benoît-Joseph, Étienne, Marcel, Denis, Anne-Geneviève, Gabriel, and Bourdon Marie.

South Bell Tower

The largest, named Gabriel after the Archangel Gabriel, who announced the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary, weighs four tons and plays A sharp. It was cast in a bell foundry outside Paris in 2013 and is inscribed with the first sentence of the Angelus. Forty engraved lines represent the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert and the 40 years the children of Israel spent wandering in Sinai desert. It is used mainly for ordinary masses on Sundays and chimes the hours throughout the day. Like Emmanuel and Marie it is also used to mark important events.

Anne-Geneviève is the second largest bell in the north tower and the fourth largest in the cathedral. Its name is a tribute to St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, and St. Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris. The second line of the Angelus is engraved on it as well as three lines representing the Trinity and the three theological virtues. Weighing three tons, it is tuned to B and is also used to mark specific events. It is the only bell that remains silent during the Angelus Domini at 8 a.m., noon, and 8 p.m. in the summer.

Denis is the third largest bell in the north tower and fifth largest in the cathedral. Named in honor of Saint Denis, the martyr who was also the first bishop of Paris c. 250, the bell has engraved on it the third phrase of the Angelus and seven lines representing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the seven Sacraments. It weighs 2 tons and plays C sharp.

Marcel, the fourth largest bell in the north tower and the cathedral’s sixth largest, is named for Saint Marcel, the ninth bishop of Paris in the fifth century, who was known for his tireless service to the poor and sick. The fourth phrase of the Angelus is engraved on it. Tuned to D sharp, it weighs 1.9 tons.

By Thesupermat - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Étienne, the fifth largest bell in the north tower and seventh largest in the cathedral at 1.5 tons, plays E sharp and is named after the first Christian martyr, St. Étienne (in English St. Stephen). It commemorates the old cathedral church of Paris that preceded Notre Dame, which was dedicated to the saint and carries the fifth phrase of the Angelus. Its most prominent feature is a gold stripe above the nameplate.

Benoît-Joseph is the sixth largest bell in the north tower and the cathedral’s eighth largest, named in honor of Pope Benedict XVI, using the French version of his pontifical name and his given name, Joseph. It plays F and weighs 1.3 tons. It has two silver stripes above the skirt, one silver stripe above the nameplate, and is inscribed with the sixth phrase of the Angelus. This bell is used for weddings and sometimes chimes the hour replacing Gabriel, generally on the Ave Maria.

Maurice is the seventh largest bell in the north tower and the cathedral’s second smallest, weighing one ton and playing G sharp. It’s named after Maurice de Sully, the bishop of Paris who laid the first stone for the construction of the cathedral in 1163. It has two gray stripes below the nameplate and the inscription, “Pray for us, Holy Mother of God.” This bell is used for weddings.

Notre Dame de Paris

Jean Marie, the tenth and smallest bell is tuned to A sharp and weighs 0.780 tons. It bears the name of Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, who was the bishop of Paris from 1981 until 2005. It has a small gray stripe above the skirt and displays the eighth and last sentence of the Angelus. This bell is also used for weddings.

Four additional bells were added at the top of the North Tower in 1856 to replace those destroyed during the French Revolution. These rang daily for basic services, the Angelus, and the chiming of the hours, but were placed in storage in February 2012. The largest of these, Angélique-Françoise weighs 2.11 tons and is tuned to C sharp. Antoinette-Charlotte, weighing 1.47 tons, is tuned to D sharp. Jacinthe-Jeanne at 1 ton is tuned to F. The smallest at 1,691 lbs. Denise-David, is tuned to F sharp like Emmanuel.

In 1867, a carillon of three bells were put in place in the spire with two chimes that linked to the monumental clock. Another three bells were placed in the actual structure of the Notre-Dame Cathedral itself so that they could be heard inside. These have not been rung for some time, but their restoration was under consideration before the fire.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series on the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris! Please take a moment to listen to the ringing of the cathedral’s bells, then share your answers to the questions below.

Do you live or work where church bells sound the hours of the day? If so, do you find it pleasurable or distracting? If there are no bells in your vicinity, what other sounds might capture your attention on a typical day, for example, wind blowing through the trees, wind chimes, bird songs, animal sounds like the lowing of cows, bees buzzing in the garden? Or does the cacophony of city streets energize you? Please share the sounds you enjoy during your day!

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J. M. Hochstetler is the daughter of Mennonite farmers and a lifelong student of history. She is a professional editor, a publisher, and the author of award-winning historical fiction whose books have been endorsed by bestselling authors such as Lori Benton, Laura Frantz, Jocelyn Green, Michelle Moran, and MaryLu Tyndal. Her American Patriot Series is the only comprehensive historical fiction series on the American Revolution. She is also the author of One Holy Night, which won the Christian Small Publishers 2009 Book of the Year and co-authored the award-winning Northkill Amish Series with Bob Hostetler. Her latest release is Refiner’s Fire, Book 6 of the American Patriot Series.