Bell

A bell is a hollow object with one or more openings designed so that it makes a sound when it is struck by a second solid object. The striking object is often suspended within the bell. Some bells are sounded by being struck by a separate object, such as a mallet.

Bells are generally made of metal, but can also be made of glass, fired clay, wood, and animal horns. They come in a variety of shapes, depending upon the culture in which they are made and the purpose for which they are used. Bells have existed for at least four thousand years and serve many functions, including practical, ritual, and entertainment purposes.

Background

The earliest known bells date to about 2000 B.C.E. and were made in China. Chinese bell makers learned early how to cast metal bells in one piece. They often used the lost wax process in which the desired item is first carved out of wax, then coated in another substance to form a mold. The wax is melted out and replaced with the molten metal—bronze is often used in making bells. This casting process has been in use from about 4000 B.C.E.

In other areas where metal casting was not yet in widespread use, bells were often made by forging individual pieces of iron and riveting them together. Later, as the casting technique spread, bells would be cast from molds made in loam or sand. These molds would have one or more pouring holes to allow the molten metal to fill in the desired shape.

After the metal cools, which may take up to a week for very large bells, the rough bell is sandblasted and polished. If a particular pitch is desired, the bell maker uses a lathe to remove small amounts of metal from the interior until the required sound is reached. The art of making bells to a particular pitch was mastered by about the ninth century C.E.

While the common image of a bell resembles an upside-down cup with a rounded top and flared rim, bells can be designed in a number of different shapes. Some bells are cylindrical, barrel-shaped, round, or have many straight sides, to name a few. The shape has a great deal to do with how the bell sounds. Bells also come in a wide range of sizes, from tiny round jingle bells to huge bells in the towers of churches, schools, and other buildings.

The ringing of many bells is made by a separate piece, usually called a clapper, that swings freely inside the bell and strikes the sides. In many bells, this is made of the same material as the bell itself, although some metal bells may use a wooden clapper. Other bells are rung using a hand-held wooden mallet to generate sound.

The motion that makes the bell sound can also be generated in a number of ways. Some bells are attached to clothing or an item like a horse's harness; body movement causes these to ring. Others are attached to handles that allows them to be swung by hand. Some bells, such as older style church bells, are hung in a framework that allows the open end to tilt upward; these were sounded by pulling on long ropes that reached the ground from the bell tower. When ringers pulled the ropes attached to the bells in the framework, the bells would tilt and the clappers would strike, creating the sound. English bell ringers became adept at sounding bells in a distinctive pattern by timing how they pulled the rope, a technique known as change ringing. In contemporary times, many bell tower bells are electronically controlled, and many things that sound like bells, such as fire alarms, are completely generated electronically.

Overview

Bells have served a number of purposes throughout the ages. Ancient people sometimes used the loud noise to ward off evil spirits. They were also placed around the necks of animals both to ward off demons and to make the creatures easier to find. One of the main purposes of bells was to sound an alert or to notify people that something was happening. The loud, distinctive sound of a bell could be used to warn of danger, such as an imminent attack or a fire. They were also used to summon people to events.

The ancient Greeks used them to let people know when the baths and markets opened for the day and when plays were about to begin. They were also used to alert people that a religious service was about to begin. It is known that Christian churches used bells to start services in the earliest days of the faith, and by the seventh century bells were firmly associated with a number of specific church functions, such as signaling important deaths. Important parts of the Roman Catholic Mass are also signaled by the ringing of bells, and bells are rung at certain times of the day as a reminder to pray. This is common in Buddhist tradition as well. Hindus ring a bell as they enter the temple to open themselves to spirituality.

Life prior to industrialization was less dependent on specific times; people rose when the sun shone and went to bed when it was too dark to work; they ate when they were hungry and tended to other tasks as needed. When it became necessary to have specific functions performed at a specific time, bells were often used to signal these times. Shifts for sailors were announced by the ringing of bells, and industrial factories used bells to notify people when to start work, when to take a break or have a meal, and when to quit work for the day.

Bells continued to be used to help draw attention to special events. For instance, according to legend the Liberty Bell, originally known as the State House bell, was rung to attract attention when the Declaration of Independence was to be read publicly on July 8, 1776. It was subsequently run on a number of other occasions, including to announce the signing of the US Constitution and the deaths of American patriots George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton.

A number of superstitions are related to bells. Irish brides sometimes wear small bells on their garments or carry them in their flowers to ward off evil spirits. The well-known Christmas movie It's a Wonderful Life (Paramount, 1946) shares the idea that every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings. Bells are rung at weddings because they are thought to bring good fortune.

Bibliography

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"The Parts of a Church Bell." Worcestershire & Districts Change Ringing Association, www.wdcra.org.uk/study/bellparts.htm. Accessed 27 Mar. 2017.

Roberts, Kim. "Hell's Bells." Smithsonian Magazine, May 2002, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/hells-bells-63350240/. Accessed 27 Mar. 2017.

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"What is a Bell?" Blagovest Bells, www.russianbells.com/acoustics/what-is-bell.html. Accessed 27 Mar. 2017.