were formerly a prolific source of superstition. There is a valley in
Nottinghamshire, where a village is said to have been swallowed up by
an earthquake, and it was the custom on Christmas Day morning for the
people to assemble in this valley and listen to the fancied ringing of
the church bells underground. At Abbot's Morton there is a tradition
that the silver bells belonging to the abbot are buried in the site
of his old residence there. At Ledbury, a legend relates that St.
Katharine had a revelation that she was to travel about, and not rest
at any place, till she heard the bells ringing of their own accord.
This was done by the Ledbury bells on her approaching that town. When
the church at Inkberrow was rebuilt on a new site in ancient days,
it was believed that the fairies took umbrage at the change, as they
were supposed to be averse to bells; they accordingly endeavoured to
obstruct the building, but, as they did not succeed, the following
lamentation was occasionally heard by the startled rustics:
"Neither sleep, neither lie,
For Inkbro's ting-tangs hang so nigh."
Many years ago the twelve parish churches in Jersey each possessed a
beautiful and valuable peal of bells; but during a long civil war,
the states determined on selling these bells to defray the heavy
expenses of their army. The bells were accordingly collected and sent
to France for that purpose; but, on the passage, the ship foundered,
and everything was lost, to show the wrath of Heaven at the sacrilege.
Since then, before a storm, these bells ring up from the deep; and to
this day the fishermen of St. Ouen's Bay always go to the edge of the
water before embarking, to listen if they can hear "the bells upon the
wind;" and, if those warning notes are heard, nothing will induce them
to leave the shore; if all is quiet they fearlessly set sail. As a
gentleman, who has versified the legend, says:
"'Tis an omen of death to the mariner,
Who wearily fights with the sea,
For the foaming surge is his winding sheet,
And his funeral knell are we:
His funeral knell our passing bell,
And his winding sheet the sea."
GOOD FRIDAY
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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