Our Homeland Churches and How to Study Them — John Shaqi
Our Homeland Churches and How to Study ThemHeath, Sidney
Religion
Our Homeland Churches and How to Study Them
Heath, Sidney
Church architecture -- Great Britain
S. Dunstan gave bells to many of the churches in Somerset, and he also
seems to have introduced bell ringing into the monasteries.
A few words may be of interest concerning the number and purposes of
these monastic bells, with which the life of the monks must have been
completely bound up. The _Signum_ woke up the whole community at
day-break. The _Squilla_ announced the frugal meal in the refectory; but
for those working in the gardens, the cloister-bell, or _Campanella_,
was rung. The abbot's _Cordon_, or handbell, summoned the brothers and
novices to their Superior; whilst the _Petasius_ was used to call in
those working at a distance from the main building. At bed-time the
_Tiniolum_ was sounded, and the _Noctula_ was rung at intervals throughout
the night to call the monks to watch and pray. The _Corrigiumcula_ was
the scourging bell, while the sweet-toned _Nota_, a choir bell, was rung
at the consecration of the elements.
The use of the bell-tower was recognised in the ancient Saxon law, which
gave the title of thane to anyone who had a church with a bell-tower on
his estate, and two of our most interesting Saxon churches, Brixworth
and Brigstock, both in Northamptonshire, have each a semi-circular tower
rising together with the bell-tower, and forming a staircase to it.
One of the most beautiful campaniles or bell-towers still standing
is that at Evesham, in Worcestershire, which is a good specimen of
Perpendicular architecture. It was built by Abbot Lichfield, the last
abbot but one of the abbey, and took six years in building, and was not
quite completed when the famous abbey, of which it was a final ornament,
was pulled down.
In addition to this example at Evesham, detached bell-towers exist, or
once existed, at Chichester, East Dereham, Glastonbury Abbey, Bruton, in
Somerset, and in several other places.
Markland, in his _Remarks on Churches_, says: "The great bell-tower
which once formed part of the abbey church of S. Edmundsbury was
commenced about 1436. From the year 1441 to 1500 legacies were still
being given towards the building. In 1461 an individual, probably a
benefactor, desired to be buried _in magno ostio novi campanilis_."
In Protestant use church bells have been stripped of much of the former
superstition and symbolism. They are no longer rung to announce the
miracle of transubstantiation; neither are they called upon as of old
for the purpose of scaring devils, demons, and other evil spirits which
formed so prominent a feature in the faith of the early Christian
communities.
[Illustration: Bell Turret for 3 Bells. Radipole, Dorset.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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