Bell

Blessing

During the inauguration of a bell of church, the use wants that a religious ceremony to him is devoted, called baptism, blessing or dedication, during which a Nom is allotted to the bell. The tradition indeed regards the bell as a person, and affects a godfather and a Marraine to him.

Signal

The bells of the church S could formerly be used like alarm system for serious events like fire or the invasions (one sounded then the alarm bell , or with any flight : at high speed). The type of ringing of bells of churches accompanying the funeral ceremonies is called as for him the knell : it is a regular sound with the very slow tempo.

In certain areas, as in Lozere (France), certain bell-towers are called the “bell-towers of storm”, they were used to guide the travellers or the inhabitants per time of snow.

However, the bells have as a normal function to announce the passage of time. In this case, a particular sequence of sounds can be produced by a group of bells to indicate the hour and its subdivisions. One of most known and that known as of the quarter of Westminster, a series of sixteen notes which is emitted by the Carillon of the Horloge of the palate of Westminster whose large bell which sounds the hour even enjoys the name of Big Ben . Most of the time, only the full hours are sounded (in general at a rate of a blow per hour, while going from 1 to 12), sometimes in two series of blows: the peak and the repic (or recall ). In certain cases, one stops the chime during the night to preserve the quietude of the residents.

One finds systems of production of sound based on miniature bells in Alarme S, ringings of Téléphone, chime of main doors or Réveille-matin for example. For the sounds repeating itself quickly produced by such systems, the term is bell .

Symbol

The bells generally symbolize the marriage.

Musical instrument

The bells can be of all dimensions: since tiny accessories of dress (small bells or Grelot S) until those intended for the churches, weighing several tons.

The bells are used like musical instruments, organized in Carillon: a whole of at least 23 bells covering whole or part of the range. Such a unit can be ordered, either by only one Musicien via a keyboard and of a system of transmission, or by a whole of players of bells, ordering each one with the hand one or more bells with tons different. Certain chimes are composed of bells whose body consists of a simple metal tube: they are tubular Cloches.

In the area of Were worth in Switzerland, it exists also a particular kind of chime. This one, known as Valaisan chime, consists of a number of bells varying between three and approximately ten. It there does not have a keyboard, the bell ringer, sitted on a bench sometimes in the middle of the belfry, sometimes on the floor in lower part, directly actuates a very simple mechanics made up of cords and chains connected to the leaves of the bells. The greatest chime of this style is at Lens in Were worth central. The bell-tower includes/understands a chime with Flemish keyboard of 24 bells with which 11 are also equipped for the Valaisan chime (see).

Bells without metal leaf are component important of the Latin-American music. They regain the shape of the bells of countryside used for the animals, also called “ bells with vaches ” (the Spanish term in is campana besides to indicate a bell). They are struck with a stick or a baguette ; the sound is modulated by touching various parts and by deafening it with the hand.

In various places of the world (in particular in West Africa), pairs or trios of bells without leaf are united in manner that they can be struck separately or together. Most frequent is the Agogô, also used with the Brésil.

Sonnaille and clarine

In the zones where the bovine Cheptel , ovine or caprine is free of stalling, or in the Transhumance S, of the Clochette S called sonnailles can be attached to their neck to identify the animals belonging to a particular herd and to help to find them in particular when one wants to gather them. These bells are generally manufactured out of often riveted sheet, of trapezoidal, cylindrical form or in form of cut. There exist contests of “ music pastorale ” using them. The sonnaille term applies to the bells which are forged or formed using welded plates. The bells of bronze cows molten are called clarines.

In the cuban music, a bell called Cencerro is used like percussion instrument. Same the Musician also playing the Bongo S, it is called bongocerro .

There exist collectors of bells for the cattle, called campanophiles. They seek as many the forms, the matters, the different sounds. In France and Switzerland, certain collectors have several hundreds of clarines. A fair with the sonnailles is organized every year with Romainsmotiers in Switzerland. * Site of a collector

Expressions

To have the cracked bell . To be insane (bell being here synonymous with head).
Bell à/de plunger . Apparatus in the shape of bell allowing to work under water.
Bell-shaped curve . In Mathematical, indicates the chart of the normal Loi (Gaussian), used in Probabilité S.
Déménager/Partir to the wood bell. To leave without pointing out themselves, and leaving of address.
to be made sound the bells . To be strongly made réprimander.
to type the bell . To consume a good meal.
Story . Particular opinion or version concerning a business or an event.
To start with the bell . To await the last 400m to accelerate in Race on foot.
has bell-foot . To move while hopping on a foot.

Foundries

the Foundry Paccard, was creates in 1796 in Quintal, transferred in 1856 to Annecy-the-Old man, then more recently 1989 with Sévrier (74), are the largest French foundry of bells. A campanological museum was creates in 1984. Author of records such as “ Savoyarde ” (18,835 kilos) installed with the Sacred Heart of Montmartre in 1892, and more recently of the bell of the Millenium “ Millenium Bell ” (33 tons) bound for the the United States in 1999. It is the specialist in the chimes since 1937, Chambéry 30 tons 70 bells and well of others

the foundry of bells Bowlful, installed since 1838 with Saint-Jean-of-Sling, close to Orleans, melted some prestigious bells (Ottawa, basilica of Yamoussoukro…). It currently shelters a campanological museum since 1992.

the Foundry Cornille-Havard, installed with Villedieu-the-Stoves, near the mount Saint-Michel, in Basse-Normandie, is the heiress of a tradition dating from the end of the Moyen-âge. She proposes a guided visit through her historical workshop and initiates with art to melt of the bells.

With Strasbourg, the Voegele foundry created in 1908 is with the service of the campanological inheritance.

With Labergement-Holy-Marie, the Obertino foundry is the oldest company of France to be melted of the bronze bells for the cattle. This family originating in the Italian Piedmont - as the majority of the families of Swiss and French founders of 19th and 20th centuries such Albertano, Barrinotto… -, settled in Haut-Doubs in 1834. A branch of the Obertino family settled with Morteau with the beginning of the year 1930, and produces also bells of cows. In Labergement as in Morteau artisanalement clarines are produced, i.e. bronze bells, for the agricultural use and currently also for tourism and the gifts. Each bell is single, because when it is run, the sand mould should be broken to carry out the completions and to put it on sale.

See too

Campanologie
tubular Chime
Chime
the bumblebee Tsar Kolokol, larger bell of the world.
Museum Campanological European of Art

External bonds

cloches.org
Foundry Paccard
Foundry of Cornille-Havard.
European Research project: perpetuation and protection of bells.
Chimes of Toulouse: many sound extracts.
chimes of the county of Nice.
Campanologie.

Simple: Beautiful

Random links: