The Legends

In all cultures, bells are musical instruments and, in some way, instruments of worship. Since they not only call men to assemble but supernatural beings as well, it is no surprise that they are surrounded with legends.

It is said that there sound prevents the devil from abducting children and drives away storms. It seems that some bells ring themselves to announce misfortune, while others speak the names of their founder or donor or of missing persons.

 Here are Several Storie.

The Holy Friday Pilgrimage (France, Holland)

According to this legend, on the night of Holy Friday, the bells of all the churches rise up and fly to Rome, where they are blessed by the Pope (and according to some versions, they fill themselves with chocolate eggs for the occasion). They then silently return to their belfries, where they will ring for the feast of Easter Sunday.

This legend is certainly linked to the custom of “tying” the bells in memory of the passion and death of Christ and then “releasing” them during the Easter mass.

 A Bell for the Whole Empire (Japan)

A founder boasted to everyone that he could “cast” a bell whose sound would be heard throughout the whole of Japan. The Emperor, coming to know of his boasting, ordered him to cast such a bell. The founder performed incredible castings of precious alloys but achieved no results. Aware that his life was on the line if he were unsuccessful in satisfying the Imperial wish, he girded himself for his last attempt. When the crucible was about to be poured into the bell’s huge mold, his favorite daughter threw herself in, convinced that the blood of a virgin was the missing ingredient for a perfect alloy. And so it was.

“Clog An Udachta” or the Bell of Testimony (Ireland)

Following the instructions of his guardian angel, Saint Patrick (389-461) retired to the Mountain of the Eagle (today known as Croagh Patrick, “Patrick’s Mountain”) and spent 40 days in prayer to obtain a special divine blessing for his work of evangelizing Ireland. Then all the demons that lived in Ireland combined forces to tempt the Saint and dissuade him from his intentions. They gathered around the mountain assuming the appearance of an enormous flock of predatory birds and there were so many birds that they covered the entire mountain like a cloud. Saint Patrick was unable to see either the sky or the valley and his prayers seemed to be in vain. Then the Saint rang his bell. The sound was heard throughout all the valleys and hills and the flock began to disperse. Then Patrick threw his bell at the birds and they went to throw themselves into the sea. For seven years, there was not a single sign of evil in Ireland.