Bell-Ringing was one of the earliest manifestations of cooperation between the Church and Science and Engineering. Whenever a Church building was erected, it had to have at least one bell, and that requirement engendered progress in metallurgy (Throwing more silver or *any* gold into the mix didn’t result in a more “divine” tone.)
Moreover, transport being what it was back in ages long ago, bells were typically cast “on site” in pits in front of the church, allowing mere peasants to see all of the “magic” in the shape and ultimate sound of the bell.
The fact that a church’s bell(s) were typically rung not by a pope or a cardinal or an archbishop, or a priest, or even a deacon, but by a sexton or some other ordinary person pulling an ordinary rope, led the bells to be closer to the laity than other manifestations of hierarchical mystery and power.
:)
1 comment
poxyhowzes
December 24, 2012 at 8:58 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Bell-Ringing was one of the earliest manifestations of cooperation between the Church and Science and Engineering. Whenever a Church building was erected, it had to have at least one bell, and that requirement engendered progress in metallurgy (Throwing more silver or *any* gold into the mix didn’t result in a more “divine” tone.)
Moreover, transport being what it was back in ages long ago, bells were typically cast “on site” in pits in front of the church, allowing mere peasants to see all of the “magic” in the shape and ultimate sound of the bell.
The fact that a church’s bell(s) were typically rung not by a pope or a cardinal or an archbishop, or a priest, or even a deacon, but by a sexton or some other ordinary person pulling an ordinary rope, led the bells to be closer to the laity than other manifestations of hierarchical mystery and power.