History of Bells

Post date: Oct 12, 2015 7:20:37 PM

The beginning of bells and bell towers dates back to 130 A.D in China when Chinese philosopher, Chang Heng, invented an earthquake detector. This mechanism used an internal pendulum that would swing based on the Earth's movements. The function of this structure was later converted so that the pendulum would hit an instrument to produce sound. From China, this mechanism traveled during the Medieval Ages to Europe, where churches quickly adopted these bells by putting them in towers.

As bells became more common throughout Europe in the Roman Catholic Churches, they all formed to have similar terms of decoration and design. These ornate pieces of art usually included an inscription about where or when they were made in addition to a religious engraving. Typically bell makers and designers can be identified through their unique style of bell design as they are a true reflection of their work and artistic abilities. Some of the most common inscriptions on these bells are of saints, angels, royal leaders, or the shield of the patron who invested in the church. Below is an example of religious bell inscriptions.