medieval jingle bells: How to avoid traffic accidents in medieval times!

Jason discusses crotal bells and the sounds of the medieval landscape and experiments to find out how it might have helped medieval road safety. #medieval #bells #knight #stallion
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Direction, Camera, Sound, Editing Kasumi
Presenter Jason Kingsley OBE
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[@christychristina292]

The elderly lady [95+ years old at the time, so was born in the 1870s] that we bought our farmhouse from told me that her favorite memory of our farm was when the jingling sound of the harness bells on the horses of her father's farm wagon when she was a child. She said they sounded like the bells of doom when he drove her to school in the wagon and the happiest sound ever when he came to pick her up and take her home daily. Recently we had a heavy rain storm at the farm and a slope that led to/from the barn was washed out... and I found one of the old harness bells. Very large, super heavy, and still works. Have it hanging in my car now so it can keep doing its job when I am traveling.

[@ModernKnight]

Lovely story from the past.

[@poletooke4691]

Ok I love this story.

[@lisasmith516]

I hung them ( XMass Bells) on my bedroom door to keep my soon to be X "out!" Lisa Rae Rousseau (Un- Romantic Story From "The Past.")

[@mademoiselledusfonctionell1609]

@@lisasmith516 It is a treasure to have met people "from long ago". When I was little, we rented a place in the archipelago of Stockholm. It is a fair bit out and to the south, on Utö ("the outer island" - from there it is pretty much only water until you reach Estonia). My neighbours included old fishermen, one of whom was almost 90 years old. In his youth, he built small rowing boats for himself and for others. He had "ryssjor" (for catching eels), which he didn't want me to crawl into. When I was three, he told my mum that I was about the size of a pike. Fish and fishing had been his life and his livelihood since the 19th century. In his youth, they would row these small boats all the way to Stockholm to sell their catch. When I was a bit older, my mum said that someone had given her a bit of a jolt by saying that the Viking age was not more than ten very long lifetimes ago. (That gave me quite a jolt, too.) Life has changed so much since then. And later I learned that our present king (Carl XVI Gustaf), when he was born in 1946 was laid on the lap of his great grandfather, the then king, Gustaf V, who, when he was born in 1858, was laid on the lap of queen Desirée - born in 1777. And here on KZbin, you can find clips from American tv-shows with interviews with people who were born as slaves (in the USA*) and even one person who witnessed the murder of Abraham Lincoln. Talk about modern history tv... *) Slavery is still going on in the world. And not only in the shape of human trafficking, but in the shape of the import of domestic labour in (mainly) the Arab world. Employers who steal the maids' passports, beat them and, in some instances, kill them makes it all too reminiscent of chattel slavery. And Mauritania abolished slavery as late as 1981 (NINETEEN eightyone), but only, after international pressure, in 2007 passed a law making it possible to prosecute slaveholders (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_Mauritania). (And then there is daesh, biding their time. And Putin... God...the depression!)

[@fidadefoe]

@@mademoiselledusfonctionell1609 thank you for sharing your stories!

[@winterbear8633]

You can talk about tiny bells for 10 minutes and make it interesting. That's a rare talent!

[@ModernKnight]

Thanks!

[@tasmangirl]

Winter Bear In France we call that « culture »😉 BTW what a beautiful stallion ...

[@darrinwright6758]

Love the show, Keep up the good work

[@taikajorma7276]

Winter Bear 0:46

[@wcfheadshots240]

@@tasmangirl - He could say anything and it would sound lovely. That's called "appeal". :)

[@leah2339]

I imagine an immortal watching this and thinking: “What a familiar sound. Good times”

[@MarcAmengual]

xD great coment

[@jarroddraper5140]

You ever read the Alchemyst by Michael Scott

[@lucasbiermann257]

immortal? there are still some places where there is still a lot of old traditions with horses and they use them to this day.

[@austinsmith675]

:)

[@jarroddraper5140]

@Chuck Sta. Maria I liked the its part 1 of 6

[@mehitabel1290]

"One of my war-horses in training.." Well, THAT's the party small-talk stitched up.

[@ShannonSouthAfrica]

Hahaha well put.

[@3katfox]

That's probably the best pick-up line a guy could have

[@wcfheadshots240]

Got my attention. I'm a photographer who photographs people & horses.

[@zhain0]

@@wcfheadshots240 i think he owns 14, may or may not include a mule

[@motivationtub8957]

@@zhain0 oh it does lol

[@dorothymerrell6091]

Ghost is absolutely gorgeous and the name Ghost suits him.

[@inisipisTV]

Run Ghost, show us the meaning of haste.

[@Yora21]

I've never paid attention to it before and don't have been around horses as much as actual horse people, but this is the first time I noticed a horse having blue eyes.

[@dorothymerrell6091]

Yora I boarded my horse at a stable where the owner's horse had one blue eye and one brown eye. As I remember he was a paint stallion.

[@kevinj1440]

@@Yora21 It's to do with the nerdy genetics! All horses with double dilute creme genes (CRCR) has blue eyes :D

[@bakters]

I was just checking, if somebody already wrote it, so I don't have to. 270 likes too. 271 now.

[@DidntKnowWhatToPut1]

I've found a fair few medieval crotal bells whilst metal detecting. They're very common finds, so must have been in wide use. Mine still ring after a bit of cleaning.

[@darianestes6813]

I'm jealous! It'd be so cool to have a real little piece of medieval times.

[@rubenskiii]

That´s because you still believe in them Al. ;)

[@garrettbaker8098]

@@rubenskiii If you just beliiiieeeeeeeevvvveee. Love that movie.

[@catcraft5527]

I suppose you find them so much because they would easily fall off tack like how peoples coins fell out of their pockets in history.

[@JaneDoe-ci3gj]

Very interesting. How do you know they're medieval. I mean how do you date them?

[@KillerDragon117]

“Walk on.” Is what I tell myself when I’m in the candy aisle at the grocery store.

[@VictorDude98]

Make sure you pat yourself and say "good boy" when you're at the register

[@fluffylee41]

KillerDragon117 Good idea, but I think I would need someone behind me with the threat of a horse whip to stop me from selecting some sweets 🙂

[@greysson2933]

Victor Lindvall “gOoOd boOoy”

[@amandawilcox9638]

KillerDragon117, And maybe that set of bells on your belt or tied in your hair will keep you from being distracted by the candies! 🐴 Happy 2020, jangle or no! Good work, medieval history dude. I just subscribed. Thanks!

[@Kaarna5]

You mean the sweets aisle at the shop

[@francess6161]

When I was riding a lot in quiet country areas my horse was occasionally startled by birds flying suddenly out of a bush or an animal rustling away in the undergrowth. One day I was a million miles away in my thoughts and I think my horse also when something startled him so badly that he jumped hugely, sideways and left me on the ground on the other side of the track. I think that could be one of the main reasons for the bells, not to warn people so much as the more abundant wildlife there would have been in the hedges and forests. Falling off a horse was probably a leading cause of injury or even death in those days.

[@josiec9249]

MY great great grandfather died from falling from a horse in the 1880's. It was a common cause of death much more recently than even medieval times!

[@IXIskarfaceIXI]

@@josiec9249 common cause of death now is failling off your bed, tbat's why i sleep on the floor :^)

[@ShannonSouthAfrica]

Good point.

[@cheerio3847]

Huh, good thought. kinda like modern bear bells in the wilderness. We use them not to scare the bear - but to let it know we are about.

[@beardedbjorn5520]

Quails used to scare the crap out of my Dad’s quarter horse when he was rounding up cattle.

[@maddie9602]

I love how Jason always lists whichever horse appears in the credits.

[@thepubquiz3198]

Ha never even noticed that before

[@guardrailbiter]

It seems he values horses as much as they were in medieval times. Only by contemporary standards is it "just a horse." 🐴

[@minyoongisaegyoinfiresme5277]

@@guardrailbiter ummmm it's very much the opposite. As an equestrian, I can assure you that our horses are family members. I love and cherish my horse as if he was my child.

[@Andrea_404]

@@guardrailbiter Horses were not perceived more valuable in medieval times, as in general. It's always up to the owner, independetnt from the era.

[@PrimusGladius]

Not only that but he gives them top billing. His respect and affection for them is most admirable.

[@daveh3997]

Back when I was in college, I was hiking in the Red Rock Country of Southern Utah. Once, I stepped around a large rock outcrop and came face to face with a cougar (the mountain lion kind--not the 40 something named Karen kind). And I don't know who was more startled--me or that big cat. Since then, I have kept couple of small bells attached to my hiking stick. Better to warn others of my approach than become lunch. Now I have a name for them. Thanks.

[@JaneDoe-ci3gj]

(The mountin lion kind-not the 40 something named Karen kind) 😂👍 Good idea with the bells!👍 p.s I pity anyone named Karen nowadays😕😂

[@elizabethharttley4073]

We wore bells when hiking in bear country up in Alaska. There are animals you do not want to startle

[@MrBottlecapBill]

@@elizabethharttley4073 Or attract with dinner bells. :D

[@elizabethharttley4073]

@@MrBottlecapBill Haha i have heard that before and wondered. Still i feel that a startled bear would be a worse scenario.

[@rickc2102]

Right, scrotal bells.

[@Starry_Night_Sky7455]

If he ever accidentally hits a time warp wormhole back to the medieval age, he will be prepared for anything.

[@DrMckay991]

maybe. But medieval people will dont trust someone speaking modern english coming from somewhere they never heard off

[@DC-yf2sw]

I'm pretty sure that he is prepared to that as well, at least at some degree

[@robwright1286]

@@DrMckay991 Just watch him whip out the ye olde English lol

[@drworm5007]

Probably won't even notice for a few days.

[@SunSchrody]

Ghost is suuuuuch a stunning stallion.

[@yes0r787]

He certainly is 💛

[@polomare2027]

Back in the 1990's "rhythm beads" became a fashion thing on my local barrel racing circuit. One girl started making them, and sold them to everybody else. It was essentially a horse necklace that clipped to at least one of the breastplate dees on the saddle, or could be braided into the wither hair with a loop, and it draped across the horse's shoulders in the same general area of a breast collar. The necklaces were made out of strings of beads that were made to clack together when the horse traveled. The faster the horse, the faster the rhythm. Allegedly, the clacking encouraged the horses to run faster. Regardless of whether or not that's true, they certainly sounded cool and were all the rage for awhile. Additionally, the trainer at my boarding stable figured out that rhythm beads on lesson horses helped young riders learn to keep a steady rhythm at a trot. And she used them to great effect for a long time. Don't know why they've passed into disuse. I never see them any more and they were a charming idea. Anyone reading this who likes the crotal bell idea may want to try making your own rhythm beads. They are easy enough to make and they certainly do add an interesting extra dimension to the riding experience. I still have mine all these years later.

[@Sassenach1745]

I've got a set of rhythm beads, though the lady selling them suggested them as effectively a white noise generator to reduce spooking at sounds rather than for encouraging extra speed! Couldn't say for sure if they actually worked on either front, but my beloved rather spooky Highland was entirely unbothered by them (he was far less convinced about chainmail, but we got around that with patience and bribery!) I'll have to dig them up some time - they used to make a lovely sound.

[@michaelsarrafian3848]

In the US there is a saying: "I'll be there with bells on!". It means they plan on being at the place and time agreed upon and in good order. The saying goes back to when teamsters were still using horse drawn wagons. If their wagon broke down and they received help, it was tradition to gift the helper with a harness bell. It a teamster got to their destination without any bells left they had a lot of trouble. I've also attached small bells to my backpack while walking the Appalachian Trail to warn bears I was there. Bears, especially ones with cubs don't like to be surprised.

[@mossygreen2790]

Oh, that's interesting. Of course, in the UK during the medieval period, there were still wolves roaming around, hence bells are a warning for them & the horses too. Though when I was a kid, I read "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase" by Joan Aiken & in my imagination, I could picture the packs of wolves, chasing the sleighs & the carriages & then pictured them trying to get inside, to get to the 2 little girls! = spoiler alert, they didn't get eaten/attacked, but someone did? But actually, wolves very rarely attack/kill humans, but of course, come for the Farm animals, working animals, husbandry, pets & so, they were persecuted & became extinct. (I think I recall being taught that the last recorded wolf shot in the UK was in the late 1700's??

[@colinp2238]

The way in which you talk to your horses must build real confidence in them, for you.

[@Walduhu]

Let's go, Roach!

[@OlWolf1011]

And so the song called "Jingle Bells" - on the harness of the horse hauling the sleigh. When I first had to do shopping from a wheelchair, and most folks when shopping don't look down and trip over the chair - I put harness bells on my service-dog's harness - to alert other shoppers to look where their feet are going.

[@babbel124]

I love how you treat your horses. Equestrians so often forget to praise enough, especially when in new situations. You build up the confidence of your horses in such a gentle and beautiful way 🥰

[@catzkeet4860]

hence "jingle bells" a sleigh pulled thru snow by horses wouldnt make a lot of noise other than the bells on the harness, there for just this reason.

[@Hephera]

you dont put sleigh bells on the sleigh. you put them on the animals.

[@catwoman1263]

@@Hephera catz said the bells on the harness, not on the sleigh. The harness goes on the animals.

[@mcj084]

catz Keet 🎶“Crotal bells, crotal bells, crotal all the way...” It just doesn’t have the same “ring” to it as “jingle bells”.

[@Dept_Of_Ducks]

mcj084 it works if you put it in the song Silver Bells instead!

[@wintershock]

I always just thought it was just a Christmas thing.

[@corpseinthesky6111]

Jason calling his horses good boys is the content I need in my life

[@tomagabriel9542]

Finding relatively obvious aspects of medieval life, that no one even thinks about... That makes them twice as interesting and leaves me twice as amazed. Sir you are a genius!

[@BonaparteBardithion]

Cat bells do something very similar. When they prance it sounds like a trot, when they run it sounds like a canter, and when they walk you hardly hear anything. Bells also teach cats how to sneak better because they learn what motions don't ring the bell at all. On the other hand, one of mine deliberately shakes in a way that rings instead of meowing to let me know they're outside a door. I imagine horses picked up similar habits.

[@tin2001]

Allegedly if you put one bell on each side of a collar, most cats struggle to stop it jingling when they prepare to pounce on birds and such. A single bell they usually figure out how to hold their head to muffle or stop the jingling, but 2 opposed bells is much harder.

[@toddellner5283]

This makes me think of horse nomad music, Fulani, Tuareg, Tuvan, Mongolian, whatever. It's basically got four tempos, walk, trot, canter, and gallop, with gallop almost always having a whistling sound. You can hear it in the bells here. One time I heard a Tuvan song that just seemed off; the title was "Yellow Pacer". Thinking about it, yeah, it's exactly the rhythm that a pacer would have.

[@justej42]

Can you imagine minding your own business as a pedestrian and hearing hundreds of these little bells in the distance getting closer and closer?? They’re almost sweet at a walking pace but I imagine that would be pretty frightening.

[@mahna_mahna]

I would wonder if they'd still use them if they were traveling in a large group. In a large group of horses, the hoofbeats themselves are going to be decently loud.

[@fleetskipper1810]

A Girl Has No Name I’ll bet they would still use them for intimidation purposes. It would like be like hearing 100 cars coming from a distance, all of which are beeping their horns.

[@aoliver3230]

JINGLE BELLS JINGLE BELLS

[@annasolovyeva1013]

In my country... I would think that those are either someone important or a wedding, depends on the bell type. Important people (i.e. government officials) were reglamented to use certain amount of bells (not kettlebells, but a fist-sized bell with a tongue), 1 to 3 on their carriages. Think of that like lighs on top of a car. A carriage with bells has a priority on road. As long as I remember, 1 is royal courtier, 2 is vip and 3 is Tzar himself. And wedding and selebrating groups covered their carriages in kettlebells, so 1000 kettlebells is "local rich people have a wedding".

[@evilbluekoala626]

I swear, I've learned more from you and Shadiveristy about medieval times, living, weapons, and castles than from any book I've read. Keep up the awesome work. I always get a kick out of learning from you guys.

[@amicableenmity9820]

It would be so amazing if the Medieval KZbinrs got together and made a collaborative book!

[@DatCrazyNerf]

Shadiversity is excellent!

[@danhurl1349]

SAME

[@danhurl1349]

@@amicableenmity9820 You could throw in Morgan Donner for the more female clothing aspect

[@ragnkja]

Dan Hurl And some male clothing, as modelled by Mr Donner.

[@CatherinePlantagenet]

The mighty cry of Good Boy has joined us in 2020! All hail the Good Boy!!!😃

[@damienomen68]

Not a horse fanatic-but gee that one was alright for a boy haha. Amazing horses.Really enjoyable & informative info too.

[@sherryhoskins8771]

I always praise my sub with "good boy" when he pleases his mistress.

[@adamcarter7696]

@@sherryhoskins8771 Degenerate.

[@ShaneWalta]

Ghost seems a lot less skittish than the last time I remember seeing him. He must be making good progress with his training

[@susanbell2771]

Your beautiful Ghost reminds me so much of my Mare (Masquerade) She was a welsh Cob X Arab Cremello sadly no longer with us and very much missed. Seeing your boy Ghost brought back such happy memories, she to like your ghost was a sensitive soul, very responsive , but you could have done anything on her so willing, always looking to please

[@Sk0lzky]

In some regions of Poland where horses are still used for work or transport due to hard terrain (e.g. in logging in the mountains) or, sometimes, even by your regular hobbyists, those bells are still used when travelling on public roads and hiking trails! I had no idea they served this purpose, always thought their presence in pictorial sources was due to special occasions shown in them - after all portraying regular life didn't really kick off until baroque

[@mossygreen2790]

That's so true, especially since here, (UK), I was mostly lead to believe "things" like this occurred because it was a trend, fashion, a fancy of the upper classes & the elite. But, once I really became a history buff & did my own research, ( i.e.= libraries, buying books, mags, reading articles, etc) I really began to see how there could be "real" reasons for having/doing such things. These medieval people were smart! Plus, learning about the rich & powerful is easy, but learning about the, poor, working-class/ peasants, is difficult, as it's harder to verify? So I particularly enjoy learning about these class of people, because we are of working class stock, (still are, lol) Though, being English, they say the further back you go in tracing your ancestry, (especially back to the medieval period) you will probably find a connection to royalty &/or, the landed gentry & elite? I have only traced my heritage back to the late 1700's, so haven't found any royal/elite ancestors yet. But, was quite shocked to learn on my paternal grandfather's side, that his family resided in Knightsbridge, Mayfair & Chelsea & they were perfumiers & hairdressers,etc. That gave us a laugh, then later census showed their occupation showed "L.O. M. which is an acronym for "living on own means". In other words they had money, savings, dividends,?? We wonder what happened ? 😁? But it's all fascinating to me. Love all history & culture 👍😊

[@anneangstadt1882]

I truly appreciate the way you bring the medieval world to life with your understanding of its details, your experiments and testing, and how these details made sense at the time and often have echoes in our world today.

[@rameyzamora1018]

Trail riders here in CA use something similar to crotal bells called "bear bells" that attach to the bottom of the saddle girth. This is supposed to alert wildlife that might be otherwise surprised (with negative results!) that one is coming along the trail. Ultra cool info, Jason. Now I see what the crotal bells found during Thames mudlarking looked like and some history on them.

[@homesteadtotable2921]

People who horse camp out in the wilderness often hobble their horses and put bells (more like cowbells, though) on them overnight so they can graze and be found in the morning when it's time to tack up. Around more established trails, they may in stead use a high line, but way out in the middle of nowhere, it's usually hobbles and bells.

[@MrRideabighorse]

In Colorado we call them bear bells too. Usually have them tied on when riding in the fall.

[@Regfife]

Reminds me of the saying that grizzly bear scat contains little bells, and smells like pepper spray! ;)

[@ragnkja]

Reg Fife Must be the grizzly bear/polar bear hybrids.

[@DaniCarvesStone]

I live in CT and use bear bells while trail riding as well. It's just helpful to let wildlife (and, if in the season, human hunters) know that we're there.

[@loavesfishes6268]

That’s a magnificent horse! I used bells on my Arab as a distraction to keep her calmer and more focused when trail riding.

[@connorgolden4]

Hands down the best medieval history channel.

[@freebigups1018]

It actually is

[@LeglessWonder]

*hands down the best channel" FTFY

[@abdullahahmed3843]

This man is already prepared for upcoming times

[@starfishjunky]

@MichaelKingsfordGray Nah, more like the civilisation after WW 3 ...

[@billylauwda9178]

@@starfishjunky neutral nations : nah

[@louisecassidy5991]

Abdullah Ahmed When the world runs out of fuel, the population has mostly killed itself off, it will be back to the horse, if it manages to survive.

[@michaelfuson4490]

Easily the best channel for medieval history. Not only entertaining and educational, but also in the way you treat the medieval world with respect.

[@Evan-rj9xy]

This is such a cool point. It's been years since I've ridden horses regularly, but before you even began to walk/trot/canter I could imagine the pattern of sound the bells would make. They're the same patterns you feel as you're riding the horse. I'm sure it would be even more intuitive for anyone in the medieval period since horses were so much more prevalent in daily life back then.

[@ellenjampole1905]

So glad I found this channel. I have learned so much. The love Jason has for all his animals is apparent. The trust they have in him is also easily seen. The horses are lovely & intelligent.

[@possemis]

Well you did it again Jason, you made a 10 minute video about bells actualy interesting. please keep doing this!!

[@wolf310ii]

So, there was no squire with two half coconuts, running after the knight and making the "clap clap" sound?

[@terrinewton3114]

I agree about the bells warning. I take my dogs out for a trot wearing Christmas bells during the Holidays as I bicycle beside them. It’s so festive and they look so proud of their Christmas belled collars!! They have extra spring in their steps!

[@jameskniskern2261]

Morris Dancing. Crotal bells were used for the Morris dancing bells. Worn on the legs of the dancers. 1448 was the earliest recorded Morris group being paid. By Elizabethan times it was already considered an "ancient" dance.

[@WoWCreator1]

My dad uses these bells for falconry! Definitely not the same size but for similar purposes. To see where the hawk/falcon is in the woods/fields.

[@ldybgd]

we wear bells mounted or walking to warn hunters and bears that we're out and about. Love your videos!

[@ragnkja]

ldybgd Bears generally don’t like to be surprised by humans any more than humans like to be surprised by bears.

[@YamiKisara]

@@ragnkja which is why wearing jingle bells makes them aware faster that a human is aproaching.

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

ldybgd just how do the bears know how to react as bells are not a sound found in nature? Bells like these are put on birds used for hawking and they still catch their prey. They are also put on the coars of cats to stop them catching birds and small mammals (with little success as birds and small mammals don't recognise the sound of bells as a warning sound).

[@ragnkja]

Neil Dahlgaard-Sigsworth They probably only know that _something unusual_ is approaching, which seems to be enough to make them notice the more typical sounds and smells of humans earlier than they otherwise would.

[@GrainneDhu]

@@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819 some cats learn how to move without jingling the bell.

[@Nautical_Parsnip]

Your horsemanship is fantastic and Ghost is a beautiful boy.

[@codybream5821]

I live in Colorado USA and spend a lot of time hiking. Many people wear bells to let animals (bears, bobcats) know they are there. Mountain bikers wear them to let others know they are coming down the trail. Super cool

[@KryssLaBryn]

"With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, She shall have music wherever she goes." Now I know what the bells were about; thanks! I suppose the "on her toes" bit means they were hung from stirrups, too

[@lucifermorningstar5718]

ive seen chinese stirrup irons on ebay with bells hanging underneath

[@0hn0haha]

Your videos make me want to travel everywhere on horseback, maybe with a dog tagging along.

[@brennomarani4307]

That is the metalish sound, you hear when you ride your horse, with high-end gear in the videogame Kingdome Come: Deliverance! Thank you very much! Your channel is a true gem!

[@fondajames]

So fluffy. And those bells make a lot of sense, can imagine that they got specifically removed for getting around quietly during war too

[@ragnkja]

James Fonda In _The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,_ the White Witch explicitly says to use the harness without bells.

[@fondajames]

@@ragnkja that's some serious attention to detail. Course it's very old but I bet that was still good detail even at the time it was written

[@ragnkja]

James Fonda It’s set during the _Blitz,_ so horses were still relatively common, especially in the countryside.

[@GraupeLie]

As someone who's riding an Icelandic horse I just cracked up when you mentioned that this is your horse's winter coat! That's actually kinda cute :D But oh my, he's a stunning stallion! And as usual, very interesting content!

They're so fluffy! All other horses look half-starved in comparison 😆

[@GraupeLie]

@ True, it's funny! I always thought "my" Icelandic horse doesn't have a particularly spectacular wintercoat - but compared to other not quite so northern horse breeds, he is definitely a fluffball :D

[@innesrawdon1481]

GraupeLie and the crest on him! What a beauty 😆

[@GraupeLie]

@@innesrawdon1481 Really, that is definitely a stunning, beautiful stallion! My Icelandic gelding doesn't look as impressive...but his wintercoat is definitely more impressive, even though it's not that impressive for an Icelandic...But anyway, horses are animals of beauty, strength and grace...

[@louisecassidy5991]

Try him with it on the throatlatch, begin by leaving it on a short strap around his neck. In Australia we bell the lead horse in a big paddock, or a large reserve if out droving, so we can find the horses. It also keeps them together. Horse drawn sleighs are silent in the snow, the harnesses are covered in bells so you can hear them around blind street corners, blind hills. Ghost is gorgeous, and I like your riding style. Also like the channel. Too many good channels, takes up a lot of my day, so I take you at random. Sure I could discern the paces with my eyes shut. Thank you.

[@sarahcummings6324]

This is what living history is all about! People who know the trade looking at artifacts and explaining what they were used for

[@liberte1334]

He's my hero. He's so sweet to his horses.

[@JoshuaMuse]

Whoa, what a majestic looking horse. That mane is killer.

[@chomes8048]

Omg that excited cheeky grin he has when he knows he is sharing interesting information :D

[@theresemontier1574]

I remember watching a documentary of an excavation of Ancient Eqyptian stables. It covered an enormous area and hundreds of entact and fragments of small bells were found which they realised were worn on the chariot horses bridals to calm and drown out battle noises. Thank you Jason and Ghost for this medieval demonstration

[@saddleridge4364]

Many years ago I bought a strap of very old sleigh bells, I hung them inside my front door and they are there still. They have such a lovely sound, I love them. Thanks for the history once again, Jason. The bells do match the pace of your stallion, and he's gorgeous

[@toyotasupra97]

As a horse owner fascinated by the history of humans and horses, I just love your channel so much. Thanks for putting the effort in to teach the masses our forgotten history!

[@MasterIceyy]

I wonder if this is where the phrase having "all the bells and whistles" has its origins as people tend to use it for their cars (modern day mounts)

[@billylauwda9178]

And Locomotives.

[@LeglessWonder]

I actually know this answer, and no it's not. That saying comes from the days of silent movies. The nicer theaters would have organs by the screen with someone playing music to go with the movie. So people would say "oh we watched that movie last week... with all the bells and whistles! Bob is such a wooer" or whatever. And the saying moved on to other things

[@asad2918]

Ever since I was a kid I’ve had a fascination with medieval times. I can never quite put into words why I love it. Absolutely love your videos

[@ModernKnight]

Thanks.

[@scottcampbell2836]

Any youtuber where they teach some something every time is a national treasure.

[@scottcampbell2836]

jason i really appreciate your screen presence. Not all yt'ers have it. Carry on sir

[@yvesvogelfrei453]

oh how interesting! i never thought about it beeing a noise training for horses. the birds for hunting have them so the trainer hears them where they are flying. I think the sound is sort of a friendly communication, because someone sneaking, (like a thief ) would never wear them. Nowadys i guess you only hear them from fairytail movies or chistmas :D thanks for this inspiring input!

[@Ganpignanus]

very interesting. it was clear the diffence between gaits. it is actually a genius idea. beautiful horse ghost.

[@kengamble8595]

Having spent many hours horseback I was aware of the sound difference of the gaits but had not thought of bells on a horse being somewhat of a modern day horn! Very logical ! 😊 Thanks for sharing and take care. 👍

[@MinkesMom]

Beautiful stallion -- I could watch him all day. I used bells on my Arab gray mare during hunting season in the woods.

[@SailorIda3]

your animals gotta be really calm and steady considering how much mental stimulation they get :D Im so happy to see this from that aspect as well as the factual point.

[@attilathehen1555]

This reminded me of “Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross to see a fine lady upon a white horse. With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, she can make music wherever she goes.” Nursery rhyme. The sound of bells at different paces has to be different because of the 4,2 and 3 time of the paces. Even the creak of the saddle reflects this. What a great insight!

[@hippiblue]

The Budweiser 8 horse hitch, I could definitely hear them coming, they would be training, near the road to town where I grew up.

[@qpid8110]

That is the sound of my childhood. My grandparents had some of those. I remember playing with them as a kid and wondering how they got the pea inside. xD Now I know what those are, I need to get a pair for myself!

[@Flummiification]

I love these bits you do not have commonly displayed in medival documentarys or films. The bells would propably have a more constant sound if you would not hold them in hand and what suprised me a bit is that they're supposed to be louder than the horse and hooves but as I said I'm not that educated and now I know more. I use your channel quite often to bring a bit medival realism in my DnD games it just makes the world a bit more believable if it has these little details that make sense but are not often displayed correctly.

[@tobiasw2032]

i love this channel just found it like a few weeks ago and watched every single ep. i love how you are treating your horses and just how you bring the information across. the fascination for the little things as well as like the common things. the passion you bring across. i could go on and on. well let's just say thank you for making this content, and please keep making it!

[@ModernKnight]

Thanks for finding us and your support.

[@ThreeDirtyMen]

The bells could be also useful to scare away the wildlife. Making noise in bear country can make a big difference (not sure how many bears there are in England though)

[@scarletamazon3455]

None now, although there used to be, a long time ago. I was once warned off of a trail by a visible annoyed and rather alarming badger though.

[@GrainneDhu]

Interesting! Thank you for the fantastic videos, BTW. Most of a warhorse's riding time would have been every day, routine training/fitness, which is fairly calm activity. The biggest issue with horses, as I am sure you know, is that they are descended from prey animals and one of the goals of training is to teach the horse not to go into blind panic but to take some time to think things over before deciding panic is the right answer. So I wonder if the bells became classically (Pavlovian) conditioned to cue the thinking attitude. I don't think there would be any practical way to avoid such conditioning, so I am quite certain it was happening. And, of course, a horse that is thinking is more capable of being not just transportation from place to place on the battlefield, not just an equine tank to squish those pesky archers and foot soldiers but to be an active fighting partner. Way more out there is now I suddenly wonder if some of the steps in Morris dancing were meant to evoke those familiar rhythms. A way to tell a story or set a mood in much the same way that ballet often (not always) conveys a story through body movements.

[@ModernKnight]

Some interesting ideas there, thanks for sharing. I like your idea about Morris dancing.

[@elisec9530]

Oh my god santa's reindeer have jingle bells to prevent collisions.

[@michaelmerck7576]

Who knew

[@franciosdeaeruiu7555]

@@michaelmerck7576 obviously not grandma

[@PaulThorpeOfficial]

What an amazing animal. Sitting in awe of such equine beauty!

[@ModernKnight]

He's superb to ride too!

[@Surv1ve_Thrive]

Electric cars are almost silent so a noise will need to be agreed upon and added to cars to warn other road users, pedestrians etc. A ticking or humming noise for example which should vary with the speed of the vehicle. Perhaps bells should be used! :) thanks for your videos, best wishes from Sussex

[@awesome9174]

Once all cars are driving themselves we won't need warning noises.

[@ragnkja]

Awesome! Except to warn pedestrians.

[@jacobbowerman8633]

@@ragnkja it's called looking both ways before crossing...

[@ragnkja]

Jacob Bowerman I do that, but I still rely on my ears as I approach the crossing.

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

Jacob Bowerman the Green Cross Code taught us to Stop, Look and Listen. Trolley buses weren't known as Silent Assassins for nothing.

[@shiinaai2978]

Jason, I have a question. How did a knight's lance work? Not the weapon, I'm talking about the smallest military organisation of 6-8 people consisting of a knight, a squire (maybe two) and the knight's men-at-arms (who may not be nobility). How did they work? When were they used or what purpose would they be organized? How would they be handled during a military campaign? Did they get separated based on their roles (swordsman, cavalry, archer, spearman) during military campaigns or did they fight as is with the knight?

[@mrcommonsense9145]

I suspect you mean a lances fournies.

[@shiinaai2978]

@@mrcommonsense9145 Yes, that's exactly it, but I didn't want to use the French name. I know the term exist in English too, as it was present in Mechwarrior 4.

[@fleetskipper1810]

Shiina Ai This is a super excellent question. Jason, please, if you know,-inquiring minds want to know! It would be an excellent topic for a future video.

[@Regfife]

Yes, and another thing that I've been wondering about, surely not every knight had his own castle, so if you were a lower ranking knight, how would that work as far as daily life is concerned? Did wealthy noblemen have permanent retinues of lower ranking knights living with them?

[@flyboymike111357]

It's interesting how the rattle of a buckler and the jingling of bells were such timeless hallmarks of equestrianism and social status that in the Victorian period jingle bobs were added to spurs, and that is the famous sound associated with the American equivalent of the medieval Knight.

[@fishkakat7700]

2:31 or in my family’s case, Christmas displays. My mother grew up on a farm and had a horse they called ‘Sundance.’ My grandma used to carve wood figures. One of them was a figure of a horse we call “Sundance” after the horse my mother had as girl. Every year at Christmastime, we put him out with a Santa and a little sleigh also made by my grandma. “Sundance” wears bells.

[@amicableenmity9820]

Vital, need to know info right here. Everyone should take "how to avoid horse accidents 101" for the upcoming apocalypse.

[@BonaparteBardithion]

Similarly, "how to make your bicycle seen and heard." Or not depending on the nature of the apocalypse.

[@fionnagrant6636]

With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, she shall have music wherever she goes

[@danielpotter3603]

Ghost's training has really progressed. No hesitation when switching paces.

[@janemorris2932]

Oh wow you can definately tell the difference in the sound of the bells they chime to the beat of the speed. I love ghost and he has the most beautiful blue eyes. I love your videos you give us a good taste of medical times thank-you.

[@susanmazzanti5643]

I'm sure those bells were considered noisy when they were used. Having lived out in the country before cars moved a lot and houses had few noisy convinces, I can remember just how many small noises sounded loud. The call of birds especially tame ones and drone of insects always sounded like they were right beside you. You could hear the cows as they moved around.

[@hardwirecars]

can we please get these in rdr2 im tired of having to kill entire towns because idiots dont move away from my horse!

[@fleetskipper1810]

hardwire Imagine that modern day sleighbells would work just as well if you want to warn people that your horse is coming.

[@hardwirecars]

@@fleetskipper1810 lol sorry sir for the confusion i was making a joke about a popular video game where the non playable characters are not to smart and will step out in front of a horse you are riding at full speed causing you to kill them and making the entire town mad at you trying to kill you.

[@Dantick09]

Need to patch them in

[@lilgary9181]

I had to pause the video when you introduced Ghost. Ghost is an absolute beautiful horse! I love your shows and the way you explain things.

[@vilevagrant4632]

I spent much of my childhood at the mountain farms of my families. The horse I rode also had these bells on its bridle. It was even more loud when we had it during our carriage rides along the mountain paths.

[@angelinabrown2931]

First, Hello, Ghost! Looking lovely, even in winter coat. Second, that's an interesting observation. I'm used to bells on draft horses but never really thought about how useful they would be for a saddle horse.

[@miradfalco251]

We always kept our cows and goats belled as well. Normal grazing is pretty low key, so if we heard a lot of jangling, we'd know to go check & make sure nothing was wrong. You could also tell if they'd managed to get the gate latch open. 😉

[@cinderwhite]

Every single day sounded like Christmas

[@ModernKnight]

Or maybe Christmas is the only day left that sounds Medieval!?

[@alexanderkaitz1197]

This is experimental archeology at its finest. Well done good sir.

[@sovupo]

Better than many documentaries I used to watch as a kid. THANK you for this content!

[@NemeanLion-]

Ghost has some serious muscle.

[@garrettbaker8098]

An interesting and fun subject! I love the sound of bells and it totally makes sense that people would've used them as a warning. Just like you can usually hear a car motor coming toward you and it sounds very different if they are going slow vs fast. Honestly, the bells were probably a lot better of a warning. Great job on the video as always!

[@fleetskipper1810]

Garrett Baker Except for electric cars. I have a hybrid, and my house cats used to come running to the door when I pulled up in my old car but they can’t hear the hybrid.

[@hlmoore8042]

I have never thought about sounds. MOST interesting. The HOLE - the corner of the fold is taken out!! (so it can be folded) Would you attach the bells TO the saddle? STUNNING horse. I was in the Air Force and stationed overseas for a while - Germany. They would have night flying. I would wake up when they stopped. The noise didn't wake me - the silence would. It's all what you get used to. I am in love with this channel - I feel I learn so much. Thank you - a TRUE history lovers sight.

[@MsWitchHazel666]

Can I just say you even look like you have traveled out of a different time? This channel is just amazing

[@roberthofmann8403]

With the trot it sounds like the pea is rolling around and with the cantor it is smacking back and forth.

[@ericf7063]

Having bells is a good idea. Anything to prevent an oxcart jackknife on the medieval M4 is a good thing.

[@dacksonflux]

What a beautiful steed. He will certainly dazzle (or intimidate) any foe on the battlefield. 😊

[@Tomichika]

I just love the feeling of being absolutely relaxed and gaining some knowledge for free at the same time. Thanks for this channel, I really love it. Such a good piece of work. Thank you!

[@maximilianfranz2158]

It's great how you are still uploading good content after all those years 👍