Still Ringing After All These Years - A Short History of Bells

This Video does not belong to me. All rights reserved to the BBC...

[@markcooke729]

I remember reading a story about St Dunstan, that Satan was so infuriated about the saint's piety, that he was determined to lure him into sin. Satan disguised himself as a beautiful maiden and attempted to seduce him whilst he was working in his forge. The more Dunstan rebuffed Satan, the more infuriated the Devil became and redoubled his efforts to get the saint to forget his vows. Satan was so determined to have Dunstan that as he flounced around the forge attempting to seduce him, he didn't realise the skirts he was wearing were riding higher and higher, showing his legs and cloven hooves. Without even looking up, St Dunstan picked up his tongs from the forge and pinched Satan by his nose forcing him to leave him alone.

[@HannibalFan52]

I've always loved bells. I became intrigued by change-ringing when I saw 'The Nine Tailors' back in the 1970s, with Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter Wimsey. The mystery hinges around a cipher disguised as the notation for a peal of bells.

[@wmnoffaith1]

That's the story that brought me here as well! I never realized there was so much to bell ringing.

[@hj9020s]

영국 왕실의 결혼식 장면 멋져요 공유해 주셔서 감사합니다.

[@999Giustina]

A little “Hell’s Bells” at 23 min!

[@RingerLuca651]

@@fredmills368 My dad recorded the bell at the beggining oh Hells Bells, at Loughborough Carrillion i think.

[@henryjohnfacey8213]

Smashing documentary. Lovely ringing. The beautiful Steadmans triple half muffled method is just mesmerising. Nothing like it in the world. I remember Christmas Eve leaving Amsterdam the ringing there. Hymns, Just beautiful. We are ringing bells now every day at 1800 hrs marking the watch. While covid 19 pandemic. Chinese bells, wonderfull.

[@nord1486]

Stedman

[@domijayawardena9495]

Devine sound of the bell is calm

[@CoxJoxSox]

It's amazing that only 1 of Henry VIII's 55 estate homes still stand but these dissolved monasteries still stand.

[@liamconverse8950]

The middle of this documentary kind of exposes the fact that the reformation in England was largely about the looting of church property by the aristocracy. He mentions the old abandoned cathedral with the large bell tower was sold by Henry to a nobleman.

[@Rhian357]

Meow

[@irenec4876]

‘’Now Thats just silly!’’

[@duke3296]

I love ringing, we called it social hobby, then we share snacks in the middle then have some bottle of beer after hitting home (oops that's a secret 😂) ... I'm ringing bells here in sydney... With bunch of nice, energetic people...

[@YouhavetoBelieve3347]

*Your country in now a prison càmp*

[@janicesmyth1713]

Lovely programme thank you.

[@bonnymontes4461]

I remember the melody of Big Ben's bells, I think from the BBC broadcasts. I didn't know they were at Big Ben which I thought was only a clock tower ! Poor colonial !!

[@glockengambe]

A very fine documentation

[@DuraiRaj-xd3nv]

God is with Love always , He reveals the Truths anyway

[@Stelios78910]

Truly bell-rilliant.

[@campanerosdelaltoojaezcara6761]

great !!

[@CoxJoxSox]

Haha - I think I'd rather have the devil pray for me than Henry VIII

[@patstokes8233]

At the opening of this program he say that they are so used to hearing bells they have stopped listening.. Well maybe that is true in England but here in the State I never hear bells. Ever.

[@akhailansar9140]

In India bells are a part of the Hindu culture for over 6000 years

[@numbersix1908]

24000 years

[@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo]

absolute CODSWALLOP! Metal bells came about in 1000BC, clay and other material bells came about aprox 3000BC

[@Steven_Rowe]

The bells soundng as the credits rolled is St Pauls Cathedral in London As a ringer and member of the Ancient Society of College Youths they are unmistakeable

[@irenec4876]

steven rowe It is not St Pauls, it is the old Cantebury Cathedral bells.

[@AshleyMonck69]

They’re definitely the old Canterbury Cathedral bells

[@AshleyMonck69]

Or could even be Chelmsford

[@CoxJoxSox]

17:00 - stop fondling the bells - lol

[@YangSunWoo]

I was hoping this would start at 3000BC in neolithic China.

[@thrunsalmighty6863]

Can any of you camp people (campanologists, I mean) help me out? At 02:02 in the wonderful recording of the "spoof" version of Ave Maria by Vavilov/Caccini, as sung by Sumi Jo, (kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJu9aZl4fNmAl6s) the orchestration sounds [to me] like a glorious peel of bells. And I told an email correspondent so. And I further asserted that they must be English bells, because no other country rings its bells in this way. Only later did I realise that I had no idea what I was talking about. Can anybody rescue my credibility?

[@rishmamahajan2447]

Us unto ourseleves

[@rondelby2482]

Do people in English countryside have farm bells in their gardens (lawns) like in rural Usa?

[@brynnkohler4084]

The UK would probably notice the sound of bells more if it wasn't always the style of 'change-ringing'. Do more of the continental sound, and you could have more noticing different sounds, celebrations and reasons for the bellringing event.

[@henryjohnfacey8213]

no it wouldn't be English change ringing would it. Plus the ringing METHODS i e (tunes) are based on what we now call nursery rhymes or street calls. Example's London Pride, (also a flower) Pop goes the weezal. Whittingtons. Turn again Whittington Lord Mayor of London. Oranges and lemons. Just to name a few. If you listen carefully. Also at 1200 on this video that background sound is called FIRERING (HIPS) very difficult to get right. If you listen very carefully you might be lucky to hear the English beautiful half muffled ringing. Special pads attached to the clanger. Go to steadmans triples half muffed at Worster Cathedral on utube. Now steadmans method is named after the body guard OF RICHARD I who was a MUSLIM. No training takes a long time. Great fun and traditional and culturally English. ONLY IF YOU LISTERN. Where my Daughter was married Urswick Cumbria the bell there was paid for by the standed bearer for HENRY V after the battle of AGINCOURT.

[@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo]

@@henryjohnfacey8213 You are completely dismissing the bell ringing culture from before the introduction of change ringing. On the timeline of history change ringing is rather "modern". For well over a thousand years bells have been tolled just like on the continent. I love change ringing. especially call changes. ANd they are indeed English. However regular simple tolling is JUST as English ...... and I even dare to say that it is more English than change ringing...... considering the longer history of tolling. Besides that why do you find it necessary to put he word Muslim in all caps? You do realize that the legend of Richard 1 having a muslim body guard is a 20th century myth right? For which by the way there isnt a single shred of evidence.

[@davros_adl8155]

@@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo tollings a bit ominous though isnt it

[@silviaruhsen4666]

Leamington Spa

[@jondoes8222]

Did British farms have outside post mounted dinner bells as abundant as in USA? I cast farm bells here at my home and sell them with family names on them.

[@talieblu6786]

Farmers in the UK would be called by the church bells. Bells that spin 360 degrees on a wheel are much louder than bells that are mouth down so they would be heard easily. (also the UK is a smaller country than USA) An old school may have a mounted bell though.

[@rondelby2482]

@@talieblu6786 He means, do people have dinner bells on posts as lawn garden decoration or use them to call children in etc/ in England countryside?

[@talieblu6786]

@@rondelby2482 I have never seen a dinner bell as described. Seriously, the church bell thing is the closest you get. That or a very loud mother calling their children (maybe getting a nearby child to find and bring in the others). But remember that things are smaller in the UK.

[@rondelby2482]

@@talieblu6786 Look up farm bells on you tube. Back in the days of yesteryear they we used to call farm workers in to dinner. Nowadays some folks still use them to call in children or use them as a decorationg for their garden or lawn. I bet your friends would love them once you got one and mounted it on A post. I would start folks to getting them for their gardens also. The English as well as I love bells and they would enjoy them and what would be great they could own their own bells.

[@talieblu6786]

@@rondelby2482 Lol, this video is literally about the farm bells, I know what they are 'cause I've seen them i american cartoons, but never seen one in the flesh. People in the UK own handbells I guess? You could call people town-crier style! If you're in the uk I would also recommend visiting a tower and having a go on some local church bells, Most bands are friendly to visitors.

[@anneliesesteden390]

I seem to have heard about people objecting to bellringing as unwanted noise. Is that true everywhere?

[@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo]

Yes Christianity is met with more and more hostility and violence. Ironically those people who complain about a bell being rung at a funeral or mass are usually the same people who have no problem with a islamic minarette blaring out ooga booga stuff like a broody cat on heath.

[@theobellringer6211]

36:24 did they hit that swan?

[@ringerowen4039]

Omg 😂 yes I think they did that must be why a the last second they switched camera view

[@edwardprice140]

Tell me, how do you make a bell ? Well.........Dat's a dong story.

[@organperson]

Does anybody know the song at 9:15? I forgot the name!

[@tylerwalsh5152]

What song

[@kgroveringer03]

I know it's a cello sonata, but I'm not sure which one

[@joachimvonribbentrop1956]

31:23 dudes parents must have not liked him

[@kgroveringer03]

bruhhhhhh, don't do him dirty like that 💀😂

[@anneliesesteden390]

Do bellringers go deaf more than other people? Just wondering.

[@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo]

ANY loud sound will cause hearing damage in the long run. it all depends on the tower. and about ear protection. By the way this loudness was being used in the netherlands in the 16th and 17thcenturies. Sometimes a criminal could be sentenced to deafness. where the criminal was brought up into the tower, and being tied onto some beams near the largest bell. then the bell was rung so the criminal lost his hearing.

[@anneliesesteden390]

Must the bell be rotated?

[@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo]

no. In orthodox countries bells are fixed and unmovable. only the clappers were being moved. kinda like a dutch beiaard. There are 3 main ways of rotating bells. tolling .... which is how it is done in the netherlands for instance...... thats just swinging the bell. then there is english change ringing in wich the bells have a starting position upside down. and then there is mediteranian maner.... in which the bell has a contrawight on the top and the entire bell is being spun around and around. without the aid of a rope. it is just manually spinned around. tolling the bell like in the netherlands, germany, etc gives the best sound and the full potentiaal of the bell. The english upsde down manner might result in more volume however the quality of sound isnt that good. because the clapper is resting against the bell .... which muffles down the vibration of the bell. mediteranian manner doesnt sound too well either. its tedious, quite dangerous and inconsistent sound.

[@lon3don]

I hadn't realised that bells could be erotic.

[@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo]

no one will stop you from dry-humping a nice big tenor bell :D

[@Rhian357]

They aren't. Dildos are 😂

[@samleviathanzilla1718]

7:42

[@nord1486]

What about it?

[@binlorriesbinsandmore2650]

Where is the place at 00:0

[@josephhill12790]

Bin lorries, bins and more shut up

[@jayjohnson2919]

@@josephhill12790 ????

[@irenec4876]

I think it’s Chelmsford Cathedral

[@RingerThomas]

irene c it’s the old bells Of Canterbury cathedral

[@RingerThomas]

It’s the belfry of Westminster abbey but with Canterbury cathedral bells

[@doctorfoster1968]

I so wanted to enjoy this. But the BBC thinks we are all so stupid that we can only receive information by means of funky music and cartoons, as though we were all little children. And how can the phrase "a millennia ago" have got past armies of BBC executives, editors, and producers?

[@29trent]

I wanted to like this video, but the annoying and distracting background music drove me away after 8 minutes. How much better to have left space to hear the resonance of the bells, the narration, and the appropriate liturgical music. As it is it's a mess.

[@williamalexander7482]

657ad=1657 😉

[@Rhian357]

When God found out. He was angry. His wrath was on old Catholic Churches and Old Things, including Ceridwen who was as old as a Celtic Pagan Before Romans even. She won again and her children still panic if the bells ever stop. To them it sounds like it should have been dinner time. But it was work time. And witches children are notoriously sloth.