A bell-ringer is a person who rings, tolls or peals a large bell, usually a church bell, by tugging on a long rope. Since the invention of the carillon, the need for bell ringers has declined.
The profession saw spectacular revival in Russia, parallelling growth of the Russian Orthodox Church influence (see Russian Orthodox bell ringing).
Hazards
In the Middle Ages, it was believed that the sound of a bell could disperse thunder.[1] A large number of bell-ringers were electrocuted as a result. For example, in France between the years 1753 and 1786, 103 bell-ringers were killed during thunderstorms as a result of holding on to wet bell ropes. The Parlement of Paris enforced an edict in 1786 to forbid the practice.[2] Deaths likely continued until the 18th century, when the lightning rod came into general use.
See also
References
- ^ White, Andrew Dickson (1896). "Chapter XI : From "The Prince Of The Power Of The Air" To Meteorology". The Warfare of Science With Theology. http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/andrew_white/Chapter11.html.
- ^ Burke, James (1978). Connections. Boston: Little, Brown. p. 34. ISBN 0316116815.
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