Bell (instrument)
A bell (old Saxon: bellan, to bawl or bellow is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped acoustic resonator, which vibrates upon being struck. The striking implement can be a tongue suspended within the bell, known as a clapper, a separate mallet or hammer, or in small bells a small loose sphere enclosed within the body of the bell.
Bells are usually made of cast metal, but small bells can also be made from ceramic or glass. Bells range in size from tiny dress accessories to church bells 5 meters tall, weighing many tons. Historically, bells were associated with religious rituals, and before mass communication were widely used to call communities together for both religious and secular events. Later bells were made to commemorate important events or people and have been associated with the concepts of peace and freedom. The study of bells is called campanology.
Read more about Bell (instrument): Church and Temple Bells, Bell Construed As A Cause For War, Bellmaking, Bell Towers, Notable Bells, Usage As Musical Instruments, Farm Bells, Dead Bell, Gallery
Famous quotes containing the word bell:
“To be faced with what so-and-so’s mother lets him do, or what the teacher said in class today or what all the kids are wearing is to be required to reexamine some part of our belief structure. Each time we rethink our values we reaffirm them or begin to change them. Seen in this way, parenthood affords us an exceptional opportunity for growth.”
—Ruth Davidson Bell (20th century)