Baptized bells are still by many people believed to possess marvellous
powers. In Roman Catholic countries the large church bells are most
frequently named after particular saints. The baptism, or the dedication
to a saint, as the case may be, is performed with solemn ceremonies. The
words of consecration pronounced by the priest are "May this bell be
sanctified and consecrated in the name of the Father, and the Son, and
the Holy Ghost, in honour of Saint ----." A real baptism does not always
take place, but the solemn consecration resembles so closely a baptismal
ceremony that it is not surprising the people should generally regard it
as such; neither is it surprising that with these exhibitions there
should still prevail many superstitious notions relating to miraculous
bells.
The uneducated man in Lithuania believes that a newly-cast church bell
emits no sound until it has been consecrated and baptized; and the sound
of a baptized bell, he fancies, frightens away all sorcery, and even the
devil. Moreover, the Lithuanians have a poetical and beautiful
conception, according to which the souls of the deceased are floated on
the sounds of baptized bells into Heaven.[32]
If we look back a century or two, we meet with popular traditions
implying that baptized bells were regarded by many persons much as
living beings. Take, for instance, the following story, recorded by
Montano:--"When the French, anno 1677, in their cruel madness held
possession of the town of Deux-Ponts (or Zweibr¸cken), they took the
bell from the church-tower and endeavoured to destroy it by knocking it
to pieces. This they were, however, unable to accomplish. They,
therefore, made a large fire, upon which they placed the bell with the
intention of melting it. All the military officers stood by to watch the
process. How great was their surprise when they saw that the tortured
bell begin to sweat blood! The highest officer took his handkerchief,
stained it with the blood, and sent it to the King of France; for he
thought it possible that, without this irrefragable evidence, neither
the king nor anyone else would believe the miracle."
The Swiss preserve some curious traditions respecting baptized bells.
They have even had a medal struck commemorating some miracle which
occurred when the Pope sent such a blessed bell to the canton of Valais.
Moreover, all the bells of the Roman Catholic churches in Switzerland
wander annually to Rome for the purpose of confession. They leave on
Thursday in Passion Week, and return on the following Saturday; at any
rate, there is no bell-ringing during the time indicated. Rochholz says
that it is a usual custom in Switzerland to have sponsors at the
baptismal ceremony of a church-bell, to dress the bell for the occasion
in a garment called "Westerhemd;" to pronounce the Creed in its name;
and to sprinkle it with holy water. All these rites were, for instance,
observed in the village of Ittenthalen situated in the valley of
Frickthal, canton Aargau, where the new bell received not only the name
of the godmother, but also was presented by her with a baptismal gift of
200 francs.[33]
Unbaptized bells have, according to accounts from various countries,
often proved troublesome, and instances are mentioned of their having
flown out of towers, several miles distance through the air, and having
fallen into a pond believed to be bottomless. In Moringen, a small town
south of Hanover, is a bottomless pond called "Opferteich" ('Pond of
Sacrifice') near which, according to an old tradition, the pagan
ancestors of the people of Moringen used to offer sacrifice. A bell
which through some neglect had not received the rite of baptism, flew
into the pond, where it is said to be chained fast and guarded by a
ferocious dog. Another unbaptized bell was carried by an awful storm
from the church of Grone, a village not far from Moringen, a long
distance through the air, and sunk into a pond, where it rests on a
table covered with black. At least, a diver, whom the peasants engaged
to recover it, reported that he had seen it so placed. But when they
sent the diver down a second time, provided with a rope to secure the
bell, they found, on drawing up the rope, the diver and not the bell
fastened to it, and he was dead.[34]
In a morass near the town of Lochen, in Holland, are two ponds of
stagnant water, in which the Evil One has hidden two fine bells which,
many years ago, he suddenly carried off from the church-tower of Lochen,
as they had not been baptized. These bells are still heard by the
people, tolling every year on Christmas Eve precisely at twelve o'clock.
The Dutch call these two ponds "Duivelskolken."[35]