The archaeology and prehistoric annals of Scotland . on ringing a large suspended belfry-I^ell, measur-ing—if any proportion is preserved—about three feet in height.^This, therefore, can manifestly have no possible bearing on the historyof the little Scottish hand-bell, or rather bell-case, which measuressomewhat less than six inches high. It is not difficult to shew that bells were in use in Scotland upwardsof four centuries before the conversion of St. Olaf and his NorwegianJarls. They were indeed introduced by the first Christian mission-aries, and summoned the brethren of lona to prayer, w
The archaeology and prehistoric annals of Scotland . on ringing a large suspended belfry-I^ell, measur-ing—if any proportion is preserved—about three feet in height.^This, therefore, can manifestly have no possible bearing on the historyof the little Scottish hand-bell, or rather bell-case, which measuressomewhat less than six inches high. It is not difficult to shew that bells were in use in Scotland upwardsof four centuries before the conversion of St. Olaf and his NorwegianJarls. They were indeed introduced by the first Christian mission-aries, and summoned the brethren of lona to prayer, while yet theglorioswn coenohium of ihosacred isle was only a feu-wattled huts. The refer-ence which Adorn nanmakes to St. Columbasbell, when he had noticethatKing Aidan was goingforth to battle, sufficientlyindicates the use of it forthat purpose :— Sanctussubito ad suum dicit mini-stratorem cloccam sonitu fratres in-citati ad ecclesiam We have aslittle reason for supposing that the frail curracli of St. Columba wa?. 1 Akermans ArcliicologicalPlate XIX. fig. (). Archoeol. Scotica, vol. iv. p. St Columba, p. 45. KCCLKSIASTICAI. ANTIQUITIES. (>;);> freighted witli a ponderous clinrcli bell, us that the first monasteryof lona was distinguished by a lofty belfry tower. But the little hand-bell of the primitive bishop would abundantly suflice to summon to-gether the band of pioneers in the wilderness of lona. If the annexedengraving do not represent the identical bell of the Scottish Apostle,it is one consecrated to him, and sufficiently primitive in its characterto have called together the family of lona to their orisons, beneath theosier groins of the first cathedral of the isles. It is the bell of , now in the collection of John Bell, Esq. of Dungannon. Theoriginal, which measures nearly seven inches in height, was preservedfor many generations in the family of the MGurlcs, from whose ances-tors the parish of Termon-M
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookidarchaeologyp, bookyear1851
