an independent reference on the history of bells and bell-ringing

Danilovbells

An independent, secular reference on the history of bells. This is not the website of the Danilov Monastery, the Russian Orthodox Church or Harvard University; we do not provide religious guidance.

Key ideas

Key ideas

Books about bells and the accounts of bell-ringers are full of special words: blagovest and trezvon, the bell wall and the bell tower, treble and middle bells. This glossary brings together eighteen basic terms with short reference definitions. Russian terms are given in transliteration with an English gloss. We explain what a word means and which field it belongs to (the structure of the bell, the founder's craft or the ringing tradition), but we give no religious directions on when or how to ring.

Ringers' words are like musical notes: until you know them, ringing sounds like mere noise, and then an order begins to emerge.

— Editor's note

How this section works: a term enters the glossary if it appears often in the literature on bells and bell-ringing. Definitions are neutral and descriptive; there are no religious prescriptions here.

B–Ca

Bell bronze
The alloy from which bells are usually cast. Its composition varied between founders and eras, and it affected the sound.
Bell founder
A craftsman who casts bells. Founders' names were often cast right onto the bell, which makes them an important source for historians.
Bell inscription
Cast text on the surface of a bell. It may give the founder's name, the year of casting, the patron and the place for which the bell was intended.
Bell profile
The cross-sectional shape of a bell's wall. The sound depends to a great extent on the profile and the thickness of the walls.
Bell tower
A tower with bells hung in its upper tier. It may stand on its own or form part of a building.
Bell-ringer
A person who rings bells. The ringer's art requires a good ear, a sense of rhythm and knowledge of the tradition.
Blagovest (single-bell tolling)
A kind of ringing in which one bell is struck at a steady pace. It is rung to call people together and to mark the start of an event.
Blagovestnik (tolling bell)
The bell used to ring the blagovest; usually one of the largest bells of a bell wall or bell tower.
Campanology
The study of bells: their history, construction, casting, sound and ringing traditions.

Ca–Tr

Carillon
A musical instrument made of a set of tuned bells and played from a keyboard; found above all in Western Europe.
Clapper (yazyk, the tongue)
The rod hung inside a bell that strikes its wall. In the Russian tradition the clapper is swung while the bell stays still; in many Western European traditions, including change ringing, the bell itself is swung.
Perebor
A kind of ringing in which bells of different sizes are struck in turn, one stroke on each.
Perezvon
A kind of ringing in which the sound passes in turn from one bell to the next.
Podzvonnye (middle bells)
Medium-sized bells that sit in the ringing between the large tolling bells and the small treble bells.
Trezvon (full peal)
A kind of ringing in which many bells of different sizes sound at once, combining into a single rhythmic pattern.

Ts–Z

Tsar Bell
A bell cast in 1735 by the master founders Ivan and Mikhail Motorin. In 1737 a large piece broke off; the bell has never been rung.
Zazvonnye (treble bells)
Small, high-pitched bells. On them the ringer leads the fast rhythmic pattern of the ringing.
Zvonnitsa (bell wall)
A structure in the form of a wall or arcade with openings in which the bells are hung.
  • Historical context

    Five eras in the history of bells in Russia, from the Middle Ages to the return of the bells in the early 21st century.

  • Texts and sources

    The kinds of sources on bell history and how to work with them: inscriptions, archives, newspapers, memoirs.

  • FAQ

    Answers to common questions about this reference, about bells and about the fate of the Danilov bells.

Sources

  • Great Russian Encyclopedia
  • Encyclopedic sources on the history of bells

This reference relies on encyclopedic works and on publications of Harvard University. The weights, numbers and dates of individual bells can differ from one source to another, so we give only verified information and say clearly where exact data are lacking.