Bell ringing during the epidemic: Traditions and their modern transformation

The article examines the functions of bell ringing in medieval and early modern Europe and describes how the use of bells changed during epidemics. Catholic prayers for bell blessing reflected popular beliefs that its ringing protected against bad weather and disease. In the 20th century, after losing its practical meaning, bell ringing was more widely used as a symbol. During the 2020 coronavirus epidemic in Western countries, church parishes organized symbolic bell ringing in memory of the dead and for support of the living. In medieval Rus, bells were less common than in Europe. In the Orthodox Christian tradition, ringing was not considered a protection from calamities, although in the modern era the rite of the bell blessing appeared, imitating the Catholic model in its content. In the Soviet era, bells were destroyed en masse, so the return of bells to churches has now become one of the symbols of the restoration of Orthodox Christian traditions. At the same time, the idea regarding the healing power of bell ringing has spread, dating back to Western parascience theories of the 20th century. During the 2020 coronavirus epidemic, churches held special ringing events both for literal protection from the disease and for symbolic support of parishioners, which were often passed off as an ancient tradition.