Bell shrine facts for kids

Shrine of St. Patrick's Bell, an old bell shrine from the 11th century, found in the National Museum of Ireland.

Bell shrines are special metal containers made to hold old hand-bells. These bells were often linked to early Irish saints. People started making bell shrines around the 9th century, and they continued until the 16th century. The most famous ones are from the 11th century.

Today, we still have nineteen bell shrines from Ireland or Britain. We also have some broken pieces. Most of these are from Ireland (fifteen), three are from Scotland, and one is from England. They usually look like a hand-bell with a decorative top part called a crest.

These shrines are mostly made of bronze. They are decorated with silver, shiny rock crystal, and a dark metal mix called niello. There are two main types. The first type, called "applied" shrines, were fixed right onto the bell. The second type were separate metal boxes. These separate shrines could not be rung. They were used only for special ceremonies or for showing off.

The decorations on these shrines include silver, gold, glass, and rock crystal. Artists used special techniques like filigree (tiny wires), cloisonné (colorful enamel), openwork (cut-out designs), and interlace patterns (woven designs). Most of these amazing objects are kept in the National Museum of Ireland, the National Museum of Scotland, and the British Museum.

We don't always know exactly when or where these shrines were made. Very few have writing on them. Many were found hidden in bogs, inside church walls, or at the bottom of rivers. People likely hid them during the Viking and Anglo-Norman invasions of Ireland. Other shrines were passed down through families for many years. By the 17th century, people saw them as old superstitions. But in the mid-1800s, people started to appreciate their amazing craftsmanship. Today, many bell shrines are seen as important examples of Insular and early Romanesque metalwork from Ireland and Scotland.

Ancient Hand-Bells and Their Shrines

What Are Hand-Bells?

This picture shows the St. Patrick's bell and its shrine on display.

Old Irish church hand-bells, called clog in Irish, are some of the most common ancient objects found from the early Middle Ages. They were likely very important. People believed saints either made or used these bells. About 300 of these bells are known today. Most were made between the 5th and early 12th centuries.

Monks and priests passed these bells down through generations. The bells had many uses in the community. They helped mark the canonical hours (times for prayer) and called people to mass. By the 12th century, larger church tower bells became more common. Even though many hand-bells were still used, fewer new ones were made.

In the early Middle Ages, monks played a big role in their communities. People believed their prayers helped connect people with God. So, monks were seen as important helpers for the community. This role was even stronger in places where monks had a bell relic from an early saint. For example, Patrick was said to have made a deal with God. He would help the Irish if God treated them well. The bell of Ciarán of Saigir was used to make important agreements. Chiefs would swear on it, and it helped collect taxes for the monastery.

Different Kinds of Bells

Some old Irish hand-bells on display at the National Museum of Ireland.

The bells come in different sizes and have various decorations. This depends on how old they are. They usually have a tapered, four-sided shape. In 1980, an archaeologist named Cormac Bourke studied 73 surviving bells. He found that 42 were made of iron, and the rest were bronze.

He divided them into two main groups. Class 1 bells are made from iron sheets. These sheets were covered with a bronze layer. They were joined together with rivets. These bells are 14 to 31 centimeters tall. They were made by folding a main sheet of metal. Class 2 bells are made from cast bronze. The bell and its handle were made as one piece. These are usually a bit smaller. Class 4 bells are copies of older bells. They date from the 9th century to the 16th century.

A few of the later shrines and shrine pieces have writing on them. Some have decorative diamond shapes. These might have been inspired by Carolingian Ivory carvings. All the bell shrines we still have were made for iron bells. Iron bells were older, so they were more likely to be connected to a famous early saint. Some were thought to belong to saints like Patrick, Colum Cille, and Kentigern.

Why Were Bell Shrines Made?

The top part and crest of the Shrine of St. Patrick's Bell.

Bell shrines were made to show the importance of a church or a religious leader. They also honored the original bell-relic. According to Bourke, making shrines helped turn bells into special religious treasures. They became part of honoring saints.

Objects linked to early saints were highly respected in Ireland and Britain during the early medieval period. People believed these objects had miraculous powers. They became a very important part of religious life. Unlike some other places, Irish monks usually did not keep body parts of saints as relics. Instead, they honored objects that the saint had touched or used.

From the 10th century, relics were often placed in fancy metal coverings. Bell shrines were common, along with staffs, cumdachs (book shrines), house-shaped shrines, and pieces of clothing. This practice of making shrines was so special to Ireland. Gerald of Wales (who died around 1223) even wrote about it. He said the Irish had "great reverence" for bells and staffs belonging to saints. He noted they were more afraid to lie when swearing on these objects than on the gospels.

A broken piece of a bell shrine from the Musée de Cluny in Paris.

Many of these old shrines were changed or fixed up between the early 14th and late 15th centuries. So, many objects were built in two stages. Shrines from this later period were often ordered by powerful people who were not church leaders. They used the shrines' importance to gain loyalty from local bishops. They also used them to make treaties or collect taxes.

Of the nineteen bell shrines that still exist, fifteen are Irish, three are Scottish, and one is English. Twelve of them are linked to a specific saint. For the others, we don't know which saint they belonged to. People believe that by the time the bells were put into shrines, they were already seen as holy relics. We don't have any old records that say why or by whom they were ordered or built. Only three complete shrines and one broken piece have short writings on them. Some people think high-kings ordered them for abbeys. But art historian Karen Overbey says we lack proof. This means we can't fully understand their place in the politics of the time.

What Bell Shrines Look Like

A figure of Christ with closed eyes and a drooping head on the front of the Corp Naomh shrine (15th century).

Bell shrines keep the tapered, four-sided shape of the hand-bells inside. They are made with several iron or bronze plates. There are four plates on the sides and one covering the bottom. These plates are usually richly decorated. They use materials like silver, rock crystal, and niello. It is thought that this decoration was added to the flat metal sheets. This happened after they were cast but before they were put together.

The front plates often have a large central cross. This cross was added in their second, later medieval phase. Some of these crosses are now missing. When the figure of Christ is still there, it often looks very large compared to its cross. It shows a figure that is clearly dead, with a drooping head and a stiff body. According to Overbey, these images show that monastic prayer was very powerful. It was even seen as bringing salvation. Holy relics were both protected and offered protection. Saints and their protectors, whether angels or monks, guarded each other.

Four examples of bell shrines are missing their bells. But the bells that remain are made of iron. Iron bells were no longer made after the 10th century. Bronze bells were made later, into the 12th century. This means iron bells were more likely to be connected to an early Irish saint. Many surviving iron bells have rivets or holes from rivets. This shows they were once placed inside a shrine.

The shrines usually have handles or loops on their short sides. These would have held straps or bronze chains. The shrines were meant to be carried over the shoulder. This was for display during processions, pilgrimages, or even in battle. The wire chain for the Scottish Bell shrine of Kilmichael still exists. It is 1070 centimeters long. It is made from many S-shaped links.

Famous Bell Shrines

Some of the most well-known bell shrines include the Shrine of St. Patrick's Bell (made around 1094–1105). There is also the badly damaged Corp Naomh (its top and crest are from the 10th century, but the front and back panels are 15th century). Other examples are the Bell Shrine of St. Cuileáin (11th or 12th century) and the Bell Shrine of St. Conall Cael (15th century).

We know from its writings that Patrick's shrine was ordered after 1091. It was commissioned by the High King Domnall Ua Lochlainn of the Uí Néill family. He gave it to the Bishop of Armagh. This is the earliest known bell shrine. Bourke believes it was the first of its kind, and all later ones were based on it.

Images for kids

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  Interlace patterns on the side of St. Patrick's Bell Shrine. This is the earliest, most detailed, and best-preserved example. It is in the National Museum of Ireland (NMI).

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  The Corp Naomh (meaning Holy or Sacred Body). The original bell is missing, and we don't know which saint it was linked to. It is in the NMI.

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  The Bell Shrine of St. Cuileáin. The structure is complete, but most of its decorative panels are gone. It is in the British Museum (BM).

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  The Shrine of St. Senan's Bell, from the 11th or 12th century. It is in the NMI.

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  The Guthrie Bell Shrine, from the 12th century. It is in the National Museum of Scotland (NMS).

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  The Bell Shrine of Conall Cael. The bell inside is from the 6th century. The shrine was started in the 12th century but was greatly changed in the 15th century. It is in the British Museum.

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  The Bell shrine of Kilmichael (near Lochgilphead), also called the Tor A'bhlarain' bell shrine. It is from the 12th century and holds a bell from the 7th–9th century. This bell might be linked to Colmcille. It is in the NMS. This is a drawing by Margaret Stokes.

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  The Bell Shrine of St Mura, made between the 11th and 16th centuries. It is believed to have come from the Abbey of Fahan, County Donegal, Ireland. Saint Mura (c. 550-645) was the first abbot there. It is now in the Wallace Collection, London.