WHERE THE "BELL" FROM??

               The bell was invented in the c.3000 B.C.E ( B.C.E- BEFORE THE COMMON ERA Which is exactly what is B.C- BEFORE CHRIST but has nothing to do with christianity ) by ANCIENT CHINESE who were technologically and culturally advanced between 3950 and 1700 B.C.E. 
                 The people of YANG-SAHO culture farmed pigs,grew wheat and millet, made highly specialized tools and painted pottery. they also produced pottery instrument called LINGS, which became the first TUNED BELLS.  One of the earliest examples of these clay bells is a small red ling uncovered at an excavation site in the province of central china.

lings

          
                        Later, during SHANG AND ZHOU Dynasties, the chinese made bells from metal and decorated them with intricate designs. Bells came to play an important role in their culture by the fifth century B.C.E, when sets of bronze bells were used in the ritual ceremonies accompaniment.Large clapperless bells known as ZONG were sometimes struck with mallets. it is said that these represented the sound of the AUTUMN EQUINOX ,when all the crops had been harvested- in chinese the world ZHONG means "bell" but also "cultivated" when pronounced slightly differently.

hand bells

             During the QIN DYNASTY, in the second century B.C.E, the bell became a symbol of power and authority following the installation of six large bells at the imperial court. In modern China, the bell has a different meaning; EDUCATION AND WORSHIP.

            Today in the western world, the bell is used both functionally and symbolically.Bell chimes tell us of the time of the day, but are also associated with the church and traditional celebrations such as christmas  and weddings . Hand bells are still played by members of the church community and in schools as a part of music education. There are even examples of the bells being used in the music therapy in retirement homes and hospitals.