{"id":46978,"date":"2014-01-26T00:09:29","date_gmt":"2014-01-26T08:09:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/?p=46978"},"modified":"2014-01-26T00:09:29","modified_gmt":"2014-01-26T08:09:29","slug":"campanology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/46978","title":{"rendered":"Campanology"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\tWould you sign up for a lesson in campanology?<\/p>\n

My glamping friends are no doubt whooping “YES!” with cabin-fevered fervor.<\/p>\n

We’re all chomping at the bit in anticipation of our first spring camping trip,<\/p>\n

but campanology really has nothing at all to do with tents or teardrop trailers.<\/p>\n

Speaking of which \u2026<\/p>\n

\"800px-HomemadeTeardrop\"<\/a>

Photo by Don Stucke via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Trailer envy!<\/p>\n

Wait\u2014what am I saying?<\/p>\n

Ah, yeah, back to the point:<\/p>\n

Does “campanology” ring a bell with anyone?<\/p>\n

(Hint: that was an intentional pun.)<\/p>\n

The term campanology refers to the study of REALLY BIG bells, like these:<\/p>\n

\"Clifton_Campville_Church_Bells\"<\/a>

Photo by Brian Webster via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

By study, I mean all facets of bell construction and tuning to the art of ringing these behemoths, an age-old practice<\/a> that doesn’t command a lot of attention these days, especially here in the U.S.<\/p>\n

Derived from the Latin word for bell, campana<\/i>, campanology was coined in the Campania region of Italy, which is known for the mining of bronze that was used to cast bells.<\/p>\n

These days, though, much of the talk of campanology resounds from the hallowed halls of English churches, and I was surprised at how many young people are chiming in<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Take, for instance, Becky Dunnet. She’s the teen star of this fun bit of campanology promotion:<\/p>\n