Phallic Worship / A description of the mysteries of the sex worship of the ancients, with the history of the masculine cross. An account of primitive symbolism, Hebrew phallicism, bacchic festivals, sexual rites, and the mysteries of the ancient faiths.

by Hargrave Jennings

BELLS IN RELIGIOUS WORSHIP

Stripped, however, of all this splendour and magnificence it was probably nothing more than a symbolical instrument, signifying originally the motion of the elements, like the sistrum of Isis, the cymbals of Cybele, the bells of Bacchus, etc., whence Jupiter is said to have overcome the Titans with his ægis, as Isis drove away Typhon with her sistrum, and the ringing of the bells and clatter of metals were almost universally employed as a means of consecration, and a charm against the destroying and inert powers. Even the Jews welcomed the new moon with such noises, which the simplicity of the early ages employed almost everywhere to relieve her during eclipses, supposed then to be morbid affections brought on by the influence of an adverse power. The title Priapus, by which the generative attribute is distinguished, seems to be merely a corruption of Briapuos (clamorous); the beta and pi being commutable letters, and epithets of similar meaning, being continually applied both to Jupiter and Bacchus by the poets. Many Priapic figures, too, still extant, have bells attached to them, as the symbolical statues and temples of the Hindus are; and to wear them was a part of the worship of Bacchus among the Greeks: whence we sometimes find them of extremely small size, evidently meant to be worn as amulets with the phalli, lunulæ, etc. The chief priests of the Egyptians and also the high priests of the Jews, hung them as sacred emblems to their sacerdotal garments; and the Brahmins still continue to ring a small bell at the interval of their prayers, ablutions, and other acts of devotion; which custom is still preserved in the Roman Catholic Church at the elevation of the host. The Lacedæmonians beat upon a brass vessel or pan, on the death of their kings, and we still retain the custom of tolling a bell on such occasions, though the reason of it is not generally known, any more than that of other remnants of ancient ceremonies still existing.[^[1]] It will be observed that the bells used by the Christians very probably came direct from the Buddhists. And from the same source are derived the beads and rosaries of the Roman Catholics, which have been used by the Buddhist monks for over 2,000 years. Tinkling bells were suspended before the shrine of Jupiter Ammon, and during the service the gods were invited to descend upon the altars by the ringing of bells; they were likewise sacred to Siva. Bells were used at the worship of Bacchus, and were worn on the garments of the Bacchantes, much in the same manner as they are used at our carnivals and masquerades.

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[1]. The above description is from Payne Knight’s “Symbolical Language of ancient Art and Mythology.”