A fight against ringing bells in the deep French countryside
By topffer
@topffer (42156)
France
August 12, 2018 5:36am CST
Les Bondons, a microscopic commune of 150 inhabitants in Lozère, had a presbytery with no more priest, like many small villages, and installed there 2 furnished apartments to rent to tourists during Summer holidays.
The photo of the village comes from Wikipedia (Author Ancalagon, under GNU Free Documentation License), it looks like a perfect place for holidays if one likes the deep French countryside.
But everybody does not appreciate it. There is actually a couple of Parisians having rented one of these apartments for two weeks and fighting with the commune because... of the bell of the church ringing at 7 am, which is too early for them. They spoke about it to the clerk of the commune, they asked the mayor to send «the technical staff» to have the clock ringing at 9 am. Having seen the clerk, they had seen all the staff of the commune responded the mayor. Then they wrote to the mayor who responded politely «F*ck you», and are now complaining to the federation of rural guesthouses doing the promotion of these apartments for the commune.
I used my pants in kindergartens and elementary schools in Paris, I am a Parisian somewhere, and there are moments where I feel ashamed by some of my fellows.
The bells in France started to ring the Angelus 2 times a day, on the morning and evening, in 1095. In 1472 a king of France asked to have them ringing one more time at midday to pray the Holy Virgin for the peace of the kingdom. Since that all the bells started to ring at 7 am, midday and 7 pm, and most of them are continuing this tradition, including in Paris. Paris is so quiet, with its picturesque traffic congestion, that this couple may have never heard them. I add a recording of the midday Angelus at Notre-Dame de Paris, just in case they would doubt about that.
When you rent an apartment in a presbytery, you should be aware that there is probably a church with at least a ringing bell not far. And that a couple of stupid Parisians will not stop a thousand years old tradition. What will be the next request, to remove the roosters or the cicadas ?
Angélus du midi à la cathédrale Notre Dame, le jour de l'Ascension. Sonnerie de l'heure : carillon du Regina cæli puis tintement sur Gabriel, la#2 Trois coup...
15 people like this
13 responses
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
12 Aug 18
You should know that German tourists always complain here in Switzerland because most of our Churches ring bells at every hour, including during the night. As they menaced never to come back to Switzerland, we have lost the pleasure to know which time is it at night. Now the bells stop ringing at 10 p.m. and they come back in service at 6 a.m. I had so much the habit that I did not even noticed the ring of the bells.
5 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
12 Aug 18
@LadyDuck I read that in Champagne they are also ringing an Angelus at 2 PM to tell to people to go to work. We have other methods to know the hour today, but a tradition being a tradition, it should not be affected by a new law. And after a while, except if you wait for it, you do not hear anymore the bell near you, so I do not understand these complaints. A new war of religion
?
?3 people like this
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
12 Aug 18
@topffer 
It seems that also some resident and Swiss citizens complained citing the right to silence, that is a Federal Law. Now Catholic Church has to respect the Federal Laws. I am sure that soon some will complain because they do not know the hour anymore. People never agree.
It seems that also some resident and Swiss citizens complained citing the right to silence, that is a Federal Law. Now Catholic Church has to respect the Federal Laws. I am sure that soon some will complain because they do not know the hour anymore. People never agree.3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
31 Aug 18
Hmmm... I'm sure if I had heard that all my life that I wouldn't notice the bells ringing, either... But, since it is silent here 24 hours a day, I would notice and complain about the bells! (
Well, silent unless a police siren, fire engine or some idiot who keeps revving up his car/truck at the stop sign beside my front door decides to make the silence... not so silent
!)
Well, silent unless a police siren, fire engine or some idiot who keeps revving up his car/truck at the stop sign beside my front door decides to make the silence... not so silent!)2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
1 Sep 18
@DaddyEvil Indeed ! And they have to assume their choice of taking holidays in the deep countryside. At the end I was saying as a joke that tourists would soon complain against the cicadas, and last week a couple went to a town-hall to ask an insecticide against cicadas.
.1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
1 Sep 18
@topffer *shake my head* That's entirely possible... I understand their complaint, but they should have investigated the area before committing to staying for two weeks.
1 person likes this
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Aug 18
How nervy it was for those tourists to even make such a request. Too early ? The bell has been ringing at that time for centuries, what made them think the church would now accommodate them to suit their beauty sleep? Sorry but history and tradition were there long before they planned their vacation.
? The bell has been ringing at that time for centuries, what made them think the church would now accommodate them to suit their beauty sleep? Sorry but history and tradition were there long before they planned their vacation.2 people like this
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
13 Aug 18
@topffer Seriously - who else but spoiled brats feel so entitled that they would make such a request to stop tradition just for them. I suppose they would yell at the sun or moon for coming out too early - and just who was in charge .
.2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
12 Aug 18
It could only come from Parisians. There are so many noises around in Paris that they perhaps had never heard a bell before, and probably do not know that they ring three times a day since 550 years everywhere in France. I am sure that many others would appreciate to wake up at the sound of a bell. And, yes, a tradition is a tradition, and nobody will change the hour of the morning Angelus for them, but I am not sure that they realize it. I would not be surprised if they were asking to be refunded.
. I am sure that many others would appreciate to wake up at the sound of a bell. And, yes, a tradition is a tradition, and nobody will change the hour of the morning Angelus for them, but I am not sure that they realize it. I would not be surprised if they were asking to be refunded.2 people like this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
13 Aug 18
I dare not try to pronounce those Proper names that you have in your discussion. There will be sometimes the 'n' silent or the's' No Thank you I am not interested
Church bells are sweet to one's ears. We hear them at 5.30 every morning
Church bells are sweet to one's ears. We hear them at 5.30 every morning2 people like this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
13 Aug 18
@topffer I think Angelus is Latin. We learnt to say prayers in Latin in the good old days.
in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti (In the name of the father, son and the Holy Ghost)
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325758)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Aug 18
We loved to hear the bells and we heard them throughout France. No matter how small the village, the bells would ring out at some time during the day. I'm not sure that they were always at 7am, noon, and 7pm but perhaps they were. It is one of my fondest memories.
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
12 Aug 18
At noon, certainly, it is an obligation since 1472 and specific to France. The morning and evening Angelus may ring at 6 am and 6 pm in a few places, but most of the time it is 7 am/7 pm. The obligation is just to have a morning and evening Angelus. This one was fixed by a Pope in 1095 during the First Crusade and confirmed by another Pope in 1318 who extended it to all Catholic churches through the world.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325758)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Aug 18
@topffer It doesn't happen in Australia, There was a running feud in my home town between an old atheist/agnostic doctor and the Catholic Church. I think the bell was only rung on Sunday morning anyway but he was always writing letters to the editor about it.
2 people like this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
12 Aug 18
some people here tried that.i'm not christian and even i don't mind the bells.
it's usually new to town folks that whine about it.
...but they did ban roosters..
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
2 Sep 18
Those are nice sounding bells tops and presume cloche means bell no?.
We have bells here too but they are sounding from other villages around here.
They should have realized that there might be bells there or at least have asked about it.
We have the Angelus here as well in most places.
We have the Angelus here as well in most places.1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
3 Sep 18
@topffer
Much the same here and there are a lot of abandoned villages too sadly that is the case unless they go there of a Weekend which is more usual.
I would much rather here those kind of musical bells than the sirens we keep hearing here as we are very close to a main Hospital.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
3 Sep 18
@lovinangelsinstead21 Sirens are not fun, especially in the night ! I prefer my high schools, at least the street is quiet during school holidays.
.1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
2 Sep 18
Yes, cloche is bell, and Notre-Dame has a lot of bells, but normally there is only 1 bell used for the angelus. The morning and evening angelus are supposed to ring in any Catholic church, the one at noon is specific to France. Quite all churches are ringing the angelus, except the abandoned ones, and there are many now in the countryside quite abandoned having at best 1 mass/month due to the lack of priests.
1 person likes this
@koopharper (7477)
• Canada
12 Aug 18
I believe my mom used to tell us that is when they rang in Holland when she was growing up. It made it easy for everyone working in the fields to know when to start work, when to come to the house for lunch and when to go home in the evening. I don't see any need to change the tradition.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
12 Aug 18
Yes, it was useful at a time where people had no watch. There is an area of France, Champagne, where they also ring an Angelus at 2 PM to tell to people that it is time to go to work. It is a very nice and old tradition, there is no reason to stop it because a couple of Parisians want to sleep.
. It is a very nice and old tradition, there is no reason to stop it because a couple of Parisians want to sleep.1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (18923)
• United States
4 Sep 18
I would understand their reasoning, but I think it shouldn't be stopped. They can plug up their ears. I wouldn't mind it. But my fiance might not like it.
