A Complicated Story About Jingle Bells
Ten bells, same jingle.
What’s makes an object an object? Is it defined by its form or function? We’ve explored this topic before and it will be a recurring theme in many stories to come. The history of things are often difficult to track because they are buried in the crevices of time and space. Objects over time change their meaning. Objects across countries change their name. This story about crotal bells- an object spanning several centuries, two continents and a plethora of Christmas carols.
What are Crotal Bells?
Crotals have a distinct form shaped more like a rattle than a traditional bell. The sound is produced by a tiny metal pellet inside a round, semi-enclosed body.
Crotals were originally manufactured as two halves crimped together that evolved into a patented, one piece cast in the 19th century . Other variations range from the style of the attachment loop to the number of slotted openings at the base.
Finding Crotals
No two crotals are alike… especially in the history books. Constant re-purposing / re-naming made it impossible to…
