Bells have always captured our romantic imagination. Whether they are those we hear signaling noon prayers in the nearby church or those that ring as we enter a quaint store or favorite deli, bells add a little magic, and even fun, to an otherwise mundane experience. And we are not the only ones who have been enchanted by the sound of those bells.

Bells have been made since the ancient times, but they have not always been musical instruments or a warning device as they were during the feudal era or as they are in some remote places of the world. Bells were used in ancient rituals to pray to and worship gods and to conjure magic. They were hung on house doors to invite blessings. Small bells when worn were believed to drive away misfortune and protect the person from evil spirits and harm. It was believed that the sound from the bells attracts and invites kind spirits.

Bells, as we know them now in their present shape, are evolved from cruder versions and different shapes. Some discovered artifacts from the Middle East are made of bronze and are shaped like beehives. Bells unearthed from South America are wooden and are rectangular. Those from Asia are square.

The Christian Church began casting bells an art in the eighth or ninth century AD. Various reconfigurations and redesigns have led to the discovery that shaping a bell a bit longer will produce a deeper sound. If made smaller and cast thicker, it will produce a higher sound. It was only several centuries later that medieval Europe produced the shallow, bowl-shaped bell that was struck from the outside.

Bells made in recent history owe their improved sounds to the constant reengineering of their designs throughout the centuries. When struck, gigantic bells could produce sounds heard for miles around.