Before Bell Towers
Throughout history bells have been used in different cultures and religions as an aid to worship and as a form of communication. Some societies have ascribed mystical powers to bells, while others have used them for regal adornment.

Several thousand years before Christ, a bell-like instrument called a "sistrum" [left] was worn by Egyptian women to drive out evil spirits. Small bells called "amulets" were used to decorate the robes of the holy men.

In ancient Greece and Rome, bells were used in religious ceremonies, to announce public games, and to mark the hours of the day.

Greek warriors even put small bells in their shields and headgear to give them courage and to startle their opponents. During the fourth century, bells were cast and tuned to announce various prayer times each day.

During religious ceremonies monks or clerics often rang bells ("cymbala") with a hammer during a processional. These cup-shaped bells, suspended from a metal bar, were used to give pitches for Psalm readings and other specific sections of the Liturgy.