Bonshō
Bonshō Vorlage:Nihongo, also known as tsurigane Vorlage:Nihongo are large, clapperless bells found in Buddhist temples in Japan.
Rather than containing a clapper, bonshō are struck from the outside, using either a hand-held mallet or a beam suspended on ropes (called a shu-moku).[1]
Parts of the bell
- Ryūza, the handle at the top of the bell, by which it is carried or hung.
- Kasagata, the domed crown of the bell.
- Chi, ornamental bosses.
- Koma no tsune, lower rim.
- Tsuki-za, striking panel, a reinforced spot where the bell is struck.
- Tatsuki, decorative horizontal bands.[1]
Notable examples
The oldest known bonshō (indeed, the oldest bell in the world that is still in use) is the Okikicho bell at Myōshin-ji, which was cast in 698 C.E. The largest example is the bell at Tōdai-ji, which was commissioned in 732 and weighs more than 26 tons.[2]
Use
The bonshō is used in temples to mark the passage of time, as well as during Japanese New Year celebrations.[3] On the eve of the New Year, people queue to ring the bells 108 times in a ceremony known as Joya No Kane. The 108 peals of the bell are intended to purge humanity of the 108 desires.[4] In the past, it was also used as an alarm, and to warn of impending typhoons.[5] In Buddhism, the bell's sound is considered to be calming and to induce a suitable atmosphere for meditation.[6] During the seventeenth century, the bell was also a symbol of the temple's leadership; possession of the bonshō indicated ownership of the associated temple. As a result, bells were often stolen; the folk hero Benkei is said to have dragged a bell weighing three tons up Mount Hiei during such a theft.[7]
References
- ↑ a b Louis Frederic: Japan enciklopedia. Harvard University Press, 2002, ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5, S. 81 (google.com [abgerufen am 15. Mai 2013]).
- ↑ Thomas Rossing: Science of percussion instruments. World Scientific, 2000, ISBN 978-981-02-4158-2, S. 179 (google.com [abgerufen am 15. Mai 2013]).
- ↑ William P. Malm: Traditional Japanese music and musical instruments: the new edition. Kodansha International, 2000, ISBN 978-4-7700-2395-7, S. 74 (google.com [abgerufen am 15. Mai 2013]).
- ↑ In with the New around the World. In: The Scotsman. Highbeam Research (subscription required), abgerufen am 15. Mai 2013.
- ↑ Percival Price: Bells and man. Oxford University Press, 1983, ISBN 978-0-19-318103-8, S. 48 (google.com [abgerufen am 15. Mai 2013]).
- ↑ Bon-sho (Sacred Bell). Byodo-in Temple, abgerufen am 15. Mai 2013.
- ↑ Richard King Beardsley: Studies in Japanese Culture. University of Michigan Press, 1969, S. 54–55 (google.com [abgerufen am 15. Mai 2013]).