One of the oldest church bells in our country, still in use today, turned 500 years old. The Great Bell of Nógrádzakál was made of cast bronze in 1523 and weighs approximately 450 kilos. The Cultural Heritage Directorate declared it protected in 1999.
The circular inscription in Gothic letters repeated on the upper part of the great bell: "O REX GLORIE VENI CUM PACE", in Hungarian: "Oh, Queen of Glory, come in peace". The ear crown was sawn off in 1925 and replaced with a disk crown. According to the stories, the bell was hidden from the Turks in Ipoly.
In Hungary, bells were already widespread in the time of the Christian conversion priests. The sound of the bell guided everyday life. Bells were rung in the morning, in the evening, during masses/services, in the event of a death, and upon the arrival of ecclesiastical and secular dignitaries. A bell greeted those returning home from a victorious battle and a bell warned of an approaching enemy or fire.
Source: Diocese of Váci / vasarnap.hu
Source of the cover image: Dr. Kristóf Temesszentandrasi and Ferenc Bajkó
