Beers (custom)

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Beiern refers to the manual striking of church bells in locally traditional, fixed rhythms. This is in contrast to the conventional ringing of the bell by swinging. The melodies, which vary with the number of bells present, are created with the help of the clapper . The clapper is knocked against the brass knuckles, the thickest part of the bell, using cables by hand or foot. Other striking aids such as wooden hammers can also be used.

With a larger number of bells, levers are also used, which are arranged as a keyboard , such carillons are z. B. in Bruges or in Ratingen to see.

Beering is a centuries-old custom, especially in northwestern Europe. In Germany the tradition of Beiern is mainly cultivated in the Rhineland . Even where the custom has fallen asleep over the years, it has been rediscovered in recent years.

In terms of cultural history, Beiern is to be regarded as the forerunner of the carillon ("Beiaard"), which was highly developed in the Netherlands in the 17th century .

Word origin

The origin of the word “Beiern” lies in the Old French baier , which means “barking” or “striking”. From there the word wandered via Flemish to the Rhineland . The relationship is also represented by the English bell for "bell", while the German hunters do not speak of barking, but of ringing their dogs. Since a short rhythm is often repeated when biting, the Rhinelander always speaks of biting when he has to constantly warn someone.

Each village has its own traditional melodies, which are also accompanied by Beier verses, which often have mocking content. The Beier men themselves are often the target of derisive verses, as alcohol is not infrequently involved in beer.

Accidents

While the bells are controlled and struck gently with normal ringing (the expert also says: the clapper kisses the bell), the bells are sometimes played more vigorously. If the bells were struck too hard, the bells cracked over the course of time, inscriptions on the newly cast bells indicate this, for example that of a bell from Merten in the Rhenish foothills: “I was hardly born in 1804, I died again in 1808 by violence but in 1809 again this form and shape. God give me longer life. Everyone be careful not to spoil me, because my death is very costly; therefore be careful with bells and bells. ” . The variant of bobbin making is dangerous for the bell, where the bell is not only struck on the brass knuckles, but also halfway up the wall of the bell in order to reach a different pitch.

Dangerous for the Beiermänner, on the other hand, is beating (also bamming), in which a bell is made to vibrate (with a motor or by hand). Since the bells do not strike regularly immediately after being switched on, but have to level off or vibrate for a while after switching off, the beers hold the clapper until the bell is in time. Since many bells weigh a ton or more, a small inattention can have serious consequences.

Where to celebrate

Beering is also widespread in other countries. In Russia, for example, bells are almost exclusively made to ring using the Beier method. In Germany, on the other hand, celebrations are only held at high church or village festivals ( Christmas , Easter , Pentecost , Corpus Christi , parish fair , patronage festival , shooting festival, etc.).

For Austria, the Glockenbeiern in Neumarkt im Mühlkreis took place for the first time on September 10, 2006, an event that is probably unique in the country. For the “Hear voices” festival in July and August 2006, a lever piano was set up on a voluntary basis in the bell chamber of the Neumarkt church tower. At church festivals the bell-picking is continued in Neumarkt iM.

There is also a celebration in Spain , e.g. B. in the Cathedral of Valencia .

The so-called “Beiern” bell has been played in Dollendorf / Eifel since 1758. Back then, the carpenter Markus Tobias from Morbach in the Hunsrück brought the old custom with him to Dollendorf when he married his wife from Lahmen. The appointments for biting have always been Christmas, New Year's Eve, First Communion and Corpus Christi. The musicians do not play well-known songs, but the original Beiern tones. These are: “3 and 1; 2 and 1; 3 and 3; Tip-tip; amount of stupid, amount of blow dryer, amount of Elleboje ”. Only the musicians can translate the terms into sounds. In Dollendorf you cannot imagine the above-mentioned festivities without being baked.

The tradition of bell- ringing has been preserved in Korschenbroich since the 17th century. It is celebrated on the Saturday before White Sunday and Pentecost , during the Corpus Christi procession and on the feast of the parish priest St. Andreas on November 30th.

In Billerbeck - in the parish church of St. Johannis the Baptist - people still celebrate before masses. On Saturday evening it is about the "ringing in Sunday", which is rung by hand. The bells of the provost church are rung first, then those of the parish church later. From Advent to Easter, three bells are celebrated and after Easter they ring in time. This requires five or six chime masters, each ringing the two large bells with two people each - the small bell is only struck and only rung now and then. The "Dkörperschlüden" takes place on special days when the two small bells are struck and the big one is rung. According to an old custom, biting is not carried out electrically, but with hand and foot.

In Remscheid- Lüttringhausen , Christmas Eve and Christmas have been celebrated from the tower of the Protestant town church for centuries. On September 2, 2012, there was a premiere at which the old custom was maintained on the occasion of the 6th Ecumenical Congregation Festival in the Catholic parish church " Holy Cross ". After alternating biering at the beginning, the two towers - about 200 m apart - gave common tones in the end.

In Stadtlohn - in the St. Otger Church on New Year's Eve, Easter, Whitsun and Christmas, the tradition of "Bäierns" is maintained by the Heimatverein. In 1934 this was stopped with the installation of an electric bell. Bäiern was reintroduced in 1977 on the initiative of the Stadtlohner Heimatverein. In the death register of St. Otger a "Beyermann who was alive for a while" is already mentioned (died May 26, 1738)

In Menden (Sauerland) , Beiern has been taking place regularly since 1928 as part of the tower blowing on Christmas Eve on the old town hall square in front of the stairs of St. Vincenz Church. For many people from Menden, this traditional event is the preparation for Christmas.

In Lengerich / Emsland, Corpus Christi has been celebrated since 1935. The day before, while the altars are being set up and the processional path is being decorated, melodies are played with the bells. On Corpus Christi, the population is woken up from 7 a.m. with the carillon. After the holy mass, at 9 a.m., there is also a celebration during the procession on the way from altar to altar. The bells are placed at an angle for beating and the clapper is provided with pulling ropes so that there is about 4 cm of space between the clapper and brass knuckles. The four bells are then struck by two strong men or women with the help of the ropes. Depending on the melody, this happens in a fixed order.

Motifs of the bell ringing

The following motif is used to celebrate in Korschenbroich:

\ relative c '{\ key c \ major \ repeat volta 2 {ebeb e8 b8 e8 b8 e4 b4} \ repeat volta 2 {e4 e d2 e4 e b2}} \ addlyrics {}

See also

Web links