Bell-Ringing Traditions at Funerals of Christian Denominations in the Kėdainiai Region

Abstract

The article analyses the tradition of ringing bells at funerals of Roman Catholics, Evangelical Lutherans, Orthodox Christians, and Old Believers in the Kėdainiai region. It delves into the issue of how this tradition relates to the community in the Kėdainiai region and the town itself. In the conscience of the believers, the ringing of bells to announce the death of a person is associated with the afterlife and with respect for the deceased. In the Kėdainiai region, separate parishes of the same denomination live a rather isolated life. This creates the conditions for the preservation of unique and locally specific traditions of ringing bells and their variations. The ringing of bells during funerals is not common in the town of Kėdainiai, but this tradition is still alive in rural areas. The study revealed that bell ringing serves an anonymous communicative function in Roman Catholic parishes of Kėdainiai and an individual communicative function in rural areas of the Kėdainiai region. Confessional differences on eschatological issues determine the different meanings of the tradition of ringing mourning bells. The Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and Old Believers associate the ringing of funeral bells with helping the soul of the deceased, while for the Evangelical Lutherans it is a sign for the living, reminding them of the inevitable future meeting with the Lord. The article is based on the data from ethnographic field research conducted between 2022 and 2025.