The Bell of King Seongdeok is a large
bronze bell
A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inte ...
, the largest extant bell in
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
. The full Korean name means ''"Sacred (or Divine) Bell of King Seongdeok the Great."'' It was also known as the Emille Bell, after a
legend about its casting, and as the Bell of
Bongdeoksa Temple, where it was first housed.
The bell was commissioned by
King Gyeongdeok to honor his father,
King Seongdeok. However, King Gyeongdeok never lived to see the casting of the bell, as he died in 765 A.D. The bell was finally cast in 771 A.D., during the reign of Gyeongdeok's son,
King Hyegong
Hyegong of Silla (758–780) (r. 765–780) was the 36th ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. Being the only child between King Gyeongdeok and Lady Manwol ( Queen Gyeongsu), Hyegong was the last descendant of King Muyeol to sit on the throne. B ...
.
Now stored in the
National Museum of
Gyeongju, the bell was designated as the 29th
national treasure of Korea on December 12, 1962. It measures high, in diameter at the lip, and in wall thickness. The Gyeongju National Museum weighed it in 1997, and found that its weight was 18.9 tons.
Artistic characteristics
The bell is considered a masterpiece of
Unified Silla
Unified Silla, or Late Silla (, ), is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, after 668 CE. In the 7th century, a Silla–Tang alliance conquered Baekje and the southern part of Goguryeo in the ...
art. It is unique among Korean bronze bells because of the presence of a small hollow tube near the hook. The whole structure, including its decorative elements, produces a wide range of sound frequencies; the tube absorbs high frequency waves, contributing to a distinctive
beat
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery (c ...
.
The hook of the bell is in the shape of a
dragon's head. There are many relief patterns on the bell, including flower patterns along the rim and shoulder. There are also reliefs of
lotus flowers, grass, and a pair of two ''
apsaras'' (heavenly maidens). The striking point of the bell (''dwangja'') is also in the shape of a lotus and sits between two of the apsara reliefs. The bottom of the bell is in a
rhombic shape, lending it a look unique among bells of the
Orient.
The inscriptions on the bell, over a thousand ''
hanja
Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom.
(, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, ...
'', are a fine example of
Korean calligraphy
Korean calligraphy, also known as Seoye (), is the Korean tradition of artistic writing. Calligraphy in Korean culture involves both Hanja (Chinese logograph) and Hangul (Korean native alphabet).
Early Korean calligraphy was exclusively in Ha ...
and carving. They provide detailed information about the bell and why it was cast.
The column the bell hangs on is quite firm. Even a column of the same diameter, made of a modern
alloy
An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which at least one is a metal. Unlike chemical compounds with metallic bases, an alloy will retain all the properties of a metal in the resulting material, such as electrical conductivity, ductilit ...
, might bend under the weight of the bell, yet the bell still hangs on an ancient column that has lasted for several centuries.
File:Apsara relief. Bell of King Seongdeok.National Museum of Gyeongju.Korea.2018.P1410600.jpg, Apsara relief
File:Text relief. Bell of King Seongdeok.National Museum of Gyeongju.Korea.2018.P1410605.jpg, Carved Korean calligraphy
Legend
The bell is commonly known as the Emile Bell in both Korean and English. ''Emile'', pronounced "em-ee-leh," is an ancient
Silla
Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms ...
term for "mommy".
According to legend, the first bell that was cast produced no sound when it was struck. The bell was recast many times but with no success. The king that had wanted the bell cast died after a while and his young son took over with the help of the queen. The son carried out what his father had started but still he didn't have any success. Later, a monk dreamed that if a child was cast into the metal, the bell would ring. The monk then took a child from the village and had her cast into the metal. When the bell was complete, the bell made the most beautiful sound when struck.
Some, however, believe the legend may actually be a modern invention, and that the story and name originated in the 1920s. A story that was published about the "Eomilne bell" or "Earmilne bell" (어밀네 종) may have been distorted in retelling. The most recent argument is that legend about other bell became confused with the legend of the Emile bell.
[ cited in ]
See also
*
Korean Bell of Friendship
The Korean Bell of Friendship (more commonly called Korean Friendship Bell) is a massive bronze bell housed in a stone pavilion in Angel's Gate Park, in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Located at the corner of Gaffey and ...
*
Bell of Yongjusa
The Bell of Yongjusa is located in the temple of Yongjusa, near Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.
History
The bronze bell was cast and installed in the temple in 854. The temple was destroyed in 1636 during the Second Manchu invasion of Korea ...
References
Further reading
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External links
Cultural Heritage Administration
{{Bells
King Seongdeok
National Treasures of South Korea
Silla
Buildings and structures in Gyeongju
Korean art
Tourist attractions in Gyeongju
8th-century works
771
8th century in Korea