THE BELLRINGERS OF SEVILLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 93, 25 April 1900, Page 2

THE BELLRINGERS OF SEVILLE.

There is a curious custom among the young Spaniards of the city of Seville. On certain fete days, relates a tourist, the young men of the place have permission to ring the bells in the clock towers of the cathedral. They have an ingenious and original way of ringing them. While the regular bellringers repose, these amateurs climb up on to the bells, throw them forward with all their f re >, aud ri 1e upon the bells in their furious swinging to and fro. We may imagine what an uproar ia produced >vheu all the bells of a cathedral are being treated in this manner. Any man who ia able may exercise bis skill, and the duration of the ringing depends upon the caprice or the strength and patience of the ringers, The spectacle ia very strange of the great bells swinging with one, two, or more bold ringers hanging from ; hem in any attitude which seems to -hem bost adapted to pushing them the furthest and beating out the most noise. In the Ciralda, at Seville, the , first time I witnoFßed this, the clamor ; was fi ightful. When I looked up 1 thought at first some unfortunate was ] entangled in the bell-roue ; but I soon ! found it was a matter of sport. Another i linger appeared suspended in the air, ' holding the bell by the ears, or the ' rim, or the wooden framework, and 1 following it in all its movements, .sometimes feot, sometimes head, downwards. Such are the daring bellringers of. Seville,