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From: <>
Subject: [OLDWORDS] Re: Belling
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 21:36:02 EDT


To those of you who were interested in further information about belling.

Belling was a custom brought to VA and WV and I am sure other states by the
Germans.
Friends and relatives armed with cowbells, turkey callers, tin cans, pots and
pans, saw blades and whistles would march around the house of newlyweds after
they had gone to bed and continue making noise until the couple got up and
came outside. Years ago they would ride the bride and groom on a rail
(wooden fence rail). Sometimes they took the groom and kept him all night.
My uncle said that belling is tamer than it used to be because in his day
they sometimes included shotguns and dynamite as part of the noise.

More recently, the groom was forced to push the bride to a designated spot
in a wheelbarrow. The object was to keep the groom away from his bride on
their wedding night. In the old days, couples did not go on a honeymoon.

In some parts of the country it is called a shivaree and in southern Virginia
a serenade.

Bonnie Vance Miller

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