Christmas bells entered the Romanian cultural space through a long process in which archaic traditions blended with Christian belief and European influences. Long before the holiday of Christmas developed as we know it, metallic sounds played an important ritual role in old communities: they were used to drive away evil spirits, to purify spaces, and to protect people during transitional moments at the turn of the year. These beliefs have been preserved in winter customs such as caroling, the Plugușor, and masked dances, where bells and jingles were indispensable. With the spread of Christianity, the sound of the bell also acquired a profound religious meaning, becoming an announcer of major feasts and a symbol of the Nativity. Small bells, however, were not originally used as decorations but primarily as functional or ritual objects. The first decorated Christmas tree in the Romanian lands was the one at the palace of Prince Carol I of Hohenzollern, following his arrival in the Romanian Principalities in 1866. From that moment the tradition took root, and on Christmas Eve princes and princesses invited to the palace would take part in decorating the tree. Among the ornaments used were small metal bells, symbolizing joy, the good news, and divine protection for the home. In the twentieth century, Christmas bells spread across all Romanian provinces and became a visual emblem of the holiday, appearing in both decorations and carols. Even during periods when religious expression was curtailed, bells remained in people's homes as signs of joy and the continuity of tradition. Today they retain this dual meaning: the echo of ancient beliefs and, at the same time, the announcement of the Birth of Christ - a symbol of hope, light, and the link between past and present. These tinkling pieces are part of a generous heritage collection at the National Museum of History of Moldova (NMHM), which includes more than 200 cultural items. A substantial contribution to the museum's collection of decorative bells was made by Dorina Raischi, a teacher at School No. 94 in Chișinău, who donated 174 bells, of which around 30 are winter-themed. Made of ceramic, porcelain, glass, and metal, they were brought from different parts of the world and together offer a succinct picture of the global culture of bells. They add a festive note to the home and even to a gift, and it is hard to imagine Christmas without their cheerful tinkling.
On some ornaments and clothing accessories of the populations from the Carpathian-Danubian space in the 14th-17th centuries
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IV [XIX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
The present study analyses some types of ornaments specific to the costume of the population from the Carpathian-Danubian space in the 14th-17th centuries. In the category of head ornaments needles are included, intended for fixing the head covers and to decorate the hair. The earliest examples are represented by needles with bird-shaped end discovered at Pohrebeni (Republic of Moldova) and Suceava (Romania). The needles and clips with roundish ends, often decorated with rosettes made of metal wire and precious stones, are more widely known. Such pieces are found in the inventory of archaeological monuments from the 15th-17th centuries (treasures from Musaid, Re- public of Moldova; Sihleanu, Zăvoia, Covei, Păun from Romania).
A specific tradition for the populations’ ornaments in the given region are clothing pieces with applications made using the filigree and granulation technique. Such objects are grouped according to two different traditions. Applications are known, made in the 15th century most probably by Tatar-Mongols craftsmen (Costești, Republic of Moldova), Suceava (Romania). It is possible that the type of clothing applications specific to the 15th-17th centuries from Putna, Păun (Romania), Sîngerei, Musaid (Republic of Moldova) were formed under the influence of these pieces. A series of applications and brooches made according to the western-European tradition (Curtea de Argeș, Buda, Sibiu), different from the first two types, are known as well.
In the 17th century the set of ornaments is supplemented with specific necklaces known at Hîjdieni, Saharna (Re- public of Moldova). The appearance of these objects in the group of ornaments from Moldova can be explained by influences of Bulgarian traditions. The articles made by the Ciprovici school from Bulgaria were in great demand in the 16th-17th centuries. It is known that the craftsmen of this school manufactured toreutic articles and various ornaments, mostly for the neck, made of thin wire, at custom order of princes from the Romanian countries. In conclusion we show that ornaments of the population from the Carpathian-Danubian space in the 15th-17th centuries represents an integral complex of pieces based on various traditions and cultural influences.
List of illustrations: Fig. 1. Ornaments with figures of birds: 1 - Pohrebeni (Republic of Moldova); 2-4 - Bulgaria on Volga; 5 - Suceava (Romania); 6 - Novo Brdo (Serbia); 7-9 - Mamay-Surka (Ukraine); 10-11 -Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts (Bucharest, Romania). Fig. 2. Ornaments with figures of birds: 1, 2 - Bulgaria on Volga; 3 - Syria. Fig. 3. Jewelry from hoards Păun and Şendereni (Romania): 1-9 - Păun; 10-23 - Şendereni. Fig. 4. Jewelry from the Musaid treasure (Republic of Moldova). Fig. 5. Ornaments with filigree decor: 1 - Costesți (Republic of Moldova); 2 - Tushkov Town (Russia); 3 - detail of decoration of “Monomakh’s Cap”(Russia); 4-25 - Suceava (Romania). Fig. 6. Details of fashions decorations: 1-9 - Curtea de Adgeș; 10-14 - Putna; 15-17 - Buda; 18-21 -Sibiu (Romania). Fig. 7. Neck ornaments: 1 - Saharna; 2 - Hîjdieni (Republic of Moldova); 3 - Golovantsy (Bulgaria); 4, 5 - Bulgaria.
Екатерина Абызова, Светлана Рябцева
Buckles from the collection of the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. I [XVI], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie Chișinău, 2007
Екатерина Абызова, Светлана Рябцева
Medieval belt and bag fitting finds from Echimauti site of ancient settlement
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. II [XVII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Светлана Рябцева
The findings of belts in the complexes of XIII-XVI centuries in the Carpathian-Balkan region
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VI [XXI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Christmas bells entered the Romanian cultural space through a long process in which archaic traditions blended with Christian belief and European influences. Long before the holiday of Christmas developed as we know it, metallic sounds played an important ritual role in old communities: they were used to drive away evil spirits, to purify spaces, and to protect people during transitional moments at the turn of the year...
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
