Brooke Martin
The phrase bell, book, and candle refers to a Latin Christian method of excommunication by anathema, imposed on a person who had committed an exceptionally grievous sin. The phrase was popularised by its use in Shakespeare's King John and in John Van Druten's 1950 play of the same name, which was adapted into a 1958 film. The phrase originates from the items used when performing the rite of excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Origin | The phrase "bell, book, and candle" refers to a Latin Christian method of excommunication by anathema, imposed on a person who had committed an exceptionally grievous sin. |
| Introduced by | Pope Zachary around the middle of the 8th century. |
| Ceremony | Involved a bishop and 12 priests bearing candles in some conspicuous place. |
| Rite | Once used by the Latin Church and described in the Pontificale Romanum until the time of the Second Vatican Council. |
| Usage in literature | Appears in Shakespeare's King John and John Van Druten's 1950 play Bell, Book and Candle. |
| Idiomatic usage | Refers to something unusual, unexpected, or bizarre; also used figuratively to indicate a thorough condemnation. |
| Symbolism | The bell represents the public character of the act, the book represents the authority of the bishop's words, and the candle symbolizes the possibility of lifting the ban through repentance. |
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What You'll Learn
- The phrase refers to a Latin Christian method of excommunication by anathema
- The ceremony was introduced by Pope Zachary in the 8th century
- The bell, book and candle are all used in the celebration of the Roman Catholic mass
- The phrase appears in Shakespeare's King John
- The title of a 1950 play by John Van Druten
The phrase refers to a Latin Christian method of excommunication by anathema
The phrase "bell, book, and candle" refers to a Latin Christian method of excommunication by anathema, imposed on individuals who committed exceptionally grievous sins. Introduced by Pope Zachary in the 8th century, the ritual was performed by the Latin Church and involved a bishop and 12 priests bearing candles in a suitably conspicuous place. The ceremony was described in the Pontificale Romanum until the Second Vatican Council, after which mentions of solemnities associated with excommunication were omitted.
The phrase "bell, book, and candle" encapsulates the symbolic nature of the ritual. The bell signified the public nature of the act, the book represented the authority of the words spoken by the bishop, and the candle symbolised the possibility of repentance and the lifting of the ban. This ceremony was not intended as final damnation, as repentance and salvation were always possible until death.
During the ritual, the bishop would recite a formula of anathema, declaring the individual excommunicated and anathematised, and condemning them to eternal fire with Satan and his angels. The priests would respond with Fiat, fiat, fiat ("So be it! So be it! So be it!"). The bishop would then ring the bell, close the holy book, and, along with the assisting priests, dash their candles to the ground.
Following the ritual, written notices were sent to neighbouring bishops and priests, reporting the excommunication and its reasons. Subsequently, the excommunicated individual was shunned by the bishops' and priests' constituents. This form of excommunication was inflicted on Robert II of France by Pope Gregory V in 996 due to his marriage to his second cousin, Bertha of Burgundy.
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The ceremony was introduced by Pope Zachary in the 8th century
The phrase "bell, book, and candle" refers to a Latin Christian method of excommunication by anathema, imposed on a person who had committed an exceptionally grievous sin. The ceremony was introduced by Pope Zachary in the 8th century and was once used by the Latin Church or Roman Catholic Church. The ceremony was described in the Pontificale Romanum until the time of the Second Vatican Council.
The ceremony traditionally involved a bishop, with 12 priests bearing candles, and would be solemnly pronounced in some suitably conspicuous place. The bishop would then pronounce the formula of the anathema, ending with the words: "Idcirco eum cum universis complicibus, fautoribusque suis, judicio Dei omnipotentis Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti". After this recitation, the priests would respond: "Fiat, fiat, fiat" ("So be it! So be it! So be it!").
Following this, the bishop would ring a bell, close a holy book, and, along with the assisting priests, would snuff out their candles by dashing them to the ground. The rite of anathema described in the Pontificale Romanum calls only for the candles to be dashed to the ground. The ritual's frightful pronouncements were calculated to strike terror into the excommunicated and bring them to repentance.
After the ritual, written notices would be sent to neighbouring bishops and priests, reporting that the target had been anathematized and explaining why. Subsequently, the bishops' and priests' constituents would hold no communication with the target. This form of excommunication was inflicted on Robert II of France by Pope Gregory V in the year 996 because he married his second cousin, Bertha of Burgundy.
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The bell, book and candle are all used in the celebration of the Roman Catholic mass
The phrase "bell, book, and candle" refers to a Latin Christian method of excommunication by anathema, imposed on a person who had committed an exceptionally grievous sin. The ceremony was introduced by Pope Zachary around the middle of the 8th century and was once used by the Latin Church. The ceremony traditionally involved a bishop, with 12 priests bearing candles, and would solemnly be pronounced in some suitably conspicuous place. The candle symbolised the possibility that the ban might be lifted if the person repented. The book represented the authority of the words spoken by the presiding bishop, and the bell represented the public character of the act. The ceremony would end with the words: "Do to the book, quench the candle, ring the bell", signifying spiritual death.
The phrase "bell, book, and candle" appears in Shakespeare's King John (III, iii):
> "Bell, book, and candle shall not drive me back,/ When gold and silver becks me to come on."
The phrase also appears in a 14th-century Northumbrian poem, "Cursor Mundi" ("Surveyor of the World"), as well as in John Foxe's "The Book of Martyrs, or Christian Martyrology".
Despite their historical use in excommunication ceremonies, the bell, book, and candle are all used in the celebration of the Roman Catholic mass.
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The phrase appears in Shakespeare's King John
The phrase "bell, book, and candle" refers to a Latin Christian method of excommunication by anathema, imposed on a person who had committed an exceptionally grievous sin. The phrase was evidently introduced by Pope Zachary in the 8th century and was once used by the Latin Church. The ceremony traditionally involved a bishop and 12 priests bearing candles, and would be solemnly pronounced in a suitably conspicuous place.
The phrase was first recorded in the 14th century in the Northumbrian poem Cursor Mundi (or Surveyor of the World). The poem was written by John of Lindbergh, who included the following lines:
> "And specially do you pray for me that caused this book to be made, John of Lindbergh, I say to you, that is my name full right. If it be lost or taken away, truly I pledge my troth, Whoever brings it to me without delay, I shall reward him that very night. And whosoever shall hide and withhold it from me, truly I tell you, Cursed in church shall they be, with candle, book, and bell."
> "Bell, book, and candle shall not drive me back, When gold and silver becks me to come on."
This use of the phrase by Shakespeare may be the first written record of this particular permutation of the three words, although the phrase "candle, book, and bell" appears in Cursor Mundi, which was written around 1300.
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The title of a 1950 play by John Van Druten
The phrase "bell, book, and candle" dates back to the 14th century and was used in excommunication ceremonies. The play, however, is not about excommunication. In the play, a beautiful modern-day witch, Gillian Holroyd, falls in love and loses her supernatural powers. The play was first performed on Broadway in 1950 and was written by English-born US playwright and theatre director John Van Druten. It starred Rex Harrison and Lilli Palmer and was a hit. It saw great success with a touring company led by Rosalind Russell, followed by a massive Broadway revival with Dennis Price in 1951-1952.
The play was adapted into a 1958 film of the same name, starring Kim Novak as Gillian Holroyd and James Stewart as her neighbour, Shep Henderson. The film is considered Stewart's final romantic lead role. The film inspired the popular TV series Bewitched.
In the play, Gillian Holroyd is a witch who casts a spell on her neighbour, a publisher, Shepherd Henderson. The play is set entirely in Gillian's apartment in the Murray Hill district of New York City.
The phrase "bell, book, and candle" first appeared in Old English as "Curced in kirc an sal ai be wid candil, boke, and bell". Shakespeare used the phrase in his 1595 play King John: "Bell, book, and candle shall not drive me back, When gold and silver becks me to come on."
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Frequently asked questions
The phrase refers to a Latin Christian method of excommunication by anathema, imposed on a person who had committed an exceptionally grievous sin.
The origins of the phrase are uncertain, but it certainly dates back to the late 9th century. It was introduced by Pope Zachary around the middle of the 8th century and was once used by the Latin Church.
The bell represented the public character of the act, the book the authority of the words spoken by the presiding bishop, and the candle the possibility that the ban might be lifted by the repentance of its victim.
"Bell, Book, and Candle" is the title of a 1950 play by English-born US playwright and theatre director John Van Druten. It is about a beautiful modern-day witch who falls in love and loses her supernatural powers. A 1958 film of the same name, directed by Richard Quine and starring Kim Novak and James Stewart, was based on this play.
The phrase "bell, book, and candle" is often used in the context of putting a curse on someone. It is also used figuratively to refer to any process of condemnation carried out thoroughly.
