The Dead (or Skellet) Bell of Glasgow Cathedral which was cast in 1641. It was 9.5 inches tall and 6.75 inches across its mouth, with Glasgow's coat of arms on the front.
This bell was officially called the mort bell, from the French mort meaning death, and it was carried through the streets of the city before a funeral procession. Before the Reformation, apparently, there were two bells, a mort and a skellet. The word "skellet" may have been derived from skillet, the word for a pot with a long handle, or from skeleton.
Reference: Mitchell Library, G 941.435 REN
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
bells, burials, Coats of Arms, Dead Bell, funeral processions, funerals, Glasgow Cathedral, heraldry, Mort Bell, Skellet Bell
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