The Inscriptions on Church Bells from the 19th Century in Gotsedelchev Region and Smolyan Region – Valuable Bulgarian Epigraphic Monuments

Надписите на църковни камбани от XIX век в Гоцеделчевско и Смолянско – ценни български епиграфски паметници

Известия на Института за исторически изследвания, том 41, 2025, с. 226–246.
Proceedings of Institute for Historical Studies, Vol. 41, 2025, p. 226–246.
ISSN: 2367-5187 (print), 2815-2913 (online)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.71069/III41.25.GM10

Georgi Mitrinov / Георги Митринов

Institute of Bulgarian Language “Prof. Lubomir Andreychin” / Институт за български език „Проф. Любомир Андрейчин“ - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences / Българска академия на науките
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0047-3276

Summary: The article examines the bellfounding tradition in the Rhodope and Gotse Delchev regions during the second half of the 19th century. Details of the bellfounders in the described area are given. Different types of inscriptions on bells are presented, and the specifics of text layout are considered. Phonetic, morphological and lexical features of the inscriptions are described. Attention is also paid to the decoration of the bells, which shows the craftsmanship of the bell ringers.

Keywords: bellfounding, Renaissance epigraphy, church history, history of Bulgaria, language, dialectology, Rhodopes

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