Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?

Metal components of horse harnesses are among the most common artifacts found on 19th century archaeological sites in Ontario. This “Crotal” bell (also known as a rumble or sleigh bell) found in Cambridge, ON, features a horse shoe pattern and was used on horse-drawn vehicles before motorized vehicles were common. The decorations of bells such as this was often referred to as “petal” design and is typical of traditional cast bells from Europe.

These bells were used to warn others on the road that a vehicle was approaching. They were hung on a small leather-and-iron harness bracket above the horse’s collar or on its rump, and multiple bells strung together were designed to make a jingly sound whenever the horse and vehicle were in motion. The small size of this bell suggests it was a rump bell.

It was especially important for winter sleighs to use these bells because they would make almost no sound as they travelled over packed snow and were difficult to stop quickly. In the 1800s, horse bells were used for wintertime recreation as well as for work. Winter pleasure drives required fashionably warm clothes, handsome sleighs, well-groomed horses, and nicely polished harness and bells. This strong association of horse bells with Christmas during the winter led to the popular term “sleigh bells”.

Eventually this instrument was also used for fun by children in games and songs and sleigh bells became a part of popular Christmas culture, leading to songs, stories, and poetry about them. The most popular example is the song “One Horse Open Sleigh”, known today as “Jingle Bells” written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857.