Nola w świetle łacińskich źródeł starożytnych i średniowiecznych

NOLA IN THE LIGHT OF LATIN, ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL SOURCES

This article attempts to reconstruct the meaning of the term nola, which appears mainly as a diminutive name for a musical instrument in ancient and medieval texts. The term nola appears sporadically in sources from antiquity, in contrast to the medieval period, in which it appears quite frequently. Medieval writers pointed to various semantic contexts of the word nola, noting the use of this instrument in monasteries when the superiors signalled the beginning and end of meals in the refectory. In addition, ringing it signalled to the community the impending death of a fellow monk. The term nola was also sometimes used to describe the larger bells used in churches and chapels during liturgical celebrations. According to a few sources, small bells were tied around the necks of dangerous dogs to warn guests of the risk of being bitten. Hunters also attached them to the legs of birds of prey during hunts; they were also used to decorate horse belts and harnesses. In antiquity and the Middle Ages, these items signified by the name nola, i.e. large and small bells, had practical and sacral functions.