# bell, book, and candle? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [June 26, 2000, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bell-book-and-candle/23600 "2000-06-26T17:51:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hardlyb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f17d59/32.png) [@hardlyb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hardlyb)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bell-book-and-candle/23600/1 "2000-06-26T17:51:52Z")
Does anyone know where the bell and book are in the “bell, book, and candle” excommunication ceremony referred to in today’s classical column? The reference started me thinking about Kim Novak, and from there to Vertigo, to the scene at Ernie’s, and then I got hungry and forgot what started me on this. ---
**Author:** ![hardlyb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f17d59/32.png) [@hardlyb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hardlyb)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bell-book-and-candle/23600/2 "2000-06-26T18:01:01Z")
I forgot to put a link in for the column. Sorry. [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_242.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_242.html) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bell-book-and-candle/23600/3 "2000-06-26T18:37:33Z")
Here’s some information I found (but I can’t vouch for its accuracy.) [Bell, Book and Candle](http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/b/book_bell_candle.html) > [@](#): > > The priest then closes the book (n.b the Bible); rings a bell, which symbolizes a toll of death; and extinguishes the candle and throws it down to symbolize the removal of the person’s soul from the sight of God. ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2000, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bell-book-and-candle/23600/4 "2000-06-27T08:55:58Z")
I don’t know if this will help. But the phrase was referenced as early as Shakespearean times: “Bell, book, and candle shall not drive me back, When gold and silver becks me to come on.” –King John, Act 3, scene iii The context of this quotation: during the time of King John, a dispute between said King and the Catholic Church caused King John to be excommmunicted, and in the play, the character quoted (The Bastard) is an agent of King John’s, who will risk excommunication to raid valuables wrongly hoarded by abbots (which was one contemporary allegation made of abuses by the Catholic Church) ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bell-book-and-candle/23600/5 "2000-06-29T20:25:31Z")
Well, I know where to find the bell, book and candle in Windows: Open Character Map and look at the sixth, seventh and eighth characters in the WingDings font. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2000, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bell-book-and-candle/23600/6 "2000-06-30T04:00:47Z")
In WingDings, type in ‘NYC’. Wonder at the implications. Realize it means nothing, and laugh at those who see conspiracies. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2000, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bell-book-and-candle/23600/7 "2000-06-30T05:45:02Z")
The column ( **including** Slug Signorino’s illustration) can also be found on pages 242-244 of Cecil Adams’ book “[_Triumph of the Straight Dope_](http://www.straightdope.com/otheroutlets/books.html)”.