The Hanging of the Bells: Sound, Iron, and Safety in the Hills In the mist-covered hollows of Appalachia, where the veil between this world and the next is often thought to be thin, the "hanging of the bells" is a practice woven deeply into the fabric of granny witch folklore. While not always a formal holiday on a calendar, it is a deliberate ritual of protection, a way of "nailing down" the home against hants, wandering spirits, and the stagnant energies of the old year. For the Appalachian gr