In the late 18th century it was believed that ringing church bells repelled lightning. Many church bells were embedded with the inscription "I chase lightning."
As a result whenever thunderstorms came, bell ringers would run to the bell tower to ring the bells. (Mind you that this is the most dangerous place to be.. I mean a high tower and metal bell? Oof.)
From 1753 and 1786, those unfortunate enough to be a bell-ringer in France were sometimes struck by lightning and killed (a total of 103.)
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Facts you may already know :
A bolt of lightning is six times hotter than the sun and odds are that in your lifetime you have a 1 in 12,000 chance of getting struck. 🌞
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