Hello and welcome to another Folk Magic Friday! 🖤
Last week I was asked about intruments that were made back in the time. I did my research and oh, this topic is huuuuge! First I tought I'm not gonna write about it today BUT, I had better idea. I'm gonna write about it in parts, because there are so many informations one post will be just too long.
So, let's begin! 🖤
SLAVIC INSTRUMENTS PART I
The begginng of slavic instruments starts with first, kinda primitive, whistles and pipes made of lilac leafs or ivy. Reed pipes made of wicker bark or willow bark, hazelnut tree, bird bones, pig tusks, goose feather or herbs from swamps. Used mostly by village kids and shepherds 🎷
Next were clarinet horns. Made from goat or cattle horn, it has a few holes for playing with fingers, like a typical clarinet 🎷
Most impressive was 4 meters long wooden flat trombita, also known as ligawka or bazuna. Kind of an alpine horn. It was used for communication between mountains, mostly by Hutsuls and Górals, to announce deaths and funerals, but also happy events like weddings. Gorals call them fajer (sound similar to "fire"). Biggest trombita in the world was made by Józef Chmiel (Joseph Chmiel) and it was 8,35 meters long 🎷
Another wooden instrument is Mazovian Ligawa. 1 meters long and formed like a horn. It was mad from two pieces of wood - spruce or alder, glued together with wax. It also had decorative ornaments made from roots.
Australian didgeridoo is made in similar way 🎷
Third, and also interesting, is Kashubian bazuna. Formed more like a long and slim trumpet, from 1 to 2,5 meters long. It was made of birch, maple, alder or willow. People used whole branch - it was divided for two pieces, pealed from bark and drilled inside, then connected with wicker or iron rings. Mouthpiece was made from lime tree.
Bazuna was mostly used by fishermen as a signal instrument. They played it when mist was coming, big wave or another danger. Sometimes used by shepherds. People also played bazuna on special events, like New Year celebrations 🎷
As you can see, all three instruments are connected, but they were made different in different parts of the land, depends on needs and terrain. They are still in use, Górals are very strong in their traditions, you can see that very clearly in Zakopane and in Carpathians 🎷
Last horn, also used for communication, was horn made from buffalo horn. It was used by hunters in forests. This specific horn was also mentioned in Mickiewicz's poem "Pan Tadeusz" ("Master Thaddeus, or the Last Foray in Lithuania: A Nobility's Tale of the Years 1811–1812, in Twelve Books of Verse"). Today this kind of horn is called french horn (waltornia, from German - Waldhorn) 🎷
That will be all for part I. Tell me what do you think about that 🖤 Can you guess what will be in part II?
Iga