Musical Instruments

Bullroarer

The bullroarer, rhombus, or turndun is an ancient ritual musical instrument and a device historically used for communicating over great distances. It consists of a piece of wood attached to a string, which when swung in a large circle produces a roaring vibration sound. It dates to the Paleolithic period, examples dating from 18,000 BC having been found in Ukraine. Anthropologist Michael Boyd, a bullroarer expert, documents a number found in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Australia. In Ancient Greece, it was a sacred instrument used in the Dionysian Mysteries and is still used in rituals worldwide. It was a prominent musical technology among the Australian Aboriginal people, used in ceremonies and to communicate with different people groups across the continent. Many different cultures believe that the sounds they make have the power to ward off evil influences.

Also on this shelf

See also

• ▸Double bass
• ▸Innovative Interstellar Explorer
• ▸George Frideric Handel

Uncatalogued shelf

Text from Wikipedia; plate via Wikimedia Commons. Text CC BY-SA 4.0; plate freely licensed (see Commons). Source record. Images and catalogue data are reproduced from open-access collections.