(fwd) Re: Anglo-Saxon/Viking Age Whistles ("flagolets/recorders/tin whistles") (fwd)

[Carol J. Cannon]

   Perhaps one of you might have info. to send to Ben... Gra/inne

Newsgroups: rec.music.early,tnn.music.early,rec.music.folk,uk.music.folk,rec.org.sca,soc.history.living,alt.history.living,soc.history.medieval
Path: news.ucdavis.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!lyra.csx.cam.ac.uk!uknet!uknet!bcc.ac.uk!news
From: Alan Deacon <ccaaaxd at ucl.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Anglo-Saxon/Viking Age Whistles ("flagolets/recorders/tin whistles")
Sender: news at ucl.ac.uk (Usenet News System)
Message-ID: <1996Apr15.121544.21971 at ucl.ac.uk>
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 12:15:44 GMT
Reply-To: a.deacon at ucl.ac.uk
References: <829242234.2426 at hrofi.demon.co.uk>
Organization: University College London
Lines: 50
Xref: news.ucdavis.edu rec.music.early:31138 rec.music.folk:68906 rec.org.sca:119789 soc.history.living:4122 alt.history.living:3736 soc.history.medieval:7253

ben at hrofi.demon.co.uk writes:

>Does anyone know of any evidence for wooden or reed whistles (of the
>flagolet/recorder type) from the Anglo-Saxon and Viking Age (c.
>400-1100) in northern Europe.

>Also, how many holes would these (or the bone whistles) have had, and
>did any have holes on the back (like a modern recorder)?

>Has anyone got any information on the tuning of whistles in this
>period (key, diatonic/pentatonic scale, etc.)?

>Finally, does anyone know of any evidence for transverse flutes being
>used in northern Europe at this time?

>Thanks in advance.

>Ben Levick

The only 'find' I can recall off hand is a wooden set of pan pipes, made by
drilling severall pipes in a solid block of wood. I think this was a Danish
bog find.

Flutes proper crop up fairly late I think. I have seen one early illustration
(mid medieval, 13th - 14th cent ?). Certainly they were not common in 
England until the 16th cent, at which time they were associated closely
with Swiss/German mercanaries.

Bone whistles (usually from swan or other large fowls) I think are of
fairly ancient provenance, but I have only seen fragments which would
not allow a complete scale to be calculated.

Transverse flutes of the arabic style (end blown, rather than with a hole
in the side) may be older than the european style, but this is just guessing.
It would be worth looking at Indian and Chinese sources to see how far back
their flutes go. The use of the word flute indiscriminatly for both
flute-a-becs and flute-transverse doesn't help when trying to sort out
the written sources.

You haven't mentioned the Lur horn (as pictured on Lur-Pak butter) this 
was similar to the horns used by the Celts (and the Romans) to strike
the fear of gods into their enemies.

I have seen a cassete of 'Viking' music, probably from Jorvik, but I don't
think it is terribly melodic !
--
	Alan Deacon (User Services)
	Information Systems Division 		Email: a.deacon at ucl.ac.uk
	University College London		Tel: 0171-380 7359
	Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT		Fax: 0171-388 5406


-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cannon, Carol J. Bell       cjcannon at ucdavis.edu        Grannia [in the SCA]
'Life is so short, the craft so long to learn.'--Hippocrates' Aphorisms. 
I.i.,  5th cent. BC
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~