A sistrum.

A sistrum is a musical instrument of the percussion family, chiefly associated with ancient Egypt. It consists of a handle and a U-shaped metal frame, made of brass or bronze and between 10 and 30 cm in width. When shaken the small rings or loops of thin metal on its movable crossbars produce a sound that can range from a soft tinkling to a loud jangling. The name derives from the Greek verb σείω, seio, to shake, and σείστρον, seistron, is that which is being shaken. A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... Percussion redirects here. ...

The Egyptian sistrum

The sistrum was a sacred instrument in ancient Egypt. Perhaps originating in the worship of Bat, it was used in dances and religious ceremonies, particularly in the worship of the goddess Hathor, with the U-shape of the sistrum's handle and frame seen as resembling the face and horns of the cow goddess.^[1] It was also shaken to avert the flooding of the Nile and to frighten away Set.^[2] Isis in her role as mother and creator was depicted holding a pail symbolizing the flooding of the Nile, in one hand and a sistrum in the other.^[3] The goddess Bast too is often depicted holding a sistrum, symbolizing her role as a goddess of dance, joy, and festivity.^[4] “Chiroptera” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Hathor (disambiguation). ... The Nile (Arabic: , transliteration: , Ancient Egyptian iteru, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. ... In Egyptian mythology, Set (also spelled Sutekh, Setesh, Seteh, Seth) is an ancient god, who was originally the god of the desert, one of the two main biomes that constitutes Egypt, the other being the small fertile area on either side of the Nile. ... In Egyptian mythology, Bast (also spelt Ubasti, and Pasht) is an ancient goddess, worshipped at least since the Second Dynasty, for whom the centre of her cult was in Per-Bast (Bubastis in greek), which was named after her. ...

Nefertari holding sistrum, from her Abu Simbel temple.

Sistrum in hieroglyphs

Sistra (pl.) are still used in the rites of the Coptic and Ethiopian churches.^[5] Besides the depiction in Egyptian art with dancing and expressions of joy, the sistrum was also mentioned in Egyptian literature.^[6] The hieroglyph for the sistrum is shown, but there are other varieties (sistrum and castanets). Download high resolution version (945x1827, 239 KB)A picture of Nefertari taken in her Abou Simbel temple. ... Download high resolution version (945x1827, 239 KB)A picture of Nefertari taken in her Abou Simbel temple. ... A picture of Nefertari taken in her Abu Simbel temple. ... Model showing the relative positions of the Abu Simbel temples before and after relocation Categories: Ancient Egypt stubs | Wonders of the World ... It has been suggested that Hieroglyph (French Wiki article) be merged into this article or section. ... Jesus Christ in a Coptic icon. ... This article is about the philosophical concept of Art. ... For other uses, see Literature (disambiguation). ...

The sistrum today

The sistrum was occasionally revived in 19th century western orchestral music, nowadays however it is replaced by its close modern equivalent, the tambourine. The effect produced by the sistrum in music when shaken in short, sharp, rhythmic pulses is to arouse movement and activity. The rhythmical shaking of the sistrum, like the tambourine, is associated with religious or ecstatic events, whether shaken as a sacred rattle in the worship of Hathor of ancient Egypt, in the strident jangling of the tambourine in modern-day Evangelism, Gypsy song and dance, on stage at a rock concert, or to heighten a large-scale orchestral tutti. “Buben” redirects here. ... Look up evangelist in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Languages Romani, languages of native region Religions Christianity, Islam Related ethnic groups South Asians (Desi) The Roma (singular Rom; sometimes Rroma, Rrom) or Romanies are an ethnic group living in many communities all over the world. ... In music, a tutti section in a concerto is one in which the orchestra plays and the soloist does not. ...

The "barcoo dog," a sheep herding tool used in Australian bush band music, is a type of sistrum.[1] A bush band is a group of musicians that play traditional Australian folk music or contemporary folk music played in a traditional style. ...

References

• George Hart, The Routledge Dictionary Of Egyptian Gods And Goddesses, Routledge 2005
• Carolyn Merchant, Radical Ecology: The Search for a Livable World, Routledge 1992
• Plutarch, Isis and Osiris , Vol. V of the Loeb Classical Library edition, 1936
• Edith Borroff, Music in Europe and the United States: A History, Prentice-Hall 1971
• Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Vol.2,

Footnotes

1. ^ Hart, op.cit., p.65
2. ^ Plutarch, op.cit., cap.63
3. ^ Merchant, op.cit., p.115
4. ^ Hart, op.cit., p.47
5. ^ Borroff, op.cit., p.9
6. ^ The Instruction of Amenemope in Lichtheim, op.cit., p.149

External links

• Sistrum (Smith's Dictionary, 1875)