Bullroarer
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The Bullroarer is one of humanity's oldest noise-makers. You swing a thin blade of wood, or similar material, on the end of a cord around over your head. As it spins on the end of its cord, it disturbs the air around you and produces an eerie roaring or screaming sound. This finely carved example is from Australia.
| Family |
| Woodwinds |
| Pitch range |
| None. |
| Material |
| Wood or bone. |
| Size |
| Variable : this example is 19 in (48 cm) long. |
| Origins |
| The bullroarer dales back as far as the Old Slone Age (3,500,000-5.000 years B.C.), and was certainly used in ancient Greece. Il is now mainly found in Pacific regions, such as Australia, and among South American Indians. |
| Classification |
| Aerophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of a column of air. |
| And also... |
| Until the 19th century, bullroarers were used in Eastern Europe as protection against thunderstorms. The Buro people of the Solomon Islands believe the noise of the bullroarer is the voice of their ancestors. |
