FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34  
35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   >>   >|  
. Undoubtedly it was introduced with Buddhism, from India into China, where it became modified in unimportant details into the Ur-heen. A curious point in connection with some oriental fiddles, such as the Ur-heen, Uh-Ch'in (Fig. 5), Koka, etc., is that the hair of the bow passes between the strings. [Illustration: FIG. 5.] Whether this circumstance is at all confirmatory of the supposition that the rod of the Trigonon was passed between the strings would be difficult to establish irrefutably; doubtless a logician could do so, but I prefer making a simple statement of facts rather than forcing them into agreement with any special theory; although I have plenty of worthy precedents for such a proceeding, for I have observed that most doubtful or disputed questions--the Bacon-Shakespeare controversy, for instance--are handled in this manner. What strikes one very forcibly on looking into the use of the bow in the East is the great number of bowed instruments one finds. Thus in India we have the Ravanastron in various forms; the Omerti (Fig. 6), the Bengalese Sarinda, etc. [Illustration: FIG. 6.] In China, the Ur-heen, Uh-Ch'in, Saw-oo and Sawduang. In Siam, the Saw-tai, etc. In Turkey and Arabia, the Kemangeh-a-gouz (Fig. 7), Kemangeh-roumy, Rebab-esh-Sha'er (Fig. 8), and Rebab-el-maghanny, also the more modern Gunibry. [Illustration: FIG. 7.] [Illustration: FIG. 8.] In Persia there is also an instrument strongly resembling the Omerti and Kemangeh in outline, called the Sitara (Fig. 9). Then there is a primitive bowed instrument with three strings, known to the peasants of Russia as the Goudok, which is no doubt an immediate descendant of the three-stringed Rebab, and, more remotely, of the Ravanastron. Abyssinia too, has its bowed instruments. In fact, the use of the bow is universal in the "glorious Orient," from whence nearly all products of western civilization are derived. In almost all cases great antiquity is ascribed to these instruments. The very name "Kemangeh-a-gouz," ancient in itself, can be roughly translated "ancient-fiddle," thus showing that the Persians [the name is Persian and bears out the Arab records that it came to them from Persia] considered it then a relic of the past, and that it was a survival of some still older instrument inherited, most likely from India. There can be little doubt that Fetis was right in assuming this to have been the Omerti, for, barring the long "tail
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34  
35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Illustration

 

Kemangeh

 
Omerti
 

strings

 

instrument

 

instruments

 

ancient

 
Ravanastron
 

Persia

 

modern


strongly

 

stringed

 

Gunibry

 
remotely
 
Abyssinia
 

descendant

 

peasants

 
called
 

primitive

 

Sitara


outline
 

resembling

 
Goudok
 

Russia

 

maghanny

 

considered

 

survival

 

records

 

Persian

 
assuming

barring

 

inherited

 

Persians

 
showing
 

products

 
western
 
civilization
 

Orient

 

glorious

 
universal

derived

 
roughly
 
translated
 

fiddle

 

antiquity

 

ascribed

 

number

 
establish
 
irrefutably
 

doubtless