Ancient music
Feb 1, 2018 18:07:50 GMT -5
Post by dedran on Feb 1, 2018 18:07:50 GMT -5
Let's talk about ancient music! Ancient music would typically be defined as anything before "early music," but still from a literate culture (or civilization, maybe). Very little of it survives, and some people have attempted to reconstruct what it sounded like based purely on archaeology, without relying on any musical scores or written notation.
If you've ever wondered why Wardruna and their ilk sound a bit too Native American or like something out of a movie soundtrack rather than the harsh berserker chants of ancient Scandinavia, you might be interested in the war trance-inducing music of the lur (listen to the harsher, lower ending especially to get what I mean):
The Celts had something similar going on before battles with the carnyx:
Note that both of these examples actually come from pre-literate cultures, but I feel like they still fit, and I don't want to be too pedantic. The people in these regions were certainly familiar with the Romans at a date when instruments like these were still being produced.
The carnyx would be played in groups of fifteen as Celtic warriors emerged from out of the forest, worked into a frenzy as their enemies stood in fear, wondering what force was now upon them that could produce such a sound. I feel like these instruments are proof that there has always been a certain "spirit" in certain kinds of people, men in particular, that has to do with using music to work oneself into a psychological state before a battle. When heavy metal artists first started exploring the use of tritones and distortion with their guitars, they weren't really creating something new -- rather, they were rediscovering a part of the human condition that had long ago been stamped out by Christianity.
Unfortunately, because these instruments are huge and not commonly made, and the archaeological record is scant, finding more than a small handful of YouTube videos is tough-going. But it's worth it if you've ever listened to dungeon synth or black metal that evoked something in you similar to the sounds heard above.
Leaving Northern Europe, we have the throat singing of the Sardinians, an ancient Indo-European people who still practice their musical traditions to this day, largely unaltered. They're considered one of the more genetically isolated modern groups to have descended from the ancient Indo-Europeans, and it's believed that this harsh, enchanting polyphony has been a part of their traditions for thousands and thousands of years:
Outside of the Indo-European musical traditions, perhaps only the joik of the Saami or the music of the Basques is equally as ancient (or even prehistoric).
Of course, if harsh sounds aren't your thing, the more "civilized" folks down south in the Mediterranean region were fond of meditative, tranquil sounds. Petros Tabouris Ensemble do an excellent job of pulling you into the atmosphere of the ancient Greek world:
Their album, "Ancient Greek Musical Instruments / Music of Ancient Greece" is highly recommended. You might find that if you like idyllic music like "forest synth" and anything that uses harps, for example, that this album is incredibly entrancing. The use of instruments like the lyre and kithara will pull you into a dream-like state that is difficult to find anywhere else. Here is an example:
I just wanted to share because I love this stuff and there are very few places on the Internet outside of niche communities like this where it's appreciated, unfortunately. You don't have to post any links if you don't know of any. I just hope anyone who stumbles upon these videos finds them as enjoyable as I do.
If you've ever wondered why Wardruna and their ilk sound a bit too Native American or like something out of a movie soundtrack rather than the harsh berserker chants of ancient Scandinavia, you might be interested in the war trance-inducing music of the lur (listen to the harsher, lower ending especially to get what I mean):
The Celts had something similar going on before battles with the carnyx:
Note that both of these examples actually come from pre-literate cultures, but I feel like they still fit, and I don't want to be too pedantic. The people in these regions were certainly familiar with the Romans at a date when instruments like these were still being produced.
The carnyx would be played in groups of fifteen as Celtic warriors emerged from out of the forest, worked into a frenzy as their enemies stood in fear, wondering what force was now upon them that could produce such a sound. I feel like these instruments are proof that there has always been a certain "spirit" in certain kinds of people, men in particular, that has to do with using music to work oneself into a psychological state before a battle. When heavy metal artists first started exploring the use of tritones and distortion with their guitars, they weren't really creating something new -- rather, they were rediscovering a part of the human condition that had long ago been stamped out by Christianity.
Unfortunately, because these instruments are huge and not commonly made, and the archaeological record is scant, finding more than a small handful of YouTube videos is tough-going. But it's worth it if you've ever listened to dungeon synth or black metal that evoked something in you similar to the sounds heard above.
Leaving Northern Europe, we have the throat singing of the Sardinians, an ancient Indo-European people who still practice their musical traditions to this day, largely unaltered. They're considered one of the more genetically isolated modern groups to have descended from the ancient Indo-Europeans, and it's believed that this harsh, enchanting polyphony has been a part of their traditions for thousands and thousands of years:
Outside of the Indo-European musical traditions, perhaps only the joik of the Saami or the music of the Basques is equally as ancient (or even prehistoric).
Of course, if harsh sounds aren't your thing, the more "civilized" folks down south in the Mediterranean region were fond of meditative, tranquil sounds. Petros Tabouris Ensemble do an excellent job of pulling you into the atmosphere of the ancient Greek world:
Their album, "Ancient Greek Musical Instruments / Music of Ancient Greece" is highly recommended. You might find that if you like idyllic music like "forest synth" and anything that uses harps, for example, that this album is incredibly entrancing. The use of instruments like the lyre and kithara will pull you into a dream-like state that is difficult to find anywhere else. Here is an example:
I just wanted to share because I love this stuff and there are very few places on the Internet outside of niche communities like this where it's appreciated, unfortunately. You don't have to post any links if you don't know of any. I just hope anyone who stumbles upon these videos finds them as enjoyable as I do.