Sistrum

A sistrum (plural: sistra or Latin sistra; from the Greek ''seistron'' of the same meaning; literally "that which is being shaken", from ''seiein'', "to shake") 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 30 and 76 cm in width. When shaken, the small rings or loops of thin metal on its movable crossbars produce a sound that can be from a soft clank to a loud jangling. Its name in the ancient Egyptian language was sekhem ''(sḫm)'' and sesheshet ''(sššt).''

Sekhem is the simpler, hoop-like sistrum, while sesheshet (an onomatopoeic word) is the naos-shaped one. The modern day West African disc rattle instrument is also called a sistrum.

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. It also was shaken to avert the flooding of the Nile and to frighten away Set.

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. The goddess Bast often is depicted holding a sistrum also, with it symbolizing her role as a goddess of dance, joy, and festivity.

Sistra are still used in the Alexandrian Rite and Ethiopic Rite. Besides the depiction in Egyptian art with dancing and expressions of joy, the sistrum was also mentioned in Egyptian literature. The hieroglyph for the sistrum is shown.

Minoan sistrum

The ancient Minoans also used the sistrum, and a number of examples made of local clay have been found on the island of Crete. Five of these are displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Agios Nikolaos. A sistrum is also depicted on the Harvester Vase, an artifact found at the site of Hagia Triada.

Researchers are not sure yet if the clay sistra were actual instruments that were used to provide music, or instead were models with only symbolic significance. But, experiments with a ceramic replica show that a satisfactory clacking sound is produced by such a design in clay, so a use in rituals is probably to be preferred.Philip P. Betancourt, Costis Davaras, and Eleni Stravopodi,
Excavations in the Hagios Charlambos Cave: A Preliminary Report
, ''Hesperia'' 77 (2008): 539–605.

The sistrum today

The (sistrum) remained a liturgical instrument in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church throughout the centuries and is played today during the dance performed by the '' debtera'' (cantors) on important church festivals. It is also occasionally found in Neopagan worship and ritual.

The sistrum was occasionally revived in 19th century Western orchestral music, appearing most prominently in Act 1 of the opera '' Les Troyens'' (1856–1858) by the French composer Hector Berlioz. 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, or in the strident jangling of the tambourine in modern-day Evangelicalism, in Romani song and dance, on stage at a rock concert, or to heighten a large-scale orchestral tutti.

Classical composer Hans Werner Henze (1926–2012) calls for the flautist to play two sistra in his 1988 work '' Sonate für sechs Spieler'' (''Sonata for six players'').

West Africa

Various modern West African and Gabon rattle instruments are also called ''sistra'' (plural of ''sistrum''): the calabash sistrum, the West Africa sistrum or disc rattle (n'goso m'bara) also called Wasamba or Wassahouba rattle. It typically consists of a V-shaped branch with some or many concave calabash discs attached, which can be decorated.Musée virtuel Canada museevirtuel.ca/edu Calabash Sistra, Gabon
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Gallery

Broken Sistrum (1890) - TIMEA.jpg, Broken Egyptian Sistrum
Image:Abu Simbel Nefartari Sistrum-2.jpg, Nefertari, wife of Ramesses II, holding a ''sekhem''-type sistrum
C+B-Music-Fig5-EgyptianSistrum.PNG, Egyptian Sistrum
Louvres-antiquites-egyptiennes-p1010937.jpg, Collection of sistrums at the Louvre
Egyptian - Sistrum - Walters 541207.jpg, Walters Art Museum, ca. 380–250 BCE
As-Hadrian-Aegyptus-RIC 0839,As.jpg, Seated woman with sistrum on a coin issued under Hadrian
Isis Musei Capitolini MC744.jpg, Romanized Isis holding a sistrum, also from the time of Hadrian
ASC Leiden - Coutinho Collection - G 14 - Life in Ziguinchor, Senegal - PAIGC boarding school band, Ziguinchor - 1973 - Sistrum - Disc Rattle.jpg, School band player holding two disc rattles (sistra), Ziguinchor, Senegal, 1973
File:Sistro.jpg, 2300-2000 BC, Anatolia (Turkey), made in copper alloy.

Footnotes

References

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External links

Sistrum (Smith's Dictionary, 1875)
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Shaken idiophones or rattles
Egyptian artefact types
Arabic musical instruments
Ethiopian musical instruments
Ancient Egyptian musical instruments
Ancient Greek musical instruments
Sacred musical instruments