The imitation of
natural sounds
Natural sounds are any sounds produced by non-human organisms as well as those generated by natural, non-biological sources within their normal soundscapes. It is a category whose definition is open for discussion. Natural sounds create an acousti ...
in various cultures is a diverse phenomenon and can fill in various functions. In several instances, it is related to the belief system (
yoik
A joik or yoik (anglicised, where the latter spelling in English conforms with the pronunciation; also named , , , or in the Sámi languages) is a traditional form of song in Sámi music performed by the Sámi people of Sapmi in Northern Europ ...
s of the
Sami
Acronyms
* SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft
* Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company
* South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...
,
[Szomjas-Schiffert 1996: 56, 76][Szomjas-Schiffert 1996: 64][Somby 1995](_blank)
[Szomjas-Schiffert 1996: 74] some other shamanic songs and rituals,
[Diószegi 1960: 203][Hoppál 2005: 92]
/ref> overtone singing
Overtone singing – also known as overtone chanting, harmonic singing, polyphonic overtone singing, and diphonic singing – is a set of singing techniques in which the vocalist manipulates the resonances of the vocal tract, in order to arous ...
of some cultures). It may serve also such practical goals as luring in the hunt;katajjaq
Inuit throat singing, or ''katajjaq'' (Inuktitut syllabics: ᑲᑕᔾᔭᖅ), is a distinct type of throat singing uniquely found among the Inuit. It is a form of musical performance, traditionally consisting of two women who sing duets in a cl ...
s of Inuit
Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...
).Altai-Sayan region
The Altai-Sayan region is an area of Inner Asia proximate to the Altai Mountains and the Sayan Mountains, near to where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come together. This region is one of the world centers of temperate plant diversity. It ...
, including Tofa, the ability to mimic sounds of the environment includes hunting calls, and is present also in a traditional singing tradition preserved only by some old people.
Fields
Shamanism
Shamanism in various cultures shows great diversity.[Hoppál 2005: 15] In some cultures, the music or songs related to shamanistic practice may mimic natural sounds, sometimes with onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Such a word itself is also called an onomatopoeia. Common onomatopoeias include animal noises such as ''oink'', '' ...
.[ Hoppál 2006: 143]
Entertainment
The intention to mimic natural sounds is not necessarily linked to shamanistic beliefs or practice alone. Katajjaq
Inuit throat singing, or ''katajjaq'' (Inuktitut syllabics: ᑲᑕᔾᔭᖅ), is a distinct type of throat singing uniquely found among the Inuit. It is a form of musical performance, traditionally consisting of two women who sing duets in a cl ...
(a "genre" of music of some Inuit groups) is a game played by women, for entertainment. In some instances, natural sounds
Natural sounds are any sounds produced by non-human organisms as well as those generated by natural, non-biological sources within their normal soundscapes. It is a category whose definition is open for discussion. Natural sounds create an acousti ...
(mostly those of animals, e.g. geese) are imitated.[Nattiez: 5][Deschênes 2002]
/ref>
Luring animals
The kind of katajjaq
Inuit throat singing, or ''katajjaq'' (Inuktitut syllabics: ᑲᑕᔾᔭᖅ), is a distinct type of throat singing uniquely found among the Inuit. It is a form of musical performance, traditionally consisting of two women who sing duets in a cl ...
mentioned above, which mimics the cry of geese, shows some similarities with the practice of the hunters to lure game.[
Some Inuit used a tool (shaped like a claw) to scratch the ice of the frozen sea in order to attract seals.][Birket-Smith 1969: 127]
See also
* Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Such a word itself is also called an onomatopoeia. Common onomatopoeias include animal noises such as ''oink'', '' ...
* Prehistoric music
Prehistoric music (previously called primitive music) is a term in the history of music for all music produced in preliterate cultures (prehistory), beginning somewhere in very late geological history. Prehistoric music is followed by ancient mu ...
* Vocal learning Vocal learning is the ability to modify acoustic and syntactic sounds, acquire new sounds via imitation, and produce vocalizations. "Vocalizations" in this case refers only to sounds generated by the vocal organ (mammalian larynx or avian syrinx) as ...
* Pishing - imitation of bird sounds by birdwatchers
Notes
References
* Translation of the original:
*
*
* The book has been translated to English:
* The title means “Shamans in Eurasia”, the book is published also in German, Estonian and Finnish
Site of publisher with short description on the book (in Hungarian)
*
*
* . The songs ar
from the ethnopoetics
Ethnopoetics is a method of recording text versions of oral poetry or narrative performances (i.e. verbal lore) that uses poetic lines, verses, and stanzas (instead of prose paragraphs) to capture the formal, poetic performance elements which ...
website curated by Jerome Rothenberg
Jerome Rothenberg (born December 11, 1931) is an American poet, translator and anthologist, noted for his work in the fields of ethnopoetics and performance poetry.
Early life and education
Jerome Rothenberg was born and raised in New York ...
.
*
*
* The title means: “The magic drum and the clairvoyant women. Sami folktales”, the series means: “Tales of folks”.
External links
*
*
* {{cite web , last=Mamcheva , first=Natalia , title=Aspects of the Music of the Nivkhs , work=Pacific Rim Music Festival, Ancient Sakhalin in Music, Song and Dance , year=2004 , publisher=Ensemble XXI , url=http://www.ensemblexxi.org/nivkh_music.htm Translated from Russian by Lygia O'Riordan.
Semiotics
Zoomusicology
Ethnomusicology
Onomatopoeia
Phonaesthetics