The ''hun'' () is a Korean
Xun-like globular flute made of baked
clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
or other
ceramic
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...
s.
Origin
The ''hun'' is a close relative to the Chinese ''xun.'' It dates back to the 12th century, when it was introduced to
Korea
Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
by the
Song dynasty
The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...
of China in 1114 and 1116. This came about when the Chinese emperor gave 72 ''hun'' to King Yejong of
Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...
as a gift. The instrument began being made in Korea around the 15th century.
Design
The instrument is made of clay and is usually black.
The ''hun'' is globular and comes in three main shapes: the egg, the hemisphere and the ball. It has a blowing hole on top and five finger holes, two on the back and three on the front. The is no standard size for the instrument.
The ''hun'' is played using two hands. The range of the ''hun'' is an
octave
In music, an octave (: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is an interval between two notes, one having twice the frequency of vibration of the other. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referr ...
: it can produce all 12 chromatic notes.
It has a dark
timbre
In music, timbre (), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes sounds according to their source, such as choir voices and musical instrument ...
similar to the
ocarina
The ocarina (otherwise known as a potato flute) is a wind musical instrument; it is a type of vessel flute. Variations exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the bo ...
.
Usage
It is used primarily in
court music ensembles to play ''
aak'': ceremonial music to honour
Confucius
Confucius (; pinyin: ; ; ), born Kong Qiu (), was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. Much of the shared cultural heritage of the Sinosphere originates in the phil ...
.
In these ceremonies, the ''hun'' represents the earth and plays together with the ''ji,'' a flute.
The ''hun'' has been used in this capacity since the 12th century.
In the late 20th century some contemporary Korean composers began to use it in their compositions and
film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...
s.
See also
*
Traditional music of Korea
Korea has produced music () for thousands of years, into the modern day. After the division of Korea in 1945, both North and South Korea have produced their own styles of music.
Traditional music () produced by Korea includes court music, folk ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hun (Instrument)
Korean musical instruments
Vessel flutes
tr:Hun (çalgı)