A Kus (
Persian کوس ''kūs'') is an ancient Persian musical instrument, a large
kettledrum
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally ...
similar to
timpani
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion instrument, percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a Membranophone, membrane called a drumhead, ...
.
Etymology
Kus is a
Middle-Persian
Middle Persian, also known by its endonym Pārsīk or Pārsīg (Inscriptional Pahlavi, Inscriptional Pahlavi script: , Manichaean script: , Avestan script: ) in its later form, is a Western Iranian languages#Middle Iranian, Middle Iranian langu ...
military term meaning "march". According to Von Mohl the term was ''Kūša'', apparently borrowed from
Aramaic
Aramaic (; ) is a Northwest Semitic language that originated in the ancient region of Syria and quickly spread to Mesopotamia, the southern Levant, Sinai, southeastern Anatolia, and Eastern Arabia, where it has been continually written a ...
, probably during the
Arsacid dynasty (248 BCE-224 CE).
Historical background
The instrument was a pair of drums, made of clay, wood or metal in the form of a hemispherical kettle, with skin stretched over the mouth. Kus was played with drumsticks of leather or wood (The leather drumstick was called
Daval). Kus usually was carried on horseback, camelback or elephant during war to encourage the army. The instrument was also played on many occasions such as festivals and weddings.
In ancient times, kus was accompaniment by
karnay (Persian trumpet or horn). Particularly the Persian epic poets
Ferdowsi
Abu'l-Qâsem Ferdowsi Tusi (also Firdawsi, ; 940 – 1019/1025) was a Persians, Persian poet and the author of ''Shahnameh'' ("Book of Kings"), which is one of the world's longest epic poetry, epic poems created by a single poet, and the gre ...
and
Nizami in describing battles mentioned kus and karnay in a number of entries. Many
Persian miniatures paintings show the presence and importance of the Kus and Karnay in the war fields.
According to the Greek historians, the drum was used by the Persians;
Plutarch
Plutarch (; , ''Ploútarchos'', ; – 120s) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''Parallel Lives'', ...
tells of Iranian warriors at the time of the
Arsacid dynasty using kus as warlike instruments.
[Plutarch, ''Crassus'', chapter XXiii, 10]
Apparently after the introduction of
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, the word ''Naghghāreh'' was used for small kettledrums. It seems that the word Naghghareh comes from the Arabic verb ''Naghr-'' that means to strike and to beat. A few poets mentioned the name Naghghareh, such as the great Persian mystic poet
Molana Jalal al-Din Rumi.
*
Kus-e-Ashkebus: Kus attributed to Ashkebus, famous commander of King Afrasiyab mentioned in masterpiece Shahnameh of the famous poet of Persia, Ferdosi.
*
Kus-e-dolat: Kettledrum to be played during the victories.
*
Kus-e-id: Kettledrum to be played during id (festival).
*
Kus-e-Iskandar: Kus attributed to Iskandar.
*
Kus-e-jang: Kettledrum used in wars in order to embolden and encourage the soldiers.
*
Kus-e-khaghani: Kettledrum for
Khaghan (title of Mongol emperors).
*Kus-e-Mahmudi: Kettledrum attributed to King Mahmud Ghaznavi.
*Kus-e-rehlat: Kettledrum to be played during the decamping.
*Kus-e-ruyin: Kettledrum with brazen body.
*Kust: Another name of Kus mentioned in Shahnameh of Ferdosi.
See also
*
Naqara
*
Nagara (Drum)
*
Naker
References
External links
History of the Kus, from ancient times until the 18th century; in German: Janissary instruments and Europe
{{Authority control
Hand drums
Persian musical instruments
Asian percussion instruments
Iranian inventions