A question for the Early Music experts in the house

[dot75]

I call that a football rattle, had to make one in woodwork at school...

The best friction drum I ever heard was in a little two room museum in Ghana mainly dedicated to Kente & Adinkra cloth, i wandered away from the looms into a store room, backed out & was motioned back in by the attendant I'd woken up.

He produced a small hand drum, noted my lack of interest (it was dusty & unimpressive looking), waited until I turned my back & laughed as I ran into the wall when he played it...

Having spent a sleepless night listening to a leopard circling camp once it's not a sound I'll forget...

[Jonah]

I call that a football rattle, had to make one in woodwork at school...

they were used in hunting too I think

I guess in folk cultures those rattles are often associated with banishing evil spirits.. you make noise to banish them (in China they burn bamboo to produce rattle for that purpose)
I also think that using it in Christmas' Eve is an assimiliation of pagan tradition to Christian rituals.
The same as traditional Russian 'masslenitsa' (spting pan-cake festivities) is totally pagan feast that in Christian period became the last week before beginnin a Great 40 days Easter fast

[bleakanddivine]

I call that a football rattle, had to make one in woodwork at school...

As a kid I had a massive old Air Raid Warden rattle that was used in WW2 to alert citizens to incoming gas attacks. It was totally deafening. When I used it at football matches the crowd around me would stand back in fear for their ears. Others hid their regular football rattles in deference.

[ccroft]

In the percussion world these rattles are known a ratchets. It's an orchestral instrument!

[Jonah]

Some kind of a bit similar orchestral percussion (and a few others too) used in the slow section

From 06:15 till 08:40

[steve burchfield]

Maybe my old teacher was referring to the rommelpot, who knows! Indeed it sounds like an ancestor of the Brazilian cuica -- another fascinating instrument.

I believe this called a talking drum sometime.

[steve burchfield]

Maybe my old teacher was referring to the rommelpot, who knows! Indeed it sounds like an ancestor of the Brazilian cuica -- another fascinating instrument.

I believe this called a talking drum sometime.