Musical instruments of egypt. Music in Egypt Instruments of the ancient Egyptians

Many questions still remain unanswered.

One of these mysteries is how the ancient masters worked. It is interesting that the tools used by the Egyptians have “survived” practically unchanged to this day.

How did Egyptian craftsmen achieve such amazing results with conventional tools? How did they manage to carve statues from diorite, which is second only to diamond in hardness? How did they manage to put together the most beautiful pyramids from multi-ton blocks, which, in addition to their almost absolute mathematical form, also have a strictly defined orientation in space. Let's take a closer look at these tools and try to understand the secret of the Egyptian masters.

Hacksaw. Its form has hardly changed. In Egypt, tools were made of copper and its alloy with tin - bronze. Steel the Egyptians did not know, it came to Egypt from Greece, and it began to be widely used only in the era of the Ptolemies.

Plane. It is not very similar to the modern one, but thanks to such unusual shape this tool combined the functions of three tools at once: a plane, a cycle and an ax. As a plane, they took it with both hands, like a regular plane, however, you had to pull it on yourself. If you slightly change the angle of inclination of the blade in relation to the processed surface, then the same tool worked like a cycle, scraping a thin layer from the surface. And if you took him by the long handle, then they could cut or cut something.

Drill. The Egyptians can rightfully be called the discoverers of the diamond tool. When an Egyptian master had to drill something very hard, he poured a layer of wet fine quartz sand in place of the future hole. After that, the master began to drill. The tool was copper, but hard quartz sand was pressed into the surface of the copper rod, and an abrasive coating was obtained, as on modern diamond tools.

One of the secrets of the Egyptian craftsmen is their attitude to work. They approached work creatively, showed ingenuity and ingenuity, and this is possible only if you are not indifferent to your work.

The Egyptians believed in the existence of an earthly and heavenly Egypt. Everything that is in earthly Egypt is a reflection of what is in heavenly Egypt. Before starting work, the Egyptian master tried to capture the heavenly image in order to embody it in the material. It is no coincidence that the symbol of the heart - ib is present in various precise measuring instruments, since the human heart is the most accurate instrument that reacts sensitively to any falseness and disharmony. The Egyptian master, performing any work, listened, first of all, to the voice of his heart. And, probably, that is why the Egyptian masters obtained such wonderful things that they have not been able to repeat until now.

The pyramids are the best evidence of the skill and ingenuity of the people of Ancient Egypt. Rising 139 meters, the Cheops pyramid looks from above at the Statue of Liberty - 93 meters and Big Ben - 96 meters. Of course, the pyramids or the Great Sphinx are only part of the legacy of the ancient Egyptians.

For thousands of years of prosperity of Ancient Egypt, it became, perhaps, the most developed civilization on Earth for that time, and many modern things and objects were completely commonplace for the Egyptians. For example, Egyptian women wore rich jewelry and wigs, men boxed and wrestled in sports, and their children played board games, dolls and other toys. They also thrived as inventors, and as you will see on this list of the most amazing Egyptian inventions, their creations changed the world from fashion to Agriculture so much so that we still use them today.

Makeup

Sure, eye makeup might not stand next to the discovery of a fire or a wheel as one of the most important discoveries in human history, but it does give the Egyptians a chance to set a longevity record for an invention. After they first applied eye makeup back in 4000 BC, it never went out of style. Even more impressive is that all modern cosmetics-loving cultures still paint their eyes using much the same techniques and materials as the Egyptians did thousands of years ago. They used the carbon black of the galena mineral to create a black ointment known as eye paint, which is extremely popular today. Egyptians could also create green eye makeup by mixing malachite with galena.

Among the Egyptians, face painting was not limited to the female circle. Social status and appearance walked hand in hand. The upper class believed that the more makeup was applied, the better. Fashion was only one of the reasons for the Egyptians' use of eyeliner. They also believed that applying a thick layer of makeup could cure a variety of eye conditions and even keep the wearer of luxurious makeup from falling victim to the evil eye.

Although eye makeup gave the Egyptians a look that would stagger the imagination of the people of the time, they did not stop there, developing all directions of cosmetics - from blush made from tinted clay to nail polish made from henna. Moreover, they created perfumes from various plants and flowers, as well as deodorant made from incense and oatmeal.

Writing

Using pictures to tell stories is nothing new. Rock carvings have been found in France and Spain, dating back to 30,000 BC. But drawings and paintings will not be able to develop into the first writing system for thousands of years until the first writing systems emerged, which arose in Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Egyptian writing began with pictograms, the first of which dates back to 6000 BC. The pictograms were simple pictures representing the words they represented, but they had limitations in their use. Over time, the Egyptians added other elements to their writing system, including alphabet symbols that were assigned to specific sounds and a variety of characters, allowing them to write out names and abstract ideas.

Today everyone knows that the Egyptians created hieroglyphs that contained a mixture of alphabetic, syllabic symbols, as well as pictures that stood for whole words. Hieroglyphs are found in great numbers in Egyptian tombs and other public places. The Egyptians have created many stories of war, politics and culture that give us a great understanding of ancient Egyptian society. Of course, we must not forget to thank the French scientist Jean-François Champollion, who was able to decode the hieroglyphic-speckled stone, which marked the end of the 1500-year period during which Egyptian writing was shrouded in mystery.

Papyrus sheets

No one will deny that the Chinese changed the world forever with the invention of paper around 140 BC, but it should not be forgotten that the Egyptians developed a wonderful substitute for paper made from papyrus thousands of years earlier. This tough, reed-like plant has grown and continues to grow in the swampy areas surrounding the Nile River. Its tough, fibrous surface was perfect for creating durable sheets of writing material, along with sails, sandals, rugs, and other essentials of ancient life. The sheets were often combined into scrolls, which were then filled with religious texts, literary works, and even recordings of music.

The ancient Egyptians kept the process of making papyrus in the strictest confidence for a long time, which allowed them to trade papyrus sheets throughout the region. Since the process was nowhere documented, it was ultimately lost until Dr. Hassan Ragab recreated the method for making papyrus sheets in 1965.

Calendar

In ancient Egypt, the calendar meant the time between holiday and famine. No calendar locals would have had no way of knowing when the annual flood of the Nile would begin. Without this knowledge, their entire agricultural system would be in jeopardy.

Their civil calendar was so closely tied to agriculture that the Egyptians divided the year into three main seasons: the flood of the Nile, growing crops, and harvesting. Each season had four months, divided by 30 days. Putting it all together, we get 360 days in a year - slightly less than the actual year. To make up for the difference, the Egyptians added five days between harvest and spill season. These five days have been designated as religious holidays dedicated to the gods.

Plow

While historians are still not entirely sure where exactly the plow originated, evidence suggests that the Egyptians and Sumerians were among the first societies to use it around 4000 BC. These plows, of course, were imperfect. Most likely built from modified hand tools The plows were so light and ineffective that they are now called "scratching plows" due to their inability to sink deep into the ground. Egyptian murals show four men pulling such a plow across a field - not The best way spend the day in the scorching Egyptian sun.

That all changed in 2000 BC when the Egyptians harnessed oxen to their plows. Early plow designs were tied to the horns of animals, but it turned out that this affected the ability of oxen to breathe. Later versions consisted of a belt system and were much more efficient. The plow revolutionized agriculture in ancient Egypt and, combined with the constant rhythm of the flooding of the Nile River, made farming easier for the Egyptians than perhaps any other human society of the time.

The plow undoubtedly made the process of cultivating crops much easier, but agriculture still required backbreaking labor. Egyptian farmers used short hand hoes to cultivate the land in the hot sun all day long. The Egyptians also collected ripe grains in baskets and used scythes to harvest. Perhaps the most ingenious farming tools were pigs and sheep, which the cunning Egyptians chased across the field to trample seeds in the mud when planting.

Fresh breath

We must thank the ancient Egyptians for devising a way to hide the unpleasant odors that our mouths sometimes exude. Just as in modern times, bad breath in ancient Egypt was often a symptom of poor dental health. Unlike us, the Egyptians did not eat sugary soft drinks and foods that contribute to tooth decay, but the stones they used to grind grains into bread flour added a lot of grit to the ancient Egyptian diet, which mercilessly washed away tooth enamel, leaving teeth vulnerable to infections.

The Egyptians had specialists for many medical problems, but unfortunately, they did not have dentists or maxillofacial surgeons to heal their deteriorating teeth and gums. Instead, they simply suffered, and scientists who examined the mummies found seriously worn teeth and evidence of abscesses even in young Egyptians. To cope with the bad smells from their sore mouths, the Egyptians invented the first "mint tablets", which contained frankincense, myrrh and cinnamon, boiled with honey and shaped into granules.

Bowling

At Narmuteos, a village 90 km south of Cairo that dates back to the Roman occupation in the second and third centuries AD, archaeologists have discovered a site containing a set of stripes carved in stone and a collection of balls of various sizes. The dimensions of the grooves are about 4 meters long, 20 centimeters wide, and 10 centimeters deep. In the center was a square hole with a side size of 12 centimeters.

Unlike modern bowling, in which players try to knock down the pins at the end of the lane with a ball, Egyptian balls were directed into a hole in the middle. Competitors stood at opposite ends of the strip, trying to hit the center hole with balls of various sizes and, in the process of throwing, also knock the opponent's ball off course.

Shave and haircut

Perhaps the Egyptians were the first ancient people to take care of their hair. In any case, in their opinion, wearing hair was unhygienic, and the sweltering heat of North Africa made wearing long braids and beards uncomfortable. Thus, they shaved or cut their hair short and shaved their faces regularly. The priests completely shaved their entire bodies every three days. Throughout much of ancient Egyptian history, being clean-shaven was considered fashionable, and unshaven was considered a sign of low social status.

To this end, the Egyptians invented tools that may have been the first shaving implements - a set of sharp stone blades fixed in wooden handles, then replaced by razors with copper blades. They also invented the profession of barber. The first hairdressers worked from the homes of wealthy aristocrats, while ordinary clients were served outdoors, sitting under shady trees.

However, the presence of facial hair, or at least the appearance of such presence, was very much appreciated. The Egyptians took sheep's wool and made wigs and false beards from it, which, oddly enough, were sometimes worn by Egyptian queens and also by the pharaohs. Fake beards have been of various shapes to indicate the dignity and social standing of their wearer. Ordinary citizens wore small beards about 5 cm long, while the pharaohs wore square beards. The Egyptian gods had even more luxurious long beards that were plaited.

Door locks

The earliest such devices, created around 4000 BC, were mainly with falling pins. It was possible to manipulate these wooden or metal cylinders, which served as locks, protruding from the lock shaft, using a tension wrench, which pushed them up from the holes in the shaft. After lifting all the pins, the shaft could be turned, thereby opening the lock. The tension wrench is the simplest wrench known today. Its function was only to push the pins upwards, so even a thin screwdriver could act as a key.

One of the drawbacks of these ancient castles was their size. The largest of them were so large that the key had to be worn on the shoulders. Despite the primitiveness of the mechanism with falling pins and tension keys for opening them, Egyptian locks were actually more reliable than the Roman technology of making door locks.

Dentifrice

As we mentioned earlier, the Egyptians had a lot of dental problems, in large part due to the fact that their bread contained sand that erased tooth enamel. Due to their lack of dentistry, the Egyptians made some effort to keep their teeth clean. Archaeologists have found toothpicks buried next to mummies, apparently intended to cleanse food debris from the deceased's teeth. afterlife... Along with the Babylonians, the Egyptians are also credited with the invention of the first toothbrushes, which were the soaked ends of wooden rods.

But the Egyptians also fostered innovation for oral hygiene, in the form of a tooth powder. Early ingredients included shredded bovine hooves, ash, burnt eggshells, and pumice. Archaeologists recently discovered a more advanced recipe for toothpaste. The guide is written in papyrus that dates back to Roman occupation in the fourth century AD. An anonymous author explains how to combine the exact amount of rock salt, mint, dried iris flower and peppercorns to form a "powder for white and lovely teeth."

Ancient Egyptian texts are the first written and perhaps the most important source of our understanding of the music and musicians of that era. This kind of sources is directly adjacent to images of musicians, scenes of playing music and individual instruments - images that are so rich in the tombs of pharaohs and nomarchs; works of small plastic; papyri. From them, we get an idea of ​​both the tools and the environment in which one or another of them was distributed. Archaeological data are of great importance. Classification, measurement and detailed examination of the instruments found can reveal the nature of the music itself. Finally, we have information from ancient Greek and Roman writers who left a description of the life, customs and rituals of the Egyptians.

As evidenced by the analysis of the bas-reliefs of tombs, papyri, etc., music was given a significant place in the daily life of both the nobility and the lower strata of the population of Ancient Egypt. In the tombs of the pharaohs there are images of harpers, lute players, flutists, singers who, according to the Egyptians, were supposed to entertain and amuse their master in the other world. One of these images is in the tomb of a face from the 5th Dynasty: two men clap their hands, accompanying the five dancers with their hands raised above their heads; the top row shows a male instrumental ensemble: flute, clarinet and harp. In front of the flutist and clarinetist, the singers show the raising and lowering of the pitch of sounds with the help of the so-called cheiromic hand. It is noteworthy that there are two of them in front of the harper.
This can probably be explained as follows: the harp is the only instrument depicted there that can be used to play chords. Therefore, to indicate the pitch of several sounds played simultaneously, two or more "conductors" were needed.
Images similar to the one described are quite common. We even know some musicians by their names. So, the first musician of Ancient Egypt known to us was Kafu-ankh - "singer, flutist and administrator of musical life at the court of the pharaohs" (late IV - early V dynasty). Some musicians already in that distant period deserved great fame and respect for their art and skill. Kafu-ankh was honored that Pharaoh Userkaf, the first representative of the V dynasty, erected a monument to him next to his pyramid. To a later period (the reign of Piopi I or Merenre II) are the names of the flutist Saint-ankh-vera, the harpers Kahif and Duateneb. From the V dynasty, information has been preserved about a large family of musicians of the Snefru-nofers, four representatives of which served at the court of the pharaohs.

Analyzing the ancient Egyptian musical culture according to the information that has been preserved about it, one draws attention to the contradiction between the mass of images of musicians, which indicates a significant spread of music in various social strata of ancient Egyptian society, and the almost complete absence of sources characterizing the musical notation system. This is explained, apparently, by a mystical taboo imposed on the recording of ritual music, although it was possible to find in the texts of the Middle and New Kingdoms some signs related to the fixation of music.
Throughout the history of Ancient Egypt, music accompanied cult rites. Moreover, singing and playing the harp and lute were generally part of the duties of the priests. Among the worshipers - musicians, there were not only Egyptians, but also foreigners. The Kakhunsky hieratic papyrus contains information about the participation of foreign dancers in temple festivities. Images of Negro dancers have survived. The plastics of the Middle Kingdom era provide examples of the image of dancers and musicians, whose bodies are decorated with tattoos. “The presence of tattoos in statuettes is a relatively rare phenomenon. The closest analogy is the tattoo on the legs of a faience figurine of a naked dancer from the tomb of the archer Neferhotep (XI dynasty, XXI century BC), found in Thebes, in Deir el-Bahri; here the tattoo consists of the same rhombuses, three on each leg, front and back.The same diamond tattoo is found not only on the legs, but also on the body of a faience figurine of a nude young woman ... It is known that dancers, musicians, minor inhabitants of harems often tattooed their bodies, especially their arms and legs.A tattoo, completely similar to the one depicted on our figurine and on the figurine from the tomb of Neferhotep, was found on the skin of the mummies of dancers from the Mentuhotep harem.Later, in the New Kingdom, a more complex tattoo appears - in the form of figurines god of fun Bes ".

If initially cult music lessons were the privilege of the priests, and professional music lessons remained under their control for a very long time, then "home", ordinary music-making soon became democratized. In the era of the Middle Kingdom, musicians were depicted on the bas-reliefs of the tombs of the working population: we see them both in the number "mrjjt" (this term generally covers the entire working population of Egypt), and among the Khan-Aneans - the neighbors of the Egyptians, who were imported as labor, and among the people of the Nubian Desert. By the end of the Middle Kingdom, significant social changes were outlined, which were also reflected in the forms of music-making. In the Ipucera papyrus, this reactionary nobleman notes, not without annoyance: "The one who did not even know the lyre now became the owner of the harp. The one who did not even sing for himself, he is now praising the goddess Mert ...".

What was the musical instrumentality of Ancient Egypt? Three instruments fought for the leading role - harp, flute, lute. The earliest depiction of the harp we find in the era of the IV dynasty on the bas-relief of the Debchen tomb in the necropolis of Giza. Initially, these were the so-called arc harps, the oldest prototype of which, according to many scientists, was the bow. Undoubtedly, arc harps existed in Egypt long before the 4th dynasty, since on the mentioned bas-relief we see instruments of a rather perfect form. Since that time, you can find a huge number of images, first of arc harps, and then more complex ones - angular. Can the images of the harp and musicians playing this instrument be considered reliable? After all, there is so much variation in the forms of the instruments themselves, and in the manner of holding them, and in the arrangement of the hands on the strings, and in the poses of the harpers! Different, sometimes mutually exclusive answers are given to these questions. A. Machinsky, who measured the instruments and strings depicted on the ancient Egyptian bas-reliefs, firstly, proved that these images are quite accurate, since they give reasonable ratios of string lengths, and, secondly, he was able to establish that the structure of music in the era of the Ancient kingdom was based on whole tones, and later on semitones.

If images of harps throughout the history of Ancient Egypt amaze with a variety of forms of instruments and ways of playing them, then when analyzing images of flutes, we are faced with the opposite fact - the amazing constancy of the appearance of this instrument. Suffice it to compare the image of a flute player in the mentioned tomb dating back to the 5th Dynasty, one of the earliest images of a flute that has come down to us, with a musical scene from the tomb of Patenemheb in the same necropolis where, among other musicians, there is a flute player. This image belongs to the XVIII dynasty, the period of the reign of Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten). The flutes that we see on the surviving bas-reliefs are of a very simple shape: a hollow cane, open at both ends. When playing it, the flutist covered the far end with his palm: a very important feature, for this fact somewhat lifts the veil over the character of the music itself.
Since the instruments were about a meter long, and only one hand remained on the barrel to manipulate the open holes (unlike modern flutes, which are played with both hands), it was possible to close only adjacent holes and, therefore, play the melody smoothly, without jumps.
The lute became known to the ancient Egyptian musicians later than the harp and flute. Some historians associate its appearance with the increased influence of Asian culture during the XVIII dynasty (in connection with the conquests of the Egyptians). However, the Egyptians changed a lot in the borrowed instruments. A feature of the ancient Egyptian lute was that it was played with a plectrum - a small plate that was held with the thumb and forefinger. right hand... The plectrum hung from a string attached to the instrument's neck. These details are clearly visible in the surviving images of the lute players. This feature the ancient Egyptian lute also sheds light on the style of music that could be played on it: the sound of such a lute was more like the sound of a modern balalaika or domra (also plctor instruments) than the sound of a lute common in Western Europe Renaissance and Baroque.
Even the earliest depictions of Egyptian musicians show that performers on various instruments, as well as singers and dancers, were grouped into diverse ensembles. Moreover, ensemble music-making occupied a dominant place throughout the history of Ancient Egypt, while the depiction of soloists is a rare phenomenon (they can be found mainly among harpers - clergymen). In the Old Kingdom, ensembles prevailed, consisting of several harps, flutes and kifar (kifara - a stringed plucked musical instrument, akin to the lyre), which accompanied singers and dancers. Over time, the cast has changed. In ensembles, the importance of percussion instruments - drums, tambourines, rattles, increases, as well as the importance of clapping performers. Herodotus described one of the religious rites, accompanied by noisy music: "When the Egyptians go to the city of Bubastis, they do this. Women and men sail there together, and on each barge there are many of both. Some women have rattles in their hands with which they Some men play the flutes all the way. The rest of the women and men sing and clap their hands. When they approach a city, they stick to the shore and do this. Some women continue to crackle, as I said, others call the women of this city and scoff at them, others dance ... They do this in every riverside town ... ".

We find a number of statements about the evolution of contemporary music in general among ancient Greek and Roman authors. Characteristic feature most of the evidence is the emphasis on the conservative nature of ancient Egyptian music, the inviolability of its traditions. Herodotus wrote: "Adhering to their local paternal tunes, the Egyptians do not adopt foreign ones. Among other noteworthy customs, they have the custom to sing one song of Lin, which is also sung in Phenicia, Cyprus and other places. Although different peoples call it differently. , but this is exactly the same song that is sung in Hellas and is called Lin. Therefore, among many other things that amaze in Egypt, it especially surprises me: where did they get this song of Lin? Obviously, they sang it for a long time. " This message is also important in the sense that it is evidence of borrowing by the ancient Greeks of elements of Egyptian musical culture. In Plato, the information we are interested in is contained in the second book of "Laws": "From time immemorial, the Egyptians apparently recognized the position that we have now expressed: in states, young people should get into the habit of engaging in beautiful body movements and beautiful songs. The Egyptians announced this at sacred festivities and no one - neither painters, nor anyone else who creates all kinds of images, nor in general those who are engaged in musical arts, were not allowed to innovate and invent anything other than domestic. it is now. "

Article by A.E. Maikapar

It is rather difficult to talk about the musical culture of Ancient Egypt, because, unlike other forms of art, music practically does not leave traces in history. But scientists were able to draw conclusions from instruments and texts, bas-reliefs and various images, which featured musicians, singers, performers, instruments. But we will never know the real meaning of the music of Ancient Egypt.
The harp and flute are themselves ancient musical instruments. In the beginning, everything was based on the singer. He sang the song, and the musicians accompanied him. But during the reign of the 18th dynasty, orchestras began to appear. One fresco featured a blind musician. Around him danced girls who simultaneously played the harp, flute and lute. In addition to the melody, rhythm played an important role. In this regard, the music was accompanied by clapping. When vocal music was performed, percussion instruments were not used. There is one funny papyrus that dates back to the period of the XVIII dynasty. It depicts an orchestra performance scene. In it, the donkey plays the harp, the lion plays the lyre and sings at the same time, the crocodile plays the lute, and the monkey plays the double flute.
Women musicians only accompanied during the dances. They could either dance and play musical instruments at the same time, or they could only play while the other women danced to their music. The harp and instrument similar to the modern guitar were considered feminine. During the dance, the women beat out the rhythm with an instrument, which consisted of two palm-shaped boards made of Ivory... This is the prototype of the Spanish castanets.

When sacred music was performed, the sistrum was the main instrument. It is a ceremonial musical instrument that was an attribute of the goddess Hathor. The sistrum consisted of a metal plate in the shape of an oblong horseshoe. A handle was attached to the narrower part of the tool. Small holes were made on the sides of the horseshoe through which metal rods were threaded. They were of different sizes, and the ends were crocheted. They beat the rods with mallets, or shook the whole instrument to set the rods in motion. some sistras had metal rings, which were worn three on each rod. this instrument was used in ceremonies in one way or another associated with the goddess Hathor, religious processions, as well as during divine services. There are legends in which it is said that the harmonious and mysterious sound of the sistra had magical properties... He gave love, inspiration, happiness, returned hope and joy, healed the soul and body, awakened a person to life. The tambourine was used as a percussion instrument. With this instrument, the images show the god Bes dancing around a newborn baby.
Also Egyptian were such spiritual instruments as the flute and trumpets. The flutes were slightly less than a meter in length, but had different sizes, and were also simple and double. The earliest flute found by scientists belongs to the period of the 4th dynasty. But the first double flutes appeared only during the XII dynasty. Trumpets appear only during the reign of the XVIII dynasty. They were used only in the army. In the tomb of Tut-ankh-Amon, battle silver pipes were found.

The most ancient stringed instrument was the harp. During the Old Kingdom period, it was played by female musicians who accompanied the male singer. And during the New Kingdom period, small harps that could be carried began to appear, as well as medium harps with a stand. at the same time, large harps appeared, on which a floral or geometric ornament was applied, on it there were carved heads decorated with gilding. Often present in the images, the lute and lyre are foreign instruments. Lyra appeared during the reign of the XII dynasty. One of the frescoes depicts a gypsy-looking musician who played the lyre. However, it was not as common as the lute. During the New Kingdom period, dancing girls often played the lute.

Numerous images of musicians discovered during archaeological excavations point to the place of this art in the life of Egyptian society. No religious or secular holiday could be complete without musicians and the patronage of Hathor, the goddess of music and dance.

Already in the Old Kingdom, judging by the images of musicians found in Giza and Sakkara, Egyptian music reached a certain level of perfection. However, musical instruments, the pride of the Pharaonic era, have evolved since prehistoric times. Archaeologists have discovered the first musical instruments in Egypt: sticks in the form of reed stalks and plates in the form of a boomerang, the clatter of which was accompanied by ritual dances. Other varieties of primitive musical instruments were sacred rattles (percussion instruments, predecessors of the sistra) and necklaces, from which bells or shells were hung.

Hieroglyphic inscriptions under the images of playing instruments found in tombs tell us their ancient names. Thus, a mat, a wind instrument with three or four holes for the fingers, produced several notes with a large interval. A bandage, a large onion-shaped harp, was placed on the ground, and the musician sat next to him, his legs tucked up. The flutes, as well as the double clarinet, could only be played by men, while the harp was played by musicians of both sexes.

Sistrum, divine instrument

The sistrum, a traditional ritual musical instrument of Ancient Egypt, probably dates back to prehistoric times. Its name comes from the verb ses, which sounds like the rustle that the cow Hathor made as it made its way through the thicket of papyrus. This instrument was most often used in the temple, and was played by women performing rituals in honor of the goddess Hathor. One of its varieties, sahm, was a wooden frame with a handle and tinkling metal rings inside. The other had a handle with a Hathor head at the end. On its horns was a horseshoe-shaped wire with bent crossbars or small plates that rattled when shaken. Today the sistrum is used in Coptic masses in Egypt, the Middle East, and Ethiopia.

Contribution of conquests

Acoustic analysis of the musical instruments of the Old Kingdom shows that low, high and dull sounds were used in the music of that time. However, in the Middle Kingdom, the characteristic of the timbre has completely changed. The dance, once calm and decent, was replaced by a faster and more free one, which was associated with the direct influence of the Hyksos, as well as the cultures of the peoples of Asia. The Bedouins from the east brought with them a lyre. In the New Kingdom, the renewal of social and political life associated with the conquest of new territories and the significant expansion of the Egyptian empire coincided with the revival of the art of music. Among the new varieties of tools from this period, archaeologists have discovered in the Theban tombs improved versions of rattling boards, skillfully carved from ivory, bones of other animals, or from wood. Harps also became more luxuriously decorated, and their size increased markedly: now the performer had to play while standing. However, the most common musical instrument of the New Kingdom was the lute with an elongated neck, which had an almond-shaped oval resonator covered with reddish skin. A new wind instrument came from Asia to Egypt: the oboe (mizmar), made of two pipes fixed at an acute angle to each other.

Percussion instruments

Since ancient times, during religious and folk holidays, the rhythm was set not only by snapping fingers, but also with the help of a number of percussion instruments: idiophones and membranophones. At first they were made of wood and ivory, later metal was used. The most ancient percussion was triangular, then instruments in the form of a palm or hand appeared: this should remind us that they have replaced clapping.

Then cymbals were added to these very popular instruments, which came from Asia and were known in Egypt from the XVIII dynasty. Bronze or ceramic bells also appeared in the Late Period. In addition, there was a wide variety of wooden, earthen, and leather-wrapped drums in a round or triangular (Asian fashion) shape.

Stringed instruments

Around 2550 BC NS. the traditional stringed instrument - the harp, or bayart, first appeared on the images. In the New Kingdom, the types of this musical instrument have become much more diverse; the largest harps had twenty strings. The blind harpers who were present at the commemoration urged their listeners to enjoy life and enjoy the moment, because death is inevitable. The lyre, an instrument of Semitic origin, appeared in Egypt at the beginning of the Middle Kingdom. However, the lyre began to be included in orchestras only during the New Kingdom, as evidenced by the frescoes of that era, which depict Asian musicians. The lyrical strings, which could be from five to eighteen, were attached to the upper crossbar with leather straps at an equal distance from each other, and these straps were then passed through a bronze ring at the base of the case.

Sacred music

Music in Ancient Egypt was predominantly a ritual art and played an important role in the life of temples. Archaeologists have found in the tombs, as well as on the paintings and reliefs of temples, numerous images of a musician standing before some god. Often we can also see images of a pharaoh standing in front of a statue of a deity and communicating with him through singing to music. The three daily services were invariably accompanied by recitations, psalmods and hymns. During the "divine exit", when the sculptural image of the god, kept in the temple, left it on a boat, the priests followed the procession, singing hymns to the accompaniment of the temple orchestra. Singers, dancers and musicians participated not only in local temple festivals, but also in such significant celebrations in which the spiritual was mixed with the secular, for example, in the holidays dedicated to the dates of the agricultural calendar and important events in the life of the country.

Wind instruments

The simplest flute was one of the most widespread wind instruments of Ancient Egypt - the country from where it originates. Its dimensions could be very diverse: from 25 centimeters to 1 meter. The musician held the short flute straight in front of him, and the long one - obliquely, so that it was easier to control the air flow. Most often, flutes were made from reeds and sometimes could have a papyrus mouthpiece. The trumpet - seneb was considered the royal instrument at that time. This wide instrument with a large bell was used to send military signals, its low sound conveyed the commands of the commander. Other wind instruments - the transverse flute, avlos (mizmar), horn, buccinum and hydraulic organ - appeared much later, in the Greco-Roman era.

Gods of music

Judging by the texts that have come down to our times, the most famous deity responsible for the art of music was the goddess of fertility and life, Hathor. As the patroness of carnal love, Hathor was considered the goddess of joy, dance, music, and hops. However, some other deities of the Egyptian pantheon were also related to music. Bast was a music goddess and was most often represented as a cat, patroness of the hearth and protector of newborns. Bes - the divine patron saint of dancers - was portrayed as an ugly bearded dwarf with a tongue hanging out. "Beloved" Mert - the goddess of instrumental music, singing and dancing - was portrayed as a woman. She was a priestess-musician in the world of the gods. The beneficial effect of her singing reminded of the universal harmony that the gods wished to establish; Mert was considered the "word of Maat". Taourt, the hippopotamus goddess, guarded pregnant women. She was present at the birth, often in the company of Bes: together the couple played various musical instruments and danced.