The Hindus have spent much time in studying music and the instruments of which they have many kinds. There are the strings, there are skins sounded by beating, instruments struck together in pairs, and those that are blown. They like the strings best. The characteristic instrument is the _vina_, usually of wood or bamboo strengthened by one to three gourds as sounding boards, and having five or seven wire strings played something like the zither, but sometimes with a bow. (Figure 16.) There are many varieties of the _sitar_, an instrument like a lute, and many viols of which the _sarinda sarunja_ is typical and is played with a bow. (Figure 17.) Among the percussion instruments are tambourines, castanets and cymbals; they had wind instruments such as flutes (seldom transverse or blown in from the side, and often played by blowing on them through the nostrils), trumpets, horns, bagpipes and oboes. Certain instruments were used only by the priests, others by beggars, and others by dancing girls. Imagine how weird a story could be told in music if a modern symphony orchestra played a piece of music telling of life among the Hindus. Maybe some of the readers of this book will get an idea for a Hindu tone poem, who knows? [Illustration: _Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City._ _Hindu Instruments._ _Fig. 15.—Tabla—drum._ _Fig. 16.—Kinnari—Vina, a stringed instrument._ ] [Illustration: _Fig. 17._ _Sitar (Strings) Trumpet._ ] [Illustration: _Fig. 18._ _Hindu Instruments._ ] Childhood of Music CHAPTER VII What Church Music Imported from Greece During the centuries when the Eastern nations were powerful the European continent was inhabited by primitive men, who had gradually formed tribes. They had rude songs, dances, and crude instruments. They used their music in religious ceremonies, to celebrate war victories and successful hunting expeditions, to sing to their sweethearts, and to accompany their work in the fields and homes, much as the American Indian did. Many manners and customs of the Anglo-Saxon (English), Teutonic (German), Norse (Danish, Swedish and Norwegian), Celtic (Irish) and Gallic (French) races may be traced back to these barbaric days, and even the beginning of national schools of music may be found. Although a thousand years passed between the Greek musical era and the “Golden Age” of Christian Church music, much that happened in that time is hidden in darkness. The nations and tribes were fighting for existence and were developing into the nations which we know today. Islam or the Mohammedan religion, and not Christianity, was the great influence.