The other has four holes at its upper side and one underneath, the
latter being placed near to the end at which the instrument evidently
was blown. In the aperture of this end some remains of a hardened
paste, or resinous substance, are still preserved. This substance
probably was inserted for the purpose of narrowing the end of the
tube, in order to facilitate the producing of the sounds. The same
contrivance is still resorted to in the construction of the bone
flutes by some Indian tribes in Guiana. The bones of slain enemies
appear to have been considered especially appropriate for such flutes.
The Araucanians having killed a prisoner, made flutes of his bones,
and danced and “thundered out their dreadful war songs, accompanied by
the mournful sounds of these horrid instruments.” Alonso de Ovalle
says of the Indians in Chili: “Their flutes, which they play upon in
their dances, are made of the bones of the Spaniards and other enemies
whom they have overcome in war. This they do by way of triumph and
glory for their victory. They make them likewise of bones of animals;
but the warriors dance only to the flutes made of their enemies.” The
Mexicans and Peruvians obviously possessed a great variety of pipes
and flutes, some of which are still in use among certain Indian
tribes. Those which were found in the famous ruins at Palenque are
deposited in the museum in Mexico. They are:――The _cuyvi_, a pipe on
which only five tones were producible; the _huayllaca_, a sort of
flageolet; the _pincullu_, a flute; and the _chayna_, which is
described as “a flute whose lugubrious and melancholy tones filled the
heart with indescribable sadness, and brought involuntary tears into
the eyes.” It was perhaps a kind of oboe.
The Peruvians had the syrinx, which they called _huayra-puhura_. Some
clue to the proper meaning of this name may perhaps be gathered from
the word _huayra_, which signifies “air.” The _huayra-puhura_ was made
of cane, and also of stone. Sometimes an embroidery of needlework was
attached to it as an ornament. One specimen which has been disinterred
is adorned with twelve figures precisely resembling Maltese crosses.
The cross is a figure which may readily be supposed to suggest itself
very naturally; and it is therefore not so surprising, as it may
appear at a first glance, that the American Indians used it not
unfrequently in designs and sculptures before they came in contact
with Christians.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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