Syrinx in the Musical Culture of Ancient Greece

The syrinx (ἡ σῦριγξ) or panpipe is one of the oldest woodwind musical instruments. Many studies have shown that this multi-pipe flute was an important part of the pastoral culture in ancient Greece. Here, it is described what the traditional syrinx looked like. An overview is given of the most comm...

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Main Author: O. S. Enzeldt
Format: Article
Language:Russian
Published: Kazan Federal University 2023-10-01
Series:Učënye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta: Seriâ Gumanitarnye Nauki
Subjects:
Online Access:https://uzakugu.elpub.ru/jour/article/view/3
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author O. S. Enzeldt
author_facet O. S. Enzeldt
author_sort O. S. Enzeldt
collection DOAJ
description The syrinx (ἡ σῦριγξ) or panpipe is one of the oldest woodwind musical instruments. Many studies have shown that this multi-pipe flute was an important part of the pastoral culture in ancient Greece. Here, it is described what the traditional syrinx looked like. An overview is given of the most common materials used in syrinx production. The study has a special focus on the σῦριγξ μονοκάλαμος, which is thought to be the simplest fipple flute, and explores the question of whether it can be termed as the syrinx monokalomos when referring to the musical culture of the polis period. The results obtained during the analysis of ancient written (epic and lyric poetry, as well as works of tragedians of the archaic and classical periods) and pictorial (vase painting of the 6th–4th centuries B.C.) sources reveal how the syrinx was used in ancient Greece apart from the pastoral music: it was played, often in combination with other musical instruments, during ritual rites, such as weddings (in hymeneal songs), funerals, and paean performances, or for pleasure (during leisure activities).
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spelling doaj.art-eb5d4498249e4f30839f44e6754ae16e2024-04-16T12:54:20ZrusKazan Federal UniversityUčënye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta: Seriâ Gumanitarnye Nauki2541-77382500-21712023-10-011651-210.26907/2541-7738.2023.1-2.9-182Syrinx in the Musical Culture of Ancient GreeceO. S. Enzeldt0P.G. Demidov Yaroslavl State UniversityThe syrinx (ἡ σῦριγξ) or panpipe is one of the oldest woodwind musical instruments. Many studies have shown that this multi-pipe flute was an important part of the pastoral culture in ancient Greece. Here, it is described what the traditional syrinx looked like. An overview is given of the most common materials used in syrinx production. The study has a special focus on the σῦριγξ μονοκάλαμος, which is thought to be the simplest fipple flute, and explores the question of whether it can be termed as the syrinx monokalomos when referring to the musical culture of the polis period. The results obtained during the analysis of ancient written (epic and lyric poetry, as well as works of tragedians of the archaic and classical periods) and pictorial (vase painting of the 6th–4th centuries B.C.) sources reveal how the syrinx was used in ancient Greece apart from the pastoral music: it was played, often in combination with other musical instruments, during ritual rites, such as weddings (in hymeneal songs), funerals, and paean performances, or for pleasure (during leisure activities).https://uzakugu.elpub.ru/jour/article/view/3ancient greek musical culturesyrinxpanpipepan flutehymenealpaean
spellingShingle O. S. Enzeldt
Syrinx in the Musical Culture of Ancient Greece
Učënye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta: Seriâ Gumanitarnye Nauki
ancient greek musical culture
syrinx
panpipe
pan flute
hymeneal
paean
title Syrinx in the Musical Culture of Ancient Greece
title_full Syrinx in the Musical Culture of Ancient Greece
title_fullStr Syrinx in the Musical Culture of Ancient Greece
title_full_unstemmed Syrinx in the Musical Culture of Ancient Greece
title_short Syrinx in the Musical Culture of Ancient Greece
title_sort syrinx in the musical culture of ancient greece
topic ancient greek musical culture
syrinx
panpipe
pan flute
hymeneal
paean
url https://uzakugu.elpub.ru/jour/article/view/3
work_keys_str_mv AT osenzeldt syrinxinthemusicalcultureofancientgreece