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AndrewD
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Australian Aboriginal artifacts 3 – Secret-sacred (Bullroarer)

Bullroarers are an airofoil attached to a long cord and swung around the head to produce a pulsating sound with a frequency typically around 80Hz. They can be used as musical instruments or to signal over long distances. The speed of the oscillations varies as the cord winds up and the sound dispersal is essentially omni-directional.

What is particularly fascinating is that bullroarers appear in many distinct cultures from Africa (including Egypt), Asia and Europe, the oldest being found in the Ukraine and dated to 17,000BC.

Of course the bull is not native to Australia and the Aboriginal term for the object translates to something like “secret-sacred”, but bullroarer is in common use now for these items.

The bullroarer is often used in conjunction with didgeridoos (didjeridu) and music sticks (clapsticks) to accompany corroborees, initiation ceremonies and burials. In some tribal groups only the initiated men were able to use, and even hear the sound of the bullroarer.

Listen to the opening few seconds of the Midnight Oil track “Bullroarer” from 1987’s “Diesel and Dust” album to hear the characteristic sound.

 

 

 

This bullroarer is threaded onto human hair cord which was often used to make ceremonial items such as head-dress, belts and attached to pointing bones (we will get into Aboriginal ‘black magic’ in another thread). Human hair cord is surprisingly strong.

Andrew

 

This is the third installment in my regularly irregular series of Australian Aboriginal art and artifacts. The previous post on the Woomera, or spear thrower, can be found by clicking here.

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