Difference between revisions of "AY Honors/Aboriginal Lore/Answer Key"

Revision as of 02:25, 19 December 2005

A bullroarer or turndun is an ancient ritual musical instrument and means of communicating over extended distances.

File:Music insts bullroarers2.jpg

Jazz musician Rich Halley plays a bullroarer at an outdoor concert.

It consists of a longish piece of cord fixed to an oval piece of wood or other suitable material which usually is thicker in the center, and sharpish at the edges.

The cord is given a slight initial twist, and the roarer is then waved in a large circle in a horizontal plane. The aerodynamics of the roarer will keep it whirling even after the initial twist has unwound.

It makes a characteristic roaring vibrato sound with notable modification from both Doppler effect and the changing speed of the roarer at different parts of its circuit.

File:Music insts bullroarers1.jpg

Two jazz musicians play flat white bullroarers with red spots held on thin rope lines about eight feet long by spinning them quickly in circles.

By modifying the expansiveness of its circuit and the speed given it, the modulation of the sound can be controlled, making the coding of information possible. The low frequency component of the sound travels extremely long distances, especially on the wind.

This instrument has been used by numerous early and traditional cultures in both the northern and southern hemispheres but in the popular consciousness it is perhaps best known for its use by Australian Aborigines (it is from one of their languages that the name turndun comes).

Bullroarers are still considered to be sacred/secret by some Aboriginal tribes and are not allowed to be shown to women, children or outsiders. They are used in men's initiation ceremonies and the sound they produced is considered to represent the sound of the Rainbow Serpent.

The bullroarer is sometimes used as a means of demonstrating the Doppler effect, by using sound. As the instrument travels round, its sound goes up or down according to its speed, and distance from the hearer.

de:Schwirrholz

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-"Bushfood" is a less colloquial form of the Australian word "[[bushtucker]]", which is a combination of the [[Australian]] slang word "bush", meaning [[wilderness]], and "tucker", meaning [[food]]. Thus the word tends to refer to any Australian native food, although it sometimes is used with the specific connotation of "food found in the [[Outback]] while living on the land".
+A '''bullroarer''' or '''turndun''' is an ancient ritual musical instrument and means of communicating over extended distances. [[Image:Music_insts_bullroarers2.jpg|frame|none|Jazz musician Rich Halley plays a bullroarer at an outdoor concert.]]
-Bushtucker therefore includes both [[plant]] and [[animal]] foods. Examples of Australian native animal foods ([[meat]]) include [[Kangaroo]], [[Emu]] and [[Crocodile]]. These meats are widely consumed in Australian restaurants. Other animals, for example the [[Goanna]] lizard, were eaten by [[Aboriginal]] Australians and thus qualify as bushtucker in every sense of the word.
+It consists of a longish piece of [[string|cord]] fixed to an [[oval]] piece of wood or other suitable material which usually is thicker in the center, and sharpish at the edges.
-Examples of Australian native plant foods include the [[Quandong]] (''Santalum acuminatum''), Bush Raisin (''Solanum centrale''), Warrigal Greens (''Tetragonia tetragonioides'', or [[New Zealand]] Spinach), and Tasmanian Mountain Pepper (''Tasmannia lanceolata'').
+The cord is given a slight initial twist, and the roarer is then waved in a large circle in a horizontal plane. The [[aerodynamics]] of the roarer will keep it whirling even after the initial twist has unwound.
-==External links==
+It makes a characteristic roaring [[vibrato]] [[sound]] with notable modification from both [[Doppler effect]] and the changing speed of the roarer at different parts of its circuit. [[Image:Music_insts_bullroarers1.jpg |frame|none|Two jazz musicians play flat white bullroarers with red spots held on thin rope lines about eight feet long by spinning them quickly in circles.]]
-* [http://www.bushtucker.com.au A Bushfood/Bushtucker resource site]
+By modifying the expansiveness of its circuit and the speed given it, the modulation of the sound can be controlled, making the coding of information possible. The low frequency component of the sound travels extremely long distances, especially on the wind.
-* [http://www.guruna.com/forum Australian Bushfood and Native Medicine Forum]
+This instrument has been used by numerous early and traditional cultures in both the northern and southern [[hemisphere]]s but in the popular consciousness it is perhaps best known for its use by [[Australian Aborigine]]s (it is from one of their languages that the name ''turndun'' comes).
+Bullroarers are still considered to be sacred/secret by some Aboriginal tribes and are not allowed to be shown to women, children or outsiders. They are used in men's initiation ceremonies and the sound they produced is considered to represent the sound of the [[rainbow serpent|Rainbow Serpent]].
+The bullroarer is sometimes used as a means of demonstrating the [[Doppler effect]], by using sound. As the instrument travels round, its sound goes up or down according to its speed, and distance from the hearer.
+[[Category:Whirling aerophones]]
+[[de:Schwirrholz]]