Ancient Egyptian Music


Figure 1.-- Here we see 18th Dynasty Egyptian musicians from the tomb of Zesser-Ka-Ra. We suspect this is a group that may have entertained for a party at the home of a wealthy man. And was thus were painted in a tomb to contunue entertaining in the after world. Many Egyptian mussicians, but not all, were women. One source comments that they are often depicted in reveling dress, although standard Egyptian dress was what today might be called revealing. The image here suggests that the women chosen to be muscicians might have been beautiful young women. The women are playing mostly string instruments, a harp, banjo-style instrument, what looks like recorders, and a kind of hand-held harp. We are usure why they were dressed so differently. The woman playing the banjo-type instrument, unlike the other women, does not wear a dress. The woman in the disphonous dress seems to be playing two recorders at a time. Perhaps they had different tonal ranges. The child is probably a girl as the other members of the group are women. One source suggests that she was plying a drum, but we do not see a drum, perhaps she was clapping her hands. The woman playing a banjo-type instrument and the child looks like they my be may be singing. or chanting. We know from the Bible that musicians playing string instruments also sung. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Egyptian music had prehistoric origins. This was probably the case in all the great river valley civilizations. Actual evidence of musicology becomes available on after the beginiing of the dynastic or pharaonic) period (about 3100 BC). Music was important in Egyptian life at various levels. The status of musicians varied and they reached varied status in Egyptian society. Music had aole at various levels in Egyptian society from the higest to the lowest levels: palaces, temples, homes, workshops, farms, battlefields, and tombs. Music was an integral part of Egyptian religious practice as pursued in the temples. There were gods that the Egyptians specifically associated with music, especially Hathor and Bes. Both these gods were also associated with dance, fertility, and childbirth). Egyptians made music with both choirs and instuments. Both male and female voices were employed in Egyptian music. We note depictions of choirs, but not of specifically boy choirs. We note a wide range of musical intruments, including percussion, wind, and stringed instruments. Actual examples of these instruments have been found as part of funery goods. There re also depictions in tomb paintings. Egyptian percussion instruments included hand-held drums, rattles, castanets, bells, and the sistrum. The later was a type of rattle which was important in temple ceremonies. Hand clapping was a kind of percussion instrument to add to rhythmic accompaniment. There were also several kinds of wind instruments included flutes (double and single, with reeds and without) and trumpets. And there were also different stringged indtumens. They included harps, lyres, and lutes. They were played by plucked rather than bowed. Archeologists have found instruments inscribed with the name of the owner and decorated with representations of the goddess (Hathor) or god (Bes). Most of music made in Egypt was made by professional musicians, often women.

Pre-historic Origins

Egyptian music had prehistoric origins. This was probably the case in all the great river valley civilizations. Actual evidence of musicology becomes available on after the beginiing of the dynastic or pharaonic period at the beginning of Old Kingdom (about 3100 BC).

Levels

Music was important in Egyptian life at various levels. The status of musicians varied and they reached varied status in Egyptian society. Music had a role at various levels in Egyptian society from the higest to the lowest levels: palaces, temples, homes, workshops, farms, battlefields, and tombs. Music was an integral part of Egyptian religious practice as pursued in the temples.

Gods

There were gods that the Egyptians specifically associated with music, especially Hathor and Bes. Both these gods were also associated with dance, fertility, and childbirth).

Types of Music

Egyptians made music with both choirs and instuments. Ritual temple music appears to have been the rattling of the sistrum, accompanied by voice, sometimes with harp and/or percussion. Imagery of party/festival celebrations depict ensembles with various instruments (lyres, lutes, double and single reed flutes, clappers, drums). They performed both with and without singers and in arange of sifferent situations.

Vocal music

Both male and female voices were employed in Egyptian music. We note depictions of choirs, but not of boy choirs. The Pharonic courts of ancient Egypt had royal music directors dating as far back as the Old Empire (2778-2160 BC). There were clearly choirs in ancient Egypt. Here is an Egyptian tomb depiction from this period (figure 1). Egyptologists have even discovered the name of a court musician and inspector of vocal musicians as well as a royal music teacher in Dynasty VI (2563-2423 BC). Boy choirs are a different matter. We have found no evidence of all-boy choirs in the early great river valley civilizations. Individual boy singers are another matter. The earliest historical evidence of a boy singer comes from Egypt, Boy singers were apparently employed in the Necropolis of Thebes during the New Kingdom (around 1500 BC). This almost certainly means that there must have been som kind of song school. The singing was performed by soloists and choral groups, although we have not yet found evidence of all boy choirs. Music scholars have to speculre as to the singing because musical notation was unknown. Some believe that the singing was done antiphonally by alternating choral groups or responsively, with a soloist starting and the the choir responding with a ritornello. [Hicknann] Dancing and musical instruments were also an importnt prt of part of the religious ritual in the Egyptian temple ceremonies. [Hickmann] In addition to child singers, there were also child dancers. Actual evidence is limited, but one source notes that the Dances of Ilia, performed by maidens and young boys were reportedly very popular. Dances by boys performing alone were often accompanied by girls clapping rhythmically. More information becomes available on Egypt suring the classical era. None other than Plato traveled to Egypt as an oil merchant (398-85 BC). He praised the melody and rhythm of the highly organized choir performing at festivals. [Plato, 138.] He describes the education of the preformers. He writes that the youth of Egypt were instructed in choral singing. A modern scholar reports that Of 24 surviving books on the subject of astronomy, sacred measures, and rites, "Two Books of the Singer" contain hymns, exclamations and doxologies; songs of praise to the gods and kings. [Wiedemann] Just how much Egypt influenced the rich choral tradition of Greece is unknown. There was known to be trade and diplomatic exchanges between Egypt and the neigboring states, Thus it is likely that Egyptiam musical traditions influence the neigboring peoples.

Instumental music

We note a wide range of musical intruments, including percussion, wind, and stringed instruments. Actual examples of these instruments have been found as part of funery goods. There re also depictions in tomb paintings. Egyptian percussion instruments included hand-held drums, rattles, castanets, bells, and the sistrum. The later was a type of rattle which was important in temple ceremonies. Hand clapping was a kind of percussion instrument to add to rhythmic accompaniment. There were also several kinds of wind instruments included flutes (double and single, with and without reeds). And by the Old Kingdom there were brass trumpets. and trumpets. And there were also different stringged instuments. They included harps, lyres, and lutes. They were played by plucked rather than bowed. Archeologists have found instruments inscribed with the name of the owner and decorated with representations of the goddess (Hathor) or god (Bes).

Professional Music Making

Most of music made in Egypt was made by professional musicians. Professional musicians functioned at different social levels. The highest status mussicians almost certainly were the temple musicians. The office of 'musician' (shemayet) to a god or goddess was one of very high status. They were commonly, but not exclusivly women. These were some of the highest status women in Egypt outside of the nobility. Musicians employed in the royal household also enjoyed high esteem. And the same was also true of especially gifted singers and musiscians, especially harp players. Other musicians had lower status. These included musicians who performed as as entertainers for parties and at festivals. They often were not as acomplished as the temple and palace musicians. Musicians were commonly accompanied by dancers. There was also note informal singing. This can be seen images of workers in action. It is possible that workers in artisanal factories as well as fields workers sang and perhaps even clapped hands as they worked to maintain a rhythm of work. Some Egyptologists have interpreted the captions to these images as the words for songs. Scholars have found no evidence suggesting the existence of amateur musicians. And there seem little indication that non-professionals had any opportunity to pursue music.

Gender

Many Egyptian mussicians, but not all, were women. The image here suggests that the women chosen to be muscicians might have been beautiful young women.Music was one of the few opportunities besises prostitution for women to work at a skilled job. We do not know just how they were chosen and trained. The tomb painting here suggests that they may have been chosen at an early age. One source comments that they are often depicted in reveling dress, although standard Egyptian dress was what today might be called revealing. Groups might dance as well as sing. Some musicians were probably slaves, but as much of our information comes from paintings, this is difficult to assess. Their dress may offer some clues. The type of instrument may have been a factor. Lung caoacity suf\ggest that truohet opyers were probably men. The Bible, however, suggests that harpists could be men or at least boys.

Notation

Archeologusts have not been able to resurect actual musical compositions. The reason for this was the ancient Egyptians did not have musical notation and thus no way of writing down the music they created. We have examples of the instruments as wll as as in some cases, but the actual music or melodt is unknown and will presumably never be known. This did nor change until the Graeco-Roman period. Thus there is not way of reconstruct pharaonic music. Since we know about the instruments and have words, scholars can produce a rough representation of the sounds involved in Egyptian music.

Sources

Hickmann. Musikgeschichte in Bildern Vol. 2 (Leipzig: 1961).

Plato, "Laws II, 138".

Wiedemann. Die Religion der alten Ägypter (Münster: 1880).







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Created: 11:38 AM 1/14/2013
Last updated: 11:45 AM 1/14/2013