Lur: description of the instrument, composition, history, sound, use

Lur is one of the most unusual musical instruments in the world, originally from Scandinavia. Present in the rock paintings of the ancient northern peoples.

It is a smooth and very long pipe, straight or curved in the form of the letter “S” shape. The length can reach 2 meters.

The wind musical instrument of the Scandinavians was made of wood. There was nothing else besides the air inlet. The Europeans modernized it. At the end of the Middle Ages in Germany and Denmark, they began to make it from bronze, added a mouthpiece. The sound resembles that of a trombone or French horn. The copper copy sounds stronger.

Interestingly, the forgotten musical instrument was discovered only in the 6th century in Denmark, where 30 well-preserved specimens were found, which are now kept in various museums around the world. In the 50th century, during excavations in the Baltic Sea area, archaeologists found another XNUMX specimens of lur and its fragments. In total, there are about XNUMX authentic copies and fragments of an ancient wind instrument.

Most often, lurs were found near altars and temple buildings. Based on this, scientists concluded that the lur was usually used during ceremonial rites.