The imitation of

natural sounds Natural sounds are any sounds produced by non-human organisms as well as those generated by natural, non-biological sources within their normal soundscapes. It is a category whose definition is open for discussion. Natural sounds create an acousti ...

in various cultures is a diverse phenomenon and can fill in various functions. In several instances, it is related to the belief system (

yoik A joik or yoik (anglicised, where the latter spelling in English conforms with the pronunciation; also named , , , or in the Sámi languages) is a traditional form of song in Sámi music performed by the Sámi people of Sapmi in Northern Europe. ...

s of the

Sami Acronyms * SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft * Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company * South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise net ...

,Szomjas-Schiffert 1996: 56, 76Szomjas-Schiffert 1996: 64Somby 1995
Szomjas-Schiffert 1996: 74 some other shamanic songs and rituals,Diószegi 1960: 203Hoppál 2005: 92
/ref>

overtone singing Overtone singing – also known as overtone chanting, harmonic singing, polyphonic overtone singing, and diphonic singing – is a set of singing techniques in which the vocalist manipulates the resonances of the vocal tract, in order to arous ...

of some cultures). It may serve also such practical goals as luring in the hunt; or entertainment (

katajjaq Inuit throat singing, or ''katajjaq'' (Inuktitut syllabics: ᑲᑕᔾᔭᖅ), is a distinct type of throat singing uniquely found among the Inuit. It is a form of musical performance, traditionally consisting of two women who sing duets in a cl ...

s of

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...

). Among some peoples of the

Altai-Sayan region The Altai-Sayan region is an area of Inner Asia proximate to the Altai Mountains and the Sayan Mountains, near to where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come together. This region is one of the world centers of temperate plant diversity. It ...

, including Tofa, the ability to mimic sounds of the environment includes hunting calls, and is present also in a traditional singing tradition preserved only by some old people.

Fields

Shamanism

Shamanism Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a Spirit world (Spiritualism), spirit world through Altered state of consciousness, altered states of consciousness, such as tranc ...

in various cultures shows great diversity.Hoppál 2005: 15 In some cultures, the music or songs related to shamanistic practice may mimic natural sounds, sometimes with

onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Such a word itself is also called an onomatopoeia. Common onomatopoeias include animal noises such as ''oink'', ''m ...

. Hoppál 2006: 143

Entertainment

The intention to mimic natural sounds is not necessarily linked to shamanistic beliefs or practice alone.

Katajjaq Inuit throat singing, or ''katajjaq'' (Inuktitut syllabics: ᑲᑕᔾᔭᖅ), is a distinct type of throat singing uniquely found among the Inuit. It is a form of musical performance, traditionally consisting of two women who sing duets in a cl ...

(a "genre" of music of some Inuit groups) is a game played by women, for entertainment. In some instances,

(mostly those of animals, e.g. geese) are imitated.Nattiez: 5Deschênes 2002
/ref>

Luring animals

The kind of

mentioned above, which mimics the cry of geese, shows some similarities with the practice of the hunters to lure game. Some Inuit used a tool (shaped like a claw) to scratch the ice of the frozen sea in order to attract seals.Birket-Smith 1969: 127

Notes

References

* Translation of the original: * * * The book has been translated to English: * The title means “Shamans in Eurasia”, the book is published also in German, Estonian and Finnish
Site of publisher with short description on the book (in Hungarian)
* * * . The songs ar

from the

ethnopoetics Ethnopoetics is a method of recording text versions of oral poetry or narrative performances (i.e. verbal lore) that uses poetic lines, verses, and stanzas (instead of prose paragraphs) to capture the formal, poetic performance elements which ...

website curated by

Jerome Rothenberg Jerome Rothenberg (born December 11, 1931) is an American poet, translator and anthologist, noted for his work in the fields of ethnopoetics and performance poetry. Early life and education Jerome Rothenberg was born and raised in New York ...

. * * * The title means: “The magic drum and the clairvoyant women. Sami folktales”, the series means: “Tales of folks”.

External links

* * * {{cite web , last=Mamcheva , first=Natalia , title=Aspects of the Music of the Nivkhs , work=Pacific Rim Music Festival, Ancient Sakhalin in Music, Song and Dance , year=2004 , publisher=Ensemble XXI , url=http://www.ensemblexxi.org/nivkh_music.htm Translated from Russian by Lygia O'Riordan. Semiotics Zoomusicology Ethnomusicology Onomatopoeia Phonaesthetics