Re: goose

[Henny van der Groep <tijgervink...>]

>on 2/4/02 6:52 AM, Judith R Cohen wrote:
>
> > By the way, about that name "jew's harp"..... I've been told it's a
> > deformation of "jaw's harp".

It's rather confusing so many names for one instrument, isn't it? We in the 
Netherlands speak of a "mondharp" and the English have at least five 
different names. A beautiful name is the Italian one "scacciapensieri" I 
think it fits nicely if you look how the Shamans used the instrument.
People in Thailand call it  "a hta" and I have never heared such beautiful 
music. It's an instrument used by lovers to transmit their messages of 
love. So they are able to express their feelings without words.
Nobody knows exactly were the name "Jew harp" comes from.

Unanimous one consider the South Chinese mountain Province "Yannan" the 
place of origin.
The oldest wooden instrument is about 4000 years and described in old 
Chinese Scriptures. In Europe it was known far later. For the first time 
the "Jew Harp was noticed in Middle Ages
The Chinese use the concept "Huang" of the instrument and in the first part 
of the book "Kuo Feng" (country of tradition) you'll find a description of 
the instrument, dated BC 900!
Amazingly are de different forms over the world. Henny

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