Sheep Bone Flutes

Bone flutes, based on Viking and Saxon examples. We make sheep bone and deer bone flutes. They are end blown with a fipple (like a tin whistle or recorder).

Available from ancientmusic.co.uk

Category:

Music

Tags:

• bone flute
• bone whistle
• ancient music
• viking music
• corwen broch
• kate & corwen

[Skyewolfy]

The remnants of Sunday lunch never had so much potential - I might just have a go at making one of these.

[KateCorwen]

@Skyewolfy No good after lunch! The work start before you get to eat anything. You have to use uncooked bones. Once you have cooked them they become impregnated with oils which can't be removed which then turn rancid. Cooking also makes the bones weak and brittle and likely to crack when you work them. So you will have to spend some time taking every last scrap of the meat off the bones with knife, scraper, etc. That is what takes the time to make them and it's not a particularly pleasant job!

[LettuceDontEatMeat]

How do you make one?? *O*

[KateCorwen]

@LettuceDontEatMeat

Well, first yo have to catch your sheep. It's easier to make a flute once the sheep is dead, though judging by your user name, this may present you with and ethical dilemma!

[HowToHistory]

Is it difficult to fit the fipple? I'd think the inner shape of the bone might make it a challenge.

[KateCorwen]

@HowToHistory It is awkward if you use wood, takes time to shape, but you can use beeswax to fill the gaps between the wood and the bone, or just use beeswax for the whole block, which is much easier.

[giuseppeseverini57]

nice!

[MrHappiness777]

who would think a bone would make such sounds!