The Storytelling Drum: teaching a brief history of the drum in Judaeo-Christian contexts

In my Drumming for Peace programs I use a storytelling frame drum to recount some of the highlights of the history of drumming, particularly within the Judaeo-Christian tradition. I most often begin with a reading from Psalm 150, which mentions praising God on the “tambourine.” I may retell the story of Miriam (Exodus 15), Moses sister, who led the women in playing the “timbrel” after the exodus from Egypt (Nina Jaffe, Patakin: World Tales of Drums and Drummers. Cricket Books, p. 111). When I show participants the storytelling drum I explain some of the origins of the frame drum:

The Bible refers to the “tambourine,” “tabret” or “timbrel.” These words refer to frame drums made from a circular hoop with a skin stretched over it. The jingles on the modern tambourine were probably not added until the 13th century C.E. Often the frame drum had knotted threads with ritual prayers or chants tied to it.

The frame drum is probably one of the most ancient constructed forms of the drum, outside of hollowed trees. The Hebrew word used for drum is tof. It is believed that tof is an onomatopoeic word, that is a word that reflects the sound from which it is derived, like the word “buzz.” The Ugaritic root of tof goes back to 14th cent. B.C.E. In the New Testament the Greek word for "drum" is tympanon, from which we get our English word "tympany."

In the ancient Mediterranean world the frame drum was played predominantly by women, but also by men (1 Sam. 10:5, 2 Sam. 6:5, 1 Chron. 13:8). The origin of frame drum believed to be the grain sieve used by women. The oldest name in Sumerian for the frame drum is the same word for sieve. The frame drum was also a symbol of sexuality, fertility, grain, moon and sun. In the Hebrew Scriptures Jephthah’s daughter bewails her virginity with the drum (Judges 11:39). The frame drum is never mentioned with temple music, but accompanied cultic dances (Exod. 15), processions (Ps. 68:24-25), and feast days.

Then, I show each of the drummers the drawings on the storytelling drum and tell one reconstructed story of the drum’s history. This gives those who drum a brief overview of some important historical moments. On a frame drum I have drawn five pictures to portray snapshots of drumming history.:

Center- This is the oldest known depiction of a drummer, which was found on a shrine room wall in Catal Huyuk, largest known Neolithic site in Asia Minor or modern Turkey. Catal Huyuk was inhabited from 7200 to 5500 B.C.E. Archaeologists have found in this Neolithic period depictions of the hourglass drum, like the West African Talking Drum. Catal Huyuk was a goddess, fertility culture where men and women were equal , but women seemed to run the religious and artistic side of life, while men the material side. Also, they did not appear to engage in warfare. Maybe this drawing was the first Drummer for Peace! The drummer was among a band of figures playing flutes, percussion instruments, bullroarers, and dancing around a large bull.

Right side- This drawing is of a terracotta figurine of a woman drummer from second millennium B.C.E. unearthed in the city of Ur, where biblical Abraham once lived. Ur was where we have the first named drummer in history from 2380 B.C.E. The drummer was Lipushiau, the granddaughter of Sumerian King Naramsin, priestess of the goddess in the temple of the moon, player of the balag-di, a frame drum used with liturgical chanting.

Left side- This drawing is of another terracotta figurine of a woman drummer from ancient Israel circa 1000 B.C.E. These figures were found in abundance, indicating the female drummer was recognized in the common society of ancient Israel/Palestine. This image reminds us that drums were an essential part of ancient Hebrew worship and of the early Jewish-Christian church.

Top- This figure is of Maenad (“mad woman), a priestess of Dionysios and Cybele, who plays the frame drum in a Dionysion procession. This image reminds us that in the early centuries of the church drumming became associated with pagan worship. Christians would eventually abandon the drum and cymbals in worship as an instrument of seduction and evidence of “the devil pomposity.”

Clement of Alexandria, church leader during the second century, attacked musicians saying, “Such a man creates a din with cymbals and tambourines, he rages about with instruments of an insane cult.” In the sixth century Pope John III outlawed the tambourine. In 526 a synod decreed: “Christians are not allowed to teach their daughters singing, the playing of instruments or similar things because, according to their religion, it is neither good nor becoming.” A church banned the singing and dancing of women in 300 C.E. and later in 826 C.E., who was often part of vigils, funerals, and celebrations involving music and dance.

Remembering that most drummers were women suggests that misogyny played a significant role in the loss of drumming in the church!

Bottom- St. Teresa of Avila, a 16th century Spanish mystic who played the drum, often dancing before God in the chapel to the rhythms of her own tambourine. Like Teresa, 12th century mystic Hildegard of Bingen elevated music in the church as an artist and composer, She wrote, “All sacred music---instrumental as well as vocal---functions as the bridge for humanity to life before the Fall.” Teresa symbolizes the redemption of the drum for Christian praise, returning it to a respected place at the center of worship.

My storytelling drum is a way to introduce a brief background to the drum within Judaeo-Christian tradition to participants in my Joyful Noise program (Psalm 100), who most often are Christians.