sistrum

sistrum
/sis"treuhm/, n., pl. sistrums, sistra /-treuh/.
an ancient Egyptian percussion instrument consisting of a looped metal frame set in a handle and fitted with loose crossbars that rattle when shaken.
[1350-1400; ME < L < Gk seîstron, deriv. of seíein to shake (cf. SEISMIC)]

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Greek  seistron,  
 percussion instrument, a rattle consisting of a wood, metal, or clay frame set loosely with crossbars (often hung with jingles) that sound when the instrument is shaken. A handle is attached to the frame.

      In ancient Egypt, sistrums were either temple-shaped or had a closed-horseshoe shape. The sistrum was used in the cult of the goddess Hathor and later, as Hathor merged with the maternal and life-giving goddess Isis, use of the sistrum spread with the cult of Isis throughout the Roman Empire. Open-topped, U-shaped sistrums existed by 2500 BC in Sumer and have been excavated near Tbilisi, Georgia. Similar sistrums are played today in the liturgy of the Coptic and Ethiopian churches. They also exist in western Africa, among two American Indian tribes, and as the bamboo shark rattle of Malaysia and Melanesia. “Sistrum” sometimes also refers to a bell glockenspiel.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sistrum — Sistrum in Hieroglyphen …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • SISTRUM — Instrumentum fuit Musicum, in Isidis sacris percuti solitum, oblongum, manubriatum in ima parte, cancellatum traiectis virgulis, et ut verbô dicatur, laminae ac praeterea nihil, definiente Pignoriô Comm. de Servis, qui proin virum doctum cum… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Sistrum — (ägypt. seschschet), Musikinstrument altägyptischer Frauen, das aus einem metallenen, in ovale Form gebogenen Reisen mit einem Stiel besteht. Mitten durch den Reisen gehen metallene Stäbe, die in Löchern leicht sich hin und her bewegen und… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Sistrum — Sis trum, [L., fr. Gr. ???, from ??? to shake.] (Mus.) An instrument consisting of a thin metal frame, through which passed a number of metal rods, and furnished with a handle by which it was shaken and made to rattle. It was peculiarly Egyptian …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sistrum — (ägypt. Kemkem), von Isis erfundenes musikalisches Klapperinstrument der alten Ägyptier; es ist von dünnem Metall, länglich rund, oben gewölbt, unten etwas schmäler, in der Mitte hohl, der Breite nach von 4 Metallstäben durchschnitten u. mit… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Sistrum — (grch. seistron), Rasselinstrument der alten Ägypter, beim Isisdienst gebraucht, ein Reif mit lose eingefügten Metallstäbchen [Abb. 1745] …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Sistrum — Sistrum, lat., musikalisches Instrument der Alten, aus Aegypten stammend, länglich runder, metallener Reif mit 4 metallenen Stäben u. einem Handgriff, gab geschwungen einen Ton, erscheint als Attribut der Isis …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • sistrum — sìstrūm m <G sistrúma> DEFINICIJA glazb. pov. drvena udaraljka u obrednoj upotrebi kod starih Egipćana, kasnije i kod drugih naroda; preteča triangla ETIMOLOGIJA lat. ← grč. seȋstron ≃ seíein: tresti …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • sistrum — [sis′trəm] n. pl. sistrums or sistra [sis′trə] [ME < L < Gr seistron < seiein, to shake < IE * tweisō < base * twei , to shake] a metal rattle or noisemaker consisting of a handle and a frame fitted with loosely held rods, jingled… …   English World dictionary

  • Sistrum — A sistrum (plural: sistrums, sistraCitation | year =1988 | editor last= Stein | editor first= Jess | title = The Random House College Dictionary | place =New York | publisher =Random House | edition=Revised | page=1230 | isbn =0 394 43500 1] ) is …   Wikipedia

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