Celtic Irish Trumpet Horns

In Ireland Celtic trumpet horns have been unearthed by archaeologists. These remarkable musical instruments were used to scare the enemy by the warlike Celts in their battles.

These instruments originate in Bronze Age Ireland. The Irish horns form the largest single group in the trumpet-horn type of instruments that there were in the Bronze Age. There are about 120 different types of horn, of which 90 are existing. The Irish bronze trumpet-horns represent about 55% of the total of Bronze Age instruments of this type recorded from Europe and the Middle East.

They belong to the same classification as the Scandinavian "lurs". This was a long bronze horn which had a double curve and a disc-shaped mouth. From a drawing that I have they look a bit like a snake. They were usually found in pairs and were unearthed from Danish peat bogs, like their Irish counterparts. On a cauldron found at Gundestrup, Jutland, Denmark, is depicted very long straight lurs being played with bronze animal heads on the top of the horns, acting as the bell of the instrument.

These Irish horns are unique, some of them are played by blowing through a hole in the side of the instrument, others more conventionally by blowing through the end of the instrument, as in a modern horn. It is the side blowing trumpet horns that are unparalleled in the archaeological world.

There are two different types of horns. Class 1, which came from the northern third of Ireland. The bell ends of these horns are decorated with ribs, grooves, zig-zags, domes, and more rarely spikes. The rest of the horn is left plain and unadorned. On the side blown instruments there is often a ring at the narrow end. Bronze Horns that have been uncovered at Drumbest, Co Antrim measure almost a metre in length.

The class 11 type horns often have small spikes fitted in a circle around the bell and narrow ends of the trumpet. The main bodies of the instrument are plain. Class 11 horns are generally thought to be a more complex instrument than class 1 and the majority come from the south west of Ireland.

In a paper by Peter Holmes entitled "The Manufacturing Technology of the Irish Bronze Age Horns". In it he gives details of the complex manufacturing process the smiths used to make these bronze trumpet horns.

The instruments were cast in a double mould. This is quite complex remembering that we are talking about a curved instrument. Inside the two halves of the mould was a core. A space was left between the core and the mould in which the bronze would be poured. These moulds do not seem to have the air holes or scrues that are normally in moulds. A loop by which the instrument could be carried was a standard feature of these horns. These loops were placed at the tip of the horn. The loop was set into the core before the metal was poured. The metal when poured in the space between the core and the mould would set the loop into position. Decorative conical spikes were placed and cast in the horn in a similar way. The author, Peter Holmes has no doubt that these instruments evolved and were fine examples of the smiths art in the complex process of casting.

In the same paper tests were made to ascertain the sound that the instrument would have made. Evidently a high note could not be played. In fact to a modern musician they would be very difficult to play at all. But with a more relaxed shaping of the lips to the mouthpiece, a deep low sound could be produced. Indeed this tone could be varied, with practice, to produce a fairly extensive range of notes. In fact Peter Holmes says: "Used in this way, the Bronze Age horns spring to life, changing from a straight four-note instrument to one capable of generating the almost infinite variety." Evidently the Australian Aborigine would play the didgeridoo in the same manner. I would think that the sound might be similar.

Irish trumpet horns were played in battle. The braying of a war trumpet was a common sound to the enemies of the Irish Celts. In fact noise was considered a weapon of war. The effects of noise in ancient warfare is wonderfully described in one of the old chronicles called "Tain":

"The noise and the tumult, the din and the thunder, the clamour and the outcry which he heard there was the shock of shields and the smiting of spears and the loud striking of swords, the clashing of helmets, the clangour of breast-plates, the friction of the weapons and the vehemence of the feats of arms, the straining of ropes, the rattle of wheels, the trampling of the horses hooves, and the creaking of the chariots, and the loud voices of heroes and warriors."

Yes, noise defiantly played a large part ancient warfare and the strident sound of those old braying war trumpets would have played their part. The sound must have scared the enemy, who would have heard it from a great distance, striking fear into its heart.

Now I can give you a quote from John Purser who wrote at length on the Deskford Carnyx......

There is no question that the instrument was used in battle. On coins it is shown in the hands of mounted warriors at full gallop(arguing for the great integral strength in the design of the instrument),in association with shields and Gaulish warriors. It is capable of producing a sound of immense power. It can be as loud as a modern trombone, the most powerful instrument in the symphony orchestra . What is more the manner in which it is held means that the sound travels unimpeded from the instrument well over the heads of the surrounding armies and could have been used to terrify the opposition , encourage the lads , or to convey signals. Indeed, we could imagine a sneaky Proto-Pict making his way at night to the bottom of the Antonine Wall, raising the head of the Carnyx over the wooden pallisade which surmounted it, and scaring the Roman sentries into involuntary bowel evacuation with a few fearsome blasts, before disappearing into the mists......

It is difficult to know whether these trumpet horns were originally designed as a "brass" musical instrument or as a weapon to scare the enemy. I would have thought that the Celtic trumpet horn was designed as a weapon of war. Although the Celts were very fond of music. In Celtic myths music often had a magical quality. These old tales speak of music that could send the listener into blissful sleep, or make them laugh. Harps were very popular musical instruments as were lyres, pipes are also mentioned. The bards were often considered to be great musicians as well lyrical poets. The Celts used to hold various festivals where music played an important part. Every three years on 1st August at the Festival of Carman, at Wexford, contests were held in the fields of music and poetry.

Many fine Irish trumpets have been found, worthy of such a place in war. Four trumpets were uncovered from a bog at Loughnashade, Co. Amargh, which is a short distance from Navan Fort, the old capital of the "Ulaid", the people of Ulster. Only one of these trumpets now survive, a magnificent specimen, 186.5cm long, the two edges of the instrument sealed by a strip of bronze with over six hundred rivets. Another trumpet unearthed from Ardbrin crannog in Co Down, contains over 1,094 rivets, used in its manufacture.

After a thousand years of use, the manufacture of trumpet horns died out at the end of the Bronze Age. Thus came to an end a whole tradition of musical composition.