Bagpipes And Panduras
May 14, 2008 by Irish Lone Star
Tonight I want to begin a long over due journey and I want to invite you to join me. I have always been proud of my Southron Heritage and my Catholic Faith and have put forth an effort to learn more about them and share it with others. I have always connected with my ancestry, but have never gone beyond the traditions my family passed onto me. I have decided to study and learn my Irish and Spanish Heritage and learn not only where I am from, but where I began. I welcome any and all information, stories, and helpful hints that will help me successfully navigate my journey to truth’s end.
I begin with these simple discoveries:
The earliest physical evidence for the existence of the bagpipes is an engraved rendering in Chaldean sculptures dating back to 4000 B.C. The oldest set of pipes was found in Panopolis, Egypt, by archaeologists who dated them to 1500 B.C. By comparison, the only Celtic musical instruments of an equivalent age are the bodhran, harp and feadan (whistle or flute).
The earliest forerunners of the Great Highland Bagpipes—simple, mouth-blown reed pipes—had emerged in the Near East and Egypt by 2500 B.C. The most popular of these reed pipes was the shawm, which retained its popularity for centuries.
The pandura is a very old type of stringed instrument. It originated in Spanish culture many years ago, and later became used in Greek culture. This helped to spread its popularity throughout Europe. In later years, the pandura became known as the mandolin, and was recognized as the mandolin by most people for many years. Not many people in today’s society know about this instrument because it is not used often in Hispanic music anymore.
I have caught your blog a few times. There is a lot of interesting information here. I don’t know a whole lot about the things you talk about, but I always keep my mind open to new info.
One thing I do know a little about is genealogy. I do have some Southern ancestry, gentry and hillbilly.
I have only been researching for a few years. Congrats, you will have fun. One great source of online info is http://www.ancestry.com. But unfortunately, you need a subscription. If you sign up, you can get a free trial. When you find stuff during your free trial print it up and save to computer, that way you will still have the info after your trial period ends. There is also a place to make up your family tree. The family tree is always free. Along with the message boards, to search for others doing the same research as you and/or ask questions.
Good luck, have fun and don’t get discouraged if you don’t find what you are looking for right away. It takes time and patience.
Michigan Redneck,
Thank you so much for the information. Sorry I was not able to reply sooner. I know if it goes like my research into my Catholic faith you are right about it taking time and being patient. I have always felt a connection to my ancestory and have a great interest in its founding and ancient history. It would be great to track down the places my family came from. I would be interested in knowing their contribution to history