| Description |
The Mongols have traditionally shown great respect for the horse, honoring it in their national values and symbols (flags and emblems) as well as in folk songs. The morin khuur, so named for the ornamental horse-head carving at the top of its neck, is a unique two-stringed musical instrument developed by nomadic Mongols. The strings of both the bow and fiddle are made from the hair of a horse’s tail. There is a legend among the Mongols which tells of the origin of the morin khuur: Once upon a time, a man was travelling on horseback in a faraway land. During the course of this long journey his beloved horse died. The man was full of sorrow and mourned a long time for his horse. Suddenly, he heard what sounded like music made by the wind through the horse’s main and tail, and decided to create a musical instrument in memory of his dear steed. The morin khuur embraces an aggregation of Mongolian traditional customs and culture. Most significantly, there is a tradition of playing the morin khuur at all ritual and ceremonial events. UNESCO inscribed the ‘Mongolian Traditional Music of the Morin Khuur’ as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2003. |
