Kus: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Persian musical instrument}}

{{Other uses}}

A '''Kus''' ([[Persian language|Persian]] کوس ''kūs'') is an ancient Persian musical instrument, a large [[kettledrum]] similar to [[timpani]].

Kus is a [[Middle-Persian]] military term meaning "march". According to Von Mohl the term was ''Kūša'', apparently borrowed from [[Aramaic]], probably during the [[Arsacid Empire|Arsacid dynasty]] (248 BCE-224 CE).<ref>Von Mohl J., (ed. trans.), Firdausi, ''Le Livre des rois'', Paris (1831-68), pp137, 178.</ref>

[[File:Camel drums in Cairo.jpg|thumb|200px|Camel drums in Cairo.]]

The instrument was a pair of drums, made of clay, wood or metal in the form of a hemispherical kettle, with skin stretched over the mouth. Kus was played with drumsticks of leather or wood (The leather drumstick was called [[Davul|Daval]]). Kus usually was carried on horseback, camelback or elephant during war to encourage the army. The instrument was also played on many occasions such as festivals and weddings.

In ancient times, kus was accompaniment by [[karnay]] (Persian trumpet or horn). Particularly the Persian epic poets [[Ferdowsi]] and [[Nizami Ganjavi|Nizami]] in describing battles mentioned kus and karnay in a number of entries.<ref>Pope U., ''An Outline History of Persian Music and Musical Theory,'' in Survey of Persian Art, Vol. VI, pp. 2783-2804.</ref> Many [[Persian painting|Persian miniatures paintings]] show the presence and importance of the Kus and Karnay in the war fields.

According to the Greek historians, the drum was used by the Persians; [[Plutarch]] tells of Iranian warriors at the time of the [[Arsacid Empire|Arsacid dynasty]] using kus as warlike instruments.<ref>Plutarch, ''Crassus'', chapter XXiii, 10</ref>

Apparently after the introduction of [[Islam]], the word ''Naghghāreh'' was used for small kettledrums. It seems that the word Naghghareh comes from the Arabic verb ''Naghr-'' that means to strike and to beat. A few poets mentioned the name Naghghareh, such as the great Persian mystic poet [[Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi|Molana Jalal al-Din Rumi]].

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928221805/http://musicalconfrontations.com/MC5/wlc/mcb/cul/mim/mfl/mtm/foc/JNS/jns0000000002.htm History of the Kus, from ancient times until the 18th century; in German: Janissary instruments and Europe]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Persian musical instruments]]

[[Category:Asian percussion instruments]]

[[Category:Iranian inventions]]