Traditional Music of the Morin Khuur
Also known as Traditional Music of the Morin Khuur, Morin Huur, Morin Huur music, Horsehead fiddle music, Horse-head fiddle music
Mongolia's horse-head fiddle tradition turns two strings and a bow into an expressive musical language deeply tied to nomadic life, horses and the steppe.
Origins and context
Morin Khuur music developed within Mongolian pastoral and nomadic culture, where horses occupy a major practical and symbolic role. Its deeper beginnings are difficult to date because the tradition was transmitted orally long before modern documentation.
The sound
Characteristics
- Morin khuur horse-head fiddle
- Two bowed strings
- Horsehair bow
- Sustained drones and overtones
- Gliding melodic ornamentation
- Tatlaga instrumental repertoire
- Solo performance
- Accompaniment for song and storytelling
History
The Morin Khuur is deeply embedded in Mongolian nomadic culture, although the age of the tradition cannot be reduced to a precise founding date. UNESCO notes written evidence for string instruments adorned with horse heads during the Mongol Empire in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The instrument subsequently became closely associated with domestic rituals, storytelling, pastoral work, celebrations and songs connected to horses and herding life. Morin Khuur technique and repertoire were traditionally passed from masters to students through oral transmission. During the twentieth century, performers and institutions also developed standardized concert forms of the instrument and expanded its use in ensembles and professional stage music. UNESCO originally proclaimed the traditional music of the Morin Khuur a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2003 and incorporated it into the Representative List in 2008.
Notable artists
- MKMorin Khuur Ensemble of Mongolia
- BVBatzorig Vaanchig
- CBChi Bulag
Essential listening
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Batzorig Vaanchig
Batzorig Vaanchig
