Sistrum
The sistrum is an ancient musical instrument, shaped like a hoop or horseshoe, which contains metal cymbals inserted into rods, and which is made to sound by shaking it.
The sistrum is considered a percussion instrument of the idiophone family, in the range of those indirectly struck, or shaken, such as maracas, castanets or rattles.
It was widely used with the goddesses Hathor, Isis, Bat and Bastet.
Today, specimens and ceramic representations of this instrument are still preserved in several museums, such as the National Archaeological Museum of Spain, the British Museum, the Louvre, etc.
The name comes from the Greek σείω (seio), to shake, so σείστρον (seistron) is what is being stirred.
The Egyptian sistrum
The sistrum was a sacred instrument in Ancient Egypt. Perhaps originating from the worship of Bat, it was used in religious dances and ceremonies, particularly in the worship of the goddess Hathor: the U-shape of the sistrum recalls the face and horns of the goddess cow. It was also waved to avoid the floods of the Nile and to scare Seth away. Isis in her role as mother and creator is represented with a bucket symbolizing the floods of the Nile in one hand and the sistrum in the other. she is represented with a sistrum, which symbolizes her role as goddess of dance, joy and celebration.
| Sistro in hieroglyphic |
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Sistrums are still used in the rites of the Coptic Church in both Egypt and Ethiopia. In addition to being depicted in Egyptian art in dances and as an expression of joy, the sistrum is also mentioned in Egyptian literature, as in Amenemhat's Instructions.