Morin Khuur Mongolian Fiddle Music CDs

See our new extensive, illustrated Sky Saxon and Seeds discography

Mongolian: морин хуур
Also: moriin khuur; morin huur; morinxuur, etc.

The national musical symbol of Mongolia, the morin khuur is a long, guitar-like instrument with two strings and played with a bow. Its sound is wild and free, like the horses running unrestrained on the huge, open steppes of central Asia. It is an instrument with a magical origin, a warm, independent sound, and a legacy that extends backwards through history to the court of Kublai Khan.

It is not known exactly when bowed instruments first came to the central Asian plains, but they are thought to date from the fifth century. As for the morin khuur, it is first mentioned in history about 900 years ago. It was being used by the time Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan's grandson, came to power in the 1200's.

There are several traditionally held stories of the morin khuur's origin. They revolve around a man who sees his beloved horse die. To preserve the memory of the animal, the man creates a new instrument using the horse's bones, skin, hair...and head. The instrument is magical, and used to praise the horse and the natural world that brought together man and beast.

The two strings of the morin khuur are made to exacting specifications: the smaller is a clump of 105 strings from a mare's tail, while the bigger uses 130 hairs from a stallion's tail. The body was traditionally made of stretched animal skin, although now it is generally made entirely of wood. The neck is also made of wood, as is the carved horse's head that gives the instrument its name. ("Morin khuur" is always translated as "horse-head fiddle", but a more accurate translation might be "horse melody" or "horse rhythm".)

The carved horse-head is probably a relic of the morin khuur's past use in shamanistic rituals. A shaman would go into a trance, entering the elusive shadow world of the spirits. Upon returning, the shaman could use the morin khuur to describe his experiences. Today, the morin khuur still holds a deep-rooted seat in the Mongolian psyche, its mystical history contributing to its exalted status.

The player of the morin khuur has a great deal of control over the sound. The bow (also made of horse hair) is held in such a way that the fingers can tighten its strings as required, and the other hand is used to mute the strings and shorten notes. The two hands working in unison requires considerable skill, and this skill is rewarded with the tender, expressive sound that has come to be indentified with the morin khuur.

Morin khuur CDs for sale

We search the web for vendors who sell morin khuur CDs, select the most relevant ones and sort them into specific categories so you can see a larger selection of offers.

Articles (world folk music CDs)

Luk thung is the country music of Thailand

Thai: ลูกทุ่ง Also: plen luk thung; luuk thung; loog thung; look thung; luk tung Generally described as Thai country music, luk thung is a style of music that has become quite popular in Thailand since the 1960's. It is generally slow paced (although there is a livelier variety), and the lyrics often deal with the plight of poor people in rural...

Newari folk music of Tibet

The Newars, an indigenous group in the Kathmandu valley of central Nepal, create a unique form of music in which percussion plays lead, and wind instruments provide incidental color. The musical direction is dictated by nature, particularly time and seasons. The style of music from this region consists solely of percussion and wind instruments - no strings...

Ranad ek and ranad thum, the xylophones of Thailand

Thai: ระนาดเอก (ranad ek); ระนาดทุ้ม (ranad thum) Also: ranat ek/thum; ranad thume The ranad ek is a kind of high-pitched xylophone from Thailand with either 21 or 22 bars made of bamboo or other hard wood. The lower-pitched ranad thum is based on the ranad ek, but has longer, wider keys. In both, the bars hang together on...

Khene, the bamboo reed flute from Laos and Issan

Thai: แคน Also: khaen; kaen; khen The khene, a long bamboo reed instrument, is the most beloved musical instrument in Laos, and the Lao instrument most familiar to the rest of the world. Often a common part of daily life, in some families as indispensable as chairs and tables, the khene is revered worldwide for its highly unique buzzing sound. The...

Morin khuur CDs