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Encyclopedia ID 379

Khomus

Also known as Хомус · Sakha jaw harp

Khomus: photograph by Tosha
Photo: Tosha, Public domain, source on Wikimedia Commons

The player holds the metal harp against the teeth and plucks the tongue while shaping the mouth to bring out overtones, imitating horses, wind and birds.

Heritage note

Part of the living heritage of Russia.

Origins

Usually placed in the era of Classical Worlds (about 1000 BCE to 500 CE), although its exact origins are uncertain, within the cultural world of Steppe and Arctic.

Sources

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