EGYPT 493 - The SISTRUM - (by Egyptahotep)

Almost all cultures in the world created some kind of music instruments to shake,to rattle or to roll.  Also in Ancient Egypt. In ancient Egypt there was a special kind of hand-held rattle called a sistrum. Mainly Played by women, it was moved from side to side and the bangles would rock back and forth creating a beautiful sound and a fascinating rhythm. one of the main cult objects associated with Hathor was this musical rattle named sistrum,. The sound of the sistrum is metallic, produced by a number of metal disks or squares, strung onto a set of transverse bars, set horizontally into a frame of varying design. Its sound was thought to echo that of a stem of papyrus being shaken. However, the acoustic effects were frequently extremely limited. The sistrum was ideal for beating a rhythmical accompaniment in open air processions. The sound of the instrument seems to have been regarded as protective and also symbolic of divine blessing and the concept of rebirth. In addition to the symbolic significance of i