05 | Sistrum

[padding footsteps]

CLEO: Cats! Cats! Cats! Cats!

AHMOSE: What?

CLEO: Cats! Look! Cats! On top of this thing, whatever it is, it’s a mum cat and kittens!

AHMOSE: Oh yeah! Ancient Egyptians really did love cats, didn’t they?

CLEO: What’s not to love?

AHMOSE: Uh, they hunt birds, lose hair that makes you sneeze, they’re grumpy.

CLEO: Are you talking about my Uncle Stan? Because he’s just tired.

AHMOSE: Right.

CLEO: What is this thing anyway? AHMOSE: Great question. This … is … a … sistrum!

CLEO: Ooh, meow!

What’s a sistrum?

AHMOSE: Well, let’s take a look and see if you can work it out. What can you see?

CLEO: Well, it’s got a handle, so you probably hold it. AHMOSE: Yep.

CLEO: And it’s got holes in it. AHMOSE: Yep. It’s made of bronze.

CLEO: And it’s got cats on it. AHMOSE: [sighs] Yep.

CLEO: It’s a weapon to throw at pesky birds!

AHMOSE: No, no it’s not. What if I told you about a few of the parts that are missing?

That might help. CLEO: Okay.

AHMOSE: So there should be metal rods going through each of those holes

and on the rods there should be metal rings … CLEO: Hmmm

AHMOSE: A bit like the metal rings on a … tambourine.

CLEO: Hmmm … Is this a musical instrument? AHMOSE: It is.

CLEO: Meow! AHMOSE: It’s called a sistrum.

When it has its metal rings on it, it rattles with a metallic sound, like a tambourine.

It was often used in religious ceremonies.

Ancient Egyptians believed it pleased their gods but also kept away evil spirits.

The Egyptians believed music had the power to heal and uplift the soul.

CLEO: Music seems to be really important in ancient Egypt.

AHMOSE: Yeah, music was a big part of their culture.

Music would be performed during religious ceremonies, funerals and daily life.

A bit like how you might listen to music on your device, except they had to play it live on instruments.

CLEO: And this sistrum was one of those instruments.

AHMOSE: That’s right. Music was also used for entertainment during banquets, festivals and celebrations.

Musicians and dancers were respected in ancient Egyptian society.

They were often depicted in tomb paintings and other works of art.

CLEO: Well, who doesn’t love a picture of a musician?

I’ve got a Kitty Purry poster in my cat carrier.

AHMOSE: The sistrum is hardly used at all anymore. It’s been replaced by the tambourine,

but it’s still occasionally used these days during Coptic or Ethiopian church services.

CLEO: I would love to see that.

AHMOSE: You can see videos of sistra being played online if you like.

CLEO: I can’t use the internet. AHMOSE: Huh?

CLEO: I don’t have fingers, just these adorable and delicate paws.

AHMOSE: Oh, right. CLEO: Meow.

Wait, what is that? AHMOSE: Huh? Where?

CLEO: At the next stop, come on! [footsteps padding, flapping]