Kulning

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The Swedish term "kulning" (pronounced "coolning") is a contraction of the words "Kuh" (cow) and "lock" (to call or coax).  Along with the cowhorn and lur (long horn), kulning was an important part of the pastoral herding traditions that has existed in Scandinavia for centuries. It has its origins in ancient Norse culture and has been passed on in an unbroken oral tradition up to the present day, where it has been assimilated into modern folk music. 


A farewell song for my cow - Ancient Swedish Herdingcall ...
Jonna Jinton
Image source

Kulning is powerful and beautiful, considered by musicologists to be the essential sound of the Nordic folk music tradition. Since the forest is the original environment of the song, this tradition belongs in the natural world. The kulning song is a loud call, using the head tones of the voice, so that it can project over long distances: the call rings and echoes against the mountains. The animals, a number of whom wear tuned bells, begin to respond to the call. The sound of the bells indicates that they are moving down the mountain toward their home farm. 

It was largely the women and children who were responsible for supervising the herds, making cheese and whey and gathering the supplies that would sustain the family over the winter. Kulning offers opportunities for vocalists at all skill levels - from simple herding calls and traditional melodies to impressive improvisations. Tradition and improvisation, therefore, go hand in hand. 

Listen to Jonna Jinton's hauntingly beautiful kulning: 



Hands-on Sound Tools
Cow horn 
Image source

Lur – starodawny instrument muzyczny Duńczyków Taniec
Lur
Image source


This blog is intended to be educational and to share knowledge about music. Daily Hit of Music does not claim to own anything contained in this post and declares its sources openly. 
The following sources were used for this blog post: nordicvoice.dk, Wikipedia
Image sources can be found in the image captions. 
Recordings can be found on YouTube by clicking the 'DHM YouTube Playlist' links.

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