sistrum
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈsɪstrəm/
- Specialized
- Not many priests and priestesses were permitted in this holy space, in which a statue of the god was clothed and presented food offerings, and where, according to Teeter's new research, only two musical instruments were allowed, the menat and the sistrum.
Examples
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"There's something about the sistrum being the interface between a woman and the deity," says Teeter, who studied hundreds of depictions of priestess-musicians on the walls of Theban tombs and temples.
Academic text (2009) -
During the festival, the priest shook the sistrum to invoke the blessings of the gods.
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She holds an aegis and a sistrum; four tiny kittens romp at her feet.
Fiction book (1992) -
The ancient Egyptians would use a sistrum in their rituals to create a joyous sound.
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At the ceremonial gathering, the sistrum produced a jingling sound that filled the air with a sense of reverence.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A drum-like instrument played to make rhythm
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word sistrum comes from the Greek seistron, which means 'shaker' and comes from a Greek verb meaning 'to shake', the same root as in seismic ('shake'). So a sistrum is literally a 'shaker' — a metal instrument you shake in religious ceremonies to make a jingling sound.