Middewinterhorn

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Middle winter horn blowers in the county of Bentheim
Construction of a middle winter horn

The Middewinterhorn , even in mid winter horn, Mirrewinterhorn, Midwinterhorn, midwinter horn, Dewertshorn or Advent Horn is the Alphorn related wooden trumpet that instrumentenkundlich to the brass instruments belongs. About eight different notes of the natural tone series can be blown on the Middewinterhorn .

Word origin

Middewinter is borrowed from both Low German and Dutch and means " in the middle of winter ". In Westmünsterland, Middewinter is the vernacular name for Christmas. The name "Middewinterhorn" means, on the one hand, that it is blown in the middle of winter, and on the other hand, it also means "Christmas horn".

Design

The Middewinterhorn is made of wood and is about 1.30 meters long. To create a middle winter horn, a slightly curved tree trunk with a diameter of approx. 15 cm is sawn through lengthways. Then both halves are hollowed out and then glued together again. The two parts are then firmly tied together with raffia . Then a mouthpiece made of elderberry is used as thick as a thumb .

Style of play and cultural significance

In contrast to the alphorn that stands on the floor, the horn is held freehand when blowing. Middle winter horns are not blown together as each horn produces different tones and these do not form harmony with other middle winter horns.

The middle winter horn blowing has a centuries-old tradition. Especially in the border area between Germany and the Netherlands in the areas of Grafschaft Bentheim and Twente , the horn is blown from the first Advent to the day of the Three Kings.

It was used to drive away evil spirits and to greet the winter solstice . Today it will be blown to announce the birth of Christ. In the Netherlands the horn is also used inside churches or on church towers.

Local poets such as Ludwig Sager have described the sound of the Middewinterhorn in poems.

Brass groups

In Germany there are wind groups in the Neuenhaus , Veldhausen , Hoogstede , Wilsum and Hestrup area . In the Netherlands there are wind groups in almost every place along the border with Grafschaft Bentheim. The group members blow their horns one by one.

Web links

Wiktionary: Middewinterhorn  - explanations of meanings, origins of words , synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. a b Bernhard Remmers: The middle winter horns resound again. Thanks to Zwier Lübbermann, a thousand-year-old custom is experiencing a renaissance , in: HAZ of December 31, 2009, p. 5.
  2. ^ Grafschafter Nachrichten of December 18, 2010: Wistful tones with echo .
  3. ^ Grafschafter Nachrichten of December 15, 2010: Over 30 wind players at the mill pond in Wilsum .