Tschan (bell)
Tschan ( Bulgarian чан ; plural: чанове / Tschanowe, corresponding in Turkish çan , " bell ") are sheepbells cast from bronze similar to cowbells , which are used as musical percussion instruments. They have a conical shape and in the Bulgarian folklore in Kukeri used -Tänzen and as a signaling instrument for pets.
A series of several Tschanowe arranged one behind the other (according to the German plural rule: Tschans) is also known as Djusija (bulg: дюзия). Tschans are also known by other names:
- Tjuntschowe (Bulgar. Тунчове)
- Tutschowe (Bulgarian тучове)
- Dwojanki (Bulgar. Двоянки)
- Jasnizi (Bulgarian ясници)
The term Tschan is onomatopoeic and refers to the sound of the bell: Tschan-tschan-Tschan.
The Kukeri dancers wear the Tschans on their belts while they perform their dances in the streets on January 1st, the day of Saint Vasily ( Basil the Great ); These bells are also worn on the Sirni sagowesni (Bulgarian Сирни заговезни) week, which falls before Easter and corresponds to the Russian Maslenitsa . The Kukeri dancers appear as frightening figures dressed in costumes made of furs, feathers and aprons. They also wear leather belts to which the chanovs are attached. A deafening noise is elicited from the bells by constant hopping. This should drive away the evil forces and ensure fertility and prosperity in the coming year.
The Tschanowe are cast in bronze by bell foundries . In the past, a little silver was added to the bronze so that it sounded more sonorous and to give each Tschnowe movement its different tonality . The smallest bells weigh 200 g.
Even if the Tschans have no direct meaning for the folk music of the Bulgarians, the sheep bells have always been a constant companion in the life of the Bulgarians. Everywhere you can and could hear their harmoniously merging sounds. A flock without bells was not a real flock for the people. The sheep bell not only has a useful function for the shepherd, it is music. Shepherds are particularly demanding when it comes to the sound of the bells. When choosing the bells, they listen carefully to see whether they sound clear and pure.
It is very interesting that when you listen to the bells of a herd you can hear the typical tone sequence for the area in question. The initiate can also tell from the sound of the bells of a flock of sheep which flock is involved.
Free-range flocks of sheep stay relatively close together, while herds of goats that are released immediately disperse widely. That is why the goats usually got the larger, louder bells around their necks. Often only a few particularly beautiful animals were marked with bells among the sheep.