ETHNOFLORENCE
INDIAN AND HIMALAYAN
FOLK AND TRIBAL ARTS
May 20, 2021
****
The Damphu (Nepali: डम्फु)) is an ancient folk instrument of the Tamang ( རྟ་དམག་; Devanagari: तामाङ; Tāmāṅ ) people – consisting in a single-sided circular frame wooden drum – the skin of which is tightened and held in place by 32 bamboo pegs – ideally representing – according to the tradition – the Buddha and Bodhisattvas or Buddha’s 32 physical symbols (Lakshanas – लक्षण ).
This popular drum is generally of two types:
a regular Damphu
(more common)
© Photo Credit of Krish Dulal
© Photo Credit of Drum Museum – http://www.drummuseum.com/Himalaya/damphu-drum-nepal.html
and
a Damphu with a movable metal or wooden bird on top
(rarer).
© Photo Credit of Musee de la Castre – Cannes An ancient specimen – note the polychromy of the bird –
Sometimes the bird presents a polychromy – the number 32 it’s more ideal than real and is not always found in these artifacts which may have more or less bamboo pegs.
The single-sided circular wooden frame is called “Aambu”, the goats skin -“Raladi”, the bamboo pegs – “Pathhaksi”.
The normal damphu is equipped with a bamboo stick used to beat the rhythm, while the bird shaped damphu has a wooden or metal mobile bird on
its outer top – allocated with a central stick – inside the drum – and connected with strings that operated by the musician, move it like a marionette.
© 2021 Ethnoflorence Photo Archives Collection – Photo & Composition by Ethnoflorence
The mobile -wooden or metal bird of the Damphu – is generally made up of three parts : head – body – tail
© 2021 Ethnoflorence Photo Archives Collection – Photo & Composition by Ethnoflorence
and is adapted in such a way that when played with its strings the bird
seems to dance to the rhythm of the damphu melody.
© La Revue du Musee de l’Homme – Tome XIV Fasc. 4 Hiver 1974
This drum features a membrane – traditionally made from the soft skin of a goat. As stated above thirty-two small pieces of wood are used to increase
the tension of the membrane.
© Photo Credit of Dieter Schnurr – https://www.facebook.com/TribalArtNepal
The bamboo pegs – “Pathhaksi”- well in evidence
The Damphu it’s used on “occasions of worship and prayer, during social picnics or get-togethers, or during any significant occasion for that matter”.
© Photo Credit of Dieter Schnurr – https://www.facebook.com/TribalArtNepal
Santveer Lama in his “Tamba-koiten” about the mythical origin and genesis of this traditional musical instrument reports this legend:
Once, King Peng Dorje and his wife Ruisang sat under a tree to rest during a journey – when they spotted a herd of wild Himalayan goats.
King Peng wanted to shoot down one with his arrow, but his queen did not agree – the king, ignoring his wife’s requests, killed a goat – causing the queen’s despair – who deeply saddened asked him to bring the animal life back.
© 2021 Ethnoflorence Photo Archives Collection – Photo & Composition by Ethnoflorence
In the impossibility of giving life back to the dead animal – he decided to devise a way for the dead goat to become immortal among humans – he cut the skin of the dead goat and made the first damphu to whose melody he began to dance the “Dafe-Munal” or the “Peacock Dance”.
© Photo Credit of Bob Brundage
According to a variant of the legend a bird, the pheasant “Danphe” (Himalayan Monal –Lophophorus impejanus), was also dancing to the rhythm of the melody.
© Photo credit of Bob Brundage – Photo Composition by Ethnoflorence
So Peng Dorje called the circular drum, “Damphu”.
© Photo Credit of musicgallery.com.np
Following to this Author in this context, King Peng is the Tamang equivalent of the Hindu deity ‘Mahadeva’, while Queen Ruisang is the Tamang
representation of Goddess ‘Parvati’.
Henceforth the Tamangs are of firm conviction that they are the descendants of ‘Shiva’ or ‘Mahadeva’.
© Photo Credit of Drum Museum http://www.drummuseum.com/Himalaya/shaman-drum-nepal.html
Less mythical but more adherent to reality are the observations of Dutta Krishnendu – that starting from the circumstance of how the Tamang are one of the most ancient tribes of Nepal, presents an etymology of the word – pointing out how it formed by “Ta” which means horse, and “Mang” – a word referred to the ghost or the spirit.
© Photo Credit of 1stdibs – https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/folk-art/tribal-art/shaman-drum-carved-bird-from-nepal-mid-20th-century/id-f_10120423/
Hence the word “Tamang” should be understood as “riding” / spirit ‘.
Historically, the Tamangs are also known as “Murmis”, which means “people of frontiers or border areas”.
“They are known alternately as Ishang or Sain. The Tamangs were, in fact, exceptional knights, hence perhaps their name” Tamang “or” horseback riding “
spirits “.
© Photo Credit of musicaparaver.org
The word “Tamang” comes from the Tibetan “Tamak” which means “cavalry”.
A comparison is possible with the meaning of another word – we know how the Bonpo faith was prevalent in Tibet before Buddhism, interestingly, the word “Bonpo” it’s referred to ghosts and spirits.
According to this Author, in those days the Tamangs were considered demons or devils.
According to another popular belief, the Tamangs are a branch of the Vajrayana Tantric Tibetan Buddhist sect known as “Ningmapa Panth”.
The Tamang tribe is found widely in Nepal, eastern Bhutan, Myanmar and in Sikkim and the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal.
Presently, the Tamangs form members of the speakers of the Tibeto-Burman language family belonging to the Sino-Tibetan group of the Mongolian division.
**
Different in size but with similar structures – these figured drums with a mobile bird marionette – represent an interesting – artistic – and unique expression of the Tamang inventive – with the bird that can – from time to time – and according to the contexts of use – represent different allusions of a reality in which myth and magic tend to connect in an inseparable way mixing rituals, folktales and beliefs to the rhythmic accompaniment of the Damphu drum
***
One damphu drum was included during the Paris Tribal 2016 exhibitions chez Galerie Alain Bovis titled ‘MUSIQUE’
Photo Credit by Sanza Francois 2016 – Photo Composition by Ethnoflorence
Photo Credit by Sanza Francois 2016 – Photo Composition by Ethnoflorence
See more here https://ethnoflorence.wordpress.com/2016/05/27/tibetan-lion-headed-dakini-mask-cham-dance/
**
Bibliography
Adhikari, Biraj. Sikkim: The Wounds of History. Pub Biraj Adhikari
Arha, R.S. Singh, Latika. (2008) Glimpses of Sikkim. Jaipur, India: ABD Publishers
Bhargava, Gopal. (2008) Encyclopedia of Art and Culture in India (Sikkim & U.T.). India: Isha Booksa
Dutta, Krishnendu (2014) A Glimpse of Tamang Musical Instruments. Journal of International Academic Research for
Multidisciplinary Impact Factor 1.393, ISSN: 2320-5083, Volume 2, Issue 7
Edgar, J. Ware. (2005) Sikhim and the Thibetan Frontier. Varanasi: Pilgrims Publishing
Ghosh, Mandira. (2004) Folk Music of the Himalayas. Gurgaon, India: Shubhi Publications
Hitchcock, John; Jones, R. (Editor) (1976) : Spirit Possession in the Nepal Himalayas.
La Revue du Musee de l’Homme – Tome XIV Fasc. 4 Hiver (1974)
Levin, Theodore. Where Rivers and Mountains Sing – Sound, Music, And
Nomadism in Tuva and Beyond. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press
Mastromattei, R. ; Farano, F. (2006) : Rta. Sciamani in Eurasia. Il rito che sopravvive.
Oppitz, Michael (2013) : Morphologie der Schamanentrommel.
Pannier, F. (2007) : Art chamanique népalais – Nepalese shamanic art. Galerie leToit du Monde.
Raatan, T. (2008) Encyclopedia of North-East India (Sikkim, Nagaland,Tripura) (Vol 3). Delhi:
Kalpaz Publications (2007) Tamang – Peoples of Sikkim (Series). Pilgrims Publishing.
***
© 2021 Ethnoflorence Photo Archives Collection – Photo & Composition by Ethnoflorence
**********
Last Updating 11 6 2021
![9782884747059[1]](https://ethnoflorence.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/0bfb5-dyn010_original_400_537_pjpeg_2638188_7b7c1b770de5e980b365f674172fa780.jpg)
ETHNOFLORENCE INDIAN AND HIMALAYAN FOLK AND TRIBAL ARTS 