This article by Ray Spitzenberger first appeared in IMAGES for August 12, 2021, East Bernard Express, East Bernard, Texas.
Although the flute or “pipe” has been played since the beginning of humankind, I never found favor with it, — in fact, hardly paid attention to it, — until recently.
Years ago, when I tried out for the high school band, I wanted to play clarinet, and made it quite clear to the band director, I didn’t want to be a flutist. So she slapped me with playing trombone! At least I didn’t have to play the flute! The flutes played by my friends in our high school band required you to blow into a mouth-hole on the side of the instrument, a performing technique that seemed bizarre to me at the time.
My lifelong love of German and Czech polka bands and polka music led me to especially admire the tuba, the accordion, and the baritone.
That is, until a new-found interest in writing Japanese tanka and haiku poetry moved me to rediscover the flute (or pipe), especially the Japanese shakuhachi, so closely associated with Japanese poetry. After doing some research on flutes/pipes, and recognizing the strong connection between music and poetry, I said to my wife, “Well, one thing for sure, I’ve never seen a flute in a German or Austrian polka band, and you know how much I love, and like, to listen to polka music!” Before she responded, I clicked on some Austrian polka band playing in the Alps, and there, next to the accordion, was a flute! “Uh, Sweetie-Heart, would you delete what I just said!”
My research began with the ancient Japanese bamboo flute, the shakuhachi, which, when played by an expert, could capture many of the sounds in nature, the sounds of nature and music being the same in the ears of the tanka writer. Then I discovered the Peruvian pinkillu flute, played by the ancient Incas in Peru. There seemed to be a possible cultural connection in that the ancient Japanese sun goddess, Amaterasu, was believed to be the goddess from whom the imperial family of Japan descended. Also, the ancient god of the Incas, Inti, the sun god, and the Inca king was called “the Son of the Sun.” Did the Incas come from Asia? Probably no connection, just interesting.
In Irish communities, flutes (or “tin whistles”) are referred to as “pipes,” as the tin whistle looks like a pipe. In Ireland and in other countries of the world, flutists are called “pipers.” The oldest pipes had three holes, though modern tin whistles have six holes. I cannot help but think of the ancient legend about St. Patrick driving all the snakes out of Ireland by playing his “magic” flute.
Naturally that legend about St. Patrick reminds us of the 14th Century folktale about the “Pied” Piper of Hamelin. Just as St. Patrick’s piping led the snakes out of Ireland, the famous Pied Piper of Hamelin, Lower Saxony, Germany, led the rats infesting Hamelin into a nearby river to drown! Wow! Such power of the flute!
The connections go on and on. I cannot help but be reminded of the snake charmers in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and a few other places. The flute used by the snake charmers is called a pungi, murli, and been. In ancient India, they were called a Buddhanath gourd flute. Buddhanath is a Hindu god, depicted in art with a blue skin, so the flute was associated somehow with the god.
The snake-charmer’s flute has a gourd reservoir for air which channels the air into two reed pipes, so it is often referred to as a gourd flute. Though I have seen videos of them, I have never seen snake charmers in person, but they seem to hypnotize the cobras with the music of their pungi, which they wave around as they play, and the snake appears to dance to the sounds. These are flute players I really don’t want to see in person, unless they leave their snakes at home.
My recent venture into the delightful world of tanka writing provided me the opportunity to watch an incredible piper or flutist (who plays on and collects flutes from all over the world) on a Facebook site. His name is Rick Wilson, husband of well-known tanka writer, Kathabella Wilson. He often plays one of his flutes (like the Persian ney, which I observed him playing) in a beautiful garden setting as poets write tanka. This gives the tanka poet two prompts, – the visual, aural, and olfactory beauty of the garden and the haunting sounds of the flute.
Throughout history and legend, people have appreciated “pipers” for many reasons, but there have always been the special pipers poets love.
-o-
Ray Spitzenberger is a retired WCJC teacher, a retired LCMS pastor, and the author of two books, Open Prairies and It Must Be the Noodles.