Music in Sweden 2 - Folk music
Ancient folk music

 

Ancient folk music Folk music has, of course, existed for thousands of years in the Swedish society as it has in all other societies, but very little is known about Sweden's oldest folk music. Archeologists have found a number of musical instruments, the best known of which are the bronze horns, around 3.000 years old, thought to have played a part in religious ceremonies. Bells and instruments for producing scraping, whining and rattling sounds have also been found. None of the above instruments are used in present-day Swedish folk music. Wooden flutes, with a construction similar to that of 2.000-year-old bone flutes, are however still in use. The same applies to cow horns and ram horns, which were certainly being used in the days of the Vikings – the earliest find dates from around 800 A.D. – and probably much earlier.

 

Ancient folk music
Music in Sweden 2 - Folk music