AUSTRONESIAN ORIGIN

Nose flute

an Austronesian artifact

The nose flute refers to a wind instrument that is played with the nose. It may be one of the most ancient musical instruments of human beings, and it is also apart of the unique culture of the Austronesians. Almost all the ethnic groups of the Pacific Islands, including Taiwan, have a nose flute culture.

 

The Austronesian generally believes that the nose is a passage of life forces and the place where the soul enters and exits the human body. Compared with the mouth, the nose is more clean and pure, therefore the sound of the nose flute is more beautiful than the sound of the flute blowing by mouth. The respect of the Austronesians for the nose can be seen by the Maori meeting ceremony "Hongi". Like the handshake ceremony of Westerners, "Hongi" is a welcoming ceremony for Maori people. They touch foreheads and rub noses, which signifies the sharing of the breath of life. Compared with other kinds of meeting ceremonies, the Maori “Hongi” is higher in state.

 

The appearance of the nose flute is found in all forms, and in terms of material, most are made of bamboo. There are also wood, stone, bone, and whale tooth instruments. Generally, there is one blowing hole, and two to six holes for fingers. As to the way of playing, it can be blown vertically and horizontally, and in single and double-tube forms. The Maori nose flute always comes with exquisite carvings, which can be seen as how these instruments are much valued.

 

The names of the nose flute of the Austronesians are more consistent with the Polynesian ethnic groups, most of which are the term "Kofe", or one of a similar pronunciation. The pronunciation of Taiwanese flute "Phin-a" is similar to the Tsou language "peiengu". The names of the nose flutes vary quite widely across the ethnic groups of the Malay Archipelago.

 

The sound of the nose flute is soft and not suitable for playing in front of a large audience. Generally it is used by an admirer for his sweetheart . This is how the nose flute is commonly used by the Austronesians from Taiwan to Hawaii.