Where is the origin of the bagpipe?

[Shapur]

Where is the origin of the bagpipe?

We Iranians have the bagpipe, the scotts and some other nations.
We have the same clothes like scotts.
The bagpipe is by us call Nay Anban.
Actually I learn this instrument and it is really nice.
But what is the real origin?
Who found this instrument?
Thx!

[Johannes de León]

well, it is very unclear where the bagpipe emerged, nevertheless, i guess most of the scholars think it emerged in mesopotamia, then celts adopted it, then they migrated into europe and spread it's use, even among other tribes!!

PS: later i will post a list of bagpipe variations from region to region, i think you'll find that useful to trace some kind of pattern!

[Johannes de León]

Here is a list of some of the less known bagpipe variations (i skip the galician bagpipes (or Gaitas), and the highland bagpipes, since they are the most famous ones):

Gaita de Miranda (Northeastern Portugal)

CORNEMUSE BOURBONNAISE (France)

BINIOU-BROZ (Brittany)

BOËMISCHER BOCK (Boemia)

CHABRETTE (France, Limousin)

CHEVRETTE (France, Occitania)

DUDA (Ukrania)

DÜDELSACK (Flanders)

GAIDA (Bulgaria)

GAIDY (Slovakia)

GAIDY (Tchekia)

GRAN ZAMPOGNA (Italy, Tessin)

GAJDY (Hungary)

KOZA (Romania)

LOWLAND BAGPIPE (Scotland, Lowlands)

MUSETTE (France)

SACKPIPA (Sweden)

SURDULINA (Italy, Molise region)

SURLE (Greece)

TULUM (Turkey)

MIH (Dalmatia e Croatia)

ZAMPOGNA (Italy, Abruzzos)

[Johannes de León]

btw, my avatar depicts a medieval bagpiper (Gaiteiro as it is known in Iberia) from the time of Alfonso X (1221-1284)... it is an illumination from his magnificent book Cantigas de Santa Maria...

[Milesian]

Don't forget the Uileann pipes of Ireland, which isn't blown

[Johannes de León]

Uilleann
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

cut/pasted from the Bagpipes page

The next most common type is the Irish or Uilleann (pronounced illin) bagpipe; this or the Northumbrian bagpipe is generally claimed to be the most developed bagpipe in existence. An older name for this instrument was the Union pipes; the earliest uses of this in print date from the late 18th century. Why they were called Union pipes isn't known; theories include the union of sounds the various pipes obtain, or the Act of Union of 1803 (which post-dates the earliest usage), or to the pipes being used all through the Union itself. "Uilleann" means "elbow" in Irish Gaelic; it was first connected with the pipes in reference to a line in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, which mentions a "woolen" bagpipe. An antiquarian speculated that this was actually in reference to an "elbow" bagpipe, thus the uilleann pipe. This notion was picked up by a member of the Gaelic League, W.H. Grattan Flood, who at the beginning of the 20th century declared uilleann pipes to be the correct name, and Union pipes a corruption of it into English. This theory is no longer considered valid by modern researchers, none of whom consider Flood a reliable source of information. This bellows-blown pipe plays a two octave diatonic scale in D major; it also has a C natural, allowing tunes to be played in G. With the addition of extra keys to the chanter, other modes can also be used, although these are less common. The most commonly added keys are a C and an F natural key. The Uilleann pipes also have three drones, set in a common stock, all tuned to three different octaves of D, and up to three regulators which are effectively a kind of chanter with keys, designed to be played by the wrist. Accomplished players can use these to provide a limited but powerfully impressive chordal accompaniment. Often Uillean pipes are found without any drones or regulators; these sets are called somewhat misleadingly "practice sets". In fact, many pipers use these sets for their entire piping careers. Another common choice is to have only the drones, without regulators. This is known as a half-set. A final occasional variant, the three-quarter set, omits the bass regulator, which is less commonly used.



@ Milesian: yes, it isn't blown, it works like the french Musette with a pedal that bombs the air into the bag!

[Shapur]

Here a Bandari(south Iranian) with a Nay Anban!

[Johannes de León]

Here a Bandari(south Iranian) with a Nay Anban!

nice picture, is that a sheep's fur? if yes, do iranians use sheep's that big to build bagpipes??

[Shapur]

Here a sound sample I created for you!
I save it as flash(the quality is not so high, this is because it is only 122kb big )! Extract the file and feel this nice Iranian song!

[Shapur]

nice picture, is that a sheep's fur? if yes, do iranians use sheep's that big to build bagpipes??

I'm not sure but I think yes. What I wondered was when my oncle send me a picture of his self. I asked why he wear scottish clothes.
He said no this is Iranian clothes. I was shocked when I heard this.
We have 100% the same clothes and the instrument looks also the same.
In 2 months I get my own Nay Anban!
This will funny, because Nay Anban hear in some ways other as the normal bagpipe.

Bye!