Our Sounds Reach the Other World: Sacred Musical Instruments and Their Spiritual Roles

Abstract

Abstract:The deliberate production of special sounds, whether culturally defined as music or not, plays a vital role in virtually all global religious and spiritual beliefs. Sometimes, a particular instrument is used specifically for sacred purposes and to manifest religiosity. In many cases, those musical instruments can serve as a physical representation of belief; a form of sacred text and a link between the natural, the human, and the supernatural. These musical instruments are often recognized as having their own independent agency and, frequently, are credited with supernatural powers. These powers fall within the constraints of belief: they have power because of their association with religious or spiritual practice. This paper discusses examples of musical instruments that have specifically religious, spiritual, or miraculous powers. Examples are found in multiple cultures throughout the world, and their existence helps to illuminate the role of musical instruments in religion and spirituality, as well as how those instruments, and the broader context of music, integrate into both sociocultural and religious paradigms.