A sistrum is a type of percussion instrument, which is a kind of rattle. It was used by ancient Egyptians and is made of brass or bronze. The instrument has a handle and a U-shaped metal frame that is between 12 and 30 inches wide. Metal cross-bars slide along the frame and may hold small metal rings. When the sistrum is shaken, the rings or thin metal loops on the cross-bars create sounds that range from soft clinks to loud jingles. In ancient Egyptian, the instrument was called "sekhem" or "sesheshet," names that describe the sound it makes. The sistrum was linked to religious and joyful ceremonies involving gods connected to music. A "sekhem" is a simpler, hoop-shaped version of the sistrum, while a "sesheshet" (a word that sounds like the instrument's noise) is shaped like a box. Today, the word "sistrum" is also used to describe similar disc-shaped rattles from West Africa.

Egyptian sistrum

The sistrum was a sacred instrument in ancient Egypt. It may have first been used in the worship of the goddess Bat and later became important in dances and religious ceremonies, especially in the worship of the goddess Hathor. The sistrum’s U-shaped handle and frame were thought to look like the face and horns of the cow goddess. Another type of sistrum used during the worship of Hathor was shaped like a small temple, with a beautifully decorated handle and the head of Hathor on top. The sistrum was usually carried by women or musical priestesses during religious rituals, except during festivals when the king would use it to offer something to Hathor. The sounds made by the instrument, along with the rhythm of music, were important for calling upon gods. The repeated sound was believed to help with healing and change the way people saw the world. The sistrum was also used for music, dancing, and celebrations outside of religious events until the 18th dynasty, when its use became limited to religious purposes. It was shaken to stop the flooding of the Nile and to scare away the god Set.

Isis, as a mother and creator, was often shown holding a pail in one hand, symbolizing the flooding of the Nile, and a sistrum in the other. The goddess Bast was also frequently depicted holding a sistrum, which represented her role as a goddess of dance, joy, and celebration.

Sistra are still used today in the Alexandrian Rite and Ethiopic Rite. In Egyptian art, the sistrum is shown with people dancing and expressing happiness. It is also mentioned in Egyptian writings. The hieroglyph for the sistrum is shown.

Minoan sistrum

The ancient Minoans used a musical instrument called the sistrum. Many examples made of clay have been discovered on the island of Crete. Five of these items are displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Agios Nikolaos. A sistrum is also shown on the Harvester Vase, an artifact found at Hagia Triada.

The Minoans may have used the sistrum in rituals connected to Hathor, which included themes of fertility, music, dancing, and celebrations. Sistrums from the Minoan period share similarities with those used in ancient Egypt, as both were used in funeral-related activities. Evidence of two bronze Minoan sistra suggests that they were made by separately shaping the arch and handle, then joining them with metal pins.

Scientists are not certain whether the clay sistra were actual musical instruments or if they had only symbolic meaning. However, tests with a ceramic copy showed that the design can produce a clear clacking sound. This suggests that the clay sistra were likely used in religious rituals.

Later use

The senasel (sistrum) and later the crotalus were used as religious instruments in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church for many centuries. These instruments are still played today during dances performed by debtera (cantors) at important church festivals. They are also sometimes used in Neopagan worship and rituals.

The sistrum was used again in Western orchestral music during the 19th century. It appeared most clearly in Act 1 of the opera Les Troyens (1856–1858) by the French composer Hector Berlioz. Today, the sistrum is mostly replaced by the tambourine, a similar instrument. When the sistrum is shaken in short, rhythmic movements, it creates sounds that encourage movement and energy. This shaking, like the tambourine, is linked to religious or joyful events. It was used as a sacred rattle in the worship of Hathor in ancient Egypt, and today it is heard in the loud, sharp sounds of the tambourine during Evangelical church services, Romani music and dance, rock concerts, and large orchestral performances.

In his 1988 work Sonate für sechs Spieler (Sonata for six players), the classical composer Hans Werner Henze (1926–2012) asked the flutist to play two sistra.

Some modern West African and Gabonese rattle instruments are also called sistra (the plural of sistrum). These include the calabash sistrum, the West African sistrum or disc rattle (n’goso m’bara), also known as the Wasamba or Wassahouba rattle. These instruments usually have a V-shaped branch with one or more concave calabash discs attached, which may be decorated.

Gallery

• A broken sistrum from ancient Egypt
• Nefertari, the wife of Pharaoh Ramesses II, holding a sekhem-type sistrum
• An Egyptian sistrum
• A collection of sistrums displayed at the Louvre Museum
• Walters Art Museum, around 380 to 250 BCE
• A seated woman holding a sistrum on a coin from the time of Emperor Hadrian
• Romanized Isis holding a sistrum, also from the time of Emperor Hadrian
• A school band musician holding two disc rattles (sistra) in Ziguinchor, Senegal, 1973
• An object from around 2300 to 2000 BC, made in Anatolia (now known as Turkey), crafted from copper alloy.