The buisine and the añafil were types of straight medieval trumpets, often made of metal, also called herald's trumpets. Although they may be the same instrument, the names reflect two different traditions. A Persian-Arab-Turkic trumpet called the Nafir entered European culture in various places and times.

The term "buisine" (Old French; also spelled busine, buysine, buzine) comes from "Buccina," a Roman military horn. This horn was used mainly for military and ceremonial purposes. During the Crusades, Europeans saw the instrument as a target, like a flag or pendant, to capture and take home.

The term "añafil" comes from "al-Nafir," a Persian-Arab Islamic trumpet used by Moorish armies in Spain before the Crusades. By the time of the Reconquista (722–1492), when people in Spain retook the Iberian Peninsula, the word "añafil" was part of the region’s language. The earliest European image of the instrument appears in a 13th-century Spanish work called the Cantigas de Santa Maria.

The buisine—añafil was a precursor to today’s fanfare trumpet. It had a long, slender body, usually one to two meters in length (some were at least six feet long), which tapered into a slightly flared bell. Paintings often show the instrument being played by angels or bearing the banner of a nobleman. As herald’s trumpets were widely used in fanfares, they helped announce events and meetings. Their long, tubed shape allowed them to hang flags and banners, making them popular for ceremonies.

The term "buisine" first appeared in the Chanson de Roland around 1100 and likely referred to all horns and trumpets, not a specific instrument. Early trumpets were slightly curved, but by about 1300, the term was used for straight trumpets brought to Europe from the Middle East during the Crusades.

The modern German word for trombone, "Posaune," is a changed version of "buisine" through the spelling "busaun."

History

During the Middle Ages, many different types of instruments were used that are now considered medieval trumpets. Historians think that the development of trumpets was influenced by many different people. In Oriental and Roman cultures, animal horns were used as musical instruments. Skilled craftsmen used these ideas to create the first metal instruments.

The anafil was introduced to the Iberian Peninsula during the Muslim conquest that led to the creation of Al-Andalus. It was called the Moorish nafil for many centuries because Andalusian Arabs used it to play sharp parts of fanfares and military signals. Later, it was brought to Europe by Saracen armies and Christian armies during the Crusades.

The buisine is considered the ancestor of all brass instruments. The brass instrument known as the busine first appeared in Southern Italy during the 11th century. It was introduced in two forms: one with a cone-shaped, curved tube called the Cornu, and one with a straight, cylindrical shape. A smaller version of the buisine, called the clarion, was also popular during this time. The clarion plays in the same range as its larger counterparts but produces a higher pitch because of its smaller size. The Roman cornu was widely used in Europe and the Orient, while the buisine and clarion were mostly used in England and France.

From the late Middle Ages, the anafil changed from a war instrument to a messenger and protocol instrument. As a heraldry instrument, it gained a courtly role in European courts. Over time, the long tube of the anafil began to curve, and during the Renaissance, it continued to curve into an "S" shape and twist into loops. By the early 1400s, it had become a double-coiled S-shape, sometimes called the clarion. It evolved until it merged with the baroque trumpet and was gradually replaced by newer trumpets and bagpipes. In the 19th century, this metal wind instrument added keys and pistons, making it look and work like today’s metal instruments.

Today, it is a unique and characteristic instrument used in the processions of the Semana Santa de Cabra (Córdoba), where it is called abejorro (bumblebee). Its modern version is the nafīr, which is played from the minarets in the Maghrib during the month of Ramadan.

• In the Cloisters Apocalypse, an angel plays an añafil (the second trumpet), and fire falls on the sea.
• An angel plays the seventh trumpet, an añafil, in worship of God.
• The Seventh Trumpet (añafil), worship in Heaven, in a miniature from the Trinity College Library, Dublin, late 13th century.
• A fresco in the Baptistery of the Cathedral of Padua, 14th century by Giusto de' Menabuoi (Apocalypse). An angel plays the second trumpet in an apocalypse-themed painting, using a buisine.
• A trumpet-playing member of the Angel Choir at Lincoln Cathedral dates from the second half of the 13th century.
• The Seven Angels with the Trumpets, from The Apocalypse, Latin Edition, 1511.
• A buisine player and religious figure, Manuscript of Saint-Esprit. 1450–1460 A.D.

Sound

The buisine does not have piston or rotary valves, unlike modern trumpets, which limits players to only certain notes from a specific harmonic series. It produces a loud, buzzing sound, making it popular for events and ceremonies. Unlike coiled trumpets, the buisine allows vibrations to travel through the tube without interruption, creating a louder sound that seems to come from far away. Its sound is similar to that of a military bugle. The instrument plays in a lower register, with notes that are powerful, heroic, and substantial. These notes are rounded and full in tone. This register can reach as low as C4, with notes that are distinct, strong, and eerie. These notes are often used to tell stories about battles. The instrument's powerful and clear tones make it suitable for events and ceremonies, where it can capture attention and convey feelings of royalty and strength.

Possible descendants

• Slide trumpet, an earlier version of the trombone
• Baroque trumpet created by Johann Wilhelm Haas (German, Nuremberg 1649–1723), late 17th century. To make them more compact, long natural trumpets were bent.
• Clarion, 16th century.