YORUBA, NIGERIA

‍

The bullroarer, a device known broadly across the world and sometimes called a rhombus, or turndun in Australian Aboriginal tradition, is an ancient sound object. It has historically been used in ceremonial contexts and for communicating over great distances. It consists of a flat piece of wood attached to a cord, which, when whirled overhead in a large circle, produces a deep vibrational sound.

Bullroarers date to the Paleolithic era, with some examples dating as early as 18,000 bce. Anthropologist Michael Boyd, a bullroarer expert, has documented finds in Australia, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The rhombus was used in the Dionysian mysteries of the ancient Greeks, and figured prominently among the Australian Aboriginal peoples, where it was used in ceremonies and to communicate between groups across the continent. Many of the cultures that use bullroarers believe that the sounds they produce have the power to ward off evil influences.

The Yoruba of Nigeria historically used these ancient noisemakers in the rites and festivals of Orò, the male orisha of communal justice. Bullroarers were integrally associated with this spirit, and the buzzing drone of their whirling warned away those who were forbidden to see the rites, namely women and non-believers.

This beautifully aged bullroarer shows a vaguely ovoid silhouette, with gently convex sides and sharp, flat ends, and a square-shaped hole for attachment. Its face bears relief carvings depicting zoomorphic and possibly human images rendered in geometric style, showing only the most schematic features. An emphasis is placed on their torsos or bellies, which in contrast to the rectilinear bodies are designed with swelling, round, and striated shapes.

‍