Ululation

Ululation

A About this sound ululation is a long, wavering, high-pitched sound resembling the howl of a dog or wolf with a trilling quality. It is produced by emitting a high pitched loud voice accompanied with a rapid movement of the tongue and the uvula.[1] The term ululation is an onomatopoeic word derived from Latin. It is produced by moving the tongue, rapidly, from left to right repetitively in the mouth while producing a sharp sound.

Contents

Around the world

Ululation is found in some singing techniques and ritual situations. In Arab countries ululation is commonly used by women to express celebration, especially at weddings. An example of the incorporation of ululations in traditional wedding songs can be found in Zaghareed, a collection of Palestinian traditional wedding songs reinterpreted and re-arranged by Mohsen Subhi and produced in 1997 by the Palestinian National Music and Dance Troupe (El Funoun)[2]

Ululation is commonly practiced by Jewish women of Mediterranean communities originating in North Africa, the Middle East as well as in Ethiopia, and central and south Asia at all joyous occasions such as at a hachnasat sefer Torah (the dedication of a Torah scroll, circumcisions,[3] communal celebrations, weddings,[4][5] bar miswa[6] celebrations, and most of all at henna celebrations.[7] The cultural practice has spread to other Jews, particularly where members of different Jewish ethnic communities come together, and is also to be found among American Jews as well. Recordings of various styles of ululations are commonly found in the music of artists performing Mizrahi styles of music. In Morocco it is known as barwalá or youyou.[8][4]

Ululation is also commonly used in funerals of martyrs in the Muslim world, since they are believed to be going to Jannah. In the Middle East, zaghareet is a ululation performed to honor someone. In East Africa, ululation (or ililta) performed by worshippers is a feature of services in the Ethiopian Orthodox[9] and Eritrean Orthodox Churches, and is also commonly used in secular celebrations such as parties or concerts. Ululation is incorporated into African musical styles such as Shona music, where it is a form of audience participation, along with clapping and call-and-response.

The Basque irrintzi is a signal of happiness originating from shepherds[10][11]

Ululation is also widely practiced in southern and eastern parts of India. People, especially women roll their tongues and produce this sound during all Hindu temple rituals, festivals and celebrations. This is also an integral part of most weddings in these parts where, depending upon the local usages, women ululate to welcome the groom or bride or both. In Tamil it is known as kulavai. In Kerala, ululation is essential for all ceremonial occasions and the term used in Malayalam is kurava. Bengalis and Oriyas call it ulu-uli. Assamese call it uruli.

Ululation is, also, used to some extent by south European women[1] In South Africa, ululating is used by women to give praises at weddings, celebrations and when good news have been delivered in a place of gathering even in church.

In ancient times

In Ancient Egypt, reference to ululation appears on the inscription of the pyramid texts of Unas, on the West Wall of the Corridor (section XIII),[12] and of Pepi I, in the Spells for Entering the Akhet.[13] In ancient Greece ululation or ololuge was normally used as a joyful expression[14] to celebrate good news[15] or when an animal's throat is cut during sacrifice.[16] However, in Aeschylus' Agamemnon, along with being an expression of joy, it is also used for fury,[15] and in Sophocles' Electra it is employed as an expression of grief.[14]

Homer mentions ololuge (ululation) in his works,[17][18] as does Herodotus, citing ululation in North Africa – where it is still practiced – saying:

I think for my part that the loud cries uttered in our sacred rites came also from thence; for the Libyan women are greatly given to such cries and utter them very sweetly.[19]

Or in another translation:

I also think that the ololuge or cry of praise emitted during the worship of Athena started in Libya, because it is often employed by Libyan women, who do it extremely well.[20][21]

In popular culture

Ululation appears in many films set in the Middle East, such as Lawrence of Arabia and The Battle of Algiers and Lion of the Desert. Sometimes it is depicted as a battle cry, for example in Xena: Warrior Princess. Even the animated feature G.I. Joe: The Movie featured the ululation "Cobra-la-la-la-la-la". It appears as comic relief in The Simpsons episodes "The Last Temptation of Homer" and "Midnight Rx"; as well as on Family Guy in the episode "E. Peterbus Unum" where Stewie is curious about the sound Achmed "makes when you're about to assassinate an infidel". Finally, the word appears in the book Lord of the Flies[22] as a way in which Sam and Eric could warn the other members of Jack's tribe of the coming beast or other intruders.

See also

References

Notes
  1. ^ a b Pendle, Karin (2001). Women & music: a history. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-21422-X. 
  2. ^ "'Zaghareed' (Ululations), 1997" on the El Funoun website
  3. ^ Heber, Levi Y. "Additional Sephardic Circumcision Customs: The customs of Sephardim and Oriental Jews at a Brit Milah", The Handbook to Circumcision - Brit Milah
  4. ^ a b Stillman,Yedida Kalfon and Zucker, George K. New horizons in Sephardic Studies p. 298
  5. ^ See Sephardic Music section on History
  6. ^ Everson, Eva Marie and Vamosh, Mirian Feinberg. Reflections of God's Holy Land: A Personal Journey Through Israel p. 242
  7. ^ Samin, Lisa. "JWeekly.com: Moroccan nuptials combine ancient rituals, festivities" World Zionist Press Service, ¶ 12
  8. ^ Exploration Morocco: Sephardic Music in Morocco: Section on Sephardic Singing
  9. ^ "Review: Ethiopian Christian Liturgical Chant". Journal of Religion in Africa. 
  10. ^ Trask, Larry. "Some Important Basque Words (And a Bit of Culture)" on the Larry Trask Archive website
  11. ^ Irrintzi in the Spanish-language Auñamendi Encyclopedia.
  12. ^ van den Dungen, Wim. "The Pyramid Texts of UNAS"
  13. ^ Allen, James P. and Manuelian, Peter Der. The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts
  14. ^ a b McClure, Laura (1999). Spoken like a woman: speech and gender in Athenian drama. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-01730-1. 
  15. ^ a b Allan, William; Altena, Hermann; Michael, Jr Perna; Gregory, Justina. A Companion to Greek Tragedy (Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World). Blackwell Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-4051-0770-7. 
  16. ^ Goff, Barbara E. (2004). Citizen Bacchae: women's ritual practice in ancient Greece. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-23998-9. 
  17. ^ Stein, Charles (2008). The Odyssey. North Atlantic Books. ISBN 1556437285. 
  18. ^ Camps, W. A. (1980). An introduction to Homer. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-872101-3. 
  19. ^ On Libya, from The Histories, c. 430 BCE, Book IV.42-43
  20. ^ Waterfield, Robin; Dewald, Carolyn (1998). The histories. Oxford [England]: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-282425-2. 
  21. ^ For the ancient Greeks, Libya denoted a much larger expanse than present-day Libya.
  22. ^ Golding, William; Gibson, Ben (2003). Lord of the Flies. New York: Berkley. ISBN 0-399-52920-9. 

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  • ululation — ● ululation ou hululation nom féminin ou ululement ou hululement nom masculin (bas latin ululatio) Cri des rapaces nocturnes, notamment des hiboux. Littéraire. Hurlement sin …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Ululation — Ul u*la tion, n. [L. ululatio.] A howling, as of a dog or wolf; a wailing. [1913 Webster] He may fright others with his ululation. Wither. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ululation — (n.) 1590s, from L. ululationem (nom. ululatio) a howling or wailing, noun of action from pp. stem of ululare ululate, a reduplicated imitative root (Cf. Gk. ololyzein to cry aloud, Skt. ululih a howling, Lith. uluti howl, Gael. uileliugh wail of …   Etymology dictionary

  • ululation — see under ululate at ROAR vb …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Ululation — Eine Ululation ist ein langer, hoher Klang mit schnell schwankender Tonhöhe, eine besondere Art des Heulens. Er wird durch schnelles Bewegen von Zunge und Gaumenzäpfchen bei gleichzeitigem Singen hohen Tones erzeugt. [1] Bereits im antiken… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ululation — (Roget s Thesaurus) >Animal sounds. < N PARAG:Ululation >N GRP: N 1 Sgm: N 1 cry cry &c. >V. Sgm: N 1 crying crying &c. >V. Sgm: N 1 bowwow bowwow ululation latration belling Sgm: N 1 …   English dictionary for students

  • ululation — (u lu la sion) s. f. Terme latin francisé et fort peu usité. •   Gémissement en forme de hurlement Les demoiselles d Ilium Firent longue ululation, Et si longtemps qu elles voulurent, SCARR. Virg. III. ÉTYMOLOGIE    Lat. ululationem, de ululare… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • ululation — ululate ► VERB ▪ howl or wail. DERIVATIVES ululation noun. ORIGIN Latin ululare howl, shriek …   English terms dictionary

  • ululation — noun see ululate …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • ululation — See ululant. * * * …   Universalium

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