Carnyx is an ancient Wind Instrument of the Iron Age Celtic people, used between 200 BC and 200 AD. It is basically a bronze Trumpet with an elongated S Shape, having a mouth piece, styled in the shape of an open-mouthed boar’s or other animal head and used in warfare.
It consisted of a 12 foot long thin bronze tube, bent at right angles at both ends, the lower end terminated in a mouthpiece. The upper end flared out into a bell shaped in the form of a wild boar’s head. It was believed that the head contained a tongue as well which once flap up and down changes the sound produced by the instrument. The Carnyx was played in upright position so that the head portion was protruded well above the heads of the warriors.
Newer versions of Carnyx and replicas are available now. The instrument can be seen in many cartoons like The Adventures of Asterix the Gaul. The word “carnyx” is derived from the Gaulish root, “carn-” or “cern-” meaning “antler” or “horn,” and the same root of the name of the god, Cernunnos.
