science

Sound mimesis in various cultures

Sound mimesis in various cultures is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Sound mimesis in various cultures rather than just read about it. In short: The imitation of natural sounds in various cultures is a diverse phenomenon and can fill in various functions. In several instances, it is related to the belief system (yoiks of the Sami, some other shamanic songs and rituals, overtone singing of some cultures).

Key takeaways

Sound mimesis in various cultures belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Sound mimesis in various cultures to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Sound mimesis in various cultures from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The imitation of natural sounds in various cultures is a diverse phenomenon and can fill in various functions. In several instances, it is related to the belief system (yoiks of the Sami, some other shamanic songs and rituals, overtone singing of some cultures). It may serve also such practical goals as luring in the hunt; or entertainment (katajjaqs of Inuit). Among some peoples of the Altai-Sayan region, including Tofa, the ability to mimic sounds of the environment includes hunting calls, and is present also in a traditional singing tradition preserved only by some old people.

Fields

Shamanism

Shamanism in various cultures shows great diversity. In some cultures, the music or songs related to shamanistic practice may mimic natural sounds, sometimes with onomatopoeia.

Entertainment The intention to mimic natural sounds is not necessarily linked to shamanistic beliefs or practice alone. Katajjaq (a "genre" of music of some Inuit groups) is a game played by women, for entertainment. In some instances, natural sounds (mostly those of animals, e.g. geese) are imitated.

Luring animals The kind of katajjaq mentioned above, which mimics the cry of geese, shows some similarities with the practice of hunters to lure game. Some Inuit used a tool (shaped like a claw) to scratch the ice of the frozen sea in order to attract seals.

See also Onomatopoeia Prehistoric music Vocal learning Pishing - imitation of bird sounds by birdwatchers

Notes

References Birket-Smith, Kaj (1969). A kultúra ösvényei. Általános etnológia (in Hungarian). Budapest: Gondolat. Translation of the original: Birket-Smith, Kaj (1965). The Paths of Culture. A General Ethnology. Madison • Milwaukee: The University of Wisconsin Press. Burch, Ernest S. (junior); Forman, Werner (1988). The Eskimos. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-2126-2. Deschênes, Bruno (2002). "Inuit Throat-Singing". Musical Traditions. The Magazine for Traditional Music Throughout the World. Diószegi, Vilmos (1960). Sámánok nyomában Szibéria földjén. Egy néprajzi kutatóút története. Terebess Ázsia E-Tár (in Hungarian). Budapest: Magvető Könyvkiadó. The book has been translated to English: Diószegi, Vilmos (1968). Tracing shamans in Siberia. The story of an ethnographical research expedition. Translated from Hungarian by Anita Rajkay Babó. Oosterhout: Anthropological Publications. Hoppál, Mihály (2005). Sámánok Eurázsiában (in Hungarian). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó. ISBN 963-05-8295-3. The title means “Shamans in Eurasia”, the book is published also in German, Estonian and Finnish. Site of publisher with short description on the book (in Hungarian). Hoppál, Mihály (2006). "Music of Shamanic Healing" (PDF). In Gerhard Kilger (ed.). Macht Musik. Musik als Glück und Nutzen für das Leben. Köln: Wienand Verlag. ISBN 3-87909-865-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) Lintrop, Aarno. "The Clean Tent Rite". Studies in Siberian shamanism and religions of the Finno-Ugric peoples. Nattiez, Jean Jacques. Inuit Games and Songs • Chants et Jeux des Inuit. Musiques & musiciens du monde • Musics & musicians of the world. Montreal: Research Group in Musical Semiotics, Faculty of Music, University of Montreal.. The songs are online available from the ethnopoetics website curated by Jerome Rothenberg. Somby, Ánde (1995). "Joik and the theory of knowledge".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) Szomjas-Schiffert, György (1996). Lapp sámánok énekes hagyománya • Singing tradition of Lapp shamans (in Hungarian and English). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó. ISBN 963-05-6940-X. Voigt, Vilmos (1966). A varázsdob és a látó asszonyok. Lapp népmesék. Népek meséi (in Hungarian). Budapest: Európa Könyvkiadó. The title means: “The magic drum and the clairvoyant women. Sami folktales”, the series means: “Tales of folks”.

External links Hoppál, Mihály (2006). "Music of Shamanic Healing" (PDF). In Gerhard Kilger (ed.). Macht Musik. Musik als Glück und Nutzen für das Leben. Köln: Wienand Verlag. ISBN 3-87909-865-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) "Pygmies of Southern Congo Imitating Forest Animals" (streamed video). Afrique Profonde. 31 March 2007. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Mamcheva, Natalia (2004). "Aspects of the Music of the Nivkhs". Pacific Rim Music Festival, Ancient Sakhalin in Music, Song and Dance. Ensemble XXI. Translated from Russian by Lygia O'Riordan.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Sound mimesis in various cultures

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Sound mimesis in various cultures claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Sound mimesis in various cultures before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Sound mimesis in various cultures ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Sound mimesis in various cultures

In research: Sound mimesis in various cultures appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Sound mimesis in various cultures in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Sound mimesis in various cultures is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Ethnomusicology, Onomatopoeia, Phonaesthetics, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Sound mimesis in various cultures outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Sound mimesis in various cultures” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Sound mimesis in various cultures in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Sound mimesis in various cultures means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Sound mimesis in various cultures out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sound mimesis in various cultures in simple terms?

Why does Sound mimesis in various cultures matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Sound mimesis in various cultures?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Sound mimesis in various cultures.