The bukkehorn is one of the oldest wind instruments in Norwegian traditional music, with roots dating back to the Stone Age. This natural instrument has been used both as a signaling device and as a musical instrument and exists in two main variants: the trumpet-blown horn (trompethorn) and the reed horn (tungehorn). In this post, we take a closer look at the history, distribution, and use of the trumpet-blown bukkehorn, an instrument with a rich tradition and a unique sound.
The bukkehorn is a wind instrument made from a goat horn and has historically been widely used by shepherds in Norway. The instrument exists in two main types: the trompethorn, where the tone is produced by lip vibrations, and the tungehorn, which has an attached reed and functions more like a clarinet. The trompethorn has been most common in Western Norway and parts of Eastern Norway, while the tungehorn has had the strongest tradition in Trøndelag, Gudbrandsdalen, and Hedmark.
The horn is in many ways an "ancient instrument." By all accounts, it was part of the shepherd's essential equipment as early as the Stone Age. It was primarily used as a frightening and signaling device, making it first and foremost a practical tool. However, early traces of the bukkehorn as a musical instrument can be found as far back as the Bronze Age, when finger holes were added to play melodies in addition to signals; hence the name prillarhorn (from the verb prilla, ‘to finger, to play with the fingers’).
Ingrid Skattebu from Øystre Slidre (Det gjallar og det læt, s.40)
The bukkehorn therefore belonged to the mountain pasture and shepherding culture for a long time. As traditional summer farming declined, and wolves and bears were nearly eradicated, the need for shepherds and maids disappeared. Their music and instruments have now found new arenas.
The bukkehorn gained increased attention toward the end of the 20th century through the work of researchers such as Reidar Sevåg, Bjørn Aksdal, and Atle Lien Jenssen, who have mapped the instrument’s history and distribution. Especially Sevåg’s "bible," Det gjallar og det læt (published in 1973, is a key source. Instrument makers such as Egil Storbekken and Magnar Storbækken have also been instrumental in preserving and further developing the bukkehorn tradition.
Today, the instrument is experiencing a renaissance among folk musicians and enthusiasts, and an increasing number of people are using it in various musical contexts.
Watch "Den store bukkehornfilmen" with Magnar Storbækken to see how a bukkehorn is made:
