What is a didgeridoo?
A Didgeridoo, or Didge, is an instrument -more precisely a woodwind instrument- of the Australian Aboriginals. The name 'Didgeridoo' is in fact the European or American name. The original name is Yidaki, Yirdaki, Gurrmurr, Gindjunggang, or lots of other names, depending on the tribe or Aboriginal language. The European name is derived from the sound it makes in a number of traditional playing styles (just as a cuckoo is called cuckoo because it makes a cuckoo sound).The instrument is in fact nothing else but a hollow tree trunk or branch.
A traditional didge is currently made from a eucalyptus tree, hollowed
out by termites (that is, the real didges). The aboriginal goes into the
woods and finds a eucalyptus tree. By tapping on its bark and checking
for termite mounds close by he can hear is the tree is hollow. When it
is hollow and it has the right shape, the tree or branch is cut to the
proper length, hollowed or cleaned out further, stripped from its bark,
and given an beeswax mouthpiece. And Voila, a new didge is born. Sometimes
(especially for tourists) the didge is painted in a more or less traditional
style, often adapted a bit for the modern tourists.
cheaper didges can be made from bamboo or even PVC tubes.
The eucalyptus didge is hollowed out by termites. The termites or white ants (although termites are not ants!) often like their nest close to Eucalyptus. They eat out the inner side of the eucalyptus tree, without eating close to the bark (to keep away from the light and to keep protected, and the bark is rather hard and not very nutritious).
Fairy tales and Myths
The didgeridoo is sometimes called "the oldest instrument" or a "40,000 year old instrument" or "the only instrument played by the aboriginals". None of this is true or it cannot be confirmed. The oldest rock paintings showing a didgeridoo are approximately 2000 years old. No earlier evidence exists. Further until roughly the beginning of the 20th century the didgeridoo is only used in the Northern parts of Australia. Only the last couple of decennia the didge has spread throughout Australia.Further there appears to be evidence that the first didgeridoos were not made from Eucalyptus but from Bamboo, because:
- the rock paintings show bamboo like rings on the didge;
- the painted didge are held horizontally with only one hand, suggesting a light didge;
- traditionally painted didges often show rings reminding one of bamboo rings;
- in many aboriginal languages the didge is called bamboo.
And there are no hard clues that there are laws that the didge may not be played by women. The didge is normally played by man, however in Western countries there are also certain things that man or women do not normally do, not because they are not allowed to, but because it is not really customary.
