The thunderer
Vrbnik, Krk, the second decade of the 20th century
wood
cutting
length 1 = 21,3 cm
width1 = 5,2 cm
length 2 = 25 cm
width 2 = 5,6 cm
length 3 = 18,8 cm
width 3 = 5,6 cm
length 4 = 19 cm
width 4 = 4,8 cm
length 5 = 19 cm
width 5 = 4,5 cm
Et 9765a-e
The Collection of Musical Instruments
The thunderer consists of several wooden plates tied together with a rope. When it is spun fast it produces sound similar to that of thunder, which is where the instrument gets its name from. This instrument was called zujača (buzzer) on the island of Krk.
Sound is produced when the player spins the wooden plates very fast, usually above his or her head. In this way the sound produced is similar to the sound of thunder, which is where the instrument gets its name from. In the past the thunderer was “used as a powerful magical tool for invoking rain and for driving away evil forces. Nowadays the thunderer, just like numerous other simple instruments, is a children’s toy.” (Ćaleta, 2001: 342).