The whistle - zviždalo - pandurnica
Slavonija, the middle of the 19th century
wood
turning, cutting, drilling
length = 9 cm
POH-439/1920
The Collection of Musical instruments by Franjo Ksaver Kuhač
The zviždalo (zviždaljka, zviždoka, fućkalo or pandurnica) is a wooden whistle that was used to call out to people or animals. Its sound is strong and shrill. This whistle has a plug which can be taken out and on which there is a hole on top through which a small piece of rope is inserted so the instrument could be hung.
According to Kuhač’s writings this zviždalo was the property of the “infamous outlaw, Romanić, who was hung in Osijek in 1862. It was given to me by a court official, after it was used as evidence in the court proceedings. Romanić used it to call out to his accomplice.” (Kuhač 1877: 2). Kuhač also writes that the zviždalo was commonly used by “cops, outlaws and bandits” (ibid.)
