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Cymbalum

The cymbalum was the name of two historical instruments, medieval European bells hung and struck with a hammer and Greek kymbalon cymbals. The two instruments may possibly be related, based on the same name being used for both and for the similar "cup-like shape." This relationship in not unique to European bells and cymbals; Persian bells (zang) and cymbals (sanj) share a similar word spread.

Medieval bell chimes
Illustrations from about the 10th to 15th century show performers playing sets of bells (cymbala) hung from a frame or overhead and played with a hammer. Images "usually show from four and eight bells", but also as many as 15. They were tuned diatonically to a C-based scale (to include B flat). Chime bells wrung by clappers. Harley MS 4951, folio 299v. File:Asaph playing chime bells, Pommersfeld Bible, Gräflich Schönbornsche Bibliothek, 334, fol. II 148.jpg|1050-1100, Germany. English: Asaph playing chime bells, Pommersfeld Bible, Gräflich Schönbornsche Bibliothek, 334, fol. II 148 File:Roma, Bibl. Apostolica Vaticana, Pal. lat. 39, f. 44v sharpened cropped.jpg|1050 A.D., Germany. King David playing psaltery with Aethan (with pipes), Idithun (with bell chimes), Heman (with lyre) and Asaph (with vielle/viol). Heidelberg Psalter, Roma, Bibl. Apostolica Vaticana, Pal. lat. 39, f. 44v File:Cymbala players, from Le Roi David musicien, miniature pleine page Bible d'Étienne Harding, Ms.14, f.13v, sharpened.jpg|Early 12th century A.D., France. Cymbala players, from Le Roi David musicien, miniature pleine page Bible d'Étienne Harding, Ms.14, f.13v File:Boethius 's Instutione Musica, Cambridge University Library Ii 3.12 fol 61v.jpg|Circa 1130 A.D. Top left, Boethius with monochord. Top right, Pythagoras with cymbala. Bottom left, Plato. Bottom right, Nicomachus. Boethius' Instutione Musica, Cambridge University Library Ii 3.12 fol 61v. File:Musician playing monochord and cymbala, next to a pipe organ, from B.18, folio 1r, PSALTERIUM TRIPLEX, St John's College Cambridge.jpg|Early 12th century, France/England. Musician playing monochord and cymbala, next to a pipe organ, from B.18, folio 1r, PSALTERIUM TRIPLEX, St John's College Cambridge. File:Kind David tuning harp while musicians play bells, detail from Glasgow University Library MS Hunter 229 (U.3.2), folio 21V.jpg|1170 A.D., Scotland. Kind David tuning harp while musicians play bells, detail from Hunterian Psalter Glasgow University Library MS Hunter 229 (U.3.2), folio 21V. File:St. Elizabeth’s Psalter, MS CXXXVII folio 149r, King David holding the rotte (lyre) and musicians playing chime bells, vielle, pipe organ and long horn.jpg|circa 1201-1208 A.D. King David holding the rotte lyre and musicians playing chime bells, vielle, pipe organ and long horn. St. Elizabeth’s Psalter, MS CXXXVII folio 149r. File:Cantigas de Santa Maria, Musician's Codex, page Bl-2 169R cropped.jpg|Circa 1280 A.D., Spain. Bells hung on indoor frame, designed to look like the arched roof of a Romanesque cathedral such as Westminster Abbey. File:Jubal with chime bells (cymbala), from Champion of the dames (1541 manuscript) sharpened.jpg|Circa 1440 A.D., France. Jubal with chime bells (cymbala), from Champion of the dames. Same style bell wrack as in Cantigas de Santa Maria image. File:Bell chimes, from the 1461 manuscript Cologny, Fondation Martin Bodmer, Cod. Bodmer 91.jpg|1461, Germany. Bell chimes hung from rack that resembles a church. File:Refectory Bell, German, 13th century, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cloister's Collection 2014.jpg|13th century, Germany. Refectory bell. A single bell was a cymbalum. File:Chronik um 1370 Cgm 5 Folio 18r tones adjusted.jpg|Germany circa 1370 A.D. Chime bells, from Chronik um 1370 Cgm 5 Folio 18r File:David playing the cymbala (bell chime), by artist Pseudo-Jacquemart , circa1386, Psalter of Jean de Berry France Bourges, BNF (Francais 13091), folio 153r sharpened.jpg|Circa 1386, France. David playing chime bells. File:Chimes and handbell, Die 24 Alten (The 24 Elders), Coburg State Library, Ms Cas 43.jpg|1448, Germany. Elders of the Apocalypse play chimes (hung from a rod) and a handbell. File:Clavichord, bells and psaltery by Perinetto da Benevento.jpg|After 1438, Italy. Clavichord, chime bells and psaltery. ==Greek cymbals==
Greek cymbals
:See Krotala . Maenad with a pair of kymbalon. Kymbolon (Greek) or cymbala (Latin) were cup shaped cymbals used in Greek and Roman culture to accompany religious "orgiastic" dance. The Romans did the same (acetabula ). Although cup shaped, more rarely, the kymbolon might be flat, like a platter. File:Maenads dancing in Dionysus's Procession from a 4th century mosiac in Augusta Traiana, Byzantine Empire, now Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.jpg|4th century A.D. Mosaic from the city of Augusta Traiana showing maenads dancing with Dionysus, playing Krotalum and cymbalum (as finger cymbals) . File:Tiaso (playing cymbala) dances with Dionysus, from a Roman villa at Agora, Argos, Greece, 5th century A.D.jpg|5th century A.D., Roman villa at Agora, Argos, Greece. A dancer in the thiasus plays cymbala and dances with Dionysus. File:Maenad playing cymbala dances with satyr carrying panpipes, from Seleucia Pieria, Hatay Archaeology Museum, Antakya, Turkey.jpg|2nd-3rd century A.D., Seleucia Pieria. Maenad playing cymbala dances with satyr carrying syrinx (panpipes named for an Arcadian nymph pursued by Pan). Now at Hatay Archaeology Museum, Antakya, Turkey. File:Chludov Miriam.jpg|Circa mid-ninth century A.D., Chludov Psalter. Byzantine art. Moses leads his people across the red sea while Miriam dances with cup-shaped cymbals. File:Paris psaulter gr139 fol5v.jpg|950-960 A.D., Byzantine Empire. Image from the Paris Psalter. A young woman dances with hand cymbals for David and Saul, another woman looking on. File:Miriams Tanz.jpg|14th century A.D., Bulgaria. Exodus 15:20 "Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing." Here the women use cymbals and a drum. Tomić Psalter. ==References==
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