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The grassland - home of matouqin. IC
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During the early era of Mongolian culture, dating back to the hunting period through the nomadic phase, the majority of Mongolian plucked instruments, including huobisi and tubushuo'er, were played during recreational occasions and to accompany festive singing and dancing. These instruments were replaced by matouqin, or Morinhuur, a stringed instrument which quickly became popular with the rapid development of nomadic culture.
In the Chinese language, ma means "horse", tou means "head", and qin means "fiddle." Matouqin is a bowed stringed instrument capped with a carving in the shape of a horse head. Hence the name.
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An Inner Mongolian primary school class in matouqin. CFP
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Each tradition has an origin; and so does matouqin.
As legend has it, a long time ago there was a young herdsman known as Su He. On a stormy night Su found a wounded white pony and took him home. A few years later, the little pony had grown into a strong steed, thanks to the young man's great care. The quick and sure-footed horse won first place in a race at His Highness' Nadam Fair, the grandest gathering on the grassland. His Highness was jealous and he took the white horse for himself. The prideful lord could not wait to show off his riding skills, but each time he mounted, the horse threw him again and again. The noble steed finally attempted to flee, but was mortally injured by a torrent of arrows unleashed by the lord's servants. The horse managed to reach his rightful and beloved master, but then fell and perished with tears in his eyes. A few days later, the horse came into Su's dream and asked him to make a musical instrument from his tail and bones so that it could stay with him forever. Sorrowful as he was, Su did as he was asked and carved a little horse head on the top of the instrument in commemoration of his beloved steed. The sad, plaintive strains of the instrument have ever since reverberated over the vast grassland.
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The matouqins made by a manufacturer in Tongliao, Inner Mongolia. CFP
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That story has been handed down from generation to generation, and the romantic charm of the steed can still be sensed in the melodies, though the instrument is no longer what it was.
Historical records reveal that on the grassland in 1206, when Genghis Khan united all Mongolian tribes, matouqin was first known as chao'er. Those instruments we see today feature a horse-head carving at the crown, a resonance box resembling an echelon, and a bow and strings made of horse tail hair. They produce sweet, deep melodies. Some believe that Marco Polo took one of these instruments home, thus quickening the development of Western stringed instruments in Europe.
Matouqin varies from place to place in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in terms of name, structure, tone and style of performance. It is known as Molinhu'er in the west and Chao'er in the east. Traditionally, musicians play the instrument in two ways. One is Horqin, popular in the east, which produces a pleasant sound; the other being Tu'erhute Clan, popular in the west, which produces a sound at a clearer, brighter level.
Deep and mellow in tone, in the past matouqin were primarily played to accompany the telling of folk tales and folk songs. Much improved in design and material, today the instruments are given full play on a wider stage, including in solos, unisons, concertos, and even symphonies.
