Ha'våk

Hah Vaak

A steel-stringed instrument common amongst the Tarunan. Consisting of a hollow box roughly 1.5 meters long and half as wide with a gently curved top, a solid piece of wood positioned about a sixth of the way across the box, and seven woven steel strings stretched across the solid piece of wood and attached to the box with fasteners on one end. The other end of the string is held to the box by adjustable pegs.
The instrument is played by running nails or a hard Sophan Wood pick across the length of one or multiple strings, creating a dull, screech-like tone. Tarunan players can place the leathery underside of their trunk against the strings to adjust the tone, while non-Tarunan usually wear a leather glove on their off hand. The instrument is Ha'våk is tuned by adjusting the pegs holding the strings. The instrument can be played in a sitting position with the Ha'våk laid across the lap, called Shånt position, or standing with the tuning pegs close to the ground, called Ba'hå Dur position. Each position allows for a differing range of sound, as the trunk adjusts the tone in different locations.

The unfamiliar have associated our cultural music with chaos, fear, destruction, and other unkind words.
What we hear is the cries of the hearts of our ancestors before us. Do not take this from us as you have taken so much else.

— In the Song of the People, written protest of multiple cultural laws

Item type

Musical Instrument

Related Materials

• Sophan Wood