The Box Fiddle

The The Avramites of Caloran are a simple and hardworking people. But though they have eschewed advanced technology in all its forms, they have not forsaken all of the cultural pleasures that Humans everywhere enjoy. Though their lifestyle leaves them with far less time to pursue what most would call the finer pleasures in life, they still find the time - and the occasions - to put down their simple tools and celebrate. New births, birthdays, and joinings are the times for such celebrations. Whether a simple family birthday party or a town-wide harvest celebration, music, singing, and dancing are features of the party. And when Avramite music is called for, at least one Box Fiddle is sure to appear.

The Instrument

The Box Fiddle is, to those who know something of Terran musical instruments that have survived since the the times of ancient history, is pretty much what it sounds like. It is a simple box made of thin strips of hardwood with a few reinforcing ribs... a wooden, fretless neck, and several strings made from animal sinew or possibly some natural material such as animal sinew or intestinal linings, and a bow made from wood and strung with animal - or even sometimes human - hair. The result is a primitive relative of the violin that is often seen used in orchestral halls throughout the Imperium.

Of course, the Box Fiddle does not benefit from the micro-precision crafting and shaping that provides the perfect tone and clarity of a modern, professional violin. It does not include the built-in electronics to amplify or dampen undesirable resonant tones. It does not have the precise digital tuning mechanisms that a modern instrument employs. But, for the Avramites, it gets the job done. It plays music, and, if well made, it plays music that most humans - and a number of other sophont species as well - find quite pleasing.

Avramite Box Fiddle Music

The preferred Avramite musical styles have been handed down through countless generations, dating back to the music enjoyed by their Terran ancestors in their secluded communities during the pre-Jump eras of Terran history. Music historians will quickly identify influences from ancient Terran musical styles such as Bluegrass, as well as some influence from Celtic sources that even predate Bluegrass by hundreds of years. Rarely, a tune might be played behind a ballad-like song, with styles more reminiscent of the Terran musical periods called Baroque, Classical, or Romantic, but far more common are the fast-paced, rapidly bowed styles that historians claim hearken back to music heard in Terra's Appalachian region. One particular tune preserved by the Avramites definitely has its roots in that region and period: a piece titled "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" is often used by Avramite musicians to test each other's talents in a sort of musical duel. Though there are lyrics to this piece, they are only rarely sung; instead the audience happily keeps time by clapping hands or stomping feet.