Powwow Drums - Motherdrum - Gathering Drum

Gathering drum has existed at all times in many cultures. They also have names like Motherdum or Gathering Drum. Names for musical instruments often come from the sound or tone that the instrument produces. Therefore, we use this term powwow with respect and consideration for the indigenous cultures from which the term originated. The names of the Celtic drums have not survived. Read more >

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The drums we have been building for 25 years have a rather thin body bent from several layers of beech wood, this ensures that the large drum is still light enough to be carried by one person. The drum skins are covered with cattle grain skin on the top and cattle split skin on the bottom. Both skins are connected with skin cords. The lightweight stand is built so that one person can be placed under the drum for therapeutic sessions.

Our hides - importantly the hides are not leather - but untanned raw hides from which the hair is removed by adding lime. The difference: leather is tanned to soften it, for example, for clothing, it remains soft and supple and thus can not produce sound. Skin, after the drying process, becomes hard again like wood (especially in cattle - the domesticated buffalo, bison, or meadow duck) and can thus vibrate and produce sound when stretched over the frame. In order to adapt the skin to the shape of the frame, it must be soaked. We give every year in summer Drum making courses, individual appointments can also be made for ritual and assembly drumming. We also offer all individual parts for drum building or whole drum building sets. Special skins or diameters please inquire.

The name powwow comes from the traditional festival of the same name of the indigenous tribes in North America. Powwow festivals usually included rodeos, traditional dances and games, and the drum is usually drummed continuously throughout the festival, which can last up to 10 days, to keep the energy up.

The mother drums or gathering drums are often played by several players with one mallet each, it is common to play as synchronously as possible, this increases the interplay and rhythm of the drums and the hearts. There can be up to 15 people playing at a 90 powwow. Therapeutically, one person is placed under the drum and it is played rather softly and slowly. During a vision quest, I experienced the powwow drum being played for the entire 4 days and 5 nights to assist with introspection and fasting.