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The History of Bagpipes in Theater

By August 2, 2021February 21st, 2024Other

We can all relate to hearing the unique sound of bagpipes as they are played. Emitting a particular kind of music, a sort of harmonic gust, people can easily identify the sound of bagpipes on the wind. Whether our first experience with this music is during a parade, a music festival, the Highland games, a historic film, or some other symphonic experience, you are unlikely to forget the reaction you had when first hearing their melodic drone.

But what is the history behind the bagpipe, its origins, and its uses?

purple plaid design

A Widely Historic Instrument

while many immediately associate the sound of bagpipes and their history to the Highlands of Scotland, the origins of bagpipes are actually from a different place altogether.

Ancient sources from the Hittites seem to document one of the first appearances of bagpipes, among other ancient cultural citations, and they have only grown in popularity from there— and not just in the British Isles.

ancient empires map
Hittites

Though bagpipes were popularly used in Highlander combat and the campaigns that made up the Jacobite Uprising of the 1700s, bagpipes can be traced throughout Europe during the Medieval Ages.

bagpipe

Furthermore, other versions of bagpipes have been found across the Arabian Peninsula, the Aegean, Anatolia, the Caucasus, North Africa, around the Persian Gulf, Western Asia, and among the Mari of Russia.

bagpipe on the right

Eastern Europe has similar double-piped chanter instruments found in Hungary, Serbia, the Ukraine, and others. Single-piped chanters are another relative of the bagpipe, such as the Bulgarian gaida, and the Czecho-Polish dudy or koza, the latter which also employs a large cow-horn bell.

The
Bulgarian gaida

old set of bagpipes

The
Czecho-Polish koza

super old bagpipes

Img source: MIMO-international

And while bagpipes in all their iterations throughout Europe and the Middle East can be used for quite practical applications such as religious ceremonies, farming, military, and more, let’s look a bit deeper into the uses of bagpipes in recreation, performance, and theater.

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Construction of Bagpipes

Bagpipes are a very unique instrument, both in sound, and appearance. It is easy to pick the instrument out of a crowd—a large bag tucked under the musician’s arm, several long stacks of pipes that stick out at different points and angles.

But what are the actual components and functions of each piece of the bagpipe?

red hot bagpipe
1
Air supply: As a wind instrument, bagpipes rely on air to make music.
2
Bag: The air supply bag is inflated and controlled by the player.
3
Chanter: While melodies are determined by finger positioning on the chanter.
4
Drones: The remaining pipes or drones reiterate notes of the melody and create a continuous melodic tone to compliment the entire sound, giving a layered, detached-note effect.

Let’s look a little closer at these different parts.

Air Supply

A crucial part of bagpipe mechanics is the bag or lung that creates the air supply.

The musician exhales into their blowpipe, usually equipped with a non-return valve, and fills the bag.

cauld wind pipes

Alternatively, older types of bagpipes made popular in the 16th and 17th Centuries used a bellows mount instead, also known as “cauld wind pipes”.

With this style, more delicate reeds could be used to create a more refined sound because the bellows eliminated the worry of hot or moisturized air from a musician’s lungs. But modern bagpipes can rely on a variety of equipment that helps create clean airflow and reduce the collection of breath condensation.

Bag

Simply put, this is the airtight reservoir where the instrument’s air supply is stored. This component also regulates the airflow by arm pressure—typically by tucking the bag underneath the armpit—allowing the musician to guide air through the instrument and powering portions of the bagpipes that create a melody.

The airflow is regulated by arm pressure—typically by tucking the bag underneath the armpit—allowing the musician to guide air.

harmonic bagpipe

This pipe produces the single constant, harmonizing note that we all associate with the sound of bagpipes being played.

One main consideration of bag material is the ease of cleaning—because this is a breath instrument, musicians must be vigilant to avoid fungal spores and excess condensation buildup that could lead to lung infections. Synthetic bag material is a popular option for modern bagpipes, which also means the instrument uses an animal-friendly alternative to the traditional.

Chanter

This piece is responsible for the melody being played. All bagpipes have at least one chanter, and some types found in North Africa and Eastern countries utilize two chanters.

Bagpipe
WITH one chanter

one chanter bagpipe
one chant circle

Bagpipe
WITH TWO chanterS

double chanter
double chant circle

But for traditional European bagpipes that we know and love today, one chanter pipe played with both hands is typical. With no stopgap at the end of the pipe, bagpipes have a constant, legato sound that requires masterful and technical movements to effectively break up the notes and create the illusion of articulation.

finger hole chanter
finger holes on chanter

The finger holes on the chanter are responsible for these modulations in sound and note structure, with the piece being aptly named from the Latin cantare, the verb “to sing”.

chanter meaning of word

The Chanter Reed

Chanters rely on the small reed installed at the top for their notes. Like other wind instruments, this reed can be a single or a double-reed.

The choice relies on the musician’s preference and geographical tradition—double-reed chanters are more common in Western Europe and the British Isles, whereas single-reed chanters are more popular in Eastern regions and the Middle East.

chanteer reed

Drone

The drone refers to a pipe that is not typically fingered by the musician, like the chanter is.

This pipe produces the single constant, harmonizing note that we all associate with the sound of bagpipes being played.

Typically, to enhance the melody and ensure harmony with the scale of the piece, the drone’s pitch is identical to the tonic note of the chanter. Because the drone is designed with two or more parts equipped with a sliding joint, the pitch of the drone can be adjusted easily to conform to different musical needs.

octaves

Additional drones can be implemented to create bookending octaves or fifth harmonies, creating a layered, cavernous music experience all through the single instrument.

Materials

Traditional Highland bagpipes were typically made with locally available woods, such as boxwood, holly, or laburnum.

boxwood
hooly colored wood
laburnum wood panel

With later colonization and trade markets expanding, more exotic or tropical hardwoods became available to manufacturers, such as sub-Saharan blackwood, Caribbean cocuswood, and West African ebony.

sub saharan blackwood
caribbean cocuswood
west african ebony wood

Today, however, bagpipes tend to be made with hardwoods or synthetic materials, such as Polypenco.

polypenco

Ornamentation on pipes has long been an important aesthetic and identifying feature, and the tradition continues in much the same way. Typical types of ornaments can be made of a variety of materials, including:

purple plaid design

Origins of Bagpipes

The image that might immediately come to mind when thinking of bagpipes is that of a kilted Scottish Highlander, piping their way over lush, heather-covered craigs and glens. And while this is certainly factual, bagpipes have been in use prior to such a situation, including during the Medieval and Renaissance Ages of Europe.

But even before that, let’s delve into the surprisingly ancient origins of the bagpipe as an instrument.

The First Bagpipes

One of the very first depictions of bagpipes was found on a slab belonging to the Hittites, at the site of Euyuk in ancient Anatolia, located within the Çorum Province of modern-day Turkey.

hittitie
hittites image

This slab dates back to around 1000 BC and features a carefully sculpted depiction of what we would now call a bagpipe.

This includes a very obvious bladder component with pipes attached, and the piper apparently exhaling into one pipe, as shown by the figure’s pursed lips.

The Greeks

Later on, the Greek poet Aristophanes wrote The Acharnians around 425 BC, and included an interesting passage in the dialogue of a Boeotian character: “…and all of you, musicians from Thebes, pipe with your bone flutes into a dog’s rump.”

boeotian character

Now, while the flute or aulos was a popular musical instrument for the Greeks, this particular interpretation seems to refer to a bagged or bellowed flute, made with dog skin, that is very similar to the bagpipes of today.

Later in ancient Greece, this bagpipe instrument has been labeled askaulos—a combination of ἀσκός askos “wine-skin”, and αὐλός aulos “reed pipe”.

askos wine-skin
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aulos reed pipe
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askalous bagpipe

These instruments were used primarily as a musical instrument, a stage sound effect, and occasionally as a loud signal to herald announcements.

The Romans

Around the 1st Century AD, the infamous Emperor Nero was described in connection with the askaulos—or, as the Romans knew it, the tibia utricularus.

In Roman documentation, the bagpipe instrument used by the Greeks became known as the tibia utricularus (tibia: piped flute; utricularus: lunged/animal bladder), as first mentioned by the Roman poet Martial in the year 105 AD.

martial face sculpture

Later authors like Seneca and Virgil also mentioned the growing prevalence of these early bagpipes, particularly on stage or at banquets and festivals.

seneca sculpture
roman sculpture of virgil
aeristidis picture

Even military advisors like Aristides Quintilianus and Procopius document bagpipes in use for martial tactics—a feat traced back to the Lacedemonians, according to military envoy Aulus Gellius.

Around that time, the Greek author Dion Chrysostomos wrote about the tibia utricularus instrument while alluding to Nero’s ability to play it. In one of his many Discourses, Chrysostomos writes: “besides, they say that [Nero] could…play the pipe, both by means of his lips and by tucking the skin beneath his armpits with a view to avoiding the reproach of Athena!” According to Grecian stage mythology, the god Dionysus was the patron of theatrical arts, but that didn’t stop other deities from getting involved.

nero plays bagpipe

Once, the goddess Athena tried her hand at reed pipes but was teased by Aphrodite when she had to puff out her cheeks to play. Thus, the creation of bagpipes with a bag as a tertiary lung to avoid facial distortion enabled one to breathe fairly normally while playing this form of pipes, getting the stamp of approval from the goddess herself.

sculpture of athena

Now, historians argue how alike Chrysotomos’ description of Nero’s instrument was to the modern bagpipe, with pipes and bag, and the allusion to Athena referring to the air reservoir that holds one’s breath during playing.

This comparison stands out even more so when Suetonius described the Emperor playing once again in 200 AD. According to Suetonius’ The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, at gatherings and great festivals, Nero would “give a performance on the water-organ…and the bagpipes…” among other things.

suetonius book

The Lives of the Twelve Caesars

by Suetonius

Of course, given that Nero was seen as a farcical figure during his rule, and a joke of an emperor in general, it’s hard to tell if these performances were enjoyable or not. But in all, it seems bagpipes were popular in the ancient world, including for the emperor.

Medieval Europe

During the Medieval Ages in Europe, bagpipes began to appear frequently in Western art pieces, illustrations, and sculptural décor alongside grotesques such as gargoyles or martyrdom fascinations.

Around the same time period, you can find bagpipe illustrations from Northern France in the Chronique dite de Baudoin d’Avesnes, depicting such pipers in the accompanying illuminations and margin iconography.

chronique excerpt
old bagpipe picture

Chaucer and Bagpipes

One of the best examples of explicit bagpipe mention is from the mid 14th Century, found in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, written around 1380. In the general prologue to this impressive work that details the lives of characters on a pilgrimage to Canterbury, Chaucer writes about a pilgrim named Miller and his musical abilities.

the canterbury tales

Taking the original text:

“a baggepype wel coude he blowe and sowne,/and therwithal he broghte us out of towne,”

[Miller] knew well how to blow and play a bagpipe, and with that he brought us out of town.”

Because the character of Miller was conflated with the boar-like appearance he was often described as having, Chaucer’s bagpiper became associated with pigs in Medieval art. This passage was immortalized in many woodcuts of the era and later centuries, as you can often find in wooden misericords, pilgrim badges, and illuminations that depict a boar playing the bagpipes.

sculpted person playing bagpipes

You can also find this conflation in mid-millennium church grotesques, such as the carving of a pig playing the bagpipes as a type of gargoyle spout on the Cistercian monastery of Melrose Abbey, before being destroyed in English border raids.

There is a chance that the association of bagpipes with pigs was more innocent than Chaucer’s implication, referring to the bladder of the instrument itself.

While ancient Greek askaulos may be made with dog skin, later Middle Ages-era bagpipes used large pig’s bladders, much like other usable equipment of the time such as bellows or balls.

But in earlier Medieval times, the bagpipe’s drone was associated with the sound of a sow, and with connotations of sexual impiety.

miller the bagpiper

Could this have been the reason Chaucer leaned into swine imagery so much to depict his bagpiping pilgrim, who also represented a more rustic, uneducated, and boorish individual in the Tales—one who sins and enjoys dirty stories?

Thankfully, the residual effect from Chaucer’s work seems to be relegated merely to tokens and sculptures without completely tainting the history of the bagpipes.

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Evolution of Bagpipes in Scotland

Now we come to the phenomenon of bagpipes in Scotland, a place where many people expect to see them. The bagpipe is crucial to the history and culture of the British Isles, and in particular, Scotland.

Being the national instrument of Scotland, bagpipe music has been a part of Highland music and tradition for many centuries, and has become an internationally recognized icon for Scotland, along with the tartan, the thistle, the unicorn, and the Loch Ness monster.

Highland History and Bagpipes in Battle

Bagpipes have been common throughout Scotland for a very long time. In Gaelic, the bagpipe is known as a’phiob-mhor, or “the great pipe”, and can be traced back to the 1400s in Scotland.

the great pipe in gaelic

The earliest references to the bagpipe come from military documents, where the Highland bagpipe became an essential part of all martial experiences as it also began to decline in popularity in other parts of the world, especially towards the 19th Century.

bagpipe

Bagpipes were used by the various clans of Scotland and were proudly carried into battle as instruments of war and a way to both intimidate the enemy and carry instructions to the clansmen.

bagpipe on the right

One reference to the Scottish style of “warpipes” is found in a poem from 1598, published in the Complaynt of Scotland:

Verse from a poem in 1958

“on hieland pipes, Scotte and Hybernicke/let heir be shraichs of deadlie clarions”

Meaning:

Referring to a specific type of bagpipe for Highland use

Bagpipes were closely tied to clans much like the specific tartans worn by the Scottish, with some individual sub-threads of clan tartan designed especially for their pipers to wear and distinguish themselves as the bagpipers of that specific clan.

The Decline of Bagpipes and the Dissolution of the Tartan

After being used in conflicts and in peacetime for generations of clans, after the Jacobite Uprising was quelled in the 1746 Battle of Culloden, King George II tried to assimilate the clans into the British people by weakening Gaelic culture and the clan system.

While the Act of Proscription did not outright ban the use of bagpipes as it did the wearing of individual clan tartans, the systematic destruction of Scottish traditions and the loss of clan patronage were key factors in the decline of bagpipes.

As clans were ripped apart and forced to give up their traditional structures and any patronage or protective power of their clan chief was shattered, bagpiping was an unintended casualty. And further, with widespread emigration and separation of entire families along clan lines that had been ripped apart as thoroughly as tartan fabrics had been, the tradition of bagpipes became less widespread.

Similarly, the Irish traditionally utilized bagpipes in their daily life, until circumstances during the 19th century forced mass exodus.

With the resurrection of Highlanders as a military troop body, however, the use of bagpipes in a military sense was restored as the Scottish were reincorporated into fighting units during the 19th Century and especially for the world war conflicts of the 20th Century. In modern times, you can still find Highlander units in most commonwealth armies, as well as the British army, and the bagpiping tradition is kept alive and well within those factions.

Bagpipes and Gaelic Theater

While the first public theater in Scotland was not opened until 1736, productions of traditional stories and dramas were often performed at local festivals, schools, or courts.

The gentle sheperd

Such titles as the 1725 “The Gentle Shepherd” by Allan Ramsay became a beloved ballad opera and favorite on the Scottish stage, often with the accompaniment of simple percussives and bagpiping.

edinburgh figures

In the later 19th Century, Edinburgh’s Theatre Royal advertised performances that adapted the works of Sir Walter Scott and Sir Theodore Martin, among other dramas that were imported from Europe, and from France in particular.

While the bagpipes were still in use in these productions, the focus on sound was greatly edging towards softer string instruments and keyboards, such as harpsichord or piano.

However, in more recent decades, the bagpipe has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in modern culture, including on stage, screen, festivals, dedicated competitions, and in instrumental or symphonic settings.

Modern Day Bagpiping in Scotland

Bagpipes are still immensely popular throughout Scotland—it’s virtually impossible to walk down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile or near the Princes Street Gardens without hearing the unmistakable warble of bagpipes.

Traditional Scottish music is celebrated in festivals around the country, and even around the world, and bagpipes take a center stage.

bagpipe

Bagpipe melodies honor traditional Gaelic lyrics, historic events, clan systems and announcements, and so much more, and their resurgence to a popular audience comes with educational and archival importance.

bagpipe on the right
bagpipes in modern music

You can also find bagpipes being integrated into more mainstream genres of music, such as Gaelic Rock, Celtic Metal, or Celtic Punk music.

If you are interested in visiting one of these exciting festivals and learning more about the history and traditions of Scottish bagpiping in person, check out this list of traditional music events and ceilidhs for more information in locations across Scotland, or the annual Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

the royal edinburgh military tattoo
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Bagpipe Traditions in Dance

Today, one of the most well-known uses of bagpipe music is for Highland or Irish dancing—a traditional form of dance that relies on the backing of the pipes for the methodical and rhythmic footwork it is comprised of.

traditional dancing

This type of traditional dancing with bagpipe accompaniment has been popular for centuries—the first recorded intricate Scottish dance was a war-dance performed to what was described as “the wailing music of bagpipes” at Alexander III’s marriage in 1285.

John the third image

An early dance with props was before Swedish King John III in 1573, where a Scottish mercenary performed a lively jig with a sword and bagpipes, though some dispute this was actually an assassination attempt gone wrong.

charles the first image

Such sword and bagpipe dances continued through the years, notably in 1589, 1617, and 1633—the latter being a sword dance for Charles I performed on a raft floating in the middle of the River Tay.

Though Highland dance was temporarily recessed after the Battle of Culloden due to traditions being upended by the English, the revival of Highland culture and dance was chaperoned by Queen Victoria when she visited the country herself.

Nowadays, it is difficult to hear the strains of a bagpipe and not be awash with images of past Highlanders, of furling plaid, and the even beats of drums and Highland dancers’ feet.

purple plaid design

The Presence of Bagpipes in Modern Culture

Bagpipes have experienced a modern resurgence, thanks to several ways people are incorporating pipes into renewed experiences.

The following are only a few ways that bagpipes are made more public and their music more accessible for everyone.

Public Ceilidhs

Traditionally, a ceilidh (pronounced kei-lee) is a popular social event, common at weddings, fundraisers, and large dinners.

While historically, the term ceilidh simply referred to a large social gathering in a hall or community space, the modern definition has become synonymous with dancing.

scotish bagpipe dance

Ceilidh dances are very popular, with energetic community spirits and a great way to celebrate traditional Scottish culture.

The particular steps of a ceilidh dance are taught in schools from childhood throughout Scotland, but even newcomers are able to pick up the steps fairly quickly! There is usually a weekly ceilidh in most Scottish towns, where singles, couples, or travelers are welcome. And of course, the ceilidh is accompanied by a rousing Scottish band, complete with bagpipes.

St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

While St Patrick’s Day can be seen as both a religious holiday and a more monetized festival-like experience, you can still enjoy the thrill of bagpipes that accompanies the day.

Because Irish and Scottish families alike were forced to immigrate to America and Canada through the 18th to the 20th centuries, they took much of their culture with them—including their bagpipes.

You don’t need to be Irish or Scottish or even wearing green to enjoy the music that comes around on St. Patrick’s Day, and jive to the beats of the bagpipes.

Brand New Music

An exciting new venture for bagpipes in the modern world of easy listening is new music production that incorporates bagpipes into their tracks.

Other bands that are incorporating bagpipes and more traditional instrumentals include the Celtic-American punk group of the Dropkick Murphys, the Irish-American ensemble of Flogging Molly, or the Canadian band called The Real McKenzies.

bands that still use the bagpipes
purple plaid design

A History of Bagpipes in Theater

Thanks to the incredibly long history of bagpipes, there is no shortage of musical attributes, military applications, or general historical anecdotes that you can find. Bagpipes seem to have been around since 1000 BC and have gained popularity and a beloved status through their use in the Scottish Highlands, through dance, and in modern music festivals and Highland games.

Because of their very unique sound and appearance, bagpipes are one of those musical instruments you cannot overlook, and if anyone has attended a Scottish festival or visited the British Isles, the music of the pipes is easy to conjure in your mind.

Bagpipes have been an important part of cultures and traditions for over a thousand years, and continue to enjoy popularity and use today, even if there was a rough patch after the Battle of Culloden, like so many Highland traditions suffered through. These days, you can find bagpipes in dance, theater, festivals, and even modern music production—such as new genres of Celtic Punk and Gaelic Rock music, or being incorporated into new band releases—whatever excites you the most!

If you are looking for more information on bagpipes, the history of Highland music, and the use of bagpipes in dance, theater, and more, the following are some interesting sources.

Britannica logo

The Encyclopedia Britannica

Comprehensive article on bagpipes.

essential vermeer

Essential Vermeer

An artistic look at the bagpipe.

scotland.com

Scotland.com

Bagpipes: the inside story on Scotland’s signature instrument.

JSTOR

JSTOR

Bagpipes in English works of art.

Bagpipe master logo

Bagpipe Master

Resources archives.

culture trip logo

The Culture Trip

A brief history of the bagpipe.

BBICO logo

BBICO

A history of military bagpipes.

National library of scotland

National Library of Scotland – Ceòl nan Gàidheal

Exploring the bagpipes.