Yazh

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See also: Ancient veena
Yazh

The yazh (Tamil: யாழ், also transliterated yāḻ) (pronounced yarl where the l sound here is unique to Tamil language) is a harp used in ancient Tamil music which was the ancestor of modern-day veena. A closely related word yali (யாழி முகம்) refers to any structure, particularly front, that resembles the way the tip of stem of this instrument was carved into. The yazh was an open-stringed polyphonous instrument, with gut strings (narambu) with a wooden boat-shaped skin-covered resonator and an ebony stem.[1][2]

Historical descriptions[edit]

Thiruvalluvar, the 200 BC Tamil poet, mentions yazh in his work Thirukkural.[3] Many major Tamil classical literary masterpieces written during Sangam period dating back 200 BC have mentioned the yazh. Silappatikaram, written by a Tamil Chera prince Ilango Adigal, mentions four kinds of yazhs:[4]

  • Periyazh, 21 strings
  • Makarayazh, 19 strings
  • Cakotayazh, 14 strings
  • Cenkottiyazh, 7 strings

Other types of yazh are:

  • Mayil Yazh - resembling a peacock[5]
  • Vil Yazh - resembling a bow[6]

The Tamil literature Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai says the strings of a yazh should not have any twists in them. Silappatikaram mentions four types of defects in yazh. Other Tamil literature which have mentions on yazh are Seevaga Sindhamani and Periya Puranam.[7] Yazh are seen in sculptures in the Darasuram and Thirumayam temples in Tamil Nadu and also in Amaravathi village, Guntur district.[8] Swami Vipulananda has written a book of scientific research in Tamil called the Yazh Nool.[9]

The city of Jaffna is known in Tamil as Yazhpanam. A Sri Lankan Tamil legend recounts that a blind man Panan played on the Yazh so beautiful that he was given a land from a king, which he called after himself, literally meaning "town of harper".[10][11][12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Musical instruments played in India". Chapter of SPICMACAY, Cornell University. Retrieved 16 November 2011. 
  2. ^ "Celebrating unheard melodies". The Hindu. India. 25 December 2010. 
  3. ^ Tamil Literature Society, Academy of Tamil Culture (1966). Tamil Literature Society, Xavier S. Thani Nayagam, Academy of Tamil Culture, eds. Tamil culture. Tamil (Indic people) (in English and Tamil). Volume 12. Academy of Tamil Culture. pp. 208, 209. 
  4. ^ Rangarajan, Haripriya (2001). Haripriya Rangarajan; G. Kamalakar; A. K. V. S. Reddy; M. Veerender; K. Venkatachalam, eds. Jainism: art, architecture, literature & philosophy. Religion / Jainism (in English and Tamil). Sharada Pub. House,. pp. 372 pages(page:142). ISBN 9788185616773. 
  5. ^ "Musical Instruments - 2". Government Museum, Chennai, India. Retrieved 16 November 2011. 
  6. ^ "Musical Instruments - 3". Government Museum, Chennai, India. Retrieved 16 November 2011. 
  7. ^ "On the basics of conservation". The Hindu. India. 4 December 2009. 
  8. ^ "Recreating treasures of the past". The Hindu. India. 26 December 2007. 
  9. ^ "One hundred Tamils of the 20th century: Swami Vipulananda (1892–1947)". 
  10. ^ Pārlimēntuva, Ceylon (1957-01-01). Ceylon Sessional Papers. Government Press. 
  11. ^ Katiresu, Subramanier (2004-01-01). A Hand Book to the Jaffna Peninsula and a Souvenir of the Opening of the Railway to the North. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 9788120618725. 
  12. ^ Rasanayagam, C.; Rasanayagam, Mudaliyar C. (1993-01-01). Ancient Jaffna: Being a Research Into the History of Jaffna from Very Early Times to the Portuguese Period. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 9788120602106. 
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