When visiting Austria and Germany recently, I encountered many cowbells. They were used as decorations in a variety of ways, sold in many stores and in multiple sizes, and hung around the necks of cows in the fields. As we rode the bus between Salzburg and Munich, I wondered about the origin of the cowbell and what its actual function was.
I was fascinated to discover there is actually a complex history behind the cowbell. Yes, they were used originally on cows, so the name cowbell is not just a clever name, it comes from its functionality. Starting as early as the 1300s, farmers would hang a bell on their most valuable cows in the herd. After realizing there was benefit in hearing where their cows were, they began to hang bells on all of their cows, often using differently tuned bells based on the cow’s size.1 The larger the cow the bigger the bell; the largest cow often wearing the deepest-sounding bell. When wearing bells, the cows were free to roam the Alps in the warmer months, and the clatter of the bells warned off predators.
The cowbell also plays a role in cattle drives of the fall in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. For specifics, see my blog Party ‘Cause the Cows Came Home. Cows are adorned with flowered headdresses and wreaths along with their cowbells and are paraded through towns as they are brought back down from the Alps into their fields for the fall and winter months. Townsfolk and tourists gather to celebrate this occasion with festivals, food, and of course, beer.
Currently, the cowbell is still used in this manner in these countries, but is also an iconic symbol of the Alpine region and can be seen as a decoration around homes and stores. At many sporting events around the world you can hear cowbells being rung to cheer on someone’s favorite athlete or team as they are the perfect noise maker and ring loud and clear in different octaves.
Cowbells are also used as traditional musical instruments (Alpenglocken), tuned to 13 different pitches in one-octave sets. In modern orchestras, however, the cowbell has lost some of the flare of its predecessors. It has a more boxy shape and is usually black or silver. Instead of ringing it, a percussionist strikes it with a drumstick. It can only play one note but based on where it is struck, it can produce different tambers. Because I play the oboe with a local civic orchestra and we played this piece a couple of years ago, I I know you can hear the cowbell very clearly in the first movement of Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, Prologue.2 The modern cowbell has been and is still used in many band and orchestra musical pieces.
Next time you’re watching your niece or nephew’s band concert, check out the table in the back and you’re sure to see one. My guess is if you visit an elderly relative, especially one of European descent, you’ll find one hanging in the kitchen or near the back door. You’ll almost always hear one at a sporting event. And now, you won’t stop seeing them if you find yourself strolling the streets of Vienna, Germany, or Switzerland.
Where have you seen a cowbell that you didn’t think you would? Share it here or
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1.https://thegermanvillageshop.com.au/blogs/news/cow-bells-and-their-origins
2.Bernstein, Leonard. West Side Story scene and musical sequence outlines, draft scripts, song lists, lyrics. 1955. Manuscript/Mixed Materials.
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