Military drums

{{Short description|Drums used for military purposes}} {{For|the song by Hubert Kah|Military Drums (song)}} {{For|the movie|War Drums}}

'''Military drums''' or '''war drums''' are all kinds of drums and membranophones that have been used for martial music, including military communications, as well as drill, honors music, and military ceremonies.

==History== Among ancient war drums that can be mentioned, the junjung was used by the Serer people in West Africa. The ''Rigveda'' describes the war drum as the fist of Indra.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rigvedaanalysis.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/origins-of-the-war-drum/|title=Origins of the War Drum?|date=28 January 2012|publisher=|accessdate=12 October 2018|archive-date=12 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012175500/https://rigvedaanalysis.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/origins-of-the-war-drum/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In Europe during the Early Middle Ages, the Byzantine Empire made use of military drums to indicate marching and rowing cadence,<ref>Pryor-Jeffries, ''The Age of the ΔΡΟΜΩΝ: The Byzantine Navy ca 500-1204.'' Brill, 2006. {{ISBN|978-904740993-9}}</ref> as well as a psychological weapon on the battlefield since the Late Antiquity.<ref>Leo VI tr. Dennis, ''The Taktika of Leo VI: Revised Edition.''Dumbarton Oaks, 2014. {{ISBN|978-0884023944}}</ref> However, in Western Europe, military drums were little observed until the time of the Crusades<ref name =Norris>John Norris, ''Marching to the Drums: A History of Military Drums and Drummers.'' Stround, Gloucestershire : Spellmount, 2012. {{ISBN|978-0752468792}}</ref> (p. 19) <ref>David Nicolle, ''Medieval Warfare Source Book.'' London 1995-6.</ref> Western European armies likely first encountered drums used by Byzantine and Islamic military forces, the latter of whom used primarily their traditional kettledrums and in battle found that the sound would particularly affect the Crusaders' horses, which had not encountered them. By the early 13th century, Crusading armies began to adopt military drums and brought back the practice to the West.

The snare drum in particular began to be used in 13th-century Europe to rally troops, and to demoralize the enemy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mediahistory.umn.edu/archive/wardrums.html |title=Who Used War Drums? : Media History Project : U of M |accessdate=2012-10-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413041550/http://www.mediahistory.umn.edu/archive/wardrums.html |archivedate=2013-04-13 }} University of Minnesota on war drums</ref>

==Use for military signaling== A military tattoo was originally a drum signal for the soldiers' curfew. Other uses for military drums have been recruiting and calling for a parley.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sedona.wrytestuff.com/swa25766.htm |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2012-10-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064705/http://sedona.wrytestuff.com/swa25766.htm |archivedate=2016-03-04 }}</ref>

The Ancient Fife and Drum Corps and modern drum corps have been used by early modern armies for signaling and ceremonies. They were occasionally played by drummer boys in conflicts such as the American Civil War.

==Early modern warfare== From the early 16th century onwards, drums became the usual means of passing orders on the European battlefield. Infantry and dragoons (mounted infantry) used side drums and heavy-cavalry kettle drums for that purpose in early modern warfare. Key signals by multiple or single drummers included "general, call, prepare, march, assemble, advance, retreat, etc."<ref>Page 599 Vol. 8, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Eleventh Edition.</ref>

==Final use in battle== At the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, drums were still in use on active service by some of the more conservative European military forces. They included the Austro-Hungarian Army, whose infantry carried aluminium drums painted in pike grey during the early weeks of combat. The unsuitability of such musical instruments for modern warfare was quickly realised, and in September 1914, the drums were withdrawn, with the drummers transferred to other duties.<ref>{{cite book|first=Peter|last=Jung|page=44|title=The Austro-Hungarian Forces in World War I (1)|date=20 May 2003 |publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=1-84176-594-5}}</ref>

==Civilian music== Eventually, snare drums and timpani have been adopted into civilian classical and popular music.

==Metaphor== In modern times, the term ''war drums'' is used as a metaphor for preparation for war.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-18016901|title=China bangs the war drum over South China Sea|first=Damian|last=Grammaticas|work=BBC News|date=10 May 2012|publisher=|accessdate=12 October 2018|archive-date=12 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012141846/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-18016901|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article34986.html|title=Ron Paul on Washington's War Drums for Syria :: The Market Oracle ::|first=Market Oracle|last=Ltd|website=www.marketoracle.co.uk|accessdate=12 October 2018|archive-date=12 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012175422/http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article34986.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/dec/06/iran-war-drums-terry-jones|title=War drums are beating for Iran. But who's playing them? - Terry Jones|first=Terry|last=Jones|date=6 December 2011|website=The Guardian|accessdate=12 October 2018|archive-date=12 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012214436/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/dec/06/iran-war-drums-terry-jones|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References== <references/>

Category:Drums Category:Membranophones Category:Battle drums Category:Military music Category:Military equipment