The History and Evolution of the Rainstick. From Ritual Tool to Musical Instrument
A rainstick, or a rainmaker, is a musical instrument that produces the sound of falling rain. Typically, it is a hollow tube filled with small beads or pebbles and features small pins or thorns on the inside surface. When held upright and tilted, the beads fall down the tube, creating a sound similar to rain falling on a tin roof.
It is believed that the Mapuche invented the rainstick as a way to bring about rainstorms, and it was later found on the Chilean coasts. The Diaguita peoples of northern Chile and Argentina make many of the rain sticks sold today, and it is thought that the instrument may have originated in this area as a ritual tool to bring rain to the deserts. Rainsticks are typically made from species of cactus, which are dried in the sun, with spines removed and pebbles or other small objects placed inside before being sealed.
Similar instruments can be found in Southeast Asia, Australia, and Africa, but the materials used to construct them vary depending on locally available resources. The rainstick may have evolved from the tubular rattle, a percussive instrument with a tubular body that has been cited as being used by natives of Panama, Ecuador, the Amazon, and Northern Mexico. The rainstick has become a popular item in trade and music, and some believe that the technology was developed as early as 1537 by slaves captured in West Africa who then carried the instruments to their new homes in Central and South America. Others suggest that the rain stick remained in obscurity until it was introduced into popular Mexican music in the 1960s.
Despite the uncertain history of the rainstick, it has become widely used as an educational tool in the United States, with many schools and museums encouraging young children to explore Native American history and build motor skills by constructing their own rainstick. However, the burgeoning rainstick industry in Chile poses a threat to the Echinopsis chiloensis, a species of cactus sometimes used in artisanal rainstick production.
There are numerous modern Rainmaker toys (also called Twirly Whirly Rainshaker, Rainfall or Rattle Tube), available for children that are based on the traditional ones in terms of their working principle. However, these rattle toys have been given a simpler and brighter modern design and are made from materials such as plastic or wood. They come in different sizes ranging from 8 to 40 inches and are often partially transparent, filled with colorful plastic beads. When the toy is turned, these beads roll down through colorful panels of various shapes, much like in the original rainmakers, creating the soothing sound of falling rain.
Compared to traditional rainmakers, these sensory toys are more sturdy and durable. They not only create calming sounds, but are also pleasant and entertaining for children to watch. As a result, they are often used in early childhood development programs such as Montessori, as they support cognitive and sensory development, develop hand-eye coordination and auditory skills, and promote a sense of rhythm. They are also used as a soothing and educational toy for children with Autism and in Orff ensembles and musical classes alongside other instruments.
Rainmakers are not only musical instruments with origins in Latin America, but they also have a significant story associated with them, as told by Carl Jung. The story takes place during a period of severe drought where Richard Wilhelm lived, and despite the efforts of the Catholics and Protestants through prayers and processions, and the Chinese with joss-sticks and guns to scare away the drought demons, no rain came. Finally, the Chinese decided to bring in a rain-maker from another province, an old man who asked only for a quiet place to stay for three days. On the fourth day, a snow-storm unexpectedly appeared, and Wilhelm went to ask the rain-maker how he did it. When asked how he made the snow, the rain-maker replied that he did not make the snow and was not responsible for it. He explained that he came from a country where things were in order and that since the country was not in Tao, he had to wait three days until he was back in Tao, and then naturally, the rain came. This story highlights the concept of harmony and balance in nature and how, when things are not in order, it can disrupt the natural order of things.
Picture from https://buggyandbuddy.com/