Hand-carved Gourd Rattle Medium Hummingbird

Due to the handmade nature the rattle you will receive may differ from the rattles in the images. They may have a different animal or pattern on the back. For the price you will receive ONE rattle.

The gourd rattle is described as the sound of Creation. The creation stories tell of the first sound, a shimmering sound, which went out in all directions; this was the sound of “the Creator’s thoughts.”

The seeds of the gourd rattle embody the voice of the Creator since they are the source of newly created life. The seeds within the rattle scatter the illusions of the conscious mind, planting seeds of pure and clear mind.

In South America, the shaman’s rattle is a most sacred instrument. The rattle is believed to embody the sacred forces of the cosmos through its sounds, structural features, contents, and connection to shamanic trance.

The various parts of the rattle also symbolize the structures of the world. The handle is the vertical axis that ascends into the Celestial Realm. The Upper World is represented by the rattle’s great head-gourd, which contains spirits. Joining the head of the rattle to the handle symbolizes the joining of masculine and feminine elements in the universe, an act of fertilization that bestows the sound of the instruments creative shamanic power.

From a shamanic perspective, care-taking the rattle and playing it properly during ritual fulfills the destiny of the human spirit – to sustain the order of existence.

The repetitive sound of the rattle, like that of the drum, helps induce trance states. The shaking of rattles creates high-pitched frequencies that complement the low frequencies of drumbeats.

The high tones of rattles resonate in the upper parts of the body and head. The low tones of drums act primarily on the abdomen, chest, and organs of balance while stimulating an impulse toward movement.

Rattles stimulate higher frequency nerve pathways in the cerebral cortex than do drums. This higher frequency input supplements the low-frequency drumbeats, thereby boosting the total sonic effect. Try a rattle and drum shamanic journey.

HUMMINGBIRD
The hummingbird teaches us to laugh and enjoy the creation, to appreciate the magic of being alive and the truth of beauty.

Hummingbirds awaken us to the beauty of the present moment. As they dance the four quarters of embodied existence, they bring us medicine to solve the riddle of duality. They also awaken us to the medicinal properties of plants.

SHIPIBO-CONIBO TRIBE
The Shipibo-Conibo are an indigenous people along the Ucayali River in the Amazon rainforest in Perú. Formerly two groups, the Shipibo (apemen) and the Conibo (fishmen), they eventually became one distinct tribe through intermarriage and communal ritual and are currently known as the Shipibo-Conibo people.

FEATHERS
All feathers are naturally molted, cruelty-free, cleaned and sanitized.

These items are completely handmade by a family of the Shipibo tribe, in the Amazon jungle of Peru. The items they make are always of a high quality and completely unique. I am committed to giving more than a fair trade price for each item made. This is a great way for us all to support the indigenous communities of the world whilst providing a way for tribes to hold onto their traditions.

Length – Approx 28cm
Width – Approx 21 – 25cm