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Bible Encyclopedias
SHAWM.
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or In the Prayer book version of Psalms 98:7, "with trumpets also and shawms" is the rendering of what stands in. the A.V. "with trumpets and sound of cornet." The Hebrew word translated "cornet" will be found treated under that head. The "shawm" was a musical instrument resembling the clarionet. The word occurs in the forms shalm, shalmie, and is connected with the German Schalmeie, a reed pipe.
"With shaumes and trompets, and with clarions sweet." Spenser, F. Q. 1, 12, 13.
"Even from the shrillest shaum unto the cornamnute."
Drayton, Polyolb. 4, 366. Mr. Chappell says (Pop. Mus. 1, 35, note b), "The modern clarionet is an improvement upon the shawm; which was played with a reed like the wayte, or hautboy, but, being a bass instrument, with about the compass of an octave, had probably more the tone of a bassoon." In the same note he quotes one of the "proverbis" written about the time of Henry VII on the walls of the Manor House at Leckingfield, near Beverley, Yorkshire
"A shawme maketh a swete sounde,
for he tunythe the basse;
It mountithe not to hye, but kepith rule and space.
Yet yf it be blowne with to vehement a wynde,
It makithe it to mysgoverne out of his kinde."
From a passage quoted by Nares (Glossary), it appears that the shawm had a mournful sound:
"He that never wants a Gilead full of balm For his elect,
shall tirn thy woful shalmn Into the merry pipe." G. Tooke, Belides, p. l8.
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'SHAWM.'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/s/shawm.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
