Morin Khuur
The morin khuur, the horse-head fiddle, is the two-stringed instrument of Mongolia whose scroll is carved as a horse's head, whose strings and bow are of horsehair, and whose sound is held to imitate the breath and song of the horse. The classic origin legend tells of a herdsman whose beloved horse was killed by a treacherous lord; from the horse's skull, skin, mane, and tail the man made the first fiddle, so that the animal's spirit would sing on. The instrument carries a deep spiritual charge: it is played in homes, at ceremonies, and at the Naadam festival, and traditional players observed