Norwegian metalhead falls in love with Mongolian horsehead fiddle

陈小将

The first time he heard the Mongolian horsehead fiddle, heavy metal fan Edward Berger Vennesland Messelt fell in love with the instrument.

"There are similar musical instruments in Norway, but they can only produce simple music, and their sounds are far less rich than the horsehead fiddle," said Messelt, a 34-year-old Norwegian. He came to China three years ago to study Chinese, economics, and management at Peking University and Zhejiang University.

About a year and a half ago, he visited his girlfriend's hometown in Qian Gorlos Mongolian autonomous county of Songyuan city, Jilin province. He met Bai Sugulang, an inheritor of the provincial-level craft of making horsehead fiddles.

Messelt became Bai's apprentice and learned to make the instrument under his guidance.

"The process of making horsehead fiddles is not overly complex, but it requires delicacy," said Bai. "The carving and sound must be exquisite so we can see the true craftsmanship in the smallest details. It takes one or two months to make a good fiddle."

Bai is impressed by Messelt's dedication. The pupil has attended daily afternoon lessons for the last year, never missing a class.

Messelt plans to return to Norway in the second half of this year when he completes his studies. He intends to stockpile wood to make horsehead fiddles.

"The maple trees grow slowly due to the cold weather in Norway, making the wood quality excellent and very suitable for making fiddles," he said. "I also want to bring the craft back to Norway and teach others about it."

The horsehead fiddle is a stringed instrument of the Mongolian group, named for the horse head carved at the top of the neck. The neck and soundbox are mostly made of wood or leather, while the strings and bow are made from horsehair.