The Bullroarer Atlas

186 records · Europe

Bullroarer records — Europe

Bullroarer record pages from Europe, grouped by present-day country. Each page keeps the record text, source line, image credit, and a link back to the same point on the interactive map.

Austria 2

  1. Schletz cattle-scapula platec. 5000 BC - Weinviertel / Lower Austria, Asparn an der Zaya-Schletz - Function not recorded
  2. Tischofer perforated bone needlec. 38,000–32,000 BC or 2200–1600 BC - Tyrol / Kaisergebirge / Kaisertal above Kufstein - Function not recorded

Belgium 2

  1. Belgian planchette ronflante (MIM 2295)Belgium (locality unrecorded) - Play / practical
  2. Gent rib snorrebotc. 800–1100 AD - East Flanders / Gent, corner of Gouvernementstraat and Borreputsteeg - Function not recorded

Bosnia and Herzegovina 3

  1. Saw-toothed perforated bullroarerc. 6000–5350 BC - Bosnia-Herzegovina (site unresolved; probably Obre, Kakanj) - Function not recorded
  2. Donja Dolina perforated whetstonesc. 1200–1 BC - Donja Dolina pile-dwelling, Sava riverbed near Bosanska Gradiška - Function not recorded
  3. Mahrevići perforated whetstoneAfter c. 250 BC - Mahrevići tumulus, Čajniče district - Function not recorded

Bulgaria 1

  1. Bulgarian bramkalo bullroarerBulgaria - Play / practical

Croatia 9

  1. Vodnjan la sfronda bullroarerDignano / Vodnjan, Istria - Play / practical
  2. Buje boyhood bullroarer (Vigini reconstruction)Buie / Buje, Istrian Carso - Play / practical
  3. Cittanova Novigrad la fionda bullroarerCittanova / modern Novigrad / Istria - Play / practical
  4. Porec coa de la cagnea bullroarerParenzo / Porec, Istria - Play / practical
  5. Rovinj la bus de la viecia bullroarerRovigno / Rovinj, Istria - Play / practical
  6. Portole (Oprtalj) romboInland Istria - Play / practical
  7. Lake Arsa herders livestock-driving bullroarerLake Arsa / modern Cepicko polje below Ucka / Istria - Play / practical
  8. Smilčići bone platec. 6000–5500 BC - Smilčići / northern Dalmatia - Function not recorded
  9. Vrbnik grmavica-germjavica bull-roarer, Krk Island (Et 9765a-e)Krk Island (Bodulija), Primorje-Gorski Kotar - Function not recorded

Czech Republic 1

  1. Pavlovian rhombe — the sourced 'oldest bullroarer' claimc. 22,000 BC - Moravia; Pavlovian (eastern Gravettian) - Function not recorded

Denmark 1

  1. Kongemose bone bullroarerc. 6500 BC - Aamose / western Zealand - Function not recorded

Estonia 1

  1. Estonian vuristi / vuripuu, Karja parishKarja parish, Saaremaa - Play / practical

Finland 1

  1. Nivala suhistuspuu herding bull-roarer (K7145:6)Pohjois-Pohjanmaa (North Ostrobothnia) / Nivala - Play / practical

France 21

  1. Fontalès engraved bone bladec. 12,000–9000 BC - Tarn-et-Garonne / Aveyron valley; Magdalenian V - Function not recorded
  2. Abri de Laugerie Basse Magdalenian bullroarerc. 15,000–9000 BC - Dordogne / Les Eyzies - Function not recorded
  3. Badegoule Palaeolithic bullroarerc. 23,000–17,000 BC - Dordogne - Function not recorded
  4. Bearn hurrumbo pastoral bullroarerBearn / Pyrenees - Play / practical
  5. Bourrouilla (Arancou) cavec. 15,000–9000 BC - Magdalenian middle to final, Pyrenees-Atlantiques - Sacred / spirit
  6. Château-Chervix Rofla bullroarer photographLimousin / Haute-Vienne / Château-Chervix - Function not recorded
  7. Medieval European Holy-Spirit bullroarer emblemLanguedoc (medieval Albigensian Europe) - Sacred / spirit
  8. Grotte des Eyzies wolverine blade (BM Palart.102)c. 12,000–9000 BC - Dordogne / Les Eyzies; Magdalenian final attribution - Function not recorded
  9. Brassempouy serpentiform ivory bladec. 29,500–26,500 BC - Landes / Grotte du Pape; Middle Gravettian reassessment - Function not recorded
  10. Le Placard antler ovaloidc. 24,000–9000 BC - Charente / Vilhonneur - Function not recorded
  11. Isturitz cave Magdalenian bramaderasc. 15,000–12,000 BC - Pyrenees-Atlantiques / Isturitz level II; Middle Magdalenian - Function not recorded
  12. La Roche de Birol Magdalenian bullroarerc. 13,000–11,000 BC - Dordogne - Function not recorded
  13. La Vache cavec. 13,000 BC - Magdalenian final, Ariege - Sacred / spirit
  14. Le Morin cavec. 12,000–9000 BC - Magdalenian final, Gironde - Sacred / spirit
  15. Commensacq Guidanson burrumbe rhombeLandes / Gascogne - Weather / fertility magic
  16. Lespugue Solutrean bullroarerc. 22,000–17,000 BC - Haute-Garonne / Pyrenees - Function not recorded
  17. Lortet cavec. 13,000–9000 BC - Magdalenian IV-VI (Hautes-Pyrenees) - Sacred / spirit
  18. Raymonden bramadera fragmentc. 13,000–9000 BC - Dordogne / Chancelade; Magdalenian superior - Function not recorded
  19. Saint Marcel Magdalenian bullroarer pendantc. 17,000–14,500 BC - Saint-Marcel, Indre - Function not recorded
  20. Saint-Hippolyte childhood rhombeSaint-Hippolyte, Charente-Maritime - Play / practical
  21. Villefranche-de-Lauragais fish-tailed rhombeHaute-Garonne / Lauragais - Play / practical

France / Spain 1

  1. Basque burruna and furrunfarra bullroarerBasque Country / Alava, Lekeitio, Sara - Play / practical

Germany 14

  1. Bagow whirring bladec. 9600–4000 BC - Brandenburg / former Kreis Brandenburg - Function not recorded
  2. Black Forest (Germany) Schläzel bull-roarerBlack Forest / Schwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg - Play / practical
  3. Gützlaffshagen children's SchwirrholzGut Gutzlafshagen / modern Gutzlaffshagen near Garz / Rugen - Play / practical
  4. Stolzenau childhood SchwirrholzStolzenau / Kingdom of Hanover / modern Lower Saxony - Play / practical
  5. Burgwall whirring bladec. 9600–4000 BC - Brandenburg / former Kreis Gransee - Function not recorded
  6. Döberitz whirring bladec. 9600–4000 BC - Brandenburg / Havelland, former Kreis Rathenow - Function not recorded
  7. Fernewerder decorated whirring bladec. 9600–4000 BC - Brandenburg / former Kreis Nauen - Function not recorded
  8. Gadebusch Schwirrplättchen (decorated bone plate)c. 600–300 BC - Mecklenburg / Gadebusch - Function not recorded
  9. Hohen Viecheln whirring devicec. 9000–7000 BC - Mecklenburg / former Kreis Wismar - Function not recorded
  10. Pritzerber See Late Paleolithic bone bull-roarerc. 14,000–10,000 BC - Pritzerber See, Havelland; Late Paleolithic (14000-10000 v. Chr.) - Function not recorded
  11. Satzkorn whirring bladec. 9600–4000 BC - Brandenburg / former Kreis Potsdam - Function not recorded
  12. Stellmoor Ahrensburg reindeer-bone bullroarerc. 10,900–9700 BC - Northern Germany / Ahrensburg culture - Function not recorded
  13. Vogelherd perforated ivory batonc. 38,000–32,000 BC - Lone Valley / Swabian Jura, Baden-Württemberg - Function not recorded
  14. Wustermark plain whirring bladec. 9600–4000 BC - Brandenburg / Havelland - Function not recorded

Greece 3

  1. Ancient Greek Dionysiac rhombosRestricted
  2. Athenian Sabazios mysteries (Glaukothea / Aeschines)Classical Athens, mid-4th c. BC - Restricted
  3. Modern Greek vouga bullroarerGreece; country-wide folk-instrument attestation, locality unrecorded - Play / practical

Hungary 2

  1. Hajdúszoboszló board zúgattyúHajdú district, Kingdom of Hungary - Play / practical
  2. Kissziget (Goecsej) whip-mounted zugattyuZala county (Goecsej region) - Play / practical

Ireland 2

  1. Loughcrew Cairn H perforated bone slips165–55 BC - Co. Meath / Sliabh na Caillí (Loughcrew), Carnbane West; Iron Age deposit in a Neolithic passage tomb - Function not recorded
  2. Maynooth roarer among homemade toysIrish Folklife Collection / Maynooth donor metadata - Play / practical

Italy 23

  1. Ales frúsciu reconstruction (Sardinia)Ales (Zeppara), Oristano, Sardinia - Play / practical
  2. Amaseno moscono, Monti LepiniLazio / Monti Lepini - Play / practical
  3. Badia Polesine: the roarer called 'la mort'Badia Polesine region, Rovigo (Veneto), c. 1880 - Function not recorded
  4. Giugliano fru-fru bullroarerCampania - Play / practical
  5. Marzi whip-handled bullroarerCalabria / Cosenza - Play / practical
  6. Petriolo svendolaMarche / Macerata - Play / practical
  7. Friulian plain el tuto bullroarerFriuli / Aquileia, Ronchi, Cervignano - Play / practical
  8. Trieste la striga bullroarerTrieste / Rozzol-Settefontane - Play / practical
  9. Venice el motor bullroarerVenice / Cannaregio - Play / practical
  10. Castelluccio bossed bone plaquec. 2150–1650 BC - Val di Noto / province of Syracuse, Sicily - Function not recorded
  11. Ceneselli rombo with a pig boneCeneselli, Alto Polesine, Rovigo (Veneto) - Function not recorded
  12. Baravitalla three-boss bone plaquec. 2150–1650 BC - Cava d'Ispica / province of Ragusa, Sicily - Sacred / spirit
  13. Vallebona (Macerata) vendolaMarche / Macerata - Play / practical
  14. Gavoi burriburri (frusciu)Sardinia / Barbagia - Play / practical
  15. Mistretta Sicily lapuni Holy Week bullroarerSicily / Messina Province - Sacred / spirit
  16. Upper Illasi valley surla a manVeneto / Lessinia - Play / practical
  17. Piedmont folk romboPiedmont (Riva presso Chieri; Cambiano) - Play / practical
  18. Poffabro rombo (spatola)Friuli / Val Colvera - Play / practical
  19. Riparo Gaban bone fish plaquec. 4080–4040 BC - Trentino / Adige valley - Function not recorded
  20. Rome bone feather-bladeRome (collecting locality; no findspot, no period assigned) - Function not recorded
  21. Sant'Andrea Ionio Holy Week bullroarerCalabria / Catanzaro Ionian coast - Sacred / spirit
  22. Sora / Ciociaria je mesconeLazio / Ciociaria - Play / practical
  23. Modena frullo, the swineherds' whirled boneModena countryside, Emilia - Play / practical

Latvia 2

  1. Cēsis Castle rib rūcamkauliņi12th–19th centuries AD - Vidzeme / Livonia - Play / practical
  2. Riga Alksnāja Street rib bullroarer13th–17th centuries AD - Riga old town - Play / practical

Lithuania 1

  1. Lithuanian brūklys herders' bullroarerLithuania (country-level) - Play / practical

Netherlands 12

  1. Alkmaar brommer (bullroarer)North Holland / Alkmaar - Play / practical
  2. Amsterdam Damrak rib snorrebottenc. 1200–1700 AD - Amsterdam / Damrak / Noord-Zuidlijn excavation - Function not recorded
  3. Voorstraat snorrebot stripc. 1650–1750 AD - South Holland / Dordrecht, Leeuwenburg-Mijnsherenherberg on the Voorstraat - Function not recorded
  4. Groningen snorrebotGroningen province (NE-Netherlands dialect belt) - Play / practical
  5. Groot Olmen antler snorrebotc. 475–600 AD - Zuid-Kennemerland dunes / North Holland - Function not recorded
  6. Huis Dever snorrebotc. 1600–1750 AD - South Holland / Lisse, Huis (Huys) Dever - Play / practical
  7. Middenbeemster Keyserkerk bone snorrebotc. 1615–1867 AD - North Holland / Beemster polder - Play / practical
  8. Schagen two-hole snorrebotc. 1600–1625 AD - North Holland / Schagen - Function not recorded
  9. Portegies snorrebotc. 1600–1700 AD - North Holland / Beverwijk, Portegies - Play / practical
  10. Schellinkhout half-drilled snorrebotc. 1600–1700 AD - North Holland / Drechterland - Play / practical
  11. Tilburg-Kraaiven Late Mesolithic zoemsteenc. 5500 BC - North Brabant / Tilburg-Kraaiven - Function not recorded
  12. Utrecht Wittevrouwenstraat rib snorrebot pairBefore c. 1550 AD; c. 1640–1914 AD - Utrecht / city centre - Play / practical

Norway 5

  1. Madla snorlebein (Norsk Folkemuseum NF.1964-0080)Rogaland / Stavanger - Play / practical
  2. Normannsvika slate bladec. 4500–4240 BC - Finnmark / Melkøya, Hammerfest - Function not recorded
  3. Norway fishermen wind-protection bullroarersNorwegian fjords - Weather / fertility magic
  4. Stunner brummerc. 8500 BC - Follo / Akershus (now Nordre Follo), Southeast Norway - Function not recorded
  5. Tuv Saltstraumen shale bullroarerc. 3040–2620 BC - Nordland / Saltstraumen - Function not recorded

Poland 2

  1. Ratzebuhr Schwirrholz survivalRatzebuhr / Kreis Neustettin / Hinterpommern / modern Okonek - Play / practical
  2. West Prussia Marienwerder SchwirrholzWest Prussia - Play / practical

Poland / Ukraine 1

  1. Galicia San River bzik bullroarerGalicia / San River - Play / practical

Portugal 1

  1. Portugal zunas harvest tabooPortugal - Play / practical

Romania 5

  1. Cuina Turcului decorated antler plaquec. 12,700–11,000 cal BC - Iron Gates / Danube Gorges; Cuina Turcului rockshelter, Dubova, Mehedinti - Function not recorded
  2. Arad Maros zúgattyú bullroarerArad / Maros (Mures) embankment - Play / practical
  3. Torda bungatytyu shingle bullroarerTorda (Turda), Torda-Aranyos county, Transylvania - Play / practical
  4. Bucesti trench bullroarer, July 1917Siret front, Galati county - Play / practical
  5. Esztelnek Székely surrógtató bullroarerCovasna / Esztelnek (Estelnic) - Play / practical

Russia 2

  1. Kildin Sámi navv’t beast-howlerMurmansk Oblast / Kola Peninsula - Function not recorded
  2. Novgorod tanged whirring laths13th–14th centuries AD - Novgorod the Great (Sophia and Trade sides) - Function not recorded

Serbia 2

  1. Torzsa (Savino Selo) zúgó / WindbrummerBácska (Bács-Bodrog county), Kingdom of Hungary - Play / practical
  2. Vlasac wooden bullroarerc. 6300–5200 BC - Vlasac / Iron Gates (Đerdap), Danube Gorge - Function not recorded

Slovakia 1

  1. Slovak Malaczka-area toy SchwirrholzWest slope of the Little Carpathians around Malaczka (now Malacky) - Play / practical

Slovenia 9

  1. Koper el volo bullroarerCapodistria / Koper, Istria - Play / practical
  2. Postojna bullroarerPostumia / Postojna, Carniola - Play / practical
  3. Piran rullo bullroarerPirano / Piran, Istria - Play / practical
  4. Divje Babe perforated jaw fragmentc. 88,000–68,000 BC - Cerkno / Idrijca valley, western Slovenia - Function not recorded
  5. Mala Triglavca bone fish brnivkac. 10,000–5500 BC - Kras (Karst) plateau / Divača - Function not recorded
  6. Potočka perforated bone pointc. 33,000 BC - Potočka zijalka / eastern Karawanks - Function not recorded
  7. Potočka perforated rib fragmentc. 35,000–31,000 BC - Potočka zijalka / eastern Karawanks - Function not recorded
  8. Potočka perforated mandiblec. 33,000 BC - Potočka zijalka / eastern Karawanks - Function not recorded
  9. Slovenia brnivka bullroarerSlovenia - Play / practical

Spain 18

  1. Aitzbitarte IV cavec. 13,000–9000 BC - Magdalenian Cantabrian (Errenteria, Gipuzkoa) - Sacred / spirit
  2. Aizkoltxo engraved rib plaquec. 12,840–12,160 BC - Aizkoltxo Cave / Mendaro / Gipuzkoa - Function not recorded
  3. Altamira cave bramaderac. 22,000–17,000 BC - Cantabria / Altamira; advanced Solutrean or Magdalenian attribution debated - Function not recorded
  4. Bolinkoba cavec. 15,000–9000 BC - Magdalenian Cantabrian (Abadiño, Bizkaia) - Sacred / spirit
  5. Carballedo Lugo zoadeira bullroarerGalicia / Lugo / Carballedo - Play / practical
  6. Artajona shoe-polish-tin zumbaderasArtajona / Navarra - Play / practical
  7. Ciudad Rodrigo slate zumbaderaTierra de Ciudad Rodrigo / Salamanca - Play / practical
  8. El Valle cave zumbaderac. 13,000–9500 BC - Cantabria / Rasines; Upper Magdalenian level - Function not recorded
  9. Tito Bustillo rib spatulac. 15,800–15,400 BC - Asturias / Ribadesella / Ardines - Function not recorded
  10. El Cierro perforated plaquec. 18,000–16,500 BC - Asturias / Ribadesella / Fresno (Fresnu) - Function not recorded
  11. El Juyo fusiform bone fragmentc. 15,450–13,920 BC - El Juyo Cave / Cantabria - Function not recorded
  12. El Pendo Magdalenian bramaderac. 15,000–9000 BC - Cueva de El Pendo, Cantabria; Magdalenian attribution debated within the corpus - Function not recorded
  13. La Paloma cave Magdalenian bramaderac. 15,000–12,000 BC - Asturias / Soto de Las Regueras; Middle Magdalenian - Function not recorded
  14. León zumbador (bramadera)Leon / Castilla y Leon - Play / practical
  15. Llonín bone plaquec. 15,000–12,000 BC - Llonín Cave / Asturias - Function not recorded
  16. Navarre-Basque-Aragon brunzidorNavarre / Basque Country / Aragon - Play / practical
  17. Roncal Valley shepherdsEastern Navarre pastoral - Play / practical
  18. Burgos–Santander rutaderaProvinces of Burgos and Santander / Cantabria - Function not recorded

Sweden 3

  1. Luleå River Sámi Bieve Niila bull-roarer cave narrativeBASSEUK'SA / GANIIUK'SA, Small Lule River / Tarrekaise sacred-site narrative - Sacred / spirit
  2. Lund Helgonabacken bone vinareUndated - Lund / Skåne - Play / practical
  3. Scania Sweden bat-attracting bullroarer magicScania / Skåne - Sacred / spirit

Sweden / Norway (Finnskogen belt) 1

  1. Forest Finn seäntikku bull-roarer toy (SU5161:130)Värmland–Hedmark Finnskogen (Forest Finn settlement belt) - Play / practical

Switzerland 2

  1. Basel (Switzerland) fair bull-roarerBasel, Switzerland - Play / practical
  2. Swiss firlifurli / Schnurre, Ticino nameTicino / Switzerland-wide folk tradition - Play / practical

Ukraine 3

  1. Bzowica 'airplane game' bullroarerTernopil oblast / former Tarnopol voivodeship - Play / practical
  2. Ukraine 'oldest bullroarer' claim (Gregor) — supersededc. 17,000 BC - Ukraine, site not specified by Gregor - Function not recorded
  3. Ukrainian furkalo garden roarer (Volyn)Volyn / Kovel - Play / practical

United Kingdom 28

  1. Balham boy-made bullroarerBalham, Surrey (now London) - Play / practical
  2. North-east Ireland boomer bullroarerNorth-east Ireland - Play / practical
  3. East Derbyshire bummer bullroarerEast Derbyshire / England - Play / practical
  4. English country-boys bullroarer toyEngland - Play / practical
  5. English folk bullroarer, Suffolk (Lovett collection, NMAH)Suffolk, England - Play / practical
  6. Ashdown Forest English Hummer bullroarerEast Sussex / Ashdown Forest - Play / practical
  7. Bedford whizzing-stick bullroarerBedfordshire / Bedford - Play / practical
  8. Bristol carved bullroarerBristol - Play / practical
  9. Chichester Whizzing blade bullroarer pairWest Sussex / Chichester - Play / practical
  10. Clanfield serrated bullroarerOxfordshire / Clanfield - Play / practical
  11. Duxford Cambridgeshire serrated bullroarerCambridgeshire / Duxford - Play / practical
  12. Hemsby Norfolk Buzzer bullroarerNorfolk / Hemsby - Play / practical
  13. Ickleton Cambridgeshire Buzzer bullroarerCambridgeshire / Ickleton - Play / practical
  14. Needingworth Roaring bull bullroarerCambridgeshire / Needingworth - Play / practical
  15. St Paul's Parish Norwich Buzzer bullroarersNorfolk / Norwich / St Paul's Parish - Play / practical
  16. Nottingham notched bullroarerNottinghamshire / Nottingham - Play / practical
  17. Otterbourne copper bullroarerHampshire / Otterbourne near Winchester - Function not recorded
  18. Oxfordshire blade-and-stick pairOxfordshire, England - Play / practical
  19. St Ives bullroarer and Buzzer pairCambridgeshire / St Ives - Play / practical
  20. Tewkesbury whizzing stick bullroarerGloucestershire / Tewkesbury - Play / practical
  21. Woodbastwick Norfolk bullroarerNorfolk / Woodbastwick - Play / practical
  22. Cambridgeshire cattle-driving bullroarerCambridgeshire / Gamlingay or Over - Play / practical
  23. Glenviggan thunder-spadec. 200 BC–AD 65 - Glenviggan townland, Six Towns, Co. Londonderry, Northern Ireland - Function not recorded
  24. Montgomeryshire Wales remembered roarerMontgomeryshire / Wales - Play / practical
  25. Pin Hole Cave Gravettian bullroarer pendantc. 32,000–20,000 BC - Creswell Crags / Derbyshire - Function not recorded
  26. Scotland thunder-spell bullroarerScotland - Weather / fertility magic
  27. Thunner-spehl, whirled against thunderboltsScotland - Weather / fertility magic
  28. Torksey bone roarerc. AD 800–1000 - Torksey Viking Camp / Lincolnshire - Function not recorded

United Kingdom (Scotland) 1

  1. Argyllshire srannairArgyllshire (W Highlands); also seen in use in Edinburgh - Play / practical