Kleketas: Lithuanian folk instrument

A wooden kleketas as a Lithuanian signal idiophone

Instrument family

Other instruments

Type

Shaken idiophone, herdsmen, Lent, calendar festivals, hunting beaters

Source status

well attested

Names and variants

klebetas, klegetas

What is kleketas?

Kleketas, also called klebetas, klegetas, or taškalas, is a Lithuanian shaken idiophone. Its sound is a short, dry clack, so it is primarily a signal and rhythm instrument rather than a melodic one.

It belongs to idiophones born in everyday and ritual settings. Its task was practical: to attract attention, warn, call people together, or mark ritual time.

Construction and sound

Kleketas consists of a board about 20 cm long and 10 cm wide with a handle in the middle and 1 or 2 wooden beaters attached at the top. When the handle is swung, the beaters strike the board. It is made from ash, maple, linden, spruce, or pine.

The sounds are short, dry, and easy to recognize. The speed and rhythm of striking create a characteristic clacking that can warn people or add rhythmic color to group music.

History and tradition

Until the first half of the twentieth century, kleketas was used by herdsmen, night watchmen, and children; during winter and spring calendar festivals, musicians, masked performers, and lalauninkai also used it. Tradition links kleketas with rituals meant to drive away evil supernatural beings.

It is still used in hunting as a sound tool for beaters and in Catholic churches during Lent instead of bells and small handbells. After its ritual sound meaning faded, it also became an instrument of rhythmic color.

Kleketas today

Since the second half of the twentieth century, kleketas has been used in folklore ensembles and village bands, adding rhythmic color to group music. Many peoples have similar instruments.

Kleketas shows how a ritual signal object can survive as a musical instrument: the same clacking that once drove evil away now enters the rhythm.

Kleketas: frequently asked questions

How does kleketas work?

It has a board with a handle and 1-2 wooden beaters. When the handle is swung, the beaters strike the board and produce short, dry clacks.

What was kleketas used for?

Until the first half of the twentieth century it was used by herdsmen, night watchmen, children, calendar-festival musicians, and masked performers. Its sound was believed to drive away evil supernatural beings.

Why was kleketas used in church?

In Catholic churches it was used during Lent instead of bells and handbells when bells fall silent from Holy Thursday. This is one of its ritual uses.

How is kleketas different from terkšlė?

Kleketas has a board, swinging handle, and beaters. Terkšlė has a toothed cylinder and slats that slap against it, producing a continuous rattle, while kleketas gives separate clacks.

Is kleketas used today?

Yes. Since the second half of the twentieth century it has been used by folklore ensembles and village bands as a rhythmic-color instrument, and it is still used in hunting.