sistrum

The sistrum is a musical instrument of the percussion family used mainly in ancient Egypt. It consists of a U- or rectangular-shaped metal frame mounted on a handle, with a row of suspended metal discs or beads. When shaken, the discs strike the frame, producing a bright rattling sound. Variants exist with different numbers of discs and with frames made of bronze, copper alloy, or occasionally gilded metal.

Historically, the sistrum is closely associated with temple ritual and cult, especially the goddess Hathor, who is frequently depicted holding or playing the instrument. It was used in processions, offerings, and purification rites, with the sound believed to attract, appease, or invite divine presence and to ward off evil. In art and inscriptions the sistrum is a common attribute of Hathor and other deities, and it appears in tomb scenes as a symbol of ritual activity. In addition to religious use, the instrument appears in broader ceremonial contexts and in later Mediterranean cultures.

The English term “sistrum” comes from Latin sistrum, via Greek sistron, borrowed from the ancient Egyptian word for the instrument. The Egyptian sistrum is one of the best-documented ancient rattles, and its form influenced later ritual rattles in the region.