Morin Khuur – Horse Headed Fiddle

Many instrument researchers believe that “ikel” the main instrument of the Western Mongolia is the origin of “Morin Khuur”. Later, the head of it was changed as a horse head and a wooden box covered by leather and arch playing it with its horse-tail made. The origin of “Morin Khuur” is still in use in the Western Mongolia. 

The shape of Morin Khuur box is rectangular and the head of it is made as a head of the horse. Which is the style of the Morin Khuur and the expression of the term of “Morin Khuur”.

The string is made of the tail of the horse. Morin Khuur has its own extraordinary features and the melodious sound. 

Morin Khuur is divided into 3 main pieces – neck, box and arc. In detail, it includes engraving of the horse head, tuners as ears, box, and strings from the top of the neck to top of the box, the wooden tool separating the string from the neck, and the arc.

The length of chords in Morin khuur is limited between F of the down octave and F of the 3rd octave.

The biggest sculpture of Morin Khuur is in Ulziit sum, Dundgobi province. The big one is of height of 7.5 meter, width of 1.5 meter, and thick of 40 centimeter. U.Ankhbayar and L.Tsogzol, masters of the engraving, made this big instrument and the head of it was made of craved wood, the string was made of black iron and the main body was made of heavy metal, and then the bronze of yellow color covered it.