What is the name of the rattle whirled by children at Purim and is it related to the old football rattles that used to be whirled by fans at soccer matches?
Question #57347. Asked by gmackematix.
eytank
Answer has 1 vote
eytank 20 year member
53 replies
Answer has 1 vote.
Grogger
May 23 2005, 7:10 PM
lanfranco
Answer has 1 vote
lanfranco 19 year member
4407 replies
Answer has 1 vote.
According to the Maven, they're called "graggers," which is probably a mere difference of transliteration. Since an alternative name for them is just "noise-makers," there may well be a relationship. I remember whirling something of this sort at American sports matches of one sort or another back in the late 60s.
May 23 2005, 8:17 PM
Arpeggionist
Answer has 2 votes
Arpeggionist 20 year member
2173 replies
Answer has 2 votes.
They are in fact the same instrument. And it is also used by several 20th-century composers in large orchestral works (Richard Strauss used it in Till Eulenspiegel to simulate mayhem in a town square). In Hebrew, the rattle is referred to as a "ra'ashan" ("ra'ash" is the word for loud noise).
May 24 2005, 12:35 AM
gmackematix
Answer has 1 vote
gmackematix 21 year member
3194 replies
Answer has 1 vote.
They seem to be called groggers, graggers, greggars or gregars. Why I'm not sure.
I think I'll pass on any concerto for football rattles though!
