Go to the Home Page of Historical Folk Toys Catalog Continuation Page See Our Best Sellers

.

Catalog Navigation Legend

.
Page One
Kazoo
Jew's Harp (Jaw Harp)
Page Two
Harmonica in C
Plastic Recorder in C
.

 

.
Page Three
Penny Whistle in D
Lithographed Field Drum
Americana Field Drum
Page Four
Claves
.

 

.
Other Sections
Early Education
Classic Toys & Puzzles
Traditional Games
Home Crafts
Historical Doll Kits
Native American
Historical Books
Music Books
Index of Catalog Listings
.

Plastic Fife in C

.

Continued from product description on Folk Instruments' Page Two...

Historical Background: The fife is a wind instrument that is believed to have originated in China as early as 800 B.C. Also known as a "cross flute," or "traverse flute," the fife was introduced through Byzantium to Europe sometime during the 1100s. The fife soon became an important folk music instrument in the region east of the Rhine River.

The name "fife" came to be when German and Swiss peasants adopted this instrument into their cultures. Germans called their wind instrument "zwerchpfeiffen" (or "cross fife"), while the Swiss called it "schweitzerpfeiffen" (or "Swiss fife"). From these two countries, the fife's popularity spread to the rest of Europe during the later part of the Middle Ages.

Since Swiss army troops began using fifes in the early 1500s, they have been closely associated with military music. In wartime, Swiss military units used fifes and field drums for control and command purposes during military engagements. In 1534, the French army made a regulation that there would be two fifes and two drums for each company (1,000) of troops. By 1539, fifes and drums were being used in England at Christmas festivals. The use of fifes and drums were eventually adopted by the English army during the 1550s and 1560s. By this time, one could hear them played on theatrical stages in London as well as elsewhere in England.

Michael Praetorius described the Swiss fife in the 1600s as being two feet long and had a range from G1 of the 1st octave to C3 of the 3rd octave. During his reign, King James II (1685-1688) prohibited his English army from using fifes. The fife had other critics in England during this period. Oliver Cromwell called the fife a "profane instrument" and William Shakespeare -- in his plays "Othello" and "The Merchant of Venice" -- referred to the fife's "vile squealing" and "ear-piercing" qualities.

Even though it fell from grace in England, the fife continued to be a popular instrument with the German and French peoples. In 1745, the fife was reintroduced to the British Foot Guards by a young German fifer. No matter what an Englishman thought about the fife's sounds, it was still a very good instrument for helping soldiers march in cadence. Eventually, the fife was being used by other British army units. It was one of these British army units that brought fifes to Colonial America and introduced fifers to the colonists.

By 1764, fifes and "fife tutors" (instruction books) were being advertised in Boston newspapers. One of these newspapers would four years later report that "British troops landed and marched to the Boston Common with colors flying, drums beating, and fifes playing." After the Boston Tea Party on the night of December 16, 1773, the "Indians" marched home to "the spirited sounds of the fife." This historic event launched the fife's destiny that would not only make it a symbol of the American Revolutionary War, but also an icon of American independence.

The American Revolutionary War began in April, 1775, at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. The colonial "minutemen" who engaged British troops then had with them their fifes and drums. At Concord Bridge, a militia fifer played "The White Cockade." Later at Bunker Hill, colonial fifers and drummers played "Yankee Doodle" during their battle with the "redcoats."

In April, 1775, the newly appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, George Washington, issued orders that every militia company have one or two fifers and drummers. However, there was a shortage of these instruments in the Continental Army -- at least until the Continental Congress authorized fifes and drums for the army.

As a musical instrument, early American-made fifes were inferior due to the crude craftsmanship used to produce them. The superior fifes found in America were produced in Europe and usually came from England. One factor was American-made fifes often had burned (instead of drilled) blow holes and finger holes. Another was the fact that there were not many musical instrument makers in America yet. The instrument makers that did exist in America often chose to make flutes rather than fifes.

The fife that was usually used in early American drum and fife corps was the 17-inch "BO fife."

Fun Fact: When Benjamin Franklin was a militia colonel in Philadelphia, he had his regiment pass in review with "hautboys" and fifes -- as early as 1756!

Fun Fact: To "combat" the shortage of fifes and drums during the American Revolutionary War, Major Jonathan Goselow established a factory and delivered 163 fifes and 54 drums to the Continental Army on August 23, 1780.

Not-So-Fun Fact: "Yankee Doodle" was often played by British military units to ridicule the American colonists!

Would you like to return to the previous page or go to the next product description?

The above info is copyrighted by Historical Folk Toys, LLC and has been properly registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.
All rights reserved. Any reprint or reuse -- in any form or by any means -- is strictly prohibited without our written permission.
.

Plastic Fife in C
Plastic Fife in C
Item Number 5104

Return to Previous Page

.
Would you like to return to the previous page or go to the next product description?
.

Go to the Next Product Description

Site Navigation Legend

.
Product Catalog
Early Education ~ Classic Toys & Puzzles ~ Traditional Games ~ Home Crafts
Historical Doll Kits ~ Folk Instruments ~ Native American ~ Historical Books
Music Books ~ Index of Catalog Listings ~ Alphabetical & Numerical Listings
Products by Periods Guide ~ Origins of Our Products

General Information
New Products ~ Our Best Sellers ~ About the Elves ~ Our Scrapbook
Affiliations ~ Wholesale Terms ~ Catalog Request ~ Green Policies
.

Go to Top of Page
Go to Site Map

.

Go to the Home Page of Historical Folk Toys Wholesale Only
Read about the Elves at Historical Folk Toys
Address Symbol
10100 Park Cedar Drive, Suite 134 City and State Symbol Charlotte, NC 28210 USA
Phone Symbol
(800) 871-1984 Fax Symbol (800) 871-1899 E-mail Symbol info at historicalfolktoys.com
Call (704) 543-0204 or fax to (704) 543-0205 if dialing locally or from outside the USA.
Home Page Symbol Home Page Privacy Policy Symbol Privacy Policy Wholesale Conditions Symbol Contact Information Legal Notices Symbol Legal Notices Site Map Symbol Site Map
Web Site Content: Copyright © 2004-present by Historical Folk Toys, LLC et al. Web
Site Design: Copyright © 1996-present by Beeline Publications. All rights reserved.
See Our Best Sellers

Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. No part of this Web site may be published, stored or transmitted -- in any form or by any means
-- without written permission from Julie at Historical Folk Toys, LLC. Copyright violation may result in costly fines for you or your
organization. Getting permission is easy. Getting out of legal trouble is not! Please take a few minutes to read about copyrights &
how they apply to you and the material you find on the Internet: U.S. Copyright Office and "10 Copyright Myths Explained."