[78-L] Alpine madness

[goldenbough at arcor.de]

.

The yodel is one of several forms of 'language surrogates' for communication 
at long distances. Other forms are: drum languages in Africa, whistle languages
on the island of Gomera in Spain or in West Africa, and also bugle calls of the 
armies or hunting horn signals. The Alpine yodel is strongly related to the Eusko 
Irrintzi (Basque Signal cry) in the Pyrennee Mountains.  

Except for the whistle language of Gomera, of which no 78 exists, I have examples
of all others on 78s. 

Today, you can still hear the yodels in the Alps. In summer, young or old maids 
keep up to about 50 young cows, from June to September, on the high meadows, 
and hikers can stay overnight in their shacks and sleep in the attic right above the 
stable in the same cabin. 

Wanderers will, every now and then, holler this 'yodel-ay ee hoo' - which simply means, 
'Anybody there?'  or  'I am here'.   Then you may, or not, get a response. 
The yodel as a language used to be more complex, but meanings are now forgotten. 

The whistle languages are more complex. Like, you can ask, 'Can you help me
finding my animals? I am over here with 50 sheep here, but 10 are missing.' And the 
reply would be like, 'I have to take my sheep back to the stable, and then I'll come 
over to help you in an hour'. 

One of the most intriguing 78s that I have of that kind is a probably 1912 African recording 
of a Bantu in Bera language, plus drum and whistle languages.  One one side the guy says, 
'I will give to the village 20 goats in compensation' - then he drums this phrase in the drum 
language and whistles it. The flip side is similar: 'The people have beaten my innocent friend'. 
(Record of the Lindstroem Co., Berlin) 

Back to the subject of the yodel in American music. Being an Austrian, I was attracted to 
early Country Music because the Carter Family sounds exactly like the music you find in the 
Alps, or the harmony singing of the Blue Sky Boys a.o. is exactly what you find as 'Zweigsang' 
or 'Dreigsang' in any village tavern nowadays - except that it's sung in Austro-Bavarian dialect!
Compare the two albums with Austrian field recordings that Christ Strachwitz made for his 
Arhoolie label. 

Anyway... 

Yodel-deedel-doodle-day Yodelday-yee-hee ay-oohoo. 
(Happy New Year To All!) 

Benno 





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