The Pig Organ (Instrument)

Love music? Love pork? Love the French? Then you'll LOVE the pig organ invented by King Louis XI of France.


You see, it's quite simple and ingenious idea. Since every swine has a slightly different pitch, one has to just find the right combination of pigs to put in a row to get a "musical instrument" together.

From everything2.com:

"The Abbot of Baigne, a man of great wit, and who had the art of inventing new musical instruments, being in the service of Louis XI, king of France, was ordered by that prince to get him a concert of swine's voices, thinking it impossible. The abbot was not surprised, but asked for money for the performance, which was immediately delivered him; and he wrought a thing as singular as ever was seen. For out of a great number of hogs, of several ages, which he got together, and placed under a tent or pavillion, covered with velvet, before which he had a table of wood, painted, with a certain number of hogs, he made an organical instrument, and as he played upon the said keys, with little spikes which pricked the hogs he made them cry in such order and consonance, as highly delighted the king and all his company."

Too bad animal rights regulations won't allow us to listen to the wonderful sound of the pigan (pig organ... get it?) once again.

Similarly, boing boing has posted about a cat piano...

-runiteking1

Got comments? Post them below!