Swedish cowhorn

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The Swedish cowhorn (kohorn) is a simple instrument made from a cow’s horn. It has no mouthpiece and is blown like a trumpet, but with more force.

There are two traditional kinds:
- tuthorn: a horn without finger holes used to scare bears and wolves while herding in the forest.
- vallhorn: a horn with three or four finger holes used to call domestic animals or other people.

It was used in Sweden’s tradition of moving cattle to summer pastures, called fäbodkultur. This work was often done by women, which helped make women skilled at cowhorn playing. Different melodies carried meanings, such as “one of my cows is missing” or “stop looking, your cow is here.” Each animal might have its own melody to bring them back from grazing. The cowhorn was also played for entertainment, dancing, or devotion.

The oldest surviving finger-hole cowhorn dates to the 6th century. In modern times, cowhorns have appeared in music, including performances by Swedish trumpeter Håkan Hardenberger.