The Morin Khuur, also known by the name “Horse-head Fiddle”, is the most important musi-
cal instrument of Mongolia and considered a symbol of the nation. Its sound is described

as expansive like the wind in the grasslands. It also imitates the neighing of the horses that
are typical of this country. Therefore the scroll is always carved in the form of a horse’s
head. The wooden sound box has the form of a trapezoid and is decorated with intricate
patterns. The long narrow neck has only two strings, similar to the Erhu. It is an interesting

fact that one string is “male” with 130 hairs from a stallions ́s tail and the other one is “fe-
male” with 105 hairs from a mare ́s tail. Traditionally the strings are tuned a fifth apart but

nowadays a fourth is quite common.
The musician places the Morin Khuur upright on his lap or between the legs. The bow is
strung loosely with horse’s hair, the fingers of the right hand tighten it while playing. In that
way he can create subtle sound nuances. The fingers of the other hand play the main
string without using frets. The modern type of Horse-head Fiddle is made with synthetic hair
and is also used by Mongolian musicians.
There are some legends that tell the birth of the Morin Khuur. One says that a shepherd
received a magical winged horse as a gift. On his back he would fly to meet his beloved.
Out of jealousy another woman had the wings of the horse cut off so it fell from the air
and died. The grieving shepherd carved a fiddle with a horse head from the bones of the
animal. He covered it with its skin and used the horse’s hair for the strings and the bow.