Flute Making Thought for the Day

Irish Flute
1

In the book “A Word or Two on the Flute” by W. N. James (republished by Tony Bingham), he writes:

“The word Flute is derived from fluta, the Latin for a Lamprey, or small eel, taken in the Sicilian seas, which has seven holes on each side, immediately below the gills; and which is the precise number of those in front of the English flute.”

For us flute makers…

Life is a Series of Eels

Casey

2

http://www.rsc.org/images/lamprey-300_tcm18-39592.jpg

And a less attractive fish would be hard to find!

3

So that’s where “The Eel in the Sink” came from – the auld guys soaking their flutes! (tho’ I doubt they’d use Guinness in that case … :smiley:)