REH Word of the Week: sistrum
Sunday, November 1, 2009
posted by Barbara Barrett
sistrum
noun
1. A percussion instrument of ancient Egypt, Sumeria and Rome consisting of metal rods or loops attached to a metal frame.
[origin: Middle English, from Latin sistrum, from Greek seistron, from seiein, to shake]
HOWARD’S USAGE:
Mylitta’s girdle stolen
From Punic lecterns high,
A golden fruit from Atlas
Who once upheld the sky.Astarte’s silver sistrem [sic]
Fair Ishtar’s virgin zone,
Priapus’ phallic signet,
A gem from pharaoh’s throneA verse from Capri’s island
Upon a shield of gold
Once decked Troy’s campaniles
By Sappho’s hand enscrolled.
[from “The Road to Babel”; to read the complete poem, see The Collected Poetry of Robert E. Howard, p. 305 and Shadows of Dreams, p. 67]
