BINIOU

biniou, or bignou, a species of cornemuse or bagpipe, still in use at the present day in brittany. the biniou is a primitive kind of bagpipe consisting of a leather bag inflated by means of a short valved insufflation tube or blow-pipe, a chaunter with conical bore furnished with a double reed concealed within the stock or socket (see bag-pipe), and seven holes, the first being duplicated to accommodate left- and right-handed players. the scale of the biniou is usually [illustration][1] and the single drone is tuned to the lower octave of the first hole [illustration]. the more primitive biniou, still occasionally found in the remote districts of cornouailles and morbihan, has a chaunter with but five holes,[2] giving part of the scale of d, the drone being also tuned to d. the drone of the biniou is of boxwood, handsomely inlaid with tin, and has a single or beating reed hidden within the stock. the word biniou or bignou (a gallicized form), often erroneously derived from _bigno, se renfler beaucoup_--an etymology not supported by breton dictionaries--is the breton plural form of _benvek_, instrument, tool, _i.e. binviou, binvijou_.[3] the word is also found in the phrase, "_sac'h ar biniou_" (a biniou bag), a bag used by weavers to hold their tools, spindles, &c. the biniou is still the traditional and popular instrument of the breton peasants of cornouailles and morbihan, and is almost inseparable from the bombard (q.v.), which is no other than a survival of the medieval musette, hautbois or chalemie, formerly associated with the bag-pipe in western europe (see oboe). at all festivals, at the _pardons_, wedding feasts and threshing dances, the two traditional musicians or _sonneurs_ give out in shrill penetrating tones the ancient breton _rondes_[4] and melodies. footnotes: [1] see victor mahillon, _catalogue descriptif_, vol. ii. (ghent, 1896), p. 353, no. 1126; and captain c.r. day, _descriptive catalogue of musical instruments_ (london, 1891), p. 62, no. 135. [2] see n. quellien, _chansons et danses des bretons_ (paris, 1889), p. 39, and note, where the description of the instrument is not technical. [3] see le gonidec, _dictionnaire breton-francais_, ed. by t. hersart de la villemarque; and n. quellien, _op. cit_. p. 37, note. [4] for examples of these see n. quellien, _op. cit_. part ii.