DAMARU THOPA CHANG TE'U HUMAN SKULL BUDDHIST HINDU DRUM DAVID HOWARD TRIBAL ART DAMARU THOPA CHANG TE'U HUMAN SKULL BUDDHIST HINDU DRUM

The skull (thöpa) damaru is made from a male and female skull bone or calvarium,
cut well above the area of the ear, and joined at their apex. The skins are
traditionally cured by burying them with copper and other mineral salts, and
special herbal formulas for about two weeks. These are then stretched and
applied to the two sides, giving the skins their familiar blue or green
mottled appearance. A collar of simple brocade, or copper or silver, has
a hand-hold, and is the site of attachment of the beaters, whose knit cover
represents two eyeballs. The skulls are also carefully chosen for
their attributes and source. India is no longer a source,
and their creation and export from Nepal is also now banned.

The symbolism and energetic properties of the drums is extensive.
These human skull damaru or chang te'u are used in a wide range of Vajrayana
ritual as a standard right hand accompaniment to the bell, held in the left hand.
Usually used to together as an accent or punctuation during various tantric
practices, the drum can also keep time during entire passages. For the solo
practitioner, it is an essential tool, while in larger assemblies, only the
presiding Rinpoches and chant master (Umdze) use them, in concert
with the long horns (radung), short horns (jalung), large cymbols
(silnyne and rolmo) and large temple drums (nga).

The skull drum, often paired with the thighbone trumpet in ritual use,
existed as part of traditional Bön ceremonies prior to the presence of Buddhism.
Traditionally, the crania would be gathered from a "sky-burial" site, or charnel
ground. It is a Buddhist belief that the body is nothing more than a vessel
and, upon death, it should continue the cycle that is life; therefore, corpses are
exposed to the elements, in order to decompose, in designated areas known as charnel
grounds. The selection of skulls from charnel grounds, for use in making the
damaru traditionally involved several factors including age of the deceased,
gender, and cause of death. This hourglass shaped drum is constructed of
two inverted skull caps, which is symbolic of the joining of the
female and male elements of life. It is played by rotation which
causes swinging beaters on each side to strike the two drum heads.
The skull drum is an example of the synthesis
of traditions that took place between
Bön and Buddhist spirituality.

KAPALA:
SACRED HUMAN SKULLS AND SKULL CAPS
ARE USED IN TANTRIC BUDDHIST RITUALS TO HOLD
CEREMONIAL OFFERTORY LIQUIDS!