An Alpine Natural Trumpet – The Tiba

Beware! Blow too hard, and your lungs might burst. Legend has it that this is exactly what happened to a shepherd in the 14th century: he sounded his horn so forcefully—warning his people of approaching warriors—that his chest ruptured. Even today, according to the tale, the Flimserstein rock glistens with an iron-oxide-like red hue said to be the trace of his blood.

But wait! Trombone or horn? Bukkehorn, hunting horn, or alphorn? Various wind instruments have long been played in the Alpine regions. In the central and lower Surselva and along the Hinterrhein river as far as the Schams valley, one such instrument was the tiba. Shorter than an alphorn and lacking its distinctive curve, the tiba was a common sight—and sound—in this part of the Alps.

A preserved example is on display at the Museum Regiunal Sursilvan in Ilanz. The instrument was crafted around 1980 by a father as a gift for his son, who was moving to an Alp for the summer. After spending two summers on these high mountain pastures practicing transhumance, the son left the tiba behind—only to encounter it again later in the museum. It had been found during renovation work on the Alp and was subsequently handed over to the museum.