The ascomandura, whose ancestor was the “askylos”, is an ancient wind pastoral instrument.

It consists of three parts: the mouthpiece, the pouch and the grooved vessel. The instrument enables the performer to play without having to pause for breath due to the bag, and produces only six notes, yet its music is notable for its liveliness and intensity.

The ascomandura is a relatively simple instrument to build and usually, the “ascomandura” player builds it himself.

The mouthpiece, through which the organist blows the air, is made of reed or wood such as plum and almond, and more rarely of animal bone. It has a length ranging from 6 to 12 centimeters and an opening that allows the comfortable passage of air.

For the construction of the bag, the whole skin of a small heron is chosen, which should not exceed 13 kg. It is treated by staying in salt for 20 days, washing very well and soaking in wine to soften it.

In the past, the ascos was shaved, so that all the animal’s fur was removed, but in recent years it has been chosen to stay in its natural form.

The notes are produced by the two reed tubes which have a short percussion reed like that of the clarinet. They must have the same length and the same internal diameter in order to produce exactly the same sound, that is, to be in tune.

They each have five circular holes that are equidistant from each other and have the same diameter.

The tubes are placed side by side in the grooved vessel and glued with beeswax. The grooved boat, often decorated with elaborate designs, is carved in wood such as oleander, sage, fig, mulberry, or cedar, etc.

It is 20 to 30 cm long and ends in a funnel which, depending on how open or narrow it is, also affects the sound produced.

The ascomandura used to lead Cretan feasts alone or accompanied by other Cretan instruments and was mainly played in open spaces due to its loud and piercing sound. At the beginning of the 20th century its use gradually decreased, with the result that in 1950 it was almost abandoned.

Today, the ascomanduras have begun to appear again, little by little, in Cretan music groups, reminding us that they are a very important part of the music of Cretan Cultural Heritage.