Many have questioned the veracity of my story on Sir Walter Raleigh. All that I can say, is consult Hinckle and Hopper in the noted tome. When it comes to scholarship in fields both esoteric and erudite, I am not to be trifled with. Some may still remember my early work on the history of the kazoo when I was still an undergraduate at the Neal Young Center....

The mention of the rosewood kazoo reminded me of the surprising presence of a gold inlaid cedar kazoo that was found among the items in Tutankahmen's tomb. This bore out the suspicions of late 1800's egyptologists that the instrument portrayed in a frieze in the tomb of Ramses 11 was indeed a kazoo, being played by a high priest of Osiris in a funerary procession that also included lutes, drums, and flutes.The presence of this unlikely instrument in Ramses tomb decoration was probably a reference to the Battle of Kadesh, where Ramses' army had triumphed over the Hittites leaving, as another frieze states, " the strangers of Hatti slain by the Son(Sun) of Amon, their kazoos scattered in the dust." At this time, there was apparently no social stigma attached to this instrument.

What connection, if any, exists between the ancient Egyptians and the first century Christian Kazoo Cults that sprang up in Asia Minor has not been established. This much is known. These early cultists considered the Kazoo much more than a musical instument. They often wore these symbols of their belief on leather laces around their neck, using them as an audible means of identifying one another. The rapid increase in the number of these Kazoo cultists resulted in a declaration by Constantine that their belief was a heresy, and in time the kazoo was almost entirely stamped out.

Strangely enough the kazoo was not seen again until it re-emerged among the Basques of northern France in the 1600's. Basque immigrants probably brought the kazoo, along with the bota bag,to America in the early 19th century. During the Civil War the kazoo became a popular instrument among soldiers on both sides of the conflict. There was even a Kazoo marching band, The 12th New York Kazoo Zouaves, who suffered tragic losses at the Battle of Antietam when they were mistakenly fired upon by units from their own side.

Make no mistake, the history of the Kazoo is an illustrious one. For more information, read Edward Mahoney's Kazoos Through the Ages , or contact the kazoo web site at the Julliard Institute at www.kazoostudies.com ...LEJ