Celosia's Violin

Appearing across several old legends, this instrument was the prized possession of Celosia, the Celestial of fire. According to the stories, Celosia loved playing her violin and kept it in perfect condition. After her death, it was lost to history.

Shh, shh, it's okay. Look, Mama's gonna play her violin, okay, Ro? Everything's alright.

— Celosia to her daughter

History

It is unknown who made Celosia's violin or how it came into her possession. Many believe that it was her "sister" Fadilah, the Celestial of nature who made it and gave it to her. The earliest appearance of this instrument is in a story about the Elementals. In this story, Celosia plays her violin, Oralia sings, and Naida and Fadilah dance. The violin is also mentioned in legends about her meeting and marriage to the Commander, where she plays for him and for their daughter, as well as tales about her personality and life before meeting her husband.

Significance

Celosia's violin was incredibly important to her. She played it every day, cleaned and polished it often, and kept it safe in a special case. Some stories claim that it was linked so closely to her that her husband destroyed it when she died so he would not be reminded of her.

Description

Celosia's violin was full size, measuring about 23 inches long in total and slightly more than 8 inches at its widest point. The scroll and body were made out of maple wood that was delicately polished. Red thread protected the strings where they wrapped around the pegs and more thread wrapped around the strings where they reached the fine tuners. The fingerboard, chinrest, tailpiece, and pegs were all black. Overall, the instrument weighed very little and could be carried with ease, although it must be treated gently.

Item type

Musical Instrument

Creation Date

Unknown

Destruction Date

Possibly around 5500 BPC

Rarity

Normal violins are common, but Celosia's was unique.

Weight

About 15 oz

Raw materials & Components

Maple, ebony, and mahogany wood

by Lilliana Casper