Historical Accuracy of Whistles?

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Were whistles really commonplace during the Middle Ages? In D&D, town guards often carry whistles to summon help. Does this come from our modern perception of 19th century England? Or were there really whistles back in the day.

[I know not to take D&D too seriously, but I'm just curious where the idea of whistles carried by town guards comes from. Afterall, a whistle is a pretty easy tool to make...]

 

[Mystery Man]

[I know not to take D&D too seriously, but I'm just curious where the idea of whistles carried by town guards comes from. Afterall, a whistle is a pretty easy tool to make...]

In college my major was fine arts. My pottery class final project was to make a working whistle out of clay. You couldn't pass unless you were able to make one. I made like 12 of them.

 

[ajanders]

Whistles and rattles

It sticks in my head that police in Edwardian England carried big rattles instead of whistles.
I can't think rattles are easier to hear than whistles, but I'm not sure how to test that.
A DM in one campaign I was in had a city where the watchmen carried quarterstaves with heavy brass bells on one end. It made them very bad at sneaking up on people, but it meant they summoned help almost automatically if they got into a fight.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I dunno, define whistle.

The celts has tinwhistles. In fact I think the derivation of "whistle" is celtic, or welsh I think. Cuisle.

Maybe not what you are thinking of, but there is this excerpt on the historical tinwhistle.


Regards,
Eric Anondson

 

[Tonguez]

Simple whistles are a neolithic (possibly even earlier) invention - afterall even a blade of grass can be fashioned into an effective whistle, so even if they weren't used by guards in Medieval Europe they would have been a simple enough innovation to come up with (maybe bells were just more effective)

 

[rkanodia]

A DM in one campaign I was in had a city where the watchmen carried quarterstaves with heavy brass bells on one end. It made them very bad at sneaking up on people, but it meant they summoned help almost automatically if they got into a fight.

Yarr, consider that to be plundered, says I!

 

[Taloras]

I know for a fact whistles were commonplace on ships in the middle ages. The Bosun (now known as the Boatswain) used a special whistle to give orders on ship. Nowadays its mostly just used for ceremonies such as welcoming a guest on board ships(at least in the Navy). In fact, i have one of these in my dorm room.

 

[Hanuman]

I am currently holding in my hand a clay whistle of Viking origin from around the 12th century.



You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it.