Chances are that, if you watched a movie set in Sicily, you unknowingly heard the unmistakable, twangy sound of the scacciapensieri.  Small and unassuming, it is known as “jaw harp” or “Jew’s harp” in English, and produces a metallic vibration that is both rhythmic and quite hypnotic. Scacciapensieri has been a staple of Sicilian folk music for centuries, to the point that it is difficult to hear it playing and not think of sunbaked landscapes and cicadas singing somewhere in the Sicilian inlands.  

While its presence in movies sparked curiosity, the scacciapensieri carries a much deeper cultural and historical significance. Although we mostly associate it with Sicily, it is actually an ancient instrument with non-Italian origins; in fact, similar instruments have been found in archaeological sites across Asia and Europe, with some dating back over 2,000 years; variations of the jaw harp have been played in cultures as diverse as Mongolia, China, and Austria, each with its own unique name and construction methods.