kangling
Illustration — Alexandra David-Neel in 1933 Tibet with a Kangling instrument at her waist Kangling, literally translated as "leg" (kang) "flute" (ling), is the Tibetan name for a trumpet or horn made out of a human tibia or femur, used in Tibetan Buddhism for various chöd rituals as well as funerals performed by a chöpa. The leg bone of a deceased person is used. Alternatively, the leg bone of a respected teacher may be used.
Also recorded as rkang-gling · thighbone trumpet · bone trumpet · femur trumpet
kangling

Owlmonkey · Original work · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Field
- end-blown straight labrosones without mouthpiece.
- Related practice
- femur.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Illustration — Alexandra David-Neel in 1933 Tibet with a Kangling instrument at her waist Kangling, literally translated as "leg" (kang) "flute" (ling), is the Tibetan name for a trumpet or horn made out of a human tibia or femur, used in Tibetan Buddhism for various chöd rituals as well as funerals performed by a chöpa. The leg bone of a deceased person is used. Alternatively, the leg bone of a respected teacher may be used.
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wikidata · Q1432696
In this article
Overview
Tibetan horn made from a human femur.
Materials recorded for it are femur.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.University of Wales Press. Body Matters: Exploring the Materiality of the Human Body. 166. 2019. 978-1786834157.
- 2.Handa, O.C. Buddhist Monasteries of Himachal. Indus Publishing Company. 320. 2005. 978-8173871702.
- 3.Loseries-Leick, Andrea. Tibetan Mahayoga Tantra: An Ethno Historical Study of Skulls, Bones and Relics. B.R. Publishing Corporation. 225. 2008. 978-8176466424.
- 4.Chhosphel, Samten. The First Chonyi Gyatso, Chopa Lugu. The Treasury of Lives. December 2011.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Collectables
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