CROTALUM, an ancient kind of castagnetta, or musical instrument, found on medals in the hands of the priests of Cybele. The crotalum differed from the sistrum, though authors frequently confound them. It consisted of two little brass plates or rods, which were shaken in the hand, and in striking against each other made a noise.
It was sometimes also formed of a reed split lengthwise, one part of which they struck against the other; and as this made a noise somewhat like that of a crane's bill, they called that bird crotalistria, a player on the crotala. Aristophanes calls a great talker a crotalum.
Clemens Alexandrinus attributes the invention to the Sicilians, and forbids the use of it to the Christians, because of the indecent motions and gestures which accompanied it.