A passion that is unusual to say the least… At 27, Samuel Méric makes carnyxes, a musical instrument dating from the time of the Gauls, which he highlights in the songs of his group. Dinandier, he works bronze sheets to make objects, in Auribail (Haute-Garonne), a town south of Toulouse. A sound technician by training, he began forging steel in 2013 before becoming passionate about this craft while working in the Gallic village of Rieux-Volvestre.
Passionate about Celtic culture, he discovered the carnyx, a strange wind instrument topped with an animal head which the Gauls used to frighten their enemies on the battlefield. Today, he is one of the few carnyx manufacturers in the world, which he imagines in his forge.
Musicians, archeology enthusiasts, druids…
“It took me a year to create a prototype based on a publication from the archaeological site of Tintignac, in Corrèze,” says the young craftsman. I had to create my tools to hammer the copper and test tubes to reconstruct a carnyx and produce a sound. The first one I made was finished during the 2020 lockdown and, since 2023, I have been selling one per month. »
Under his hammer, the vertical bronze tube comes to life, topped by a pavilion with a frightening boar’s head. He has already created around twenty, intended for musicians, archeology enthusiasts, druids or historical reconstruction troupes. He uses his carnyx in his group, Gofannon, where he also sings, in Occitan, English, French and Swedish. Made up of five members, the group is releasing a new album this fall, still inspired by metal and folk.
