Another early, natural instrument is the horn, il-qarn or il-qrajna. Horns have long had protective properties on the Maltese Islands and for this reason were often placed over farmhouse doors to protect the inhabitants from the ‘evil eye’ of strangers arriving at the house. Cattle horns were also used as sound instruments when blown through a reed or reed and pipe (hornpipe). Horns were particularly associated with Carnival, suggesting a previous connection with spring ritual.

Il-qarn huwa strument naturali li ġej mill-qedem. F'Malta u Għawdex il-qrun minn dejjem kienu jitqiesu protezzjoni kontra l-għajn. Sa ftit ta' żmien ilu l-karnival kien jiftaħ bid-daqq tal-qarn. Kien hemm ukoll min il-qarn iżidlu bedbut jew bedbut u qima b'xi ħames toqbiet biex b'hekk jindaqqu aktar noti.

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