The Latin word caccăbus passed into vulgar Latin as cascabus, which can be translated as “pot”. The diminutive of this term derived in the Occitan cascavel, which came to our language as a rattle.
The concept refers to a small, hollow metal sphere that has a small opening and houses an element inside that makes noise with movement. The sound is generated by the collision between the inner part and the hollow sphere.
In ancient times, bells were used for ritual purposes, possibly with the belief that noise drove away spirits and other entities. By being placed on the neck of cattle, they also had a specific purpose: to scare away snakes and other species that could attack animals.
Bells are currently used as a percussion instrument. These spheres are usually added to clubs or sticks that, when shaken, generate a high-pitched sound. The bells can help set the pace.
Rattlesnakes are called to a group of poisonous vipers that inhabit the American territory. These animals, with the exception of one species in particular, are characterized by having a rattle on their tails. The noise generated by the bell serves as a defense mechanism.
It should be noted that certain species of plants, such as Briza maxima and Alstroemeria aurantiaca, are called rattlesnakes in colloquial language.
In addition to all the above, we cannot ignore that a Spanish film that premiered in 2000 is also titled “Cascabel”. Daniel Cebrián is the director of this feature film, starring actors such as Pilar Punzano, Irene Visedo, Chete Lera or Antonio Dechent, among others.
It is framed within the genre of drama and tells that Luz, after not succeeding in music in the capital, has to return to the town and face again with the problems she was trying to flee from. It is precisely that decision of Luz that makes the young Rattlesnake feel sad and hopeless. A girl is having a hard day to day that will try to do everything possible so that her friend is free and continues to fight for her dreams, because that will mean giving life to both.
In the same way, we cannot ignore that on channel 13 TV in Spain there is a television program that responds to the name of “El cascabel”. Social and political news is the main theme of this space, which has been on the air since 2013 and is broadcast from Monday to Friday at night.
Antonio Jiménez is the presenter of this program, which has collaborators such as Jaime González, Joaquín Leguina, Carlos Cuesta and Miguel Ángel Rodríguez. Likewise, significant figures of Spanish politics such as Mariano Rajoy, former President of the Government, or Albert Rivera, leader of the Citizens party have passed through its set.
Lastly, Cascabel is the name of a 19th century Spanish newspaper (“El cascabel”) and an Argentine magazine from the 1940’s (“Cascabel”).
