An (in)famous drum played by Orangemen (of the Orange Order) in Northern Ireland.

It is massive, about 3 feet in diameter, and its two drumheads are made of goat skin.

When fully tightened, a lambeg is utterly deafening, with a noise output of 115 - 120 decibels. When nearby you don't just hear it.. you *feel* the subsonics all through your chest and gut. It can be heard 5-6 miles away.

The drum is played with two bamboo canes about 2 feet long each. It is carried like a bass drum. (But much bigger than a bass drum... makes the dude playing it look like an ant balancing a crumb.)

Commonly used as tools of intimidation, with drummers working shifts to keep the almost tribal-sounding drumming going through the night, in clear earshot of the "other side" (Catholics).
Dum-dum-dum-dudududum-dum-dum-dududududum-dumdumdum-dududum etc...
by Dirge June 29, 2004
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