Bagpipes are a folk musical instrument of a very ancient Near Eastern origin. They were known by the Ancient Greeks, Romans and Nordic nationalities. The Slavs in the Pannonian basin knew them in the 8th century and there is evidence of the bagpipes being in Slovakia in the 14th century. In the 18th century the bagpipes were a fashionable instrument in France, where their pastoral sound characterised well the fashionable interest in imitation of the village life. Today the bagpipes are mainly used in Scotland (the bagpipe choirs being a part of military bands), on Sicily, in Romania, in Czech Republic...