What was the original purpose of the ancient form of singing called 'kulning'?

Kulning or herding calls was a domestic Scandinavian music form used in Norway and neighboring parts of Sweden. It was originally used to call livestock including goats and cows. Documented evidence suggests it is possible that the sound also served to scare away predators such as wolves and bears but this was not the original or main purpose of the call. It was performed to call the livestock down from high mountain pastures where they have been grazing during the day, performed toward the end of the day.

There is no evidence that kulning was used in religous rituals or for other purposes. It has been used on farms since the medieval times. The tradition is still alive today, although waning. Kulning is however similar to yodeling, a singing style also developed for long-distance sound propagation.

The song form was primarily used by women, as they were the ones tending the herds and flocks in the high mountain pastures, but there are recordings of these calls also sung by men. The singing has a high-pitched vocal technique, that is, a loud call so that it can be heard to communicate over long distances.

Today, kulning is found in other forms of modern media including the Swedish artist Jonna Jinton on YouTube (2016). She has made several videos using kulning to call her village's cattle and show off its unique sound. Also, the 2013 Disney's animated film 'Frozen' features traditional Norwegian kulning by the vocalist Christine Hals in its soundtrack.