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The Anglo-Saxon lyre, also known as the Germanic lyre, a rotta, (Old Norse : Hörpu) [1] or the Viking lyre, is a large plucked and strummed lyre that was played in Anglo-Saxon England, and more widely, in Germanic regions of northwestern Europe. The oldest lyre found in England dates before 450 AD and the most recent dates to the 10th century.
The earliest reference to the word "lyre" is the Mycenaean Greek ru-ra-ta-e, meaning "lyrists" and written in the Linear B script. [6] In classical Greek, the word "lyre" could either refer specifically to an amateur instrument, which is a smaller version of the professional cithara and eastern-Aegean barbiton, or "lyre" can refer generally to all three instruments as a family. [7]
Five-string lyre from the Durham Cassiodorus, 8th-century A.D., England King David with his lyre, Vespasian Psalter, 8th century A.D. Kravic lyre, excavated at the Kravic farm in Numedal, Norway. Made of pine with seven strings. Woman with lyre, Germany circa 1125-1150, from the Zwiefalten Passionale: Monochord
The Germanic lyre was present in Western Europe before the harp, a version shown here as Cythara Teutonica. The medieval harp refers to various types of harps played throughout Europe during the Middle Ages. The defining features are a three-sided frame (column, harmonic curve, and soundboard) [2] and strings made of wire
A bridge thought to be from an Iron Age lyre, and dating to around 300 BC, was discovered on the Isle of Skye which would make it the earliest surviving stringed instrument from western Europe. [1] [2] The earliest descriptions of a European triangular framed harp i.e. harps with a fore pillar are found on carved 8th century Pictish stones.
Bowed lyre with no fingerboard 321.22-71: Switzerland: alphorn [136] [137] Long wooden conical trumpet, bent at the end, with turned boxwood mouthpieces, traditionally used by herdsmen 423.121.12 Trinidad and Tobago: steelpan [4] [138] [139] Barrel-shaped percussion instruments, tuned chromatically, originally made from discarded 55 gallon ...
The lyre is the only musical instrument that may have been invented in Europe until this period. [79] Stringed instruments were prominent in Middle Age Europe. The central and northern regions used mainly lutes, stringed instruments with necks , while the southern region used lyres, which featured a two-armed body and a crossbar. [ 79 ]
The cythara is a wide group of stringed instruments of medieval and Renaissance Europe, including not only the lyre and harp but also necked, string instruments. [1] In fact, unless a medieval document gives an indication that it meant a necked instrument, then it likely was referring to a lyre.