The world’s oldest known stringed instrument is the harp. Harps were the popular stringed instrument of the early Celtic nations in the 1200s, where the instrument was labelled as a ‘cruit’, which was the oldest known description of the instrument. The old German, Anglo and Norse words to describe the ‘Harp’ or ‘Harpa’ mean to ‘pluck’ and in the 13th century to most popular harp, was described in general circles as the ‘Lyre’ and was different in shape to the traditional triangular shaped harp.
Later Scottish and Irish words for the harp were ‘cláirseach’ or ‘clarsach’ and it was around this time in the 15th century that there were clear differences in the harps and the sounds they produced. The Europeans tended to use wire in the construction of their harps, while the Celtic nations preferred a gut-strung harp. The ‘Lever’ harps of the Gaelic people were made for folk music and the primary materials used in stringing harps was gut, however, some harps were stringed using brass wire.
Early origins
The true origins of the harp remain an unsolved mystery, we will never know what harp music sounded in its beginning before pre-recorded history began. Early French cave paintings show evidence of harps used in ceremonies, these paintings date all the way back to 15,000 BC. Images of ‘Bow-Harps’ are seen in hieroglyphic characters on the tombs of the Egyptian Pharaohs, these are dated as far back as 5,000 BC and can also be found on descriptions around the tomb of Ramses who lived in the last decades of the Egyptian Empire between 1198-1166 BC. The New Kingdom created bow-harps that could be made as large as 2 metres in height with up to 18 or 19 strings. These harps were played by musicians that were seated, or stood in front of the harp and were often solely tasked with playing the harp as their service to the Pharaoh or other elitist Egyptian rulers.
Ceramic paintings of harps have been discovered in Ancient Babylonian temple ruins from the Mesopotamian and Assyrian era. The illustrations found on vases depicts harps with between 13 to 15 strings that were very akin to the bow harps of Ancient Egypt. The ‘Angle’ harp was also developed around this time and was the design that would transform over the generations to the modern triangular versions of today. Early Angle harps differ from today’s modern harps because they were played upside down to today’s format and they did not have the column or front piece, and the tuning pegs were found on the bottom of the harp, as opposed to them being positioned on the top.
The angle harp differs from what we call the harp today in that it lacked the front column or pillar. It was played ‘upside down’ from its present playing orientation, with the tuning pegs on the bottom.
The Harp Renaissance
Gaelic culture was supremely influenced by the harp. At the time, harpers were seen as the top echelon of society and were often sought out as advisors and respected for their opinion in public affairs. Their roles extended to the courts and to royalty, where they were held in great esteem by the tribal chieftains of the clans and commanded great respect amongst the populace.
When Feudalism was ravaging the Celtic cultures, harpists would roam the lands and take with them small harps that they would use for telling folk-style stories through the use of song and music. Most of these harpers were not seen as threats while travelling through different lands and visiting different tribes. The tribes generally saw them as a way to keep in touch with what was happening in other lands and were mystified when they heard the harpers sing of other cultures and its peoples.
This led to a revolution in the harp as its stringed music was enjoyed by so many in every land and kingdom of the western European world. The minstrels and troubadours of the 11th and 12th century were making their harps from materials that they sourced on their travels. It was common to find harps with small sound boxes carved from logs and strung with anything from hair to plant fibres.
Also published on Medium.