The hurdy-gurdy thread compels me to promote the Swedish keyed fiddle
of medieval origin, the 'Nyckelharpa', literal translation 'key harp'.
Here several strings are fretted in parallel by the keys and, since
it is bowed, the player also has some freedom to select between those.
It has a number of sympathetically vibrating strings and drones.
Executioners of this folk instrument were on the verge of extinction
in the early 20th century, but interest was revived by Eric Sahlstrom.
Searching the net I am delighted to find there is also an American
association devoted to this instrument. At http://www.nyckelharpa.org/
you can find information, including history and pictures. Also makes
me recall that some 100 years ago the three largest cities, counting by
Swedish-born inhabitants, were Stockholm and Goteborg, Sweden, followed
by Chicago, Illinois.
Johan Liljencrants, Stockholm, Sweden
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