Harp

The Egyptians had various kinds of harps, some of which were elegantly shaped and tastefully ornamented. The name of the harp was bun i. Its frame had no front pillar. The harps represented on the monuments varied in size from 6½ feet high downwards, and had from 4 to 28 strings. A beautiful Egyptian harp, in the Louvre collection, is of triangular shape with 21 strings, but, like all the harps represented on the monuments, it has no fore-pillar. The strings were of catgut. A yrian sculptures also represent harps. These also had no front pillar, and were about 4 feet high, with ornamental appendages on the lower frame. The upper frame contained the sound-holes and the tuning-pegs in regular order. The strings are supposed to have been of silk. The Greek harp, called kinyra, resembled the A yrian, and is represented with 13 strings: it is an attribute of Poly hymn i a. The Anglo-Saxons called the harp the gleo-beam, or “glee-wood;” and it was their most popular instrument. King David playing a harp is represented on an A.S. monument of the 11th century. It was the favourite instrument of the German and Celtic bards, and of the Scand in avian skalds. It is represented with 12 strings and 2 sound-holes, and having a fore-pillar. A curious Irish harp of the 8th century, or earlier, is represented in Bunting’s “Ancient Music of Ireland,” having no fore-pillar. The Finns had a harp ( harpu, kantele ) with a similar frame, devoid of a front pillar. In Christian art a harp is the attribute of King David and of St. Cecilia. St. Dunstan is also occasionally represented with it. In Heraldry the harp is the device and badge of Ireland. The Irish harp of gold with silver strings on a blue field forms the third quarter of the royal arms.