Did you know that before the telyn (Welsh harp) became Wales‘ national instrument, we had the crwth?

What is the Crwth?

The crwth, as can be seen in the attached drawing (taken from Pennant’s A Tour in Wales, 1781), was constructed in a rather simple box shape and possesses a flat and fretless fingerboard (more like a violin than a guitar) and six gut strings.

It is not known when exactly the crwth became popular in Wales but it is believed to date as early as Roman times. A similar instrument is depicted in Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs dating back to 1700 B.C., so perhaps it made its way from there in ancient times.

The crwth’s popularity diminished significantly over the centuries, with the arrival of instruments such as the lyre, telyn and others. Though images from the medieval period do depict the crwth, it is highly likely that it was around this time when it fell out of favour with the music enthusiasts of the day.

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Niklas George

Niklas is the founder, owner, manager, editor, writer, video creator, voice over artist, and so forth, of Welsh Histories. He is passionate about the preservation of Welsh culture; the rejuvenation of the Welsh language and the promotion of Welsh history. Niklas currently resides in Pune, Maharashtra, with his beloved wife.