The crwth (pronounced KROOTH) is a type of stringed instrument called a bowed lyre. It is also known as a crowd, rote, or crotta. The crwth is linked to Welsh music and was once widely played in Europe, though it is now considered old-fashioned. Four surviving examples of the crwth can be found in the St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff, the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, Warrington Museum & Art Gallery, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in the United States.
Origin of the name
The word "crwth" comes from Welsh and is based on an ancient Celtic word *krutto-, which means "round object." This word describes something that is swollen or bulging, like a rounded shape. It is thought that the name "crwth" was used for the instrument because of its rounded appearance. Other Celtic languages also use words that describe rounded shapes for similar instruments. For example, in Gaelic, the word "cruit" can mean "hump," "hunch," or refer to a harp or violin. The word "crwth" is one of the few English words that use the letter "w" alone to represent a vowel, as it was borrowed from Welsh.
In English, the instrument was sometimes called "crowd" or "rote," and older forms like "crwd," "crout," and "crouth" are rarely used today. In Medieval Latin, it was called "chorus" or "crotta." In Welsh, the word "crythor" means someone who plays the crwth. In Irish, the word is "cruit," though it was also used to describe small harps. Some English and Scottish last names, such as Crewther, Crowder, Crother, Crowther, MacWhirter, and MacWhorter, were once used to describe people who played this instrument.
For the purposes of this article, "crwth" refers to the most recent version of the instrument (see picture).
History
The crwth is an ancient instrument. Aenantius Fortunatus, as early as about 609 A.D., described it as British (chrotta Britanna canit). The chrotta originally had three strings, later six, and was played with a bow. It is likely that the chrotta is the oldest bowed instrument and the ancestor of the violin.
Many string instruments, including the crwth, were played in Wales as early as Roman times. Clear records from the 11th century show that the crwth was used as a type of lyre or bowed lyre. Pictures from the 11th century, first in Europe, show medieval instruments similar to the crwth. In Wales, the crwth was less important than the harp in musical traditions.
Schlesinger wrote about this in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, discussing how instruments changed from lyres to plucked and bowed types.
Physical description and playing technique
The crwth is a simple wooden instrument with a flat, fretless fingerboard and six gut strings. It is traditionally tuned to the notes gg´c´c´´d´d´´. Edward Jones, who wrote about the crwth in 1784, described this tuning as an example, using letters to show the pitches. He explained that the highest string was tightened as much as possible without breaking, and the other strings were then tuned to it in specific musical intervals. This method was common before standardized pitch was used and is also found in other string instrument guides.
Although Jones's description was widely used and is often seen as proof of a standard tuning, it is more likely that many different tunings were used. This was common for many string instruments, especially those in folk traditions. Another tuning, reported by William Bingley in 1800, had the two lowest strings (drones) tuned in octaves, and the other strings tuned in paired fifths. However, this tuning is unlikely to have been used on the crwth, as the instrument has a flat bridge and is designed to play all six strings at the same time.
The crwth’s body, or resonator, and a curved yoke shaped like an upside-down "U" were carved from a single block of wood, usually maple or sycamore. The soundboard, the top part near the strings, was often made of soft wood like deal. The bridge was usually made of cherry or another fruitwood. Two round soundholes, about 1 to 1.25 inches wide, were cut into the soundboard to let air escape and improve the sound. The two G strings (as Jones called them) ran parallel to the fingerboard but not over it, acting as fixed-pitch drones that could be plucked by the player’s left thumb. The other strings were tightened or loosened using metal pins and a tuning key, and were usually played with a bow made of horsehair and wood. One unique feature of the crwth is that one part of the bridge passes through a soundhole and rests on the back of the instrument. This design may help reduce pressure on the soundboard, which is flat and made of soft wood, making it weaker than the belly of a violin.
Old pictures of crwth players show the instrument held against the chest, supported by a strap around the neck. A medieval poet, Gruffydd ap Dafydd ap Hywel, described the crwth’s sound as “in the hand a hundred voices” (yn y llaw yn gan llais), meaning the rich, harmonious sound of six strings played together. Along with the harp and timpan, the crwth was one of the three main string instruments of the Welsh, as noted in the medieval Triads. It was an instrument of the aristocracy with its own music and strict training for skilled players. A simpler three-string version was also used by minstrels.
The crwth’s sound is softer and rougher than a modern violin. It can play a melody range of one octave using the third position, and up to an octave and a half with higher positions. Its sound works well with the harp and pibgorn (hornpipe). Despite its limitations, the crwth is charming and more than just a historical instrument. Research in the past 35 years, especially on different tunings, has shown it to be more versatile than once thought. However, it was not a predecessor to modern orchestral string instruments, which developed from a different branch of the string family. Historically, the crwth represents the end of a line of development, not the beginning of another.
Welsh legends
In Wales, there are several stories about Crythor Du, also known as "The Black (Haired) Crwth Player." One famous tale is called "Y Crythor Du a'r Bleiddiaid" or "The Black (Haired) Crwth Player and the Wolves." In this story, the main character avoids being attacked by a group of hungry wolves by playing the crwth in a strong, musical, and gentle way. Another story tells of a crwth player and his servant who died from the cold in Beddgelert, as recorded by Welsh historian Edward Lhuyd. There is also a place called the "Cave of the Black Crwth Player" near Criccieth. This cave is believed to have inspired the tune Ffarwél Ned Puw, also known as "Farewell Dick the Piper."
Today
Modern copies of the crwth have been made by several makers, including Guy Flockhart, Nial Cain, Michael J. King, Hank Taylor, and Gerard Kilbride. Some folk musicians are bringing back the tradition of playing this instrument. Cass Meurig is the most well-known modern player. In 2004, he released an album called Crwth, which was the second CD ever made of crwth music. The album was released on the Fflach:tradd label. Cass Meurig also plays with the groups Fernhill and Pigyn Clust. Other musicians who play the crwth include Bob Evans (Bragod), Dan Morris (Cilmeri), and Sedayne. The collection of existing crwth tunes is very small, but many traditional tunes can be adapted for the instrument. New tunes are also being written for it. The crwth is also used by early music groups, such as Cancionero.