The gusle (Serbian Cyrillic: гусле) or lahuta (Albanian: lahutë; related to the English lute) is a single-stringed musical instrument and style used in the Dinarides region of Southeastern Europe, specifically in the Balkans. This instrument is always played with singing and is closely connected to musical traditions, especially epic poetry. The person who plays the gusle (Serbian Cyrillic: гуслар, romanized: guslar; Albanian: lahutar) holds the instrument vertically between the knees, with the left hand controlling the string. The string is not pressed against the neck of the instrument, creating a sound that is both harmonic and distinct.

On November 29, 2018, the Serbian Gusle was added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as part of Serbia’s cultural traditions. On December 9, 2025, the Albanian Lahuta was included in UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Etymology

The Old Slavic root word "gǫdsli" (similar to Russian "gúsli," Slovak "husle," Czech "housle," and Slovene "gósli") is connected to words like "guditi" or "gósti," and "gudalo" or "godalo," which describe a low, deep sound. This is similar to the sound made by a "gu(n)delj" (cockchafer), an insect that makes a similar noise when flying.

The exact origin of the names for related items like "gusle," "gadulka," "gudok," and "gudalo" (the bow of the gusle) may help better understand the history of the gusle after the research of Walther Wünsch.

In South Slavic languages, the word "gusle" is commonly used as a plural noun that only has a feminine form. However, an older form, "gusli," was used in areas near the middle Drina River, Arilje, and throughout Montenegro. The use of the sounds /e/ and /i/ can appear in the same language, either in songs or in everyday speech.

The singular form "gusla" is only found in parts of Eastern Serbia, west of the Timok River, near Niš, Ivanjica, and in the Zlatibor region. On the island of Korčula, only "gusla" is used.

The term "gusle" was first introduced into European writing by Alberto Fortis. In Serbian language use, "gusle" is a plural noun that only has a feminine form (Serbo-Croatian: "gusla" or "gusle," Albanian: "lahuta" or "lahutë").

Origin

There is no agreement about where the gusle originated. A 7th-century Byzantine Greek historian named Theophylact Simocatta, who lived around 630, wrote about "small lyres" brought by Slavs who settled in the Balkans. Some researchers think these might have been gusles. Others, like F. Sachs, believe the gusle came from the East and was brought to Europe in the 10th century by the Islamic cultural influence. Arab travelers reported that Slavs used the gusle in the 10th century. A writer named Teodosije the Hilandarian, who lived from 1246 to 1328, wrote that Stefan Nemanjić, who ruled from 1196 to 1228, often entertained Serbian nobles with musicians who played drums and "gusle." Reliable written records about the gusle first appeared in the 15th century. Travel writings from the 16th century mention the instrument in Bosnia and Serbia. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the gusle was also found in Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Albania, where it is called "lahuta," which means "lute."

Construction and use

The gusle is a musical instrument made of a wooden sound box. Maple wood is often used because it produces the best sound, so the instrument is sometimes called "gusle javorove" (maple gusle). The sound box is covered with animal skin, and the instrument has a neck with a carved head. A bow made of horsehair is used to play the single string, creating a loud and expressive sound. The string is made from thirty horsehairs.

The gusle is held vertically between the player’s knees, with the left hand pressing the string along the neck. The string is never pressed against the neck, which gives the instrument a unique sound. Most traditional gusles have one string, but some have two strings, found in areas like Bosanska Krajina and Lika.

The music played on the gusle varies by culture. Each ethnic group uses different stories and epic poems to accompany the instrument. The way the music is sung also differs slightly in different regions of Southeast Europe. The instrument’s design is the same everywhere, but the neck and head may have different carvings based on ethnic or national traditions.

The gusle is used to play heroic songs (epic poetry) in the Balkans. The Serbian gusle is a one-stringed instrument made of maple wood. A person who plays and composes poems on the gusle is called a guslar. These poems often follow a specific rhythm pattern.

Historical records mention the gusle being played in the 13th century at the court of Serbian King Stefan Nemanjić. Polish poets from the 17th century also wrote about the gusle. In 1612, Kasper Miaskowski wrote that Serbian gusles and gaidas would be played during a festival. In 1663, Józef Bartłomiej Zimorowic described singing to the gusle. Some older Serbian books mention a guslar performing at the court of King Władysław II Jagiełło in 1415. In 1551, a Hungarian historian named Sebastian Tinody wrote that a Serbian guslar named Dimitrije Karaman was the best in Hungary. He described how the guslar held the gusle between their knees and performed with deep emotion.

The gusle has been important in Serbian history because it is linked to the oral tradition of patriotic stories. Many of these stories describe the Ottoman occupation and the fight for freedom. In the early 1800s, a researcher named Vuk Stefanović Karadžić collected and published many of these epics. These poems became popular in Europe during the Romanticism period. Jacob Grimm, a German scholar, learned Serbian to study the poems. He compared them to famous works like the "Song of Songs."

Vuk Karadžić grouped the epic songs he collected into three cycles.

The first cycle includes songs from the medieval Serbian state and the Serbian Empire. Famous poems from this cycle are "The Wedding of Emperor Dušan" and "The Building of Skadar."

The second cycle includes songs about the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. The most famous song is "The Prince’s Curse," which tells the story of Miloš Obilić and Prince Lazar. This battle is considered the most important event in Serbian epic poetry. Songs about the Battle of Kosovo helped create the Kosovo Myth.

The third cycle includes songs about events after the Battle of Kosovo. These songs describe battles against the Ottomans and conflicts between Serbian nobles. A famous hero in this cycle is Marko Kraljević. Poems about brave fighters like Hajduks and Uskoks are also part of this cycle. Songs about battles between Montenegrins and the Ottomans, as well as the Serbian Revolution, are included here.

Modern songs describe recent wars, such as the Serbian–Ottoman Wars of 1876–1878, the Balkan Wars, and World War I. One famous modern poet, Radovan Bećirović Trebješki, wrote about the Battle of Mojkovac.

Today, the gusle is most commonly played in Herzegovina and Montenegro, where Serbian medieval culture is best preserved. Many gusles are decorated with carvings of historical battles, heroes, and places like the Ostrog Monastery.

In cities like Belgrade, Podgorica, and Novi Sad, groups called guslar societies organize concerts and events. The oldest society is the "Vuk Karadžić" Society in Belgrade. These societies are part of three federations in Serbia, Montenegro, and the Republic of Srpska. Competitions called festivals are held regularly, with the biggest event being the Federal Festival of Gusle. The winner is considered the best guslar of the year. Famous modern guslars include Branko Perović and Boško Vujačić.

In 2018, singing to the gusle was added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, recognizing its importance in Serbian tradition.