crwth

crwth, bowed Welsh lyre played from the European Middle Ages to about 1800. It was about the size of a violin. Though originally plucked, it was played with a bow from the 11th century, and a fingerboard was added behind the strings in the last part of the 13th century.

Its original four strings (in two pairs) were increased by the 15th century to six, two lying off the fingerboard. The treble string was used for melody, the other strings serving as drones; the off-fingerboard strings were bowed or occasionally plucked by the thumb of the bow hand. One foot of the bridge passed through a sound hole and transmitted the vibrations of the strings to the back of the instrument.