NYCKELHARPA
THE HISTORY OF THE KEYED FIDDLE
What is a nyckelharpa?
The nyckelharpa is an instrument that is played with a bow and whose tones are determined by keys equipped with tangents that shorten the playing strings in order to produce the correct pitch. But in the designation nyckelharpa there also lies the appearance and the shape of the instrument body.
The long, narrow instrument and the neck with its head, which provides space for wooden tuning pegs and other mechanical tuners, are an important part of the image of a nyckelharpa. Modern nyckelharpas have received F-holes in the top instead of the ”ox eyes” (oxögon), round sound holes on either side of the tailpiece, which were common on our older nyckelharpas, the gammelharpor.
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ABOUT RAUKTORI
With forbidden powers and a mind torn by its own madness, Rauktori combines the legacy of Christianity with the spirit of the Vikings. It is said that Rauktori left a mark upon the world through the Christian runestones that still stand across the North, bridging the old gods and the new faith. Like a grim reaper, Rauktori decides whether souls go to Satan or to the Gods.
