Cruit

Celtic harp

The medieval 'Queen Mary harp' (Clàrsach na Banrìgh Màiri) preserved in the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
String instrument
Other names	cláirseach, clàrsach, telenn, telyn
Classification	Chordophones Composite chordophones Harps
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	322.221 (manually tuned frame harp)
Related instruments
harp lute harp lute

The Celtic harp is a triangular harp traditional to Brittany, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It is known as a telenn in Breton, cláirseach in Irish, clàrsach in Scottish Gaelic and telyn in Welsh. In Ireland and Scotland, it was a wire-strung instrument requiring great skill and long practice to play, and was associated with the Gaelic ruling class. It appears on the coins and coat of arms of the Republic of Ireland.

The early history of the triangular frame harp in Europe is contested. The first instrument associated with the harping tradition in the Gaelic world was known as a cruit. This word may originally have described a different stringed instrument, being etymologically related to the Welsh crwth. It has been suggested that the word clàrsach/cláirseach (from clàr/clár, a board) was coined for the triangular frame harp which replaced the cruit, and that this coining was of Scottish origin.

Three of the four oldest authentic harps to survive are of Gaelic provenance: the Trinity College Harp preserved in Trinity College Dublin, and the Queen Mary Harp and the Lamont Harp in the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. The last two are examples of the small low-headed harp, and are both made from hornbeam, a wood not native to Scotland. All three are dated approximately to the 15th century and may have been made in Argyll in western Scotland. Many “Irish” harps from later periods have no provenance and could possibly be of Scottish origin.