Talharpa

The talharpa or tagelharpa is a bowed lyre, with origins dating back to around the 11th century. Ours is a 3-stringed talharpa equipped with gut-strings. The bow is strung with horsehair. 

Although there is not much archeological evidence for these types of instruments, we do have several depictions and sculptures attesting to its existance. Most famously a stone carving from Trondheim cathedral (below). 

In different regions, different types of bowed lyres were played. In Wales, there was the Cwrth, in Finland the Jouhikko and the fiðla in Iceland.